(PHOTO ESSAY) Occupy Minnesota’s Morning in America

The fundies sure do love themselves some Old Testament when it’s convenient for them. Of course, some of his list isn’t exactly included in Exodus 20:3-17 (guess he’s guilty of breaking one of those). Weirdly, he left off the part about keeping the Sabbath holy. I mean it shouldn’t be a big deal, but it does say “Exodus 20:3-17″ right there at the top, and keeping the Sabbath is so important that four entire verses are dedicated to it. I suppose “Exodus 20:3-7 and 12-17, plus a bunch of other stuff I added” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Probably the most important thing at the occupy Minnesota protest was the time people spent talking with other people about how the economy effects them and what governments role in our lives is…

It was difficult with the religious nut yelling something about the sin of pride…(who invited him?)

My son and I spent several hours walking around observing the crowds, reading their signage and listening to their speeches and chants. seems to be a common occurrence amongst this whole gathering is a definite lack of facts as to who really pays taxes in this country. Complaints that “the top 1% pay no taxes at all” is pretty ignorant of the truth that:

In the tax year 2008, the latest data year available and reflective if the current tax status by income, total income tax contributions are as follows:

Percentiles Ranked by AGI / AGI Threshold on Percentiles / Percentage of Federal Personal Income Tax Paid

Top 1% / $380,354 / pay 38.02%
Top 5% / $159,619 / pay 58.72%
Top 10% / $113,799 / pay 69.94%
Top 25% / $67,280 / pay 86.34%
Top 50% / $33,048 / pay 97.30%

Perhaps, if these protesters want to make sure that taxes are fairly paid by everyone, they should look at this figure:

Bottom 50% / <$33,048 / 2.7%

And just remember this, that income of <$33,048 is earned income and does NOT include any government subsidiaries such as housing/food/medical assistance.

First, Kathy, it was a pleasure to talk to you, and I am very much looking forward to taking a class with Prof. Kirtley.

Second, I’m with Harpo in that I too think there’s a large amount of misinformation out there. I’m currently studying, so honestly, I’m not going to look up the exact numbers, because this is already enough procrastination for me.

I think the manifesto cited on top gets our movement a little wrong. The last lines are great, but it’s my understanding that this movement is a movement to make our voices heard within the government. It’s a movement to make us louder than a billion dollars. It’s a movement to encourage people to talk to one another and equally (exactly equal) important to listen to one another.

I hope those with signs who cite facts that they got off of someone else’s sign are willing to listen to a breakdown of the numbers and perhaps change their view. Harpo, I hope if the IRS head (again, not gonna research…too much procrastinating already) or anyone else with credible information tells you you’re wrong, you’ll listen.

Harpo,
It’s not amounts paid, it’s about percentage of and types of income taxed.

It’s about who owns what. The Top 1% owns 40% of the nations wealth. The bottom 80% owns 7%. The top 1% owns 50% of the countries stocks and bonds. The top 1% only has 5% of the nations debt. The top 1% continues to increase it’s share of the income to the detriment of the rest of us.

We also need to re-balance taxes to corporations. Right now their companies who do not pay taxes and are also taking a tax subisdy, GE for instance.

Right now income from investments is taxed at a LOWER rate than income from a job.

So let’s look at this from boarder perspective that individual income taxes. Our economy favors the rich and large corporations, not the average worker.

Scott,

Unless you actually EARN your money in life, you are expecting someone else to give it to you. Do not worry about those who own more than you, worry about earning YOUR own money.

“Do not worry about those who own more than you, worry about earning YOUR own money.”

That attitude is part of what got us into this mess to begin with.

Harpo,
A smart ass answer means you LOST.

The argument the Occupy people are making is about the structure of our economy. Our current economy favors the rich and corporate. Right now in Minnesota there at minimum 5 applicants for each and every job opening. It’s not a matter of people not earning, it’s a matter of the economy providing the jobs. The jobless WANT JOBS, not hand outs. The corporations are sitting on cash and the Republicans are refusing to even put out a job creation program that’s anything besides “cut taxes”. Obama’s plan to re-build our infrastructure is a great starting point.

Scott, if you have a degree is some BS career, the chances of finding a job are bad, bad, bad, If you do a google search for jobs in the engineering field of many others in demand, you will see for yourself that there are many jobs out there. You just chose unwisely grasshopper.

I bet you’re just a’hoping for a big fat check written against someone else’s checking account:
PAT TO THE ORDER OF SCOTT
Memo” For work not done.

Can everyone agree that Flash trading needs to be abolished? What does it do besides make a few banks rich and increase instability in the market? Remember the flash crash?

Also, can we end the revolving door between the SEC and the Banks and Companies they oversee? We have regulation, but no one goes after the Madoffs because it jeopardizes their lucrative second career as an “advisor”.

We can all agree on that, and it does not involve banning capitalism or what have you.

Harpo,

You’re stupid. Clearly you are ignorant and your answer is an awesome, stock answer that I’d expect from Fox News.

Leech – great name! Dis you choose this as a way to describe your lifestyle?

Those figures are published by the National Tapayers Union. Here’s their website: http://ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

Why would you expect my answer to have come from Fox News? Surely you don’t watch that station as a source of your daily need for information do you? Ah, that’s right, your favorite news source, Air America, went bankrupt in January 2010… something about Gloria Wise embezzling $875,000 from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Oh, so said. I so do miss listening to that Joker Faced Al Franken and his sidekick Katherine Lamper.