Evaluation of the policies of George W. Bush and his Republican conservatives on America.
Published on February 18, 2007 By COL Gene In Politics



Today Ben Stein, a regular on Fox news, was being interviewed. He was discussing the need to begin saving early for retirement. The discussion then turned to taxes when one of the Fox Commentators’ asked Stein if it was true that about 75% of Income taxes are paid by the top 20% of the taxpayers. Mr. Stein responded that was correct. He then said that is because most of the wealth is held by the top 10% in this country. He went onto say that 90% of the securities are owned by 10% of the American population and that the top 1% owns over 50% of all securities. He then said that it is only fair that those with most of the money pay most of the taxes. He also commented that they are the only group that can afford to pay the higher taxes, without suffering adverse economic consequences, to pay for the needed services provided by the government.

After Mr. Stein’s comments there was a moment of what is called “Dead Air” and the Fox commentators then switched to a completely different topic. The truth does bite the conservatives. I know there are those that deny there is a significant disparity between the haves and the others in America. However, when 90 % of the wealth is held by 10% of the people and the remaining 10% is owned by the other 90% to deny that a great disparity exists is to deny reality!

Comments (Page 1)
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on Feb 18, 2007
So what's your point? It's the conservatives of this country who have been saying all along that the wealthy are the ones paying most of the taxes while the liberals keep screaming that the wealthy aren't paying their fair share. Sounds to me like Stein simply agreed with what the conservatives have been saying all along.

on Feb 18, 2007
MasonM

No he is agreeing with the position that the wealthy should pay higher taxes because the have MOST of the money and can afford to pay them without suffering from paying the taxes. All the conservatives want us to believe is they are OVER taxed and NEED a tax CUT. That is NOT what Mr. Stein comments say!
on Feb 18, 2007
Do you have a link to the actual transcript of this discussion? As you have a well established habit of misquoting and misrepresenting what people have said, I frankly can't accept your word for it or much of anything else based upon your track record.
on Feb 18, 2007
even if he DID say it....so what? It is his opinion...just like it is your opinion (Gene) that we become a socialist/communist country. Just like it is your opinion that the money I make, does not belong to me, but rather, belongs to "you"....

An opinion is just that: an opinion. I happen to believe that the money someone makes, should be theirs, and not yours, or mine, or the governments. Using our own Brad as an example, the government didn't earn his money, just like you didn't earn his money....

an opinion is an opinion...and I happen to believe his opinion (if indeed that is what he said) is wrong...just like everything you happen to type here I think is wrong....but again, that is my opinion.
on Feb 18, 2007
MasonM

It was on Fox News Sunday today. I do not know if they post a link to their show. However this is what Ben Stein said and it was clear that the Fox Commentators did not know what to respond!

Mythical Mino

The data as to who holds the wealth in this country is not Opinion. I have scene data that confirms what Mr. Stein said today.
on Feb 18, 2007
I will second it, what is your point? You just seem to look for anyone saying "tax the rich" to somehow validate your socialist points. The whole tax situation has been argued with you over and over, and you will not accept anything less than extreme taxation of anyone who has a moderate wealth. Your socialist agenda is obvious, and it's not going anywhere. You want to tax someones income over 50%, that is just ridiculous, and I think a lot of it comes from your jealously of successful Americans.
on Feb 18, 2007
Frankly, knowing your past record of misrepresentation, I doubt that it happened exactly as you say. But, even if it did, so what? How is the opinion of some guy named Ben Stein any more valid than anyone else's?

You're obviously just hunting for anyone or anything that agrees with your socialist viewpoint no matter how dumb it is or how badly such a thing would damage the economic base of this country.
on Feb 18, 2007
IslandDog

Until we have balanced the budget and paid down the debt, the tax rates are TOO low given the level of spending. Please do not show your ignorance by telling me we can both balance the budget and pay down the debt with just spending cuts. THAT IS NOT TRUE.

Again the statistics are NOT opinion but fact. To have only 10% if the securities owner by 90% of the people is not a healthy situation. That is far to skewed to have such a small segment of the population possessing most of the wealth.
on Feb 18, 2007
And when you redistribute that wealth, you end up with bread lines. Like it or not, the 90% simply refuse to do what the 10% does. They'd rather pull a paycheck and not have the risk and headache of providing jobs and managing a business.

"Healthy" in this case is really about "fair". To Col Gene it is fair to give people what they haven't earned. It's fair to take profits away from people who have earned them. It's a sad, late-18th century point of view that has been found wanting time and again.

If you want to see the result of people like Col Gene making policy, look at France.
on Feb 18, 2007
Gene....I was not disputing any "statistics" that say who holds what wealth....

What I am saying is that the opinion that they should be taxed, taxed, and taxed again, while those who refuse to even look for a job gets the hand-outs is simply that....your (socialistic) opinion.

Why should (say) Brad Wardell's taxes go to my sister-in-law's boyfriend who just simply REFUSES to even pretend to look for a job? But, according to you, that is ok...and that is how it should be...because ppl like Brad Wardell makes "too much" money.
on Feb 18, 2007
Bakerdtreet


"And when you redistribute that wealth, you end up with bread lines”

That is pure BS. We had higher tax rates in the 1990's and the wealthy never did so well. Where were the bread lines then? That is the Battle Cry of those that have most of the wealth so that can have even more wealth. It is far more important to balance the budget and pay down the debt then to have the top 10% become more wealthy!!!!!!!!!
on Feb 18, 2007
You always tell half the story, Gene. You fail to point out that the huge burst in the economy was due to the Internet boom, and you also fail to point out that once they started leeching from those profits it went into decline.

You like to pretend that Bush taking office, before any of his policies were enacted, somehow caused the economy to tank. In reality, it just took that long to see your failed socialist policies to start doing serious damage. The fact is the economy was on a slide before Bush did anything.
on Feb 18, 2007
ok...lets tax....starting with you


edit: and just when exactly were you a Republican?
on Feb 18, 2007
Bakerstreet

If your contention were correct that higher taxes on the wealthy were so terrible, NOTHING would have produced a decade of prosperity in the1990’s. That prosperity was the result of far more then just the Internet Boom. I did not say that the Bush policies caused the economy to tank. I said the Bush policies have caused an excessive increase in the debt and the interest we all must pay with our tax dollars on that added debt. The contention that if we returned to the tax rates on the wealthy that existed in the 1990's would result in an economic problem is just not supported by the experience of the 1990's. Demand is driven by the spending of the 90% and the spending of the 10% WOULD NOT CHANGE IF THEIR TAX RATES RETURNED TO THE PRE BUSH TAX CUTS. WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IS THAT WE WOULD SAVE 70% OF THE LOST TAX REVENUE FROM THE BUSH TAX CUTS TO HELP BALANCE THE BUDGET. We will need to reduce the deficit to deal with Social Security and Medicare as the Baby Boomers retire!
on Feb 18, 2007
You do realize that putting stupid comments in all caps doesn't make them any less stupid don't you? You have no grasp of economics at all.
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