Too Rich....

I have read a series of articles and watched several news reports on the recent release of Mitt Romney's, a GOP candidate, tax information.  Mitt Romney and his wife made an estimated $45 million in 2011 and will be paying $6 million in taxes at a 15.4 percent rate. Most are in an uproar of the insane amount of income the Romney's earn in a year and believe they should be held to a higher tax rate.  What I am confused about is why people are attacking Romney and not those that set those rates?

I think people need to do their research first before they shoot the wrong bird.

The top rate of 35% is tax to the ordinary income that the average middle class citizen pays in taxes.  The rate of 15% that we see the Romney's paying is because it is the rate they are held to for long-term capital gains and dividends.  The Romney's are just following the set rates set by our government. Though I think there is a huge discrepancy in these rates, I don't think it is the Romney's fault in the least but Congress who set the rates.  People are blaming the wrong person.  As we discussed in class, the Constitution lays out the duties of our Government.  Congress make the tax laws and are the ones to blame for the discrepancy.

Now for a tangent, the article attached below compares two of the front runners of the GOP race based on the taxable rates and the amount of incomes each make.  Ragging on Romney because he is one of the wealthiest Americans to run for Presidency.

I don't know about most American's thinking but I personally would feel more comfortable in this troubled economy to be lead by a man who knows how to and can make insane amounts of money for himself.  Just think of the turn around to our economy he could perform.  Look at the facts they are right there!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/26/politics/north-florida-conservatives/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/mitt-romney-tax-returns-released_n_1225247.html

January 16th we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights.  As I reflected on this holiday and the current Presidential race of 2012, the 15th Amendment (Race No Bar to Vote), 19th Amendment (Women's Sufferage), and the 26th Amendment (Voting Age Set to 18).

Currently at hand, I read an article Holder Vows to Protect Voting Rights at MLK event in South Carolina, where Attorney General Eric Holder promised the "aggressively protect" the voting rights of minorities." South Carolina recently proposed a bill that when an individual goes to poll they will be required to show government issued photo id.  The bill was denied when judicial refused to grant approval to require the photo id at the polls.  Holder stated, "After a thorough and fair review, we concluded that the state had failed to meet its burden of proving that the voting change would not have a racially discriminatory effect."

Okay now, this to me seems a bit dramatic.  Where did race even come into the picture? Just cause it was MLK day?  How does it apply to the bill?

 I would think this bill only protected the rights of citizens who through the three previously stated rights have the right to vote.  The bill would control and verify the identity's of these citizens who have the right to vote, not referring to race and minority. What do you think?

I read a few articles regarding and have been following the GOP race closely. From the start, attacks have been geared towards some of the Republican candidates because of their faith and practicing religion. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are both Mormon or more properly, LDS. Because of this fact, Romney more than Huntsman, have taken a lot of hits because of his proclaimed beliefs. Though this may not be hurting him because of his recent taking of the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, I fear the opposing media articles that are flooding the mainstreams currently. 

As I look into the coming months leading to the Presidential election of 2012 and the obvious Obama campaign for re-election, hind sight is 20/20 and I would hope many see the empty promises and failed attempts on the previous played cards by Mr. Obama in 2008. 

IF one of the two Republican candidates become the republican nomination and ran against Obama and people used the fact of religion as the deciding factor on which individual to vote for, I would be disgusted. 

As a citizen of this country we are protected by our Constitution. Stated in the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." There is no arguing a basic right of this country so why should we target someone because of their right to choose and their choice being one we do not agree with? 

I hope ignorance doesn't get the upper hand here and people take the time to realize the issues at hand and educate themselves of factors other then the personal lives of the candidates. In the end religion doesn't make a difference in foreign policies, national debt, and a failing economy.