An Open Letter To President Bush From The Common Man

The Reality Check ^ | 03 February 2004 | Judson Cox

[Lando Lincoln]

Lando

[texgal]

Bravo!! Bump

[Carry_Okie]

Good post. Even worse is that the grant funded hucksters drive decent art underground. The universities are just as much of a problem in that respect and live off an even larger flood of that same confiscated income.

I differ with Mr. Daniels in one respect: I think a large fraction of the the elites are more than happy to fund trash art for the masses. It helps keep the little people just where they are and helps make sure "popular culture" stays that way.

[American_Centurion]

I stand for eight to ten hours on concrete floors, unloading trucks, stocking shelves, running a cash register and doing a hundred other mind numbing tasks.

And what the heck did you do to prevent yourself from winding up in this obvious craphole job?

[Delta-Tango]

I thought the point about NEA funding was rather well written. But he destroyed his whole argument with all the whining about his job. It would have gotten an A from me, but that crybaby routine brings it down to a C-

[kenth]

So, he should have planned to have a cushier job for the government to take even more money to fund the NEA, etc.? That would make it all better?

[Lando Lincoln]

FWIW...I think the author was trying to write vicariously as this person in a "dead-end" job.

Lando

[B4Ranch]

The President is merely trying grab as much of the voting population as possible. Wierdos included.

[Enterprise]

Well, it appears, for the sake of argument, that a contrast needed to be made to point out the unfairness of the NEA giveaway, compared to how hard and long he has to work for HIS money. If he had written that he was a well paid executive, driving a company car, and lives in a 5 bedroom gated-community home, would we have sympathy for him then if he complained about the NEA funding? I, like others here, believe President Bush should be a tax cuttin, budget reducing fanatic. And yes, let the NEA fund itself!

[American_Centurion]

Hence I question, how much in taxes do they pay.

I'm sure it is a lot to them, and yes they have every right to disapprove, but being in a "dead end job" will garner no sympathy from those who know that in this country the only ones who can't better themselves are the dead.

So if 1/100th of their $250 paid in taxes actually is used to fund something they disapprove of, why not complain even more loudly about the other 9/100ths? If an article must be written from the perspective of those in a "dead end job" then I say write it about how much they pay in taxes or why they can't invest some of their Payroll tax instead of it going to some rich geezer snowbird in Floriduh.

Instead of waiting until someone proposes more funding to the NEA, why weren't they complaining 10 years ago about just plain abolishing it? I guess it wasn't on the radar then, must be because it's another dart being tossed at Bush.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I stand for eight to ten hours on concrete floors, unloading trucks, stocking shelves, running a cash register and doing a hundred other mind numbing tasks.

It is art that brings beauty to this drab life.

And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I think that a delicious pizza is a work of art and as such, I savor it's consumption as much as some people enjoy gazing at a Van Gogh.

[Orangedog]

This is yet another expensive bowel-movement that Karl Rove is trying to pass off as an idea. Great, hand the NEA several more million dollars that we don't have. Oh, but they say it's for "real" art this time. Even if that is the case, that will change very quickly once another administration takes over...be it in one year or four. Then they will have even more money to waste the usual crap.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Bad artists deserve a job as much as bad polititians.

Our tax money pays their salaries as well.

[quantim]

As a college student, and Director of Communication for the Foundation for Conservative American Values,

A 'conservative' college student?  Let us rejoice one fell through the cracks of leftist academia.  And is now working his way through life.

 

[Ches]

Yes and sugardaddy will lose alot more votes then he gains. The limp-wristed hangers-on aren't going to vote for him! Elizabeth honey, I'm comin' to see ya.

[American_Centurion]

Or just maybe if he had a better job I would believe that this fictional worker might actually pay taxes. I'm sorry but the loading dock worker and shelf stocker who can barely afford gas, are not the "common man". They are more like the entry-level summer employment/part time teenager or if an actual adult they would fall into the category of LOSER unless they got their job through Melwood.

[Ches]

"I think that a delicious pizza is a work of art"

Can we get our pizza subsidized?

[Ches]

A very large percentage of the population lives paycheck to paycheck and has no savings whatsoever. Another significant portion has been living on credit cards after downsizing or job loss. Please define "common man." The county I live in is $24,000 average annual household income.

[American_Centurion]

Average household income doesn't matter. The real question is do you and most of the people you work with, go to church with, play softball with, etc, have barely enough money to afford gas to drive to your "dead end job". I seriously doubt it, you at least have a computer and a phone line.

[Orangedog]

The county I live in is $24,000 average annual household income.

And the single person making that much money is still contributing more to the tax base than the much vaunted "family of four earning $40,000 or less." They pay zero federal income tax and a good chunk of them get most of their payroll taxes kicked back to them via the (un)Earned Income Tax Credit. Meanwhile the single people and high earners are carrying them.