We're Not Broke

[Scuba]

[Triana]

1. It's true. Don't miss the film!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022674024

[reformist2]

2. Net worth of all Americans: $66 trillion and rising.

As of Dec. 31, 2012.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/z1.pdf

[darkangel218]

3. IMHO if the higher education would be less expensive or free like in other countries

We won't need to "import" h1b visa holders to do the work needed, take the money and run back to whatever country they came from.

[Fumesucker]

10. We don't need to import H1B workers *now* other than maybe a few hundred ultra specialized types

Not when we have Americans with advanced degrees in technological fields working as baristas because they can't find a tech job.

[Mopar151]

4. A broad - based financial transactions tax has a number of positives

A low burden on long-term investors, an effective penalty on "skims" like high-speed trading and other forms of arbitrage. A very progressive tax, to offset regressive taxes like sales, property, and excise. And an additional tax penalty for bad faith transactions like naked shorting.
Derivatives should be traded in casinos, instead of securities exchanges - just so's everybody understands what's goi'n on.

[Zax2me]

5. So, how does taxing them get it into our hands?

You think the govt is worth trusting to do that?
Yea.
Okay!

[Scuba]

6. Well, stuffing it in Cayman banks isn't helping.

[Mopar151]

7. The Federal government, and most states, pay decent "living" wages for blue collar people.

A lot of the infrastructure that needs rebuilding will pay "Federal Prevailing Wages", usually equal to union scale.

[pampango]

8. How do high taxes rich people help? Every progressive country in the world does it. We don't but

we also don't qualify as a progressive country.

How would you propose making the distribution of income more equitable in the US if not through progressive taxation?

[bhikkhu]

9. I think government does pretty well at that

They collect taxes, and they spend the money they collect. Too much of it is spent on defence and not enough is spent on social programs, but overall they do well.

Even if you look at defence spending, a great deal of it is payroll, and most of those are really good jobs. Much of the rest is equipment expenses, which again translates to a large number of good manufacturing jobs.

I live in an area that has a military base, and those guys are really appreciated. They're good people, good customers, and they provide a certain financial base to local businesses.

Other than that, we have some government spending on transportation infrastructure - there's always road work and maintenance, and those are good-paying jobs as well. We have a forest service office, again, good people, good jobs. We have a new fire station built with stimulus funds, to replace an 80 year old building that wasn't working well. The new one is very nice, and well-built by local contractors.

I just don't get the rotten no-good corporate-toady government meme sometimes, especially when it comes from our side. They certainly do a lot of good where I live, and that's not even mentioning the food stamp programs and other direct social spending.