I doubt anyone can say that Gene is not a brilliant marketer but I read a letter to him and thought it was interesting as well as his response.
thought you might find this interesting and would agree. First off, Im not rich. I do very well and would fall into upper middle income, yet I do understand how the current system works with not taxing the upper classes too much. Most people do not! I as a lifelong KISS fan also know that you dont drink, but look over that in this example please. Lee Johnson Charlotte, NC.
Suppose that every day, ten women go out for beer and the bill for all 10 comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go somthing like this:
The first 4 women (the poorest) would pay nothing
The 5th would pay $1
The 6th would pay $3
The 7th would pay $7
The 8th would pay $12
The 9th would pay $18
The 10th (and richest) would pay $59
So, thats what they deiceded to do whenever they would go out for Drinks
The 10 women drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, untill one day when the owner threw them a curve.
He said since you lady's are such good customers and come here every day, Im going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20!
This made the drinks for the 10 only $80!
The Lady's still wanted to pay like they paid their taxes, so the first 4 would not be affected and still drink for free.
BUT what about the 6 others who were paying? How would they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get her fair share?
They realized that $20 divided by 6 is $3.33 and if they subtracted that from everybody's share then the 5th and 6th women would each end up being paid to drink her beer
So the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each women's bill by proportianately existing the amounts they pay.
So he explained:
The 5th women, now like the first 4 would pay nothing (100% saving)
The 6th now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving)
The 7th now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving)
The 8th now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving)
The 9th now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving)
The 10th now paid $49 instead of $59 ( 16% saving)
Each of the 6 were better off than before, and the first 4 continued to drink for free! BUT once outside the restaurant, the women began to compare their savings!!
I ONLY got $1 out of the $20 declared the 6th! She then pointed to the 10th women and said, but she got 10!
Yeah! thats right, yelled the 5th women. I saved only $1 too (mind you she is drinking for free) That is unfairshe continued, she got ten times more than I did!
Thats true!!! shouted the 7th women. Why would she get $10 back when I only got $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!
Wait a minute, yelled the first 4 women in unison, we didnt get anything at all.
This system exploits the poor!!
The 9 women surrounded the 10th and decided to beat her up!
The next night the 10th woman didnt show up for drinks, so the 9 sat down and had beers without her.
But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something very important.
They didnt have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
THAT BOYS AND GIRLS, JOURNALISTS AND COLLEGE PROFESSORS, IS HOW OUR TAX SYSTEM WORKS.
THE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE HIGHEST TAXES GET THE MOST BENEFIT FROM THE TAX REDUCTION!!!
TAX THEM TO MUCH, ATTACK THEM FOR BEING WEALTHY AND THEY JUST MIGHT NOT SHOW UP ANYMORE!!! IN FACT, THEY MIGHT START DRINKING OVERSEAS WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS SOMEWHAT FRIENDLIER!!!
Response from Gene:
That's a correct assessment.
Which is why Microsoft moved to Canada.
Which is why, when you call an answering service for a major American corporation, the person answering the phone on the other side, lives in INDIA (!!!). Simply because, it's too expensive to do business in America.
It's also why a lot of goods are manufactured overseas -- China and other places.
Whether we think in a "Robin Hood" capacity ("rob from the rich...give to the poor") or, whether it's up to the rich to do as they wish (literally give hundreds of billions yearly to help the less advantaged)....one thing is clear:
Make it too difficult for the rich to do business here and tax them too much....and they will simply take their money elsewhere.
Result? The rest of us get nothing.
Be nice to the rich person, who worked all his life and succeeded
Why?.
Because, I don't remember the last poor person who gave me a job.
Originally Posted by SoonerStormchaser
