Tim

With respect to the riots at UC Berkeley, if the student body president is correct and the rioters are not students, why did the students not stop them? Why did they allow them to hide in their crowd? Why did they not start grabbing rioters and turning them over to the police? By not doing so, they are in fact supporting those who believe they have the right to destroy other peoples property and commit acts of violence against them. And this invalidates everything they are supposed to stand for. Remember, your rights end where my rights begin. Perhaps we should all remember that. Shame on you, Berkeley students.

I am always hearing this from democrats, usually in the context that the rich should pay more. However, I have never heard what a “fair share” is. So, I ask that question now; given the facts I will lay out below, what is a fair share of the income tax burden for each class or income group?

Here is what I used. I started with the 2009 Statistics of Income (SOI) produced by the Internal Revenue Service. You can find them at irs.gov.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) – income before deductions, exemptions, and credits.

Tax Liability (TL) – the amount of tax actually paid (ie – the check you write to the government)

Effective tax rate (ETR) – TL / AGI

Lower class – AGI below $75k

Lower Middle class – AGI between $75k and $200k

Upper Middle class – AGI between $200k and $1m

Upper class – AGI over $1m

ETR for each class

Lower – 4.84%

Lower Middle – 10.49%

Upper Middle – 20.75%

Upper – 24.42%

Percent of total taxes collected that are paid by each class

Lower – 16.04%

Lower Middle – 33.81%

Upper Middle – 29.75%

Upper – 20.50%

I find this one particularly important. The tax burden is bared mostly by the middle class. The poor do not have the money and there are not enough rich people. The middle class are both numerous enough and have enough income.

Percent of total population for each class based on returns filed

Lower – 79.42%

Lower Middle – 17.78%

Upper Middle – 2.62%

Upper – 0.17%

Your answer should include the class breakdown (feel free to use other breakdowns, this is just my opinion), ETR, and your reasoning for your class and ETR breakdown.

I am always hearing this from democrats, usually in the context that the rich should pay more. However, I have never heard what a “fair share” is. So, I ask that question now; given the facts I will lay out below, that is a fair share of the income tax burden for each class or income group?

Here is what I used. I started with the 2009 Statistics of Income (SOI) produced by the Internal Revenue Service. You can find them at irs.gov.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) – income before deductions, exemptions, and credits.

Tax Liability (TL) – the amount of tax actually paid (ie – the check you write to the government)

Effective tax rate (ETR) – TL / AGI

Lower class – AGI below $75k

Lower Middle class – AGI between $75k and $200k

Upper Middle class – AGI between $200k and $1m

Upper class – AGI over $1m

ETR for each class

Lower – 4.84%

Lower Middle – 10.49%

Upper Middle – 20.75%

Upper – 24.42%

Percent of total taxes collected that are paid by each class

Lower – 16.04%

Lower Middle – 33.81%

Upper Middle – 29.75%

Upper – 20.50%

Percent of total population for each class based on returns filed

Lower – 79.42%

Lower Middle – 17.78%

Upper Middle – 2.62%

Upper – 0.17%

Your answer should include the class breakdown (feel free to used other breakdowns, this is just my opinion), ETR, and your reasoning for your class and ETR breakdown.

I am always hearing this from democrats, usually in the context that the rich should pay more. However, I have never heard what a “fair share” is. So, I ask that question now; given the facts I will lay out below, that is a fair share of the income tax burden for each class or income group?

Here is what I used. I started with the 2009 Statistics of Income (SOI) produced by the Internal Revenue Service. You can find them at irs.gov.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) – income before deductions, exemptions, and credits.

Tax Liability (TL) – the amount of tax actually paid (ie – the check you write to the government)

Effective tax rate (ETR) – TL / AGI

Lower class – AGI below $75k

Lower Middle class – AGI between $75k and $200k

Upper Middle class – AGI between $200k and $1m

Upper class – AGI over $1m

ETR for each class

Lower – 4.84%

Lower Middle – 10.49%

Upper Middle – 20.75%

Upper – 24.42%

Percent of total taxes collected that are paid by each class

Lower – 16.04%

Lower Middle – 33.81%

Upper Middle – 29.75%

Upper – 20.50%

Percent of total population for each class based on returns filed

Lower – 79.42%

Lower Middle – 17.78%

Upper Middle – 2.62%

Upper – 0.17%

Your answer should include the class breakdown (feel free to used other breakdowns, this is just my opinion), ETR, and your reasoning for your class and ETR breakdown.

Webster’s defines it as

1 : qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval

2 : something to which one has a just claim: as a : the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled <voting rights> <his right to decide> b (1) : the interest that one has in a piece of property —often used in plural <mineral rights> (2) plural : the property interest possessed under law or custom and agreement in an intangible thing especially of a literary and artistic nature <film rights of the novel>

3 : something that one may properly claim as due <knowing the truth is her right>

4 : the cause of truth or justice

But that is more like examples of rights. What is it about a right that makes it a right? I would like to know your opinion, and to share I will go first.

I think a right is a limitation on another person or group, such as the government in deference to the individual.

We have a right to free speech. That means that another person, and especially the government, cannot stop you from speaking your mind. Of course, that also means that one must accept the consequences of speech if one wants the right to speak. For example, if I were to say the Holocaust never happened, it would be my right to do so, but I had better be willing to accept being labeled a racist and alienating my Jewish friends.

Similarly, we have a right to trial by jury. This is a limit on government power. Right to bare arms? Limit on government power. The same holds true for every right listed in the Bill of Rights; they are limitations on the power of others to interfere with your life. They are not absolutes because one cannot violate one persons rights by the exercise of another persons rights. That is why you cannot shout “fire!” in a crowded theater.

So, given this, is healthcare a “right”? Since healthcare is a) not a limitation on someone’s (ie- the government) ability to interfere with your life and b) imposes limitations on other people’s rights (ie- forcing doctors to take less pay for the same work) I hold the position that healthcare is not a right. Your thoughts?

Ithink the birther cases should go all the way top the supreme court, but not for the reason birthers do. I want the court to weigh in on 2 constitutional questions:

1- who inforces the elegibility requirements for federal office? If a guy is not a natural US citizen (think The Governator), who tells him no? Is it the state Secretaries of State? The Congress? if a 20 year old wants to run for congress, who has standing to object?

2- if a president is later found ineligible, does it invalidate just him or does it cancel the TICKET since they run as a package deal?

I think these questions need to be answered, since they are not spelled out in the Constitution. Thus I supprot those suing to see Obama's birth certificate as a means of getting those answers. Is that reasonable?

We got a beautiful (albeit, in need of repair and refinishing) upright piano from our neighbor. She said it was over 100 years old, and it certainly looks it. I want to repair and refinish it, but I also want to make sure it is done in a way that does not harm its antique value. So, I have been trying to find out about the manufacturer and have been unable to do so.

The only indication I have is the name "Stanhope" and the words "cabinet grand" on the key cover. Searches on the internet have been dead ends so far. Anyone have a clue as to the company and how I can contact them (if they are even still in business)?

I like to think I am a fair minded person, so I thought long and hard about what Obama said:

"It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,"

I am not sure I see his logic. How does clinging to guns, religion, et al explain the frustrations of the small town person? I have no doubt that some people are bitter with the economy, but they explain it quite well; they are bitter with the economy because the ecomony has not imporved markedly in their area. What is the clinging about?