The Utah Senate race

[beefytee]

Why the big Sooner lovefest?

Were his feelings hurt?

(By the way, I love you too, Sooner)

[SoonerCoug]

What's not to like? Sooner is cool.

Thanks everyone, but I'm sure my ex-wife could give you a list of things.

[LA Ute]

Why the big Sooner lovefest?

Were his feelings hurt?

(By the way, I love you too, Sooner)

We thought he could use a hug.

[Viking]

I thought you retired.

I'm the James Brown of CUF.

[Viking]

No you don't.

I'm sure that on some level, there would be something I think was swell about you. Such as, you speak Latin. That's swell. You're in law school. That's swell.

[Viking]

Welcome back! I knew you couldn't stay mad at us forever!

I know, i know. I'm a sucker for this place. BYU71, I am sorry. A big internet heterosexual hug to you.

[byu71]

I know, i know. I'm a sucker for this place. BYU71, I am sorry. A big internet heterosexual hug to you.

Don't get warm and fuzzy on me, let's just shake hands.

[CardiacCoug]

It's no coincidence that Cardiac is the most Republican person in our family. He earns the most. I know how this works. I think Cardiac ought to pay more taxes than I do, and I think the guy who did my laminate floor ought to pay less taxes than I do. I don't think that's unreasonable. I'm very happy with my floor, and he worked extremely hard. I work hard. Cardiac works hard. We all work hard. Cardiac should pay the most, and the guy who does laminate floors should pay the least. I think that's fair.

I missed this until now and would just like to point out that if the laminate flooring installer makes a mistake, nobody dies.

You know for a fact that I don't care that much about money. My problem with high taxes is that it's bad for the economy generally. Believe it or not, high taxes on the rich can be very bad for low income people, too, when the rich person has to fire them.

Didn't you notice the horrendous result of rampant big government when you were on your mission? Did you see what a shithole that country was? That's what turned me into a small-government guy, it has nothing to do with my personal income.

[SoonerCoug]

Believe it or not, high taxes on the rich can be very bad for low income people, too, when the rich person has to fire them.

I agree that you don't really care about your own money, but I'm trying to wrap my brain around this argument. How often do high taxes on the rich result in lower income people losing their jobs? I don't doubt that this is true sometimes, but I'm really curious to know how big of an issue this is.

That very same shithole of a country now has many of the wealthiest people on Earth. Why isn't their money trickling down?

[byu71]

How often do high taxes on the rich result in lower income people losing their jobs? I don't doubt that this is true sometimes, but I'm really curious to know how big of an issue this is.

I will give you a personal example. If the Rich get taxed more they have less to invest. I won't meet my quota and will get fired. I then will have to fire the guys that mow my lawn and do it myself. I will also have to cook macaroni and cheese and not eat at McDonalds so much. There is a real impact.

[SoonerCoug]

I will give you a personal example. If the Rich get taxed more they have less to invest. I won't meet my quota and will get fired. I then will have to fire the guys that mow my lawn and do it myself. I will also have to cook macaroni and cheese and not eat at McDonalds so much. There is a real impact.

I believe that. I guess my question is what's the difference between 500 middle class people investing small time and a 5 rich people investing big time? I'm not an economist so I'm completely open to expert opinions here, but it seems to me that the progressive tax just shifts the segment of society that is contributing the most to the government and makes more money available to lower and middle classes.

And the Russian system has me perplexed, where they have many of the richest people on Earth, but the money never seems to trickle down. I guess I just want to know why America has succeeded in having such a large middle class while some other nations have failed miserably despite having a lot of extraordinarily wealthy people.

[New Mexican Disaster]

I will give you a personal example. If the Rich get taxed more they have less to invest. I won't meet my quota and will get fired. I then will have to fire the guys that mow my lawn and do it myself. I will also have to cook macaroni and cheese and not eat at McDonalds so much. There is a real impact.

And if they don't get taxed they don't create the infrastructure necessary to support their economic lives and they have to pay more to the individuals who provide services because they will charge more to cover the benefits that government provides at a lower or subsidized cost.

[byu71]

I believe that. I guess my question is what's the difference between 500 middle class people investing and a 5 rich people investing? I'm not an economist so I'm completely open to expert opinions here, but it seems to me that the progressive tax just shifts the segment of society that is contributing the most to the government and makes more money available to lower and middle classes.

The 500 aren't getting more money. The taxes from the rich are going to pay for those people who lose their jobs because I can't keep them with a job they will need unemployment and food stamps.

That's the theory. Now, I guess I could just work harder to make up for the losses I will suffer. That's another theory that would make higher taxes not a problem.

[byu71]

And if they don't get taxed they don't create the infrastructure necessary to support their economic lives and they have to pay more to the individuals who provide services because they will charge more to cover the benefits that government provides at a lower or subsidized cost.

That is another theory. It would be nice to know if there is any definitive information to show whether when people are taxed at a higher rate, if they start becoming less productive. I am talking about people who earn between 250K and 1 million. I don't think people who make over a million care that much about a 5% marginal tax hike, except on the theory that the economy will suffer.

[New Mexican Disaster]

That is another theory. It would be nice to know if there is any definitive information to show whether when people are taxed at a higher rate, if they start becoming less productive. I am talking about people who earn between 250K and 1 million. I don't think people who make over a million care that much about a 5% marginal tax hike, except on the theory that the economy will suffer.

I am sure that there is empirical literature that will tell you what happens, and you are correct in thinking that a certain level of taxation drives down jobs-especially at the low end of the economic spectrum. I was making my point to illustrate that it is not just a one way street-that some level of taxation is desirable and the finding that equilibrium is not easy.