4 ms·

Because that's the system under which we live. Healthcare should be provided to all by the government for free, but until then we must live under the system.

scarface74 7y ago
So instead of complaining about a company should provide health benefits, complain about the government.
- dzamie 7y ago
  Advocating an increased minimum wage is complaining about the government.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    Do you think that everyone deserves “a livable wage” - even my 17 year old son staying at home flipping pizza?
    - behringer 7y ago
      Yes. We're an immensely wealthy country
      - scarface74 7y ago
        Who should pay for it? The pizza shop owner with a net income of under $50K a year after working 70+ hours a week? Increase taxes on the household making an average of $70K a year so the government can subsidize his pay while he stays in a household making over twice the average household income? Does the pizza owner also deserve an adequate return on investment to make his risk worthwhile or should he also work for minimum wage at a larger corporation?
        behringer 7y ago
        Why should we tax the poor? No, we should tax the rich, ramp that tax rate up to 90 percent for the highest brackets, and stop putting half our taxes to military. We'd suddenly have so much money we wouldn't know what all to spend it on.
        scarface74 7y ago
        When you “tax the rich at 90%” it disincentivizes people from working - would you risk starting a business or working extra hours for only 10 cents to the dollar? Also, how do you classify “the rich”? People in the 90th percentile of household income? That would be approximately $130K a year. Finally, only 15% of federal spending goes to the military. Most of our spending is already for social security, Medicare, education, retirement benefits, etc. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-w...
        seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        This is why capital gain taxes are generally different from income taxes (the previous are lower and can be offset by losses to prevent risk taking). Social security and Medicare are funded directly via payroll taxes, they are not part of he general fund and you pay for them separately. Comparing them is like comparing medical insurance premiums or 401k savings to military spending.
        scarface74 7y ago
        Social Security and Medicare taxes have always been mixed in with regular income taxes. The government “borrows” money from the social security fund and issues the funds IOUs. There is no separate account where money is stashed away and only spent on SS and Medicare.
        seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        > Social Security and Medicare taxes have always been mixed in with regular income taxes No, they never had. In fact, 47% of the population doesn’t pay income taxes at all, just payroll taxes, which are capped rather than progressive (anti progressive, actually). The government does borrow money via IOUs to fund things like military mostly, but they also borrow money via treasuries, are you saying China’s export surplus should be mixed with regular income taxes as well?

scarface74 7y ago

So instead of complaining about a company should provide health benefits, complain about the government.

dzamie 7y ago
Advocating an increased minimum wage is complaining about the government.
- scarface74 7y ago
  Do you think that everyone deserves “a livable wage” - even my 17 year old son staying at home flipping pizza?
  - behringer 7y ago
    Yes. We're an immensely wealthy country
    - scarface74 7y ago
      Who should pay for it? The pizza shop owner with a net income of under $50K a year after working 70+ hours a week? Increase taxes on the household making an average of $70K a year so the government can subsidize his pay while he stays in a household making over twice the average household income? Does the pizza owner also deserve an adequate return on investment to make his risk worthwhile or should he also work for minimum wage at a larger corporation?
      - behringer 7y ago
        Why should we tax the poor? No, we should tax the rich, ramp that tax rate up to 90 percent for the highest brackets, and stop putting half our taxes to military. We'd suddenly have so much money we wouldn't know what all to spend it on.
        scarface74 7y ago
        When you “tax the rich at 90%” it disincentivizes people from working - would you risk starting a business or working extra hours for only 10 cents to the dollar? Also, how do you classify “the rich”? People in the 90th percentile of household income? That would be approximately $130K a year. Finally, only 15% of federal spending goes to the military. Most of our spending is already for social security, Medicare, education, retirement benefits, etc. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-w...
        seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        This is why capital gain taxes are generally different from income taxes (the previous are lower and can be offset by losses to prevent risk taking). Social security and Medicare are funded directly via payroll taxes, they are not part of he general fund and you pay for them separately. Comparing them is like comparing medical insurance premiums or 401k savings to military spending.
        scarface74 7y ago
        Social Security and Medicare taxes have always been mixed in with regular income taxes. The government “borrows” money from the social security fund and issues the funds IOUs. There is no separate account where money is stashed away and only spent on SS and Medicare.
        seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        > Social Security and Medicare taxes have always been mixed in with regular income taxes No, they never had. In fact, 47% of the population doesn’t pay income taxes at all, just payroll taxes, which are capped rather than progressive (anti progressive, actually). The government does borrow money via IOUs to fund things like military mostly, but they also borrow money via treasuries, are you saying China’s export surplus should be mixed with regular income taxes as well?