Sid Barrett wrote:I categorically disagree! About 50% of the citizens our our great land pay NO income taxes. NONE. ZERO. ZILCH. If you don't believe, me look it up.
Actually Sid, its worse than that. Due to stupid business decisions on my part, and a perfect storm of pile-ons, I found myself very recently in the lowest of low income situations. Most years before this depression, I paid more in taxes than I made during this period. I went to do my taxes, and to my incredible surprise, I received a large refund, way above and beyond what little I had paid in. So - its not they the 50 percenters dont pay income tax - they (me in the most recent case) receive refunds anyway.
At my lowest, I applied for various assistance - I was turned down, because of the most obvious reason, but also because I had made money in years past. It takes a lot of time to do these applications and after a short while, I was stressed out because I kept thinking of the time I was wasting standing in these lines and the money I could be making, even if it was minimal pay. So I cut grass, cleared brush, worked fence, trapped hogs, trotlined fish, planted olive trees, dug and cleared irrigation lines, whatever it took, and then go to the grocery store - and see young guys with their women, certainly stronger and healthier than me, whip out their Lone Star cards and pay for stuff that I had to hunt and trap. And at the worst of this, I never let my family's health insurance go, I listen to too many people say they cant afford it - thats not the case in 99% of the cases, its people making choices to let other people pay for their own family's medical expenses. If a 59 year old can do it, that homeless guy hanging out by the liquor store damn sure can.
Or some time out ? 
