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The new Everyman
I just listened to a good fraction of the last Presidential debate of the year, and I have a new best friend: "Joe the Plumber". His moniker certainly makes him sound ordinary, salt-of-the-earth, just your average guy. He even has the same first name as "Joe Sixpack", the best friend of a week or two ago. But let's see...
"Joe the Plumber" has been working for a plumbing company for ten years, during which time he has built up enough savings to buy the company. After buying it, he expects to be netting at least $250,000/year, and to have over ten employees, as evidenced by the facts that his taxes will go up under the Obama administration and that he'll be fined if he doesn't provide health coverage for his employees.
I have a Ph.D, I've been working for a University for twelve years, and I thought I was doing pretty well for a middle-class American. I think our household income is about 90th percentile for the U.S. I have a retirement plan and a mortgage that I can afford, but basically no liquid savings -- certainly not enough to buy a company. I don't earn anywhere near $250,000/year, and I don't have any employees. Joe the Plumber is considerably wealthier than I am. But I guess from where McCain sits, Joe really is "salt of the earth", and I'm somewhere below the salt, not rich enough to even register on McCain's radar.
Good to have that cleared up.
"Joe the Plumber" has been working for a plumbing company for ten years, during which time he has built up enough savings to buy the company. After buying it, he expects to be netting at least $250,000/year, and to have over ten employees, as evidenced by the facts that his taxes will go up under the Obama administration and that he'll be fined if he doesn't provide health coverage for his employees.
I have a Ph.D, I've been working for a University for twelve years, and I thought I was doing pretty well for a middle-class American. I think our household income is about 90th percentile for the U.S. I have a retirement plan and a mortgage that I can afford, but basically no liquid savings -- certainly not enough to buy a company. I don't earn anywhere near $250,000/year, and I don't have any employees. Joe the Plumber is considerably wealthier than I am. But I guess from where McCain sits, Joe really is "salt of the earth", and I'm somewhere below the salt, not rich enough to even register on McCain's radar.
Good to have that cleared up.
no subject
But yeah, Joe (who was a real guy, who's Polish last name escapes my mind) is firmly of the opinion that, at a quarter mil net per year, he a)working class and b)going to be paying for all those folks who aren't as successful as him.
'Cause we live in a socialist nation, ya know, and we practice equitable redistribution of wealth.
Some people are idiots. Unfortunately, those idiots become poster children for the misconceptions that drive the McCain campaign.
no subject
Wurzelbacher. Which I'm quite sure is German, considering my maiden name, Wurtzel, is very German!
(Wurtzel was Wurzel before the boat, because the 'z' sounded like 'tz' and the 't' was added to make it more clear).
*ahem*
;-)
Oh, and I'm guessing that Wurzelbacher wasn't considering his expenses, AND I've heard that he's not even planning on buying that company nor does he have the moola to do so. Go figure.