EstateofDenial.com visits with Joe the Plumber

October 18, 2010

Joe the Plumber, aka Sam Wurzelbacher, was in Texas recently talking about the importance of taking back America and how people can make a difference in this effort.

In October 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama was blockwalking Wurzelbacher’s Ohio neighborhood when the small businessman/plumber asked that upon his buying a new business, wouldn’t Obama’s tax plan bring additional liabilities that would conflict with his pursuit of the American Dream? It was then that Obama made his “spread the wealth around” comment considered by many as emblematic of a desire to confiscate the hard-earned wealth of productive Americans for redistribution to others who can’t, won’t and/or don’t create similar degrees of prosperity.

As a part of the Americans for Prosperity November is Coming campaign, Joe made stops in Waco, at Texas A&M University and at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  Joe the Plumber continues to promote an American idealism message saying “we gotta get back to responsibility, accountability, education – the values we grew up with.”

Lou Ann Anderson, AFP-Texas Policy Advisor as well as the EstateofDenial.com Online Producer, enjoyed visiting with Joe and discussing the current threat additionally posed to the American Dream via probate corruption and estate abuse.

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  • Brenda A. Durant

    Joe, apparently does not know, or does not care, that it was Bush who allowed all industries to self regulate, especially big-pharma and nursing homes. It was also Bush appointees to the Texas Supreme Court, who have turned their backs on citizens who are harmed and killed by the for profit industries. I found nothing but corruptions at every level of government, and they were all Republicans. Ron Paul totally identified the problem as he said that Republicans had lost all the values of thier original platform, mainly thier values for human lives.

  • George

    A hypothetical electrician may provide one hour of his time to a Joe the Plumber who, in return, provides one hour of his time to the electrician. At the end of their hour, they both have the services they needed, which were provided as economically as possible with no hidden costs, i.e., one hour for one hour.

    If these hypothetical tradesmen had put a dollar rate on their time, say $10.00 an hour, and if the government taxes half of that away, the economics of their transaction is “transformed.” Now, Joe will have to work 2 hours ($10.00 times 2 hours) to have enough “after-tax” money ($10.00), to purchase 1 hour of the electrician’s time; and, vice versa. You can do the math to see what happens to after-tax dollars as the tax rates go up. No wonder we need government subsidies.

    As an analogy to a tax-refund, and with a little artistic latitude, government might be seen as the “Grinch that stole our money.” Suppose you came home to find that all your possessions had been carried away by burglars; should you rejoice if the thief gives back your television?

  • George

    Stimulus is Counter-Productive

    The next idea, I believe, needs to be understood by every person in the country; especially by those who vote. When government taxed those funds from the hypothetical tradesman, and when all are taxed, jobs are destroyed. Let me explain.

    First, as is self-evident, the tax-payer will have less money with the higher tax rates than with lower tax rates; but, that is not the only consequence. As government ratchets up tax rates, tax-payers will have even less money to spend. Taxpayers’ purchasing power with less spendable income, i.e., “after tax dollars,” is diminished. Demand for all products and services is reduced. Businesses have to reduce staff to match the lower levels of demand. People lose their jobs, companies go out of business, and prosperity falls. The more government tries to “help” by taking more money from those who are still working, to give to those who are not working, the worse the problem gets.

  • George

    We cannot escape this fiscal malaise, by “stimulating” the economy i.e., using more taxing, printing and/or borrowing to “get” more money for government to spend. Instead, to avoid more tragedy and travesty, the public must come to the knowledge that government spending always carries a cost. Government cannot spend unless it takes; and governmental taking carries a very high cost. We are willing to pay the price for some items government provides. However, because government can only add to the net cost of production, we cannot afford to let government take on tasks we can and should do ourselves. Government should only do that which it absolutely needs to do to fulfill its “enumerated” powers.

    Government must remove the unnecessary burdens, snares and obstacles it has laid along the paths of commerce. It should not only, “just not raise taxes,” government should slash taxes; it should slash government spending; it should slash government payrolls and employment; and, it should only perform the tasks that are constitutionally authorized and necessary. Then, as people keep and spend more of their own money, the aggregate increases in spending will create new jobs for the ex-government employees and the economy can grow again without the unnecessary governmental burdens.
    But, to achieve that growth, we must change attitudes, understandings and beliefs about: patent laws, wage and hour laws, reduction or abolishment of many governmental agencies, etc. In short, we must learn how the economy really works- so we do not “screw it up again!” Removing counter-prductive laws and rules will permit higher pay and full employment. Perhaps we can again become a nation of adults.

  • Mary

    What scares me the most is that I have come to believe that this is being done on purpose! Everything that we have worked for, everything we cherish is either being belittled, i.e. American Exceptionalism or attacked i.e.Christianity. God is being removed, the importance of Marriage and family in society..this is scary, people! I believe that the actions of this 111th congress and that of this administration is TREASON. How long before people no longer fight back with words- if this new congress cannot stop this juggernaut…what then?

  • Richard

    The analogies presented by George are easily understood and not like the 2,000 page law that is now commonly referred to as “ObamaCare”. That law is the result of having over 80% of Congress comprised of lawyers. Nobody can read it and totally understand it because it is full of “legalize”. What this country needs to do is disqualify lawyers from holding any public office and replace them with “common people” that have worked in the “real world”. We could start by setting term limits.

    I think the Supreme Court is enough to represent the lawyer contingent and the lawyers can ply their trade in the courtroom where they belong. Not in Congress.

    As far as taxes are concerned, we should demand a balanced budget and “Fair Tax” in lieu of an income tax. That way, every citizen would contribute to the national budget at the cash register and higher income producers would naturally contribute more by spending more. One offshoot benefit would be that the Federal Government would be reduced in size by eliminating the IRS, which considers itself above the law by seizing properties and assets without due process. The tax code is too complicated for the average person to understand and requires professional help to file properly. Eliminate it and replace it with the “Fair Tax”.