re: .

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so the next issue is defining what "middle" means. are we talking about the middle third? of income/savings? some people seem to want to expand "middle" class to mean about 80% of the population

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Given the rise in income inequality, there may be logic behind expanding the parameters of middle class. Or to have a tier beyond upper class that would encompass people with generational wealth. There is a certain level of wealth at which it would actually be difficult to stop being wealthy. Assuming they don't participate in the Buffett-style donation at death, Jim Bernhard's or Jamie Dimon's or Tom Brady's kids would have to actually make such a long list of consecutive bad financial decisions that it's almost impossible for them to not be rich for life.

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Given the rise in income inequality, there may be logic behind expanding the parameters of middle class.

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Jealousy doesn't change the math.

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I don't think you get the point.

The point isn't that he's not getting a stimulus check.

The point is that he's disproportionately paying for yours.

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I do not think you understand progressive taxation and the fact that it is quite tacky for a person making $200K plus in income to be bitching about not getting a $1200 check.

Also, he is "paying" for shite. The money printer went brrr for this stimulus and the Fed made this money up.

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So it’s tacky for me to ask my government to treat all citizenry equally?

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You came in this thread looking for sympathy and all "woe is me I make $200K and the feds won't give me $1200 back."

It's tone deaf and completely lacks perspective given how the median income in the US is less than half of that and millions are out of work due to covid.

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Oh that’s right, I’m afforded less standing politically because I’m not W2 poor.

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Why do you want to be a victim so damn bad? You are not afforded any less political standing. We have a progressive tax system and part of that is that those who earn more pay more income taxes. If you don't like, make less money.

Do you really think it make senses from a public policy perspective to tax the frick out of people making $30K a year? Those folks are scraping by as it is.

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And the stimulus does affect me. Money printer going BRRBRR, means inflation from deficit spending. It means higher taxes on 90% of the people on this thread.

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We have been hearing about this bogeyman since I was in undergrad back in 2008. Where is this massive inflation?

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How about a stimulus that only stimulates people out of work. Not sending out checks to employed persons. Then I’ll get your point.

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It is fair and reasonable to criticize the policy choices in reaction to the pandemic but to bitch and cry about not getting a check is just in poor taste.

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he people caught between middle class and rich really get the shaft. The $200,000-350,000 earners just carrying the weight for all the poors around here.

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Dude! My household income is less than $200k and we’re paying over 40% taxes when it’s all tallied up! Lol!

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Hey bubbeluh, people in your income range and beyond that owned business got sweetheart SBA loans beyond the PPP at very advantageous rates.

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So what? People got loans that they now have to pay back. To keep their businesses afloat that the government single-handedly swamped in the first place.

Thanks, government.

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Stop bitching, you are making a lot of money.

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How about frick you?

The poster to whom you are replying is making an income that is attainable by virtually any US citizen with even an average IQ.

The reason everyone doesn't do it isn't because it takes some extraordinary level of talent—it doesn't. I know a guy who went to trade school to learn all about HVAC units, started his own HVAC sales and repair business, and he easily makes that much...probably more. Anybody with an average IQ could have done that.

I know another guy who makes at least that much selling scrap metal.

What it takes to make that much is sacrifice. Everything comes with a price.

It might mean sacrificing social standing b/c you don't have a college degree and people with degrees don't understand that you make literally 6-7 times the amount of money they do.

It might mean sacrificing time and energy grinding through (and paying for) medical school and several years of earnings while your undergrad buddies are out making money in the world while you're still looking at 4 years of med school and 3 years of residency after that.

It might mean clocking 80+ hours a week in a law firm.

It might mean being willing to be responsible for an entire business instead of just clocking in and clocking out.

It might mean forgoing a pursuit that might have been more interesting to you in lieu of one that provides better for your family.

It almost always involves taking more risk.

It might mean lots of things, but I have never met a single person making that kind of money who wasn't willing to sacrifice way more in some way than the average person, and who had done so.

Actually, I just thought of someone...a college dean.

So I shall amend that statement to qualify, "Outside of academia I have never met a single person making that kind of money who wasn't willing to sacrifice way more in some way than the average person."

Those of us who have done that don't really wish to be called upon by the government to sacrifice EVEN MORE than people who already aren't willing to pay a higher price to be better off financially.

Those of you admonishing Diamond Dog do not understand and will never understand unless or until you make those kinds of sacrifices yourself. So "stop bitching?" frick you. You haven't earned the right to tell him that unless you have achieved the same thing he has.

And this...

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that's the way the tax code works, and from a public policy standpoint, probably should

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is wrong on two counts.

1. I don't know if you missed the IRS chart from before, but the middle class pays the most taxes. The wealthier people become, starting just above the upper middle class, the fewer taxes they pay, because the less of their income is generated by ordinary income. So the rich and the poor pay few taxes, the middle class pays more as a % of income. The upper middle class are overwhelmingly the people who are working the hardest and sacrificing the most—why should they be penalized the most?

2. Why do you think the more money people make, the more they should be taxed? What's the logic behind that? And don't tell me the more people make, the more they benefit from infrastructure, etc. Nobody benefits more than the poor from government provision.

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Jealousy doesn't change the math.

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What math?

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Jealousy doesn't change the math

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Not jealous, just admitting that there are wide variances in perception of "upper class."

Under a traditional perspective of saying "middle class" would be between 25th and 75th percentile. That would mean that Bill Gates and someone making $75K per year are both "upper class." However, if you feel that it's easy enough just to lump those two folks together in the same status level, you're free to do so.