I am a middle aged American who has worked since I was 16. I have no intentions of taking from the wealthy. I just want them to pay the same percent of their income that I do!!!

I would be attending Saturday but will be out of town.

I PRAY TELL YOU MEAN THOSE ON WALL STREET AND IN THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT PARTY THAT DO THERE BIDDING. SUPPRESS THE UNIONS SO THAT YOU CANNOT BARGAIN FOR FAIR WAGE. SUPPRESS THE VOTE SO THE CORRUPT ARE MORE EASILY ELECTED. RAISE THE INCOME TAX OF WORKING CLASS FROM 5-8% TO 35% IF THEY ARE LUCKY TO MAKE THAT MUCH WHILE DROPPING TOP TAX'S FROM 94% TO A MAX OF 35% AND EFFECTIVE TAX ON THEM AT 18% OR LESS WITH SEVERAL AT NEAR ZERO. PUTTING ON A CREDIT CARD WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAY AS YOU GO AND TAKING THAT CREDIT CARD MONEY AND JAMMING IT INTO THEIR OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS. STOPPING ANY MEANINGFUL REFORMS SO THAT THROUGH THEIR POLITICIANS WE PAY PAY PAY. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU IDOLIZE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU SUPPORT. MAYBE THOSE OF YOUR PERSUASION ARE JUST AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM AS THOSE DESCRIBED BELOW. I AM WILLING TO PAY FOR HEATHCARE FOR ALL (I ALREADY HAVE MY GOVERNMENT MANAGED BEST IN THE WORLD CARE AND SO SHOULD YOU, YOUR CHILDERN, AND PARENTS... ALL I ASK IS THAT IT BE PROPERLY MANAGED AND NOT THE GIVE AWAY SET UP BY A CERTAIN POLITICAL PARTY TO THE WEALTHY. WE PAY MORE THAN DOUBLE ANYONE ELSE WHEN WE SHOULD BE PAYING AT NEAR AVERAGE OR LESS) AW SHUCKS. I DO NOT THINK YOU UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS. I AM TELLING THEM TO GET THERE HAND OUT OF MY POCKET FOR THE TOP 1%, LET THEM TAKE IT OUT OF YOURS SO THAT ALL THE REPUBLICANS AND 10% OF THE DEMOCRATS CAN SEND IT TO THOSE 1% WHO YOU THINK ACTUALLY EARNED IT THROUGH LONG HOURS OF SWEAT AN BLOOD YOU THINK I DID NOT

Stay the coarse alpha most American agree with you. This state is the sewer of the South because the Republicans have managed to keep them uneducated and uninformed and poor. No state has stolen more money from the working class then South Carolina. I am with you on most of your comments. I hope to see you Saturday as we stand together as AMERICANS making it crystal clear we aren't buying what the mushroom tea party is selling or the entire congress. I agree that Obama has tried to do more good for this country than any recent Republican President.

The only stealing I have seen lately is from the Middle class. The working class works longer and hard for less money yet the rich just keep getting richer and the poor just keep giving up more and more. The wealthy need to pay their fair share not to mention they benefit more from taxes collected than anyone else in the country. I find Corporate welfare stealing from the american people. I find American giving money to educate their future employess, paying more property tax, local, sales to supply them with roads, bridges, shipping ports all to benefit their profits without asking for one dime reinvested for the next guy back into the economy.

FACTS ARE SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE BEEN IGNORING FOR FAR TO LONG

BETTER THAN BUSH W....... SARAH PALIN (EVEN McCAINS PEOPLE WHERE AFRAID THAT SHE MIGHT BE ELECTED)...... BACHMANN.... CAIN... OUR PARENTS (MINE AT LEAST) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES' WOULD EVEN CONSIDER THEM

OBAMA. YES. EVEN AS REPUBLICANS IF THE ABOVE WAS THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE. PLEASE DO NO PLEAD IGNORANCE OR STUPIDITY, IT IS ALL IN FRONT OF YOUR LYING EYES. THAT IS IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO LOOK AND THE INTELLECTUAL ABILITY TO DO HONEST UNBIASED RESEARCH

WE ARE NOT HEROS, WE ARE STILL LIVING
BUT BEING ALIVE MEANS THAT WE MUST BE AWARE OF THE REAL WORLD AND NOT SOME CREATION OF FOX OR HATE RADIO

QUALITY IS SOMETHING WE STARTED TO LOSE DURING NIXONS TIME, FORD BEING AN EXCEPTION, RONALD FOLLOWED DIRECTION WELL BUT MIDDLING.
BUSH I DID HAVE MERITS BUT THE BEST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT WAS CLINTON, HE GAVE MORE TO TRUE REPUBLICANS THAT WHICH WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THAN ALL THE OTHERS MENTIONED.
BUSH II, WELL I DO NOT THINK EVEN REPUBLICANS CAN DIG DEEP ENOUGH FOR A PLACE TO PUT HIM.
OBAMA SO FAR IS ON HIS WAY TO OUT CLINTON CLINTON AS THE BEST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT BUT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL CHANGE,
IF NOT THIS COUNTRY IS IN FOR DEEP KIMCHI.
PS HAVE YOU BEEN GOOD AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS TO IGNORE EDUCATED PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD, CONFIRMED TRUTHS OR ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE MORE ENLIGHTED ON A SUBJECT, ANY SUBJECT? I USED TO WORK WITH A WHOLE LOT OF THAT TYPE BEFORE SOCIAL SECURITY AND IT WAS SO DAMN EASY TO KICK THEIR CONSERVITIVE CROUTCHES OUT FROM UNDER THEM. THEY KNEW NOT TO DEBATE IF ALL THE HAD WAS THE INFORMATION FROM FOX AND WHEN THEY STARTED TO GO TO VALID SOURCES I WAS ABLE TO WIN WITHOUT HAVING TO SAY A WORD.

TONYSAID:
I am a middle aged American who has worked since I was 16. I have no intentions of taking from the wealthy. I just want them to pay the same percent of their income that I do!!!

TONY SEEMS LIKE A PERSON WHO WOULD BE HAPPY IF EVERYONE PAID 50% OF A VALID DISCRETIONARY INCOME (THIS IS A TERM THAT CURRENT CONSERVITIVES EITHER DO NOT KNOW OR HIDE FROM EACH OTHER) AND I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO PAY THIS ALSO IF WE COULD GET EVERYONE TO PAY IT. IF YOU EVER LOOKED INTO WHAT THE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS PROVIDE YOU, WOULD FIND THIS A VERY FAIR TAX ON EVERYONE. I PUT THIS IN FOR MR. CAIN WHO WANTS A 9-9-9 TAX THAT WOULD RAISE ALL US WORKING OR FORMER WORKING STIFFS TAXES BUT DROP THE TOP TENTH OF 1% TO WELL UNDER 10% AND TAKE IN ABOUT 50% OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT. BY THE WAY IT RAISES THAT POOR SUCKERS TAX WHO IS CURRENTLY AT THE BOTTOM FROM ABOUT 2% TO A MANDATORY 27% YEA CAIN, GO CAIN GO
JOE, I HOPE THIS IS NOT YOU PLAN FOR US?.

DON'T SMOKE AND TO OLD TO FIGHT.
THAT IS WHY I STRIVE TO EDUCATE THE YOUNG AND THE IGNORANT THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE STUPID AND VERY LITTLE FOR THOSE WITH BIAS, MOST WILL GO TO THEIR GRAVE WITH HATREAD IN THEIR SOUL BECAUSE OF THEIR UPBRINGING.
I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THE SIDE OF THE COIN YOU RESIDE ON AND AM SO SORRY THAT I MIGHT BE RIGHT

DO SO. THIS IS WHY THE McCAIN PEOPLE HAD SUCH GRIEF OVER PALIN.
TERM ENDS, IMPEACHMENT, RESIGNATION, DEATH. FOUR OPTIONS GIVEN AND FIFTH OPTION UNTHINKABLE... ASSUME THE PRESIDENTCY

THE ANSWER IS NO. I AM TRYING TO GET YOU TO START THINKING FOR YOURSELF. THIS YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO. DO THE RESEARCH. IF YOU DO NOT, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT YOU ARE UNWILLING TO FACE ANY TRUTH THAT MAY TURNS YOUR WORLD IN A NEW AND BETTER DIRECTION. I AM HOPING THAT MANY MORE START TO LEARN THAT WHAT THEY THINK THEY KNOW AND ABSOLUTE FACTS MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT. I HOPE THEY GET VERY PI$$ED AT ALL THE ONES MISLEADING US AND START TO SPEAK OUT LIKE LIKE MY WIFE AND I. WE NEED MORE SEEKERS OF TRUTH ON THE CONSERVITIVE SIDE.

SO SORRY THAT YOU SEEM TO LACK WHAT IS REQIURED AT THIS POINT IN YOUR LIFE FOR AN INFORMED DISCUSSION, EVEN ON THIS LOW LEVEL OF THOUGHT. WHEN YOU OBTAIN THE KNOWLEDGE AND WILL TO ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF, I WILL BE VERY PLEASED TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU IN AN INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE.

BUT YOU MUST FIRST ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE SO A TRUE DISCUSSION IS POSSIBLE. YOU MIGH EVEN FIND THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TRUTH AND NOT REGURGITATED DISINFORMATION OR TALKING POINTS, A DISCUSSION IS NOT NEEDED.

they only pay when caught
the more pertainent thing is why a disproportionate amount of the drugs worldwide end up here

four times more likely to use cocaine than the next closest country, New Zealand (16% vs. 4%),

Marijuana use, the U.S. has the highest rate of use 42.4% compared with 41.9% for New Zealanders. (we might get high simply walking down the street if that many are visiting the roach coach)

the Netherlands,has a more liberal drug policies than the U.S., but only 1.9% of people use cocaine and 19.8% use marijuana.
I would be more interested in use reduction first then go after tax.
Is it possible that if drugs where legalized and taxed that drug use would go down because all of us up tites would refuse to buy them at half the price to simply avoid paying a tax at the point of purchase? WHAT A CONCEPT!

First off, I am a constrution worker/welder/farmer that isn't educated immensely in political science. Only what I have sought out on my own.
The information that is given by motherjones.com is pretty simple. The rich are buying politicians, who in turn are rubbing the backs of the rich, under the guise of "trickle down economics." The gape between rich and poor has drastically widened and instead of a trickle effect the rich just pocket more and more money. Unemployment is steady rising, safety net programs are being cut for poor, all so rich can continue to get rich. (Is it not enough to make a billion dollars that they need millions more from average working families that are struggling?) Ideally a government would promote a movement of currency (IE: low credit rate to get people spending, or incentive's IE: company buys new equipment/gets tax break.) Under the Bush administration this was removed so there are now tax breaks without incentives which leads to no reason to create jobs.
This is actually just one aspect of how the wealthy have taken control (Through buying politicians) There are dozens of other concerns around the world. Destruction of enviroment (Exxon/valdez, BP/gulf), death to humans (BP explosion in TX killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170 others to save 150mil), destruction of human rights(Shell/nigeria), patenting life! (Monsanto patents seeds that if grown on your land they sew you), the list goes on........ all for quick easy profit?

Is that right Joe why don't you tell us what state in the North is in worse shape than South Carolina. Why don't you quote cost of living, pay, taxes, education, unemployeed, uninsured, teen pregnancy, crime, college tuition ect. I think if you actually did your homework you might want to pack up and move back up North where life is MUCH better than in this sewer of the South

Calling New Jersey a Northern State is a joke in itself. Why do you think that New Jersey is the way it is??? Do you think it has something to do with it closeness to NEW YORK??? For the few elements that you offer to some how proves South Carolina is better is craziness at best.

And how much taxes do you pay on that home in SC??? How many roads to get you to that home are in dire straights, how much again do you pay in property tax on your cars?? How much State tax do you pay because you own a home?? How much of the states income goes right back to the corporations to offset their costs of doing business?? How bad is the education?? I don't need someone like you to tell me to join the rally on Saturday I understand perfectly clear what side of history I choose to be on and it isn't the slave to rich and corporate interest or the greed and corruption in our political system. I will always be on the side of fairness and equality. So continue on Joey with your head stuck in the dirt and defend a side that doesn't even know or care that you exsist.

Saying the Tea Party and thinking in the same sentence somehow just ain't right.

I don't think that is a real book. Again, this is a peaceful movement about corruption of government through buying politicians with vast wealth that is being stolen from 99%. I can share more links with you Joe if you would like to be enlighten.

Joe: "Lexing ton has some of the best schools in the country, roads are great..."

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-- oh, wait-- ha, ha, ha, ha. You're killing me. Is this the start of comedy routine? Because it sure isn't anchored in SC reality.

I read what I could of the first two chapters I could for free. Great! Looks like another book that leans entirely one way. Great! To reiterate what Occupy Wallstreet or Columbia for that matter is the simple fact that the system is broken, and we the people need to fix it. So I hope to see you there Joe. I feel that we are not really that different. I bet we both pay our taxes.

What are you imbibing, Joe? I sure don't want anything that destroys my ability to recognize reality like that.
===
ROADS:
4th: Traffic Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, South Carolina ranks 4th: in the nation when it comes to traffic fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles. South Carolina’s rate is 2.09. Montana has the highest rate at 2.45; Massachusetts has the lowest rate, 0.76. Source: U.S. Census: Traffic Fatalities (2007).

SCHOOLS:
48th: Average Freshman Graduation Rate
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) ranks South Carolina 48th: in its “Average Freshman Graduation Rate” (AFGR). Source:SREB-AFGR (2009). For more information see here, here and here.

33rd: America’s Best High Schools
According to the U.S. News and World Report survey, South Carolina ranks 33rd: among U.S. states based on “best high schools.” The magazine awarded bronze, silver and gold medals to high schools in each state. South Carolina schools received 1gold, 3 silver, and 22 bronze out of 137 high schools analyzed. Source: America's Best High Schools: State-by-State Statistics (2009).

lol
Joe, you really ought to quit while you're losing. You've already proven that you don't know what you're talking about.