I liked this article written by Chuck Norris 3 weeks ago:
Clandestine Conservatives in Hollywood
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What happened to Conservatives in Hollywood?
Humorous anecdote on taxes and tax cuts
I am sure some of you have seen this anecdote in one of its many forms. I just wanted to republish it here and hear your comments on it. Please keep in mind that it is over simplified but it makes a powerful point (even if you don't drink beer).
Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
"Since you are all such good customers", he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20". Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Be A Square
Be A Square... The sound of it is kinda funny. It is 'antiquated' speech. What does it mean? It is the title of a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson. In this talk to the youth (MIA program) he quotes a Scouting magazine article written by Charles H Brower:
Back in Mark Twain's day, 'square' was one of the finest words in our language. You gave a man a square deal if your were honest. And you gave him a square meal when he was hungry. When you got out of debt you were square with the world. And that was when you could look your fellow man squarely in the eye.
...
It is easy to prove that Nathan Hale, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and almost every one else you care to include among our national heroes was a square. Think what they might have said had they not been squares.
Nathan Hale: Me spy on the British! Are you kidding? Do you know what they do with spies they catch? I'll give you a flash, chum, they hang them.
Paul Revere: What do you mean, ride through every Middlesex village? And in the middle of the night yet. Why me? AM I the only man in Boston who has a horse?
Patrick Henry: Sure I'm for liberty - first, last and always. But we've got to be a little realistic. We're a pretty small outfit. If we start pushing the British around someone is going to get hurt.
George Washington: Gentlemen, I am honored. But try someone else - say General Gates. I'm just getting things organized at Mount Vernon. Also you might say I already served my time. Against the French, you know.
Benjamin Franklin: What we really need as Ambassador to France is a young man. I'm over 70 years old. It's time a new generation took over.
Well I don't know about you all but I could sure use a few better choices at the ballot box. Someone who was a 'square' would be very refreshing right about now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
