Saturday, August 13, 2011

Entitlers, entitlees and the entitled

Congress is both an entitler and an entitlee. It makes the laws about entitlements and at the same time votes itself a raise in salary and perks whenever it feels like it. While many Americans are losing their pensions, members of Congress are pensioned at the taxpayers' expense.

Other entitlees are the wealthy who make their money by the work of the entitled. They are rewarded by big breaks on taxes, because they are the large contributors to campaign money for Congress. They have also been given help with the "Estate Tax" decline. They make their heirs entitlees by use of the trickle down theory.

The entitled are the working stiffs, who paid taxes into the Social Security and Medicare funds. This gave members of Congress more money for earmarks and pork so they could keep getting elected. Then Congress decides it does not have enough money for even COLAs and some members of Congress want to emasculate both successful programs. These programs are advertised as only benefiting seniors but they are actually good for young people also because they give them some security for when they can no longer work (and the pension they were hoping for is gone and their 401K money has tanked in the stock market). Medicare also gives them health care in spite of outrageous health costs.

Since the wealthy have largely made their fortunes off the investments and purchases of those who will be dependent on SociaI security when they retire, it is only fair that the wealthy pay higher taxes so that the money taken from the Social Security fund can be returned to it.

1 comment:

Harriet said...

You left out the many who have inherited their wealth. Absolutely, the rich must pay higher taxes.
The people want that to happen. We need a leader who will repeat that truth over and over again. Unfortunately, Obama has proven he is incapable of doing that.