This will never get any better. Throughout history almost every great democracy collapses into a socialist state. From there it usually leads to communism, rebellion, or conquest. This is happening in this country and there is nothing that any of us can do about it. The only individuals that have any power to improve the lives of this country's citizens are the same people that are ruining it. Republican and Democrat. Voting the incumbents out everytime there is an election might help, but it will only prolong the inevitable. Corruption in government is almost impossible to remove and ours is plagued with it.
Be thankful this country is still as geat as it is and probably will be for many years to come. However at some point in the not too distant future, this country won't resemble anything close to what our fore fathers planned for it to be.

Whatever I can do to help the other 47%.

Actually we felt the bite a bit but more on my wife's side since she makes the big bucks but our decrease of income can be helped if the Broncos advance to the AFC championship since back in March when we aquired Manning we put a $500 bet in Vegas on the Broncos so in a few hours we could be very happy.

As a Tennessean, I hope you win. What were the odds?

So, what you're saying is that because we live in a great country that you will blindly pay more to fund our governments horrible spending habits? That makes no sense!

I love my country and am proud to be an American as well. That doesn't mean that I am happy to pay taxes to a government that cannot pull their head out of their arse. Our problem with our economy and defecit isn't a lack of taxes. The problem is government spending! These big heads in the suits are spending and spending and spending without any care in the world... why? Because WE will pay for it. While in the meantime, they still cannot figure out a way to get this country out of the hole that they put us in.

the government is like a spoiled teenager, i have already given them enough money to get by they just need to spend it better and not throw temper tantrums when they misspend the money i gave them in the first place.....local and federal, the one thing i can't believe the American people can't agree on and make a stand on.... is term limits for these pos no-job incumbents sucking off the teet of society for the rest of their lives, congress should make the average wage of the American public no more no less, same benefits and privileges as the average American, and you do it for say 6 years and then your done for life...

i think laying something like that out will either encourage our leaders to bring the "average" standard of living up as their very own pay reflects that, it would be in their best interest, either that or you get people who are in there by pure virtue alone as why would a lawyer take a massive paycut to go into what's supposed to be "public service" ? as it stands now working for the government and being a politician is a very lucrative business and it was never intended to be that way...

if you want to talk about founding fathers...those guys had jobs..they would work the farm then travels weeks to D.C. to sort out the matters of the nation and then back to work in the fields or what have you...it really does make me sick that some one can be a politician for 30~40 years...democrat or republican, why isn't this one thing that we can all agree on and get done? if everyone actually cared about our country instead of caring so much about whatever the cause of the week is ,we might all be better off regardless of the cause or political leanings ..... i just don't get it, so forgive me if i'm missing something....if people were as outraged by this as the recent shootings or whatever the hot topic is, i would like to think we have enough of a democracy left to make it happen....i really don't see how we can fix anything in this country without starting at the top as there are far to many politicians with special interests and backdoor deals to be able to reduce spending and increase the wealth of our country as a whole instead of continually doing what we are doing now....

fyi my company email said 6% as well......

I agree 110% with term limits. That would fix the majority of the corruption problems we have. Problem is, the only people that could put that law into effect are the same politicians that it would screw. Therefore it will never happen unless the people of the country ban together and vote out the incumbent everytime, like I mentioned.

lol, i had an epic rant typed out, but just decided to ask you this...

what do you think it will take for "the people of the country ban together and vote out the incumbent every time"
what will have to happen that is so bad to over take the latest school shooting, , gay marriage, abortion or any of the other things that are used to divide us daily for that to happen.......and do you think it'll be too late by that point?

Start with pushing all the indigents out of Congress. No more lobbyists too. NONE!

Government at all levels is grossly inadequate. Having lived in the great state of South Carolina, I was informed by mail today that, due to the slack state government morons of SC, who were appointed due to their excellent brown nosing, my social security number has been compromised when the SC state tax records were hacked in September and most likely sold off to whomever on the Web. I could get a free year of Equifax to monitor my credit. Are they going to give me a new Social Security number? Fat chance. If I made enough money, I'd be on a plane to a country that sells diesel Highlanders and offers low taxes.

Washington State wants to implement next year a $100 yearly tax on everyone who owns an electric car due to not enough taxes being collected through the sale of gasoline. It will cost them more in admin fees to collect the tax than the tax can generate. Does it seem as if the whole reasoning for the electric car is being kicked to the curb in favor of generating revenue? The Gordon Gekko mentality at its finest.

The real problem that I see is that the increase in taxes is taking away people's purchasing power, especially for those who are considered poor by the IRS (make less than $48,000 yearly). In real world times, in viewing it from the 3rd gen forum, it could delay someone from purchasing a lift kit, new custom bumper, or roof rack as another poster stated. Most of the vendors that sell those items target a niche audience, and if those potential customers don't buy, then the business can go under. Then the local, state and fed govt loses out on collecting those business and payroll taxes. It is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

BTW, I am making less this year as well. Happy 2013.

All I know is that I am sick of paying more taxes to fund and support the Free Shiat Army.

I am so effing pissed off right now. This jerk wins the election and within 3 months, he breaks the biggest promise that he's made to the American people. And the media gives him a free pass on this. Simply amazing that every mainstream news channel is running interference for this piece of garbage.


"We will protect the middle class", "Under my plan, taxes on the middle class will not rise", "I will only raise taxes on millionaires"
--Barack "The Liar" Obama

I will be cutting back on my life-style and postponing some of my personal purchases, yet the government feels no need to do the same? Are you kidding me?

Big government refuses to admit it has a spending problem. Even as people like us are hurting due to a terrible economy, government spending is at record levels.

But government is a reflection of its people. I blame the freeloaders that vote for the people that will give them more from my wallet.

Yet, you voted for Obama...remember how you boasted that your life was fine with Obama just a few months ago...things change quickly, don't they?!

Do you think that Obamacare will hurt the big boys & corps? No, they will find a way to survive and go around it. The ONLY folks that Obamacare hurt are the same folks who voted for his promise of a pie in the sky! Think about it. Do you think that corporations will suddenly buy insurance for every employee and expect to survive? No, they will cut full-time employment radically...and limit every part-timers to less than 30 hours/week. That way, the corps don't lose...they actually may profit from all this (since they have less benefits to give out). Wait till you get treated like a number at hospitals and clinics.

Do you think that the rich will suffer? Hell no. It is plain stupid that some folks think that Obama policies will make only the rich suffer. Plain stupidity.

And yeah, when you're tight on money...NEVER use Vegas as a source of income.

The only way it could get to the point that everyone voted together would be if all of our citizens were being harmed by the government. Currently only the middle class is being squeezed. The current administration caters to the lower class and entitlements, so those people are happy. All government administrations cater to the rich because that's who they are, so those people are happy. The middle class is where the easily accessed money is for now, therefore that's who will be preyed upon to fund government spending. However the middle class is shrinking because of the widespread job loss. At some point the federal government will have to start preying on the upper level of earners because the middle will be all but wiped out.

Obama won in landslide becasue of the amateur campaign the Republicans were running and drove even moderate conservatists Republicans to vote for them because once again the Republican party can't offer any substance. Romney couldn't even win his own states so obviously the America didn't have any faith in his plan. We'd be in this same situation no matter who won period.

Actually this stuff hasn't changed my life drastically and we're fine and I would never bet money I don't have but I am a recreational gambler and control my limits. The Broncos longshot would've netted me over $10000 but a few other bets (including the Colts getting to the playoffs) still netted me a nice little wad of cash.