Not Joe the Plumber, but SAHM
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| Thu, 10-16-2008 - 10:49am |
My Open Letter:
Dear Senator Obama,
I am a stay-at-home mom living in the over $250k tax bracket. I want to ask you why you feel my family is not doing it's part to share the wealth in this country. Our family does well but we also pay taxes at the highest marginal rate. We do not have millions or the kind of lifestyle that would get us access to tax loopholes. We only get deductions for home mortgage interests, state taxes paid and charitable contributions. Last year those three deductions were capped because the government limits the deductions at our income level. In the past we have been stuck in AMT which ensures we do not underpay our fair share of taxes.
Because of our family's income level, our children will not qualify for student loans or other aid. Therefore we must save entirely for their college. We save as much as we can. In recent weeks lost 30% of those savings as well as a decent amount of our retirement savings and the few mutual fund investments we have are under water. The only other asset we have is our family home. We only have one. It would be really tough to sell it in this market, we've lost a large chunk of our equity.
We have never received a stimulus check, yet we do our part to donate to charities we believe in, invest in the market and spend to keep the economy going. And we pay our taxes. There is no question that the opportunities in this great country have allowed us to achieve the American Dream. For that I am grateful.
Your proposals will take an additional 12% out of our annual family budget by increasing the marginal tax rate and increasing payroll taxes. We aren't struggling yet but we will be if your tax proposals pass. We will have to stop or severely limit college savings, with one child only 3.5 years from college and the savings down 30%. Last year we paid enough in Federal Taxes to supply 240 individuals with a Bush stimulus check, similar to the stimulus plan you propose if you are elected (I guess that continuation of the same Bush economic polices is good). I have no doubt that some of what we paid went to wasteful government projects and earmark spending that did not help any struggling families. You say $18 billion in earmarks is not a lot of money to you but 12% of my family budget is a lot to me and my children. I do not begrudge what we already give the government, but I will argue that we are doing our share. I argue we are patriotic and we are neighborly.
We are upper middle class, we are not like your friends, Oprah and Warren Buffet. Our priorities are saving for our retirement, our kids college and paying off our house. We can comfortably do those three things now, though we are worried about the economy like everyone else.
I am a registered Democrat and have always believed in social programs for those who need them. I still believe in them. But I do not understand why when you speak that it sounds as though my family is getting something over on this country. That we aren't doing our part. That we don't pay enough tax. That we don't do enough to lift others up. I say we are doing a lot by not asking anything from the government. I say it is the government that is letting the American people down, not us.
If this economy gets worse my husbands job will be at risk. We could lose our home along with the remainder of our savings. The only good news I see coming from the Democrats is that maybe then we can have the government contribute to our children's college education, we'll get a tax cut and might finally see one of those stimulus checks. Then you'd finally get your chance to lift my family up.
Pennsylvania Mom
http://openlettertobarack.blogspot.com/

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I am not saying yeah Obama by anymeans.
<<Why are we going to start paying (from taxes I gather) for people to work in community service when it is volunteer for the most part.
Chrissy
mom to Aidan 8/21/03
Grayson Blaine 12/30/07
As long as they meet the community service requirement, yes. Here's a link to Obama's national service plan.
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/NationalServicePlanFactSheet.pdf
Chrissy
mom to Aidan 8/21/03
Grayson Blaine 12/30/07
But why on earth should we be paying for them to go to college?
College graduates earn, on average, an additional million dollars over their lifetimes.
Therefore, if someone wants to go to college, let them pay for it themselves from their future earnings.
Really though, they have to invest 100 hours, for 4k.
I respectfully disagree. Compared to what I see work-study students doing to earn money for school, this seems like a much more beneficial use of their time. They are more likely to gain respect for the community if they go out and see it for themselves than if they spend their time behind a desk in the library. So what if its $40 an hour? The benefits go beyond just helping the student to the people the student is helping, and at least they are doing something for it instead of just having it handed to them, which is what other federal grants do. I would think this idea is far more in line with the goal of instilling a work ethic than the alternative. I also think its an idea that a conservative politician could have just as easily come up with. Its practical.
Hi Karen,
Here is a link to a post I wrote last night about why I believe raising taxes on the wealthy, to a certain point, is defensible because (IMO) it is the best thing for the economy.
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-psmomspol&msg=4598.41
~Ashley~
~Ashley~
I hope he gets through this also. He's supposed to be retired, but sort of fell into this business. He sold his 5 Window distributerships to retire, found this business, saw a need for employment of people in the small town he lives in, prayed about it, and filled it. One thing he keeps reminding me whenever I voice my fears is that either way, God is in control.
One thing we are trying to get across to our teens is that if you want things YOU MUST EARN THEM. To earn them, YOU MUST WORK FOR MONEY.
"It's time to put the election behind us and the country in front of us. Barack Obama wasn't my choice, but come January 20th, he will be MY President.... I will not seek to see all
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