The appeal of Joe the Plumber is that he puts a face to a tax number. Even if he's really not earning that much or isn't even a plumber. I am married to someone who makes that much and let me try to make the same point from a different perspective because Obama is right, I can afford an increase in my taxes. But first I'd like you to meet Bill, Steve and Jessie. I don't own a business or anything, but I do spend my money (you know, since I'm one of the have's, that's what we do). Obama wanta to spread my wealth around and here's how it will affect 3 people in the middle and lower income brackets.
Bill - Bill is a music school teacher. He does private lessons on the side to make a little extra, in addition to volunteering in a community band. He loves teaching and playing music. He teaches one of our children and we pay him $100/mo.
Steve - Steve works full time doing private music lessons. He has two kids who he pays child support for and he lives on the edge of poverty. Private lessons is his only source of income. We pay for him to instruct three of our children and me every week. We pay him $364/mo.
Jessie - Jessie works full time but became a mom at age 18 yo, has no education past high school and lives near the poverty level. She is on her own being recently divorced. She helps us out once or twice a week, earning $120-$160/mo.
I recalculated Obama's tax proposals and realized it will only cost my family $1,350/mo on average. I can cover almost half of that by cutting my budget back, not hiring the babysitter and doing away with private music lessons (they are luxury items anyway). I'm sure Bill, Steve and Jessie will be glad to know that instead of earning money from my family, they will get $500 refundable tax credit next year under Obama's plan. And maybe even if $300 stimulus check like they got from Bush in the past.
Make less and pay less in tax, that's Obama's plan for the middle class.
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I wanted to share with you an “American Dream” story that was inspired by our new cultural icon “Joe Plumber” and the particularly revealing answer that came from Senator Obama about “Sharing The Wealth”. I was born and raised in rural Utah. My step Father was badly injured in World War II while serving under General McArthur in the Philippines. When he returned home he found good employment working in the new steel mill in central Utah. He worked that job proudly as a Union Member for over 4o years. I loved my Dad I was very impressed by how hard he worked at two jobs to support our large extended family. He impressed upon me at an early age the importance of hard work and dedication to achieve even the basic necessities.
I started working as an early teen doing many summer jobs such as a paper route, or picking fruit in the many orchards of our community. When I graduated from High School I resisted the urge of my peers to get a job at “The Plant” which is what many of the second generation Steel Workers were doing. My plan was to go to college and obtain a professional degree because I didn’t want to be a laborer all my life like dad. “Fortunately” for me it was a dream that I would have to earn myself. My family was not in a financial position to help.
I worked many menial jobs trying to save up tuition. I also joined the National Guard in an effort to earn a little extra, and by the way I re-upped several times and stayed with the Guard for nearly 25 years! From my first semester until I finally graduated from college with a B.S. Degree was nearly 10 years! Since that time and for over 30 years I’ve worked very hard to climb the corporate professional ladder. I will turn 60 just days after the election in November and I’ve seen my plans for a “Normal” retirement (age 65) go right out the window.
That brings me to the “Joe Plumber” comments and Mr. Obama’s response: After 40 years of very hard work and sacrifices’ it looks like I might hit that magic number Mr. Obama keeps bringing up. Now he wants me to be a good patriotic American and “Share the Wealth”. Funny, I thought that’s what charitable organizations and philanthropy was all about and Government was about protection and security! Did I miss something here?
To Mr. Obama: “From my Cold Dead Fingers!”
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