There are so many outright falacies (lies) in this article it is beyond pathetic. Just take two sentences. It reeks of a form letter analysis.
"It found the lowest fifth of Montanans by income — those making less than $16,000 annually — paid on average 6.1 percent of their income in income, property and sales and excise taxes. Their average income was $8,700 a year."
For people with an average income of $8,700 a year...how many do you suppose pay property taxes on anything except a car? That would be license/registration fees. Now you know they ain't driving a new car. So their paying what...$100 a year for registration? Probably less. Montana doesn't have sales tax thank you for the form letter. Excise taxes? Okay like for a phone/cell phone/cable TV. If they have a cell phone they shouldn't if they are making such low income to begin with. That could be $15/month for excise taxes on one cell phone. $180 per year. So far we are looking at potentially $280 a year in so-called taxes. 6.1% of $8700 is $530. $530 minus the $280 is $250. No if you pretend that we are calculating all of the other hidden taxes that we all pay every day I doubt that anyone making that small of an income is actually paying any state income tax, but I don't have any tables to look at right now. They would definitely qualify for earned income credit at the Federal level which would more than likely cancel out anything the state might charge them.
This entire article is just another liberal load of crap.
mtbiker, I believe we do care and would see to the well being of more folks if allowed to do it on our own, i.e. through the churches and entities like the Salvation Army (as we used to do before the "Great Society). I don't believe a government redistribution of wealth is the way to do it. We differ, I believe, only in desired method.
Capital-city: If you are making more than $400,000, per year, but still having trouble saving for your children's college and healthcare, then you are either really bad with your money or living an extravagant lifestyle.
A society in which the elite enjoy great benefits at the expense of the poorest is as morally reprehensible as a slave society. That was the moral point of the civil war. Consider Lincoln's words in his second inaugural address.
Are we so callous as a society that we do not care about the plight of our fellow citizens? Where is the sense of fraternity? What happened to "united we stand" and christian charity and concern for others?
Get with it Montana! We need to raise taxes on all the working rich and aspiring small business owners.
Once we buy homes, healthcare, and tax credits for the working and non-working poor - only then we can justify saving for our own childrens' college, healthcare, and housing.
A sociey in which the poorest enjoy great benefits at the expense of the elite is as morally reprehensible as a marxist society.
What happened to 'land of oppertunity' and free enterprise and 'this is America, you can do anything'?
"It found the lowest fifth of Montanans by income — those making less than $16,000 annually — paid on average 6.1 percent of their income in income, property and sales and excise taxes. Their average income was $8,700 a year."
For people with an average income of $8,700 a year...how many do you suppose pay property taxes on anything except a car? That would be license/registration fees. Now you know they ain't driving a new car. So their paying what...$100 a year for registration? Probably less. Montana doesn't have sales tax thank you for the form letter. Excise taxes? Okay like for a phone/cell phone/cable TV. If they have a cell phone they shouldn't if they are making such low income to begin with. That could be $15/month for excise taxes on one cell phone. $180 per year. So far we are looking at potentially $280 a year in so-called taxes. 6.1% of $8700 is $530. $530 minus the $280 is $250. No if you pretend that we are calculating all of the other hidden taxes that we all pay every day I doubt that anyone making that small of an income is actually paying any state income tax, but I don't have any tables to look at right now. They would definitely qualify for earned income credit at the Federal level which would more than likely cancel out anything the state might charge them.
This entire article is just another liberal load of crap.
A society in which the elite enjoy great benefits at the expense of the poorest is as morally reprehensible as a slave society. That was the moral point of the civil war. Consider Lincoln's words in his second inaugural address.
Are we so callous as a society that we do not care about the plight of our fellow citizens? Where is the sense of fraternity? What happened to "united we stand" and christian charity and concern for others?
Once we buy homes, healthcare, and tax credits for the working and non-working poor - only then we can justify saving for our own childrens' college, healthcare, and housing.