Question on paying taxes on poker winnings.

[Kevroc]

How about looking at the bigger picture here? Instead of worrying about poker winnings, the government decides to crack down on all the g*dd*mn foreigners that are cheating on their taxes. I am born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. I have been chased from my neighborhood because of the Russian takeover (huge mob base). Now, I am looking to move because my current neighborhood is under Chinese rule. The only signs in English are the street names. I was so close to buying a house only to have it snatched away by an Arab family that paid $350,000 CASH for it. This is all made possible by foreign businesses dealing in CASH and not paying proper taxes, everyone knows it goes on but, no one does anything. I was online at a check cashing place the other day and a Russian woman stepped out of a brand new Lexus to cash her WELFARE check. Only in America, Land of the Free, Home of Kabroskenishnya!!

WHERE AM I?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I always thought the govt. inspecting meat was a good idea.

It sounds good on the surface, but since the food industries themselves lobby the government, the fox is watching the chicken coop.

I think the fact that some rivers in Ohio haven't caught fire lately, shows that the EPA did do some good things.

True, I'll grant you that. But on the other side, the EPA slaps Exxon's wrist for the Valdez spill and allows them to scapegoat Hazlewood, who was ordered to leave harbor by Exxon execs that night against his recommendations, and who was absolutely not drunk.

It's kind of nice to know that the FDA makes sure some new drug isn't going to instantly poison me.

One of the reason's health care costs are through the roof is that govt regs make it so expensive to bring new drugs to market. Ask cancer patients how frustrating it is to wait for new drugs.

The fact that someone can't buy a bunch of land tomorrow and build a steel mill right next to me, ruining my investment in my House is another govt. function I kind of like.

Zoning laws are local, not federal, thus they aren't financed by income taxes. However, if the feds want to run a highway through your property see how close their offer is to true market value.

I kind of like electricity, and gas, and water, it's nice that the govt. regulates their prices so they can't hold me hostage for ransom to use these things until I can find another supplier (who then could do the same thing once I was hooked up).

Electricity, gas, and water are services provided by the labor of others. The owners of those utilities have a moral right to charge what the market will bear for those services. Your need is irrelevant.

Give it some thought, you can probably come up with some other things that the Govt. regulates or controls that makes your life easier.

I have thought about it, and this quote indicates that you believe in authoritarian rule. It's *my* responsibility to make my life easier, not that of the collective. The *only* role of government is to provide a justice system and national defense. I don't want to live in a country where life is "easy" and "safe." I want to live in a country where I have freedom, and the only way you're ever truly free is when you're free to starve if you fail.

[Cosimo]

I'm with Kurn here. You argument supposes that if the government didn't do these things, then no-one would. As is the case with the FDA, tabacco settlement, Dept. of Education, and other government interventions, the solution provided by bureaucrats is far worse than what a free market could provide.

The goal of the FDA (e.g.) is to make sure that new drugs don't poison you, and hurrah for not wanting to be poisoned--but they're grossly inefficient at that job.

Someone can't build a steel mill next to you due to prior use (an element of common law not often used in the US because of local zoning laws).

Electricity, water, and gas are currently government-granted monopolies, just like telephone service used to be. The cost of telephone service dropped dramatically when it was deregulated, after decades of stagnant improvement in service and infrastructure.

I suggest reading Thomas Sowell's Basic Economics.

[Franchise (TTT)]

[ QUOTE ]
man, i know i'm coming in late to this thread, but this post is hilarious. try to have the slightest idea of what you're talking about before you make some sweeping all-knowing proclamation like "Flat Tax The Most Unfair" as your title.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously. Wow. Never underestimate the passion of the ignorant vocal minority.

[Franchise (TTT)]

[ QUOTE ]
How about looking at the bigger picture here? Instead of worrying about poker winnings, the government decides to crack down on all the g*dd*mn foreigners that are cheating on their taxes. I am born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. I have been chased from my neighborhood because of the Russian takeover (huge mob base). Now, I am looking to move because my current neighborhood is under Chinese rule. The only signs in English are the street names. I was so close to buying a house only to have it snatched away by an Arab family that paid $350,000 CASH for it. This is all made possible by foreign businesses dealing in CASH and not paying proper taxes, everyone knows it goes on but, no one does anything. I was online at a check cashing place the other day and a Russian woman stepped out of a brand new Lexus to cash her WELFARE check. Only in America, Land of the Free, Home of Kabroskenishnya!!

WHERE AM I?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you kidding me? Somehow, amidst all the utter garbage in this thread, I've managed to find a statement so retardedly stupid it stands head and shoulders above everything else here.

Yes. The foreigners are to blame for all of your monetary, social, and self-esteem issues.

[Franchise (TTT)]

[ QUOTE ]
Please. Not that stupid argument.

[/ QUOTE ]

My sentiments exactly.

The problem with all of these examples you keep giving is that you've decided it is a good idea to make your point by taking people at the far ends of the spectrum and ignoring everyone in the middle. Which is around 90% of the population, or roughly 200 million people. Not bad.

The people who suffer most from the current tax system? The middle class. Why? They're penalized by the double-whammy of having their standard of living lowered by repressive taxes, and having the standard of living of people who make less than them raised by artificial wealth redistribution.

Now why on earth should we base our entire governmental policy on the bottom 5% of society that contributes the least to our nation's well-being?

By the way, the wealthiest 5% of Americans you seemingly despise? They've contributed more to your standard of living in terms of the products they've invented and the services they've provided, than the government ever will.

[Kevroc]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes. The foreigners are to blame for all of your monetary, social, and self-esteem issues.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have no clue, you would know what I speak of if you grew up along side me. You know nothing of my monetary issues except that I do not have $350,000 cash lying around. Self-esteem is just fine thank you very much. Social... okay I suppose you are correct there. But, really you do not know what it's like here so I suggest you STFU.

[Franchise (TTT)]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes. The foreigners are to blame for all of your monetary, social, and self-esteem issues.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have no clue, you would know what I speak of if you grew up along side me. You know nothing of my monetary issues except that I do not have $350,000 cash lying around. Self-esteem is just fine thank you very much. Social... okay I suppose you are correct there. But, really you do not know what it's like here so I suggest you STFU.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh I see. So now you're misunderstood and should be pitied. My apologies.

[Kevroc]

Pity? Forget me, I'm not important... if you think I'm making it up about the taxes not being paid, you're mistaken. I'm not dreaming this up, I happen to know it to be true. I guess its just more in your face here than in other places. It is quite possible that you are unaware that this is happening. Thus, the reason for my rant.

[Franchise (TTT)]

[ QUOTE ]
Pity? Forget me, I'm not important... if you think I'm making it up about the taxes not being paid, you're mistaken. I'm not dreaming this up, I happen to know it to be true. I guess its just more in your face here than in other places. It is quite possible that you are unaware that this is happening. Thus, the reason for my rant.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't doubt it's happening. I just question your intense anger and focus upon it.

Let's play it by the numbers.

What percentage of welfare recipients, prison inmates, and other tax-dollar-absorbing parasites would you say are "American", and what percentage are "foreign"?

Now, what percentage of the tax dollars wasted by these parasites is wasted by Americans, and what percentage by foreigners?

You seem to think the foreigners are an immediate threat that should be dealt with. Would you say over 50% for the foreigners for either of the above questions?

Then why should this happen: "the government decides to crack down on all the g*dd*mn foreigners that are cheating on their taxes", instead of say, cracking down on the goddam Americans that are cheating on their taxes?