ASA more negotiation dates

[Smacktard]

It hasn't been done before. The liberals have always raised taxes on everyone in the past, not just the super-rich. The conservatives then respond years later by cutting everyone's taxes, while slightly favoring the rich. Never before has anyone cut the taxes of the middle-class and lower-upper-class while at the same time raising the taxes of the upper-upper-classes. That, combined with lower spending, would be the solution to our fiscal problems in this country. Too bad that neither party has the balls to do it.

Perhaps you should go back to the history books and see how it all started. February 12, 1913. 1 half of the top 1%. That's how it started. So, you see, it has been done before.

As for raising taxes, why change it now? Revenues are at an all time high. How about we just start with spending what we have and not wasting billions upon billions? That's naive, I know, but raising any tax bracket's rate is going to send us back down the ladder. Some argue that Wall street is already responding to the prevailing thought of impending tax increases.

 

[GearUpLightsIn]

While I think the NMB decision sucks, at this point it isn't helping the company much. Just one more month of not being able to attract new pilots. One more month of losing current pilots at an alarming rate. I say fuk'em, let talks go on into '08. If they want to close doors here at ASA that won't change if we get a contract here in the near future anyway.

Sorry to hijack the thread like this, but, err... wait? Nevermind.

 

[PCL_128]

As for raising taxes, why change it now? Revenues are at an all time high.

I just want everyone to pay their fair share. A flat tax would be the best method, but I don't see that ever happening in this country. So, in order to get the top earners to pay anywhere near what the rest of us pay, you have to jack up their rates. My father is a very successful Realtor. He tops $300k many years. How much does he pay in taxes? Just 12%. He's able to manipulate the system to pay 12% (completely legally, mind you) even though he should be in the top bracket of 35%. Meanwhile, I made less than a quarter of what he made, but I pay a higher percentage of my income in taxes because my profession doesn't have the same loopholes that he can use. When the top 1% of earners pays 12% (or less) of their income in taxes, and the middle class is frequently paying 20% or more, something is wrong. Warren Buffet thinks we should raise his tax rate. I agree with him.

How about we just start with spending what we have and not wasting billions upon billions? That's naive, I know, but raising any tax bracket's rate is going to send us back down the ladder.

You're right, that is naive. Reagan once said that "the nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this Earth is a government program." It's simply impossible to cut spending in this country. The best you can do is to slow down the growth of spending. Even that is usually met with much resistance.

Some argue that Wall street is already responding to the prevailing thought of impending tax increases.

Wall Street is responding to concerns that there could be raises to corporate and dividend taxes. I don't believe for a second that Wall Street is concerned that the top 1% might have their personal income taxes jacked up. It won't affect the bottom line in any business in the country.

 

[Smacktard]

I just want everyone to pay their fair share.

Therein lies the problem. You're version of 'fair' is different from mine. The top earners do pay their share, and half of America's as well. Everyone can throw out figures to suit their needs. The top earners are paying the money. I'm not in that bracket, so fine, tax away. But I think you're wrong when you say it won't affect a single business in this country.

As for the Flat tax, I like something more along the lines of Fair tax, then the evil doers can pay for their posh lifestyles based on their excessive consumption and their guilded-age lifestyles!

Be careful when you lump guys like Warren Buffet with those making over $250k. They're aren't living the same lifestyle but you're associating them together into this tax bracket.

I think I heard an interview with Charles Swabb talking about Walk Street responding to the 'implied' threat of tax increases. He's only worth 4 billion or so, and, I wouldn't say he's qualified as policy maker, but he knows a lot more than me so I'd be willing to believe what he says when he's talking.

 

[PCL_128]

Therein lies the problem. You're version of 'fair' is different from mine. The top earners do pay their share, and half of America's as well. Everyone can throw out figures to suit their needs. The top earners are paying the money.

Simple question: do you think it's fair for the average billionaire to only pay 10% of their income in taxes, but for the average truck driver to pay 20%? Hard-line conservatives love to talk about how the top few percent of income earners pays a majority of the taxes, but they always fail to mention that they also pay a much smaller percentage of their earnings than the average middle-class American.

As for the Flat tax, I like something more along the lines of Fair tax, then the evil doers can pay for their posh lifestyles based on their excessive consumption and their guilded-age lifestyles!

The Fair Tax scares me because I fear it will eventually become in addition to an income tax. The VAT in many European countries is an example.

Be careful when you lump guys like Warren Buffet with those making over $250k. They're aren't living the same lifestyle but you're associating them together into this tax bracket.

I'm not lumping them together. I don't think that those making $300k should have the same tax rate as those making $100 million. It should be graduated to stop the super-rich from manipulating the tax laws in order to pay a lower percentage of earnings than the middle-class. As it is now, the billionaire pays a lower percentage than the millionaire who pays a lower percentage than the guy making $200k who pays a lower percentage than the guy making $75k. The system is completely upside down.

I think I heard an interview with Charles Swabb talking about Walk Street responding to the 'implied' threat of tax increases. He's only worth 4 billion or so, and, I wouldn't say he's qualified as policy maker, but he knows a lot more than me so I'd be willing to believe what he says when he's talking.

Something tells me that billionaire Charles Schwab stands to benefit quite a lot by keeping his personal income taxes low. If he can scare the policy-makers into keeping his taxes low, then I'm sure that's exactly what he'll try to do. The only person that I've seen be honest about all of this is Warren Buffet.

 

[GearUpLightsIn]

or maybe you guys could start a new thread dedicated to the subject.

 

[John Pennekamp]

So, how about those ASA negotiations?

 

[ASApuppy]

Is my opinion that the MEC's current table position is the lowest we need to go. Management has showed their hand with the new hire situation. We need to exploit it hard. We need to chase Scott Hall around the country and picket every job fair he recuits at. Prospective pilots need to be aware of what is going on. Until flights start really canx for lack of crews will we get anywhere. I just flew with an FO who is in debt $200k for his degree and flight training. And he's taking home $900 a month. His student loan payment is $1200 a month. WTF.

 

[ohplease!]

Is my opinion that the MEC's current table position is the lowest we need to go. Management has showed their hand with the new hire situation. We need to exploit it hard. We need to chase Scott Hall around the country and picket every job fair he recuits at. Prospective pilots need to be aware of what is going on. Until flights start really canx for lack of crews will we get anywhere. I just flew with an FO who is in debt $200k for his degree and flight training. And he's taking home $900 a month. His student loan payment is $1200 a month. WTF.

WTF is he's a dumba$$. The real question is: if he's dumb enough to get himself in that shape for this job, do we really want him flying innocent people around the country in a plane?

 

[buscap]

I just flew with an FO who is in debt $200k for his degree and flight training. And he's taking home $900 a month. His student loan payment is $1200 a month. WTF.[/quote]

Tell that youngster to quit crying and go home and kick mommy in the box and daddy in the nuts for driving nice cars and having cable and having a television and vcr in every room...and for not putting money away for junior's college.

There.