October 02, 2007

Quarterlies and the Red Menace

I'm basically a good citizen, i.e., I'm terrified of what the government will do to me if I don't knuckle under to its outrageous demands.

Today they're re-distributing more of my imaginary income from the future to those more fortunate than myself, that is, them. They want a share of estimated theoretical money you might make in the future, but expect you to pay with a check from now? And this is what we fought the Revolution for? It is as if the Pharaohs have returned, Indy.

This is the sort of thing that turns good people into Republicans.

Posted by Dr. Frank at October 2, 2007 01:04 AM
Comments

Tell them sorry, but my theoretical money is paying for a theoretically useful war. Theoretically of course, in the most abstract of mannerisms.

Posted by: Eric at October 2, 2007 02:33 AM

In San Jose it's October 1 yet, why does your blog say October 2?

Posted by: Bill Weitze at October 2, 2007 03:24 AM

For as long as I have known him, Frank has said that there are two major problems in this country: the penal system, which is too large, too violent, too privatized and basically represents state torture in many cases; and the tax situation of self employed artists. He has at least one point.

Posted by: Tristin Aaron at October 2, 2007 04:45 PM

The tax situation of "self employed artists" (including those who have lucratively optioned book and song rights to Hollywood) is bad, but if you are in the poor house, Frank, you need a new accountant because you can deduct a lot. And anyone who votes for Republicans because they think that Republicans are less of a "red menace" (whatever that term is supposed to mean) is laughable. The amount of interest alone that Reagan and both Bush boys ran up on this nation's credit card (in bailouts, defense contracts, kickbacks, corporate welfare, low to no interest loans, and other yuppie-fun-and-games) is one that future generations will be paying off for the next century. Our grandchildren will have just enough money at payday after expenses to rent a few videos on the weekends thanks in principal to those three guys.

Oh, but at least thanks to the Republicans, we still have a privatized health care system...that doesn't cover close to fifty million people, underinsures tens of millions more, but YET costs us U.S. taxpayers MORE per capita than those living in so-called "red countries"...you know, those pinkos in Canada, England, Germany, Japan. Yeah, those Republicans...they sure are Einsteins, and fiscal geniuses at that! Sheesh

Posted by: David at October 3, 2007 01:21 AM

And if you think that you've been screwed by the tax system, consider this: I take a prescription drug that keeps me alive and functional that costs 1800 dollars a month, and my most recent job didn't have a prescription/health plan that would cover it. And I made too much money (i.e., I was a little over the "poverty line") to qualify for any of these "red menace" programs like Medicare or Medicaid (and I don't live in Cali, so I can't get on Medi-Cal that you Californians enjoy). So I do some research, and I find that that the research and development (in the hundreds of millions) into that particular drug was funded in large part not by the drug company, but by taxpayers through the National Institute of Health. So I bust by heinie each day to pay taxes in part to help create a drug that doesn't do me any good even though I need it to stay alive and well! So I was unemployed for a period of time, and only recently got back on my feet with a better job.

Face it, we all are screwed in some way by the tax system.

Posted by: David at October 3, 2007 01:40 AM

Yeah, David, it sounds like things are working out great for you, too.

Posted by: Dr. Frank at October 3, 2007 02:01 AM

Politics has always been this way. Remember the line from the Roman Senate in Mel Brooks' "History of the World"?

"Fuck, the poor!!!"

Except that has been amended to include the middle class as well.

Posted by: Z at October 3, 2007 02:35 PM

People who know nothing about health care or economics all seem to be experts on the economics of health care, don't they?

Z,
Don't forget the rich.

Posted by: josh at October 3, 2007 03:04 PM

Yeah, personally to be honest even though I sound like a leftist, I sometimes just wish that they would either eliminate all deductions in the tax code and make it a reasonable flat tax on everyone, or just eliminate all taxes except for a standard flat tax on each consumption good you buy. Same thing for health care: eliminate all social programs, or on the other hand eliminate all insurance companies. Having combinations of both philosophies in health and taxes just isn't obviously working.

BTW I was joking about the "lucrative" Hollywood thing.

Posted by: David at October 3, 2007 04:02 PM

I smell a new song in the works: Estimated Theoretical Money Tax, Worse Than Hitler.

Posted by: matt at October 4, 2007 01:21 PM