[just_living]

Seems to me some of you seem to want to compete in a fixed game. You want high tarrifs on imports, you want laws (treason said one bright fellow) forcing American companies to hiring American.

Why.

Don't you see the slippery slope? How is that any different than affirmative action. Don't tell me the game is fixed already, and other countries are doing it to us, by that logic we'd also have to go with socialized medicine, gay marriage and even higher tax rates.

Americans are strong enough, smart enough to play square game. Right?

[sten]

As for being over paid, any person with higher education would fit that bill. Its the favored mantra of the corporate types in an effort to pit the lesser paid/lesser educated against the higher skilled/higher paid.

A typical undergraduate education in the US can run an easy $100k for 4 years, if you include housing and not for a state school. That bill normally must be paid back within 5 years. Prior to the low interest rates, the normal rates were 8%. That will run you at least $2027/month. Put on top of that the rent/mortgage in the area you will work at around $1200/month (tech work is usually not in rural areas). Add an additional $250/wk for food and incidentals. Car payments of at least $200/month. Toss in your car insurance, being sub 30 male no tickets, roughly $1200/6-months. Now add your cable modem and broadband (you are a techie, so you need it for work), $90/month. Phone costs are at a minimum $40/month, and electricity will run at least $100/month.

cost:

•  2027.00 school loans
•  1200.00 rent
•   250.00 food/incidentals
•   200.00 car payment
•   200.00 car insurance
•   100.00 electricity
•    90.00 cable modem
•    40.00 phone
  --
•  4107.00 basic monthly expenses

  Of course, this is after taxes and assuming you did not go to graduate school and have not decided to get married and have kids. Now factor in taxes:

• 4107.00 + state tax(8%) + fed tax (33%)
• --
• 6961.00 minimal gross monthly salary

  Factors out to be around $83,532/year. And this is without any savings, just paying bills and taxes.

[Beck_isright]

"Seems to me some of you seem to want to compete in a fixed game. You want high tarrifs on imports, you want laws (treason said one bright fellow) forcing American companies to hiring American."

Seems to me you prefer having 37% plus of your personal income and earnings extracted from you (or your company if you are self-employed like myself) at gunpoint to be used in income redistribution programs by the federal government. If the income tax was lowered to a more reasonable level and tariffs increased to offset these reductions, there would be a greater incentive to keep companies and their employees based within our borders. That is an economic fact. No, I don't advocate "laws" forcing the hiring of Americans. I advocate destroying the tax structure and returning to rewarding those companies and entrepreneurs for creating businesses within in this nation instead of using the Import-Export Bank to fiance the relocation of companies overseas.

"Don't you see the slippery slope?"

Yes, and at this point in time we are going to export essential base industries because of our current policies. But I'm sure you don't care if enemies of our country supply us with the little things in life. You know, like arms for the defense department, foodstuffs, soap, etc.

"How is that any different than affirmative action."

If I have to explain that to you, you are too stupid to be legally allowd to own a computer.

"Don't tell me the game is fixed already, and other countries are doing it to us, by that logic we'd also have to go with socialized medicine, gay marriage and even higher tax rates."

Let's see...Hmmmmmm
1. Socialized medicine - WTF do you think Medicare is and is becoming? Duh.
2. Gay marriage - USSC has pretty much rubber stamped that. We're well on our way to having that approved nationwide. Maybe you should tune the news in every once in a while.
3. Higher tax rates - I already pay between state and federal taxes almost 57% of my income. I guess you're right. We should just go ahead and make it a flat 75% so I'll have the incentive to expand my business.

"Americans are strong enough, smart enough to play square game. Right?"

No, Americans are not. If you need proof of that, why does the DNC even exist then? For further proof, Sheila Jackson Lee.