[TopQuark]

Remember when the high income earning (white-collar) workers are out of a job everyone else foots the tax bill.

What on earth does that mean?

Those fellows unloading ships on the West coast -- yes, those that were recently on strike --- make $130,000 per annum. That's a white collar job?

You do indeed seem to have this particularly elevated esteem for white-collar workers. There importance in the economy is no more and no less great than of any other person.

[Poohbah]

Those fellows unloading ships on the West coast -- yes, those that were recently on strike --- make $130,000 per annum.

You forgot "plus whatever they can get from reselling stolen merchandise."

One of the folks I know in the shipping business had an ENTIRE CONTAINER of high-end car stereos go bye-bye out of the warehouse recently.

[RockyMtnMan]

The government will have two choices, run a deficit or raise taxes, to make up for the shortfall. On average white-collar workers make more than blue-collar workers and therefore pay more taxes. Any family making $35k or less pays no taxes at all and therefore only affects consumer spending if they lose their job, (God help them if they are put in that situation).

If anyone is being paid $130,000 a year for running a forklift they are overpaid. Given that it's California and the cost of living is extremely high I could see how wages would be inflated.

I don't elevate anyone, it's simple mathmatics, the more you make the more you pay in tax.