Comments on: Joe the Plumber is not Main Street America

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:18:51 +0000

I am a licensed plumber that has a small business (and yes you need a license to have a plumbing business). As a small business owner with one employee the need too make around 200-250,000$ a year is that I ( the owner ) after everthing is paid off makes about 75-125,000$ a year if i worked for someone else, which meanes I make about 10-35 percent more a year than if I worked for someone else.
1-taxes are about 40 perc. 2-healthcare for my employee and I are about 550$ a month 3-plumbing insurance is about 125$ a month. 4- work van fully stocked plumbing material 350$ amonth.5- misc. items 150$ 6- advertising and hours that I work that I dont get paid for (getting home after working 8 hours and sitting and doing paper work for 3 hours and weekends that i put in 10-15,000 a year.
YA I’M LOADED WORKING 7 DAYES A WEEK TRYING TO FIND JOBES FOR MY EMPLOYEE EACH WEEK. HEARING PEOPLE THAT ARE IGNORANT ABOUT THE SUBJECT SHOULD NOT SPEAK. THANKS

By: Pamela Pettus

Pamela Pettus — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:37:03 +0000

Maybe McCain can adopt Joe the Plumer.

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:49:54 +0000

“Joe the Plumber” does not wish to be taxed as a rich man and try’s to portray himself as a guy who is battling to live day by day. All I can say Joe is on 250k a year you are a rich. I also find it amazing that Joe never question the mega bucks spent on Palin’s wardrobe. Joe should start questioning McCain and his Boss (Bush) about how the US has gone from a economic super power to has been in eight years.

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:31:07 +0000

Joe the plumber doesn’t want proserity to trinkle down he wants to take handouts. What does that say he confused just like Mcain is a pain and Palin has no idea what she’s saying. There all lunatics.

By: Philip Robert

Philip Robert — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:58:48 +0000

NashEntLaw, you make my point for me. Your clients didn’t become wealthy by thievery, they own businesses, or they inherited it. If they’re business owners then they’ve created their own wealth. If they’ve inherited the money then their Family has created the wealth. Taxes are necessary to provide for our common defense and general welfare. It is not the job of government to redistribute wealth.
Every individual who earns money in this country wether it is one dollar or millions of dollars has the freedom to manage their earnings as they see fit. You speak of the cost benefit ratio of tax advice, and state that were you making $150K per year you would not pay $1000 to save $500. To me that is a very short sighted point of view. Perhaps I would only save $500 the first year. However if my financial advisor was any good I would see my income and investments grow so that over a good period of time I would become very, very wealthy.

While the wealthy will continue to grow their wealth in spite of the government’s grandiose and well intentioned plan to take a portion of their hard earned money to give to those who are less successful, those who are less successful will not grow their incomes nor invest as a result. The end result will be a large class of poor people who are ungrateful of those who earn their wealth. Why? Because we know that taking a handout when we don’t really need one is wrong. This policy makes parasites of capable people, and it destroys them.

Perhaps Obama’s policy would only increase a particular wealthy individual’s taxes by $40,000. That $40,000 may not disrupt that wealthy individual’s life very much, but suppose that he decided to lay off one of his employees to pay the increase in his tax? The $40,000 tax increase didn’t disrupt our wealthy individual very much, but it certainly did for the individual who lost their job because of it.

Obama’s policies will greatly disrupt the economic well being of this country.

By: o.u.

o.u. — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:53:27 +0000

Er, yes, plumbers and electricians can charge high rates and so make a lot of money. At least they do here in the UK, and I assume it’s not that different in the US. It’s a skilled technical job that needs to be done to a high-standard, as the consequences of faulty work can be very expensive and dangerous.

What the article above fails to mention:
Joe does not need a license to practice plumbing in his state – his employer needs to be licensed. He has done the training. He works as a plumber.

Joe did not say that he earned $250,000 – he was saying that if he managed to achieve his own ‘American Dream’ and buy the plumbing business which he had in mind, and if he then attempted to grow it a bit, he would be becoming liable to Obama’s proposed taxes.

By: mike

mike — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 05:12:06 +0000

Susan your nice little list of tax contributions.. Schools are paid for by property taxes, police are LOCAL state and county taxes, road once again state and local taxes and the same with most parks. When you can figure out how our taxes are spent and by whom you can pretend to act intelligent.
there is a fundamental difference between solving a problem and throwing money at it. I would hope you all would have figured that out by now. Welfare FAILED to accomplish LBJ’s goal of “ending poverty” so because it FAILED we now call it redistribution of wealth and complain about the rich guy.
Until liberals get it through their thick heads that throwing money at problems does not solve ANYTHING we will continue to have these disagreements. I am all about giving back to society but society does not equal the federal government. Once again until liberals get THAT idea though their heads we are going to continue to have disagreements. One last point.
Susan since your all about giving back to society in what ways in the last year have you contributed to the welfare and lifestyle of those in need around you OTHER than paying taxes? Once again a fundamental difference, conservatives give out of a sense of moral obligation on an individual basis. liberals want to be generous with other peoples money.

By: vince

vince — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:07:59 +0000

All he did was ask Obama and innocent question, after all we all have a right to know, dont we? Well let this be a lesson to us all if a question is asked that a democratic presidential candidate does not like know this you will be questioned, interviewed, poked and probed by the media and the democratic party. So much for freedom of speach. God bless you all.

By: Concerned Parent

Concerned Parent — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:22:22 +0000

MCCAIN/PALIN SUPPORTERS,please explain how you excuse the fact that Ms Palin is putting her career ahead of the needs of her “special needs” baby, pregnant teenager, and two daughters at-risk of following in the footsteps of their big sister?
Before you reply, please google “Down Syndrome” and read it.
The MAJOR problem we face in this country is not economics, gas, Obama might be muslim and all of those “barbar shop” topics. Our major problem is the BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY.
If Ms Palin did not want to “mother” children, please tell me why she had 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5?
Do you people think it’s not important or significant that parents make sacrifices for their children?
I do agree that a nanny might do a much better job of mothering Ms Palin’s children than Ms Palin would. BUT, when her special needs baby is in the hospital he will will want his mommy there.
Ms Palin says she puts “Country First”
Where does that leave her children?
Is it Country, Ambition, Media spotlight, then children?
Don’t get it twisted! I’m not saying she isn’t smart, cute, friendly, and all of that OTHER stuff.
But she is a MOTHER! No take that back. She is a PARENT.
Vote for McCain get Palin as a bonus!
I can’t hear you……….

By: CGS

CGS — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:14:26 +0000

I just read some more of the posts and I have one more comment to add. Jesus did give, but he gave of his own free will. Take a look at Mr. Biden’s charitable contributions. The intent is that we will do what we should of our own free will for our fellow person, not have someone do it for us. It is our decision to share our success on our own. If you had your money yourself you would be free to give to all the items listed as you desire. On the other had, being a vet, I don’t feel the need for anyone to give to me so feel free to keep that portion and apply somewhere else.