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A few simple questions

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To the editor:

Here is a free survey you can help me take around Highland County.

I’ve asked dozens of folks these two questions, and most of them can’t answer the first one correctly!

How many million are there in 1 billion? Simple enough, right?

But I’ve even got a very wrong answer from a bank department manager in a prominent local bank.

Most folks tend to think of the prefix “bi” and just assume it means 2 million. Others just assume it means two extra zeros and they guess “100 million…”

You and I know that it is actually 1,000 million, because we care about the state of our economy very deeply, no?

So the second question to ask, after establishing that we need all three zeroes to push the one into the billions column, is: “If Rupert Murdoch has 8.3 of those thousand millions of dollars (forbes.com), then should he pay a lower tax rate than you or me?

And what about the Koch Brothers? Since they each have 25 of those thousand million dollar fortunes, should they really be allowed to dump millions into our political process and do it secretly?

What about Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate, with 24.9 of those… should he also conceal his identity and intentions when he has some spare change to drop right into the airwaves in our living rooms?

These people want us to believe that their wealth trickles down, and pumps up the economy, but aren’t they really just pumping money into tax-free shelters, and then pushing the government to lower their legally paid tax rate even more?

Are you aware that billionaires only pay Social Security taxes on wages up to $110,000 and no more? Then they try to frighten us into thinking the fund will go bankrupt soon.

Of course we get Faux News from such people. Read your New Testament (James): “The love of money is the root of all evil…” Nothing wrong with money itself, to my mind.

Ask your friends if they like the thought of 40 to 80 billion a year being stashed tax-free in secret accounts in places like the Cayman Islands.

What would Thomas Jefferson or James Madison call these people – patriots? You think?

If we start asking folks some simple questions, Highland County might just become the most aware one in the nation. That might make things really interesting for all of us, and bring back a measure of civic pride.

Sincerely,
J. Kevin Bruce
Bainbridge

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