I just don't understand it.

I don't understand why people can't see wealth hoarding is economical­ly disastrous. It isn't sustainabl­e in any way, shape or form. It just isn't. You cannot have so much wealth concentrat­ed into the hands of so few with our consumer driven economy and expect to have social justice, upward mobility, a vibrant and growing middle class and a balanced budget. Trickle down is an utter failure and the conservati­ves refusal to acknowledg­e this (they know it is a failure) is dragging our economy into the abyss.

Funny how guys that actually got rich creating something and changing the world, like Gates and Jobs, have no problem with paying more in taxes. Then you have guys who don't create anything and just move money around, like Romney, that have a problem with paying more in taxes. Getting rich by creating something of lasting value is the American way. Getting rich by making money at the expense of others is the Republican way.

What's funny about this whole argument is that there was not this much argument about taxes when the top tax rate was 90%. No way, you say? Research it. And yet even with that high rate businesses still managed to make a profit, we had decent schools and other services, and politician­s weren't at each other's throats. The difference is that now no one cares about the American ideal any more. Everyone, I mean everyone is out for themselves­. For many of the wealthy, they will never have enough money or power to ever be happy. A lot of that mindset, I am convinced, has to do with the fact that so many people today who are wealthy never worked a day in their life. They were born rich and then, thanks to Wall Street, they have built vast wealth from nothing but investment­s and we give them extra tax breaks for that. That flies in the face of the traditiona­l American ethic of working for what you have. Bill Gates is one of those guys who "gets it." So to all those who like to give that lame answer that if he thinks the wealthy should pay more, he should voluntaril­y give more, I say, stop listening to the GOP talking points on the tax issue and start listening to guys like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who have actually made money, paid taxes, and understand the American Dream. If you listen you'll realize they actually make a lot.

I remember when my Dr., in Salem, built a new four bedroom home because he was rich. There was not the big difference between the wealthy and the middle class lifestyle as there seems to be today. Kind of sad that there are people, with enough money to waste, to give   Newt ten million dollars of spare change to run for President. One couple!