Pig at the barrel, Via Flora, West Palm Beach, FL
Here in a little corner of Southeast Florida, it’s Republican Land. You’ve got your gun-clinging rednecks, your Bible thumpers, and your One Percenters. The last group is something to behold. Their car of choice this year is the $200,000 Bentley convertible. Their home of choice is the Spanish style mansion behind the gates guarded by security personnel in starched uniforms. And their expression of choice is “I hate Obama.”
Mind you, these folks are able to drive their Bentleys and live in their Spanish style mansions in part because President Obama helped give them the highest stock market in history combined with the lowest tax rates in most of their lifetimes. And don’t forget, most of their wealth doesn’t come from salaries subject to the highest marginal tax rates; it comes from “capital gains,” which are taxed at only 15 percent. Factor in all the tax breaks and offshore tax havens they get for themselves, and you can be sure many of them, like Willard Mitt Romney, pay less than 15 percent in federal taxes. And these millionaires are quick to tout Florida’s lack of state income tax. But what you hardly ever hear them talk about is everyone else, except in the most condescending and disparaging ways.
It’s this lack of connectedness to others outside their 1 percent clique, this lack of empathy for the middle class or the poor, or for the country, that is so jarring about these Florida millionaires. Of course, this is a limited sampling and is not intended to imply that all One Percenters in this area are so greedy and selfish. Nevertheless, it appears that many of these folks are perfectly happy to drive their Bentleys on smooth highways, to get hot water when they turn on the faucet, to get electricity when they turn on the light switch, to be protected by the U.S. military (including the Coast Guard) and Florida state and local police, and yes, to get their cheap Medicare Part D prescription drugs, but then they don’t want to turn around and pay for these things. Folks, this shit ain’t free.
It may be that these One Percenters, these Lords of Florida, are beyond reach. But we Democrats and progressives will probably keep caring about them along with everyone else. Because that’s how we roll.
“. . . but then they don’t want to turn around and pay for these things. Folks, this shit ain’t free.”
And neither is Obamacare, welfare, and food stamps/EBT cards!
And that relates how again?
“And neither is Obamacare, welfare, and food stamps/EBT cards!”
True. But Democrats aren’t bitching and crying about the money spent on those services while silmultaneously benefitting from them. So STFU.
it doesn’t end with just the 1?5-ers. so many, like my idiot tea party sister, live day to day, SS check to SS check, sucking up the medicare and exhibit the same responses… they hate Obama, they hate liberals, they hate gays, they hate the ACA, they hate, hate, hate, never but goddam it you’d better keep the police protecting me, my potholes filled, my water clean, etc., etc., etc.
its the let them eat cake coalition. these types wont even rejoice that their stock profiles have made bookoo bucks since obama stabilized the bush free fall. but its easier to pick on little guys who are in debt and put them in private prisions, than go after the corporate tax dodging banksters.
I did some work for one who owned a private island (put in three fireplaces in his mansion). He paid $50,000 to have a piece of artwork shipped over from Europe, but he didn’t want to pay me the $3,000 I was owed for the work. These are your “job creators.”
In my experience-I grew up in such a household, my mother was the cook for a filch=filthy rich family back in the 50s-most filch whose families have had money for more than a couple of generations are extremely nice to everyone. I played with kids of millionaires until I graduated from HS and left. I was never forgotten on my birthday or xmas and was never treated as a servant.In fact, while I was in Vietnam they sent me letters every week without fail. I went to work for another wealthy family after I got out of the Army and worked for them until I decided to retire when I got to be 60. OTOH, the Neuvo rich, the people who had made lots of money but had no family history of wealth, acted like jackasses towards anyone who worked for a living. My boss refused to have anything to do with them because he said that if they treat workmen like s*it, they have no class and I refuse to have anything to do with them.
IOW, old wealth, to me, is far better than the new rich, who tend to not want to pay for work done and underpay their servants, if they can find any. The “help” gossip about their employers and all know who pays best and who treats them like people who have value and of course, who does not. My boss refused to have a house in Fla because he said he would have to mix with idiots like rush limbaugh
I know exactly what ya mean brotha I worked for a few wealthy people and tryin to get your money from them is almost impossible they will put you off as long as they can with excuses till you have to threaten to put a lien or sue…and I have rarelly ever had a problem like this with people that live on modest income who actually work for there money..they apreciate the work you do for them
Pew: Wealthiest experience big boost in post-recession worth: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/23/178624105/pew-wealthiest-experience-big-boost-in-post-recession-worth