During the campaign, many people expressed outrage over Mitt Romney’s statement concerning the fact that almost fifty percent of the public do not pay pay income taxes. I well understood the anger, but I am a bit surprised that a video by the California Federation of Teachers has not produced the same outrage over its unfairness and frankly crudeness. The video shows a wealthy person urinating on the poor as part of a “Tax the Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale.” I readily admit that I am in the minority on our blog in opposing some of the tax increase proposals in this country and abroad as economically unwise. However, the demonization of the wealthy in this country has gone a bit far when a video of this kind is released by a major organization.
Real Clear Politics and a few sites ran a story on the urination scene, but the video below has the sound but not the image of actual urination. It is not clear if someone added the yellow image to the video or the producers removed the image. When you now hit on various sites that showed what they said was the image of the urination, a sign pops up that this is now a “private video.” I am unsure of what that means since the union reportedly put the video out to the public. However, there is no mention of the controversy that I could find on the union site.
The eight-minute video was written and directed by California Federation of Teachers’ communications director Fred Glass with voice over by Ed Asner. The mythical land describes rich evading taxes by investing in “Wall Street” — not quite mythical. “Don’t worry. This is good for you, too. Because it will trickle down from us to you.” You can still hear the sound of the rich man “trickling down” on the poor.
Viewers are urged to email their elected representatives to tell them to raise taxes on the wealthy in order to fund public services.
I happen to agree with the premise of raising revenues (though I oppose some of the tax proposals in this country and abroad). I am a long and vocal supporter for increasing funding for schools and teachers. However, I view this video as unfair and hyperbolic even without the yellow stream. The wealthy do pay considerable taxes and many support public programs and public causes. They also do pay the vast majority of taxes. Should they pay more in this economy. Yes, but it is grossly unfair to engage in this type of vilification. The video for example states that after the housing market crash the government printed money for “rich people” but they didn’t give any to “ordinary people whose houses and jobs were broken by the crash.” The video also states that after the collapse that rich people “love their money more than anything in the world.” That is simply outrageous. What would be the reaction to a business group releasing a video stating poor people do not care for other people and do not want to work? There would be justified anger and outrage, but the reaction to this video seems to be muted from the left. It is not enough to simply shrug and again blame the other side triggering such responses. Whatever the excesses of the other side of this debate, it does not relieve adults of being the obligations of accuracy and decency. As an educator myself, I am embarrassed to see any teacher’s organization engage in such attacks.
I am interested in whether the union did include the even more offensive image and removed it or whether it is claiming that conservative groups hacked their video. If it is the former, I do not believe that they have served the interests of teachers who generally strive to engage in reasoned and respectful debate. If it is the latter, I would love to know who added the yellow image and left the appearance that it was in the original video. The union itself has thus far said little on the controversy. [UPDATE: the original video is posted here and shows the yellow image. It would appear that the union has altered its own video though I cannot find any statement from it on this controversy].
The current video is shown below.
mike spindell:
I agree, property tax and sales taxes are burdensome, lets lower those too.
Good idea.
MikeS, I like your dreams but I think a job in baseball would draw you out. And on that topic, I totally disagree w/ your stunted view of educators. Coaches are educators/teachers. The successful coaches/managers are great teachers, the unsuccessful ones are poor teachers. To think teaching is limited to a classroom or building is myopic.
Nick,
For instance two great basketball coaches and winners: John Wooden and Rick Pitino. Wooden was also a great teacher, Pitino merely a great winner..
mike spindell:
then let people making under 70k pay no taxes and those making over pay 11%.
“then let people making under 70k pay no taxes and those making over pay 11%.”
Bron,
As an alternative let’s have a return to the tax rates of the 1950’s and America’s greatest era of prosperity.
MikeS, I had a plan for the Powerball also. Money to people I love..lot’s of money. A time when a bunch of family and friends can get together. Charter flights for all to an exotic resort out of the winter cold. Then, many random, anonymous acts of kindness..John Barrister Tipton, you’re old enough to know him. The Salvation Army would get continuing donations. And, I would start a charity for kids w/ parents in prison. Paying travel and lodging expense for them to visit. Seeing kids visit their dads in Leavenworth had a profound effect on me. Nobody watches out for those kids ability to visit regularly. I would like to change that. I also thought about the millions of dreams folks had before the drawing.
mespo, Thanks, I respect your thoughts, comments, and criticisms. I would have loved to do surveillance on some of your clients. Just busting balls, I’m sure they were all 100% legit!!!
The farm subsidies are almost all given to the rich. And giant Multinational corporate forms.
The rich use vastly more government services than the poor. Every single government contract is spread around to an inner circle of contractors who grease each others palms.
The rich must have the courts. They must have a way to enforce contracts. A regulated market system. All using expensive white collar labor.
Right now, Multinational corporations are rallying to form an international court where they will be under the laws they themselves wrote. The Multinationals want, and might get, the TPP trade agreement. This way they will be shielded from the regular courts and can do as they please.
This is another one of Obamas huge mistakes. Neo Liberalism has already failed. Multinational corporations receiving unaccountability is something they have invested in for quite a while.
DonS:
Enjoy your weekend, DonS.
Mespo —-> “Would you agree that however you characterize it, the rich are doing more financially than those who pay less? If so, would you agree they get exactly the same governmental services as the guy paying less or nothing at all? If you agree with those two statements, how you define “fair” except in confiscatory language?”
I’m on the way out the door for the weekend, but a quickly to answer your good question . . .
1 )the “rich are doing more financially”, to me, is a quintessential question of relativism. It is meaningless except in absolutist kind of universe
2) That the rich “get exactly the same governmental services” can also be seen in an absolutist way; who could argue. But in the real world, the rich DON’T NEED many governmental services because they can pay to circumvent/supplement them. Think gated communities with private police forces; think private jets; etc. Of course at some point when the infrastructure tumbles to the point that the chauffered limo can’t get to the airport even the rich might not be able to buy their way out of a jam.
3) I suppose my definition of “fair” might equate to another’s concept of confiscatory — though maybe not in the legal sense. I don’t imagine even I would say fair was only that level of participation at which everyone suffers the same deprivation or surplus.
There are many degrees of well being between poor and filthy rich, and I don’t think we are in danger of the system abetting such confiscation that the rich will howl with pain for a serious reason.
I’m less into theoretical definitions that real life practicalities.
Sorry, out the door.
“Mespo,
It is unfair after all our years of comradeship, here that you dare to hoist me on my own petard, just to try to win an argument. Oh the horror!”
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Sorry, Mike S. Call it a reflex!
nick:
I do agree that in a microcosmic sense actual experience trumps theory any day. I also accept the judgments of your experience since by definition all interpretations are valid.
Your biography and the remarkable work you do here are my best arguments that “Daddy’s dough is not destiny.”
Mespo,
It is unfair after all our years of comradeship, here that you dare to hoist me on my own petard, just to try to win an argument. Oh the horror!
Mike S:
“My father, who was a convicted felon and 9th grade dropout was a smart as anyone posting here and could no doubt argue them to a draw in any debate. My mother was no slouch either, also without an education. I’ll match the deprivations in my life anytime with yours and I don’t use it as an excuse of why people disagree with me. We both were smart enough to escape the hands we were dealt.”
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Your biography and the remarkable work you do here are my best arguments that “Daddy’s dough is not destiny.”
DonS:
“Oh, I forgot. Because some of the rich pay more in absolute dollars than the rest of us, they must be doing their fair share, and even deserve a refund.”
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A few questions:
Would you agree that however you characterize it, the rich are doing more financially than those who pay less? If so, would you agree they get exactly the same governmental services as the guy paying less or nothing at all? If you agree with those two statements, how you define “fair” except in confiscatory language?
Mike S:
Quit making me roar with laughter with that Powerball quip or the Horatio Alger wish. 😀
“Quit making me roar with laughter with that Powerball quip or the Horatio Alger wish.”
Mespo,
You misunderstand me, I need such thoughts, dreams perhaps, to put my mind at ease and myself to sleep at night. As I lose myself in the planning of things like where do you safely park $300 million or so, without going overseas? The sandman closes my weary eyelids and I dose off in mid thought, it’s just to complicated for me to contemplate.
mespo727272
1, December 7, 2012 at 8:01 am
Elaine M:
No one here wants to vilify teachers, but neither should they be accorded sacred cow status either. Like every profession they are evaluated on what they do.
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I disagree. Public school Teachers are evaluated on how well they herd baby sheep through a gate called FCAT…which is the proscribed goal of those who are making a pile of money on….FCAT. They are also fired for things like….not changing a grade of an influential/wealthy parents child when requested. Believing otherwise is an expression of denial or lack of knowledge of the reality of teachers.Economically they are also being shat upon by a system that has shifted into overdrive in the draining of public resources. In Florida a law was passed by vote to increase the teacher student ratio in the classrooms….it was simply ignored and another bill written to erase it. The denial of reality by those who turn deaf ears to those whose reality they deny…….
Mike S, I want to personally thank you. Often I want to say what you say but I don’t have enough education and background to do so. I’m good enough at analysis and polemics, but you really know what you’re talking about and I get a thrill when you say what I wish I could have.
Now, about the cartoon. OK, boo hoo, OK, crude. But damn, it’s GOOD! (And it was a bit understated. What a certain most-powerful contingent of the 1% are doing is not “number one” but actually “number two” on the rest of the “we the people.” And then blaming us for hollering “sh*t” while we try to climb out of the pile of it they have just thrown down.)
Now, about the 1%. I know plenty of people within the 1% who are in favor of higher taxes for the 1%! PLENTY OF THEM! And lots of them have been laughing at this cartoon, too.
“You had better hope for the Powerball. I think Max would have something to say on the rich daughter solution.”
Gene,
Your right. At your age you’re not ready to understand that at 68, the last thing on my mind is some other woman. but using the Horatio Alger analogy perhaps some very rich liberal will read this blog and endow me with wealth beyond my dreams to spend my days writing. 🙂
“If you win Powerball you’ll have to hate yourself. Self loathing is not for you, MikeS.”
Nick,
All my self-loathing was dealt with in psychotherapy years ago. Had I won the $550 million Powerball, I had it all worked out. A lot of money to my kids and grand-kids. High end computers and a luxury, American made car, either a Caddy or a Lincoln. Same housing, more frequent exotic travelling, 10% to the hospital that did my transplant. Finally, $100 million to set up the Spindell Foundation for Economic and Social Equality (SFESE) . The only thing that would draw me out of retirement would be my own think tank to play with. 🙂
.
“That “experience” was not challenged by anyone here. I actually believe it is valid.”
Nick,
His conclusions from that experience were challenged and to my thinking defeated by Elaine’s comments. you’re wrong on that.
“I actually believe it is valid. The experiences of my parents and my wife have given me good perspectives on other careers. However, I think mespo and most people would agree, it’s not as good as actually having taught.”
In both instances you and Mespo are drawing macro-cosmic conclusions from microcosmic data. Yes that is good enough for someone to form a personal opinion, but without supporting evidence is proof of nothing. You certainly presented no supporting evidence.
“Plus, I have not even included my decades of coaching baseball. Coaching in many respects is the purest form of teaching.”
There are some good sports coaches and there are many bad sports coaches. When you talk baseball that is an area of my expertise. Just judging from major league coaches and managers many, even some very successful ones, were not at all educators.
“Well show me the flaws. Show me a better study that refutes it’s findings.”
I did show you its flaws. As far as a “better” study that is an impossibility in terms of subject and the logistics of studying it. You would need ongoing, in depth research by people on the ground, studying each of let’s say America’s fifty most populous cities, for years on end. No one is going to fund that and to what purpose would they do it. Using arbitrary metrics to create a list of anything like that is all show and no substance. While such a thing as relative corruption can theoretically be measured, in the real world it can’t be done logistically.
“We’re cool. I don’t think you’re trying to drive people off.”
And Nick no one else is either. Some of us, like Gene, play seemingly rougher than I do, but that is a matter of style, not substance. In my way I can be just as rough on people as Gene, its just that my approach is different. My bottom line, like Gene’s, is that we will ferociously attack illogical arguments, no matter what the source. In that oftentimes we have attacked each-other.
If you win Powerball you’ll have to hate yourself. Self loathing is not for you, MikeS.
Mike,
You had better hope for the Powerball. I think Max would have something to say on the rich daughter solution.