and if the sperm donor can't pay?

Not my problem. No way. No fucking how. I would fully support free birth control and orphanages. You can't pay for your spawn, give it up and we will care for it and give it to someone who can.

Ah, you're just bitter because your tax deductions are moving out one by one... ;)

It's like insurance. We pay in via taxes, you pay in as individuals. No-one has the right to look down on you for making a claim on your car insurance, house insurance even health insurance. The difference is that the money is there for people who otherwise can't afford it at specific times - Grandad certainly wouldn't have imagined living until 86 alone with someone coming in to wash and dress him, with expensive medicines and regular falls necessitating hospital visits. But when he was a young and lusty scene shifter working at Covent Garden Opera House, his taxes were paying for other children's dental care and teenagers like my Dad in isolation on a TB ward.

I know it is seen very differently in America and I am certainly not trying to change your mind. I was just trying to show how we see it, so the posts make sense.

I understand a lot more about America reading the posts here and it is helpful rather than divisive. But like the idea of what constitutes a decent cup of tea, you tend to be comfortable with what you grew up with :)

I am not sure many of the tax deductions will go away as much as the NoBama's will find a way to take more of what I earn away. I have no problem with it, as long as everyone from those making $1 to $1 million dollars pays the same percentage. But since those at the top tiers already pay the majority of taxes and those at the bottom pay none, how are those at the bottom going to get a tax break?

Huh?

But according to you, as sperm supplier you never should have had tax deductions for your kids anyway, right?

But if you give them to me. And since I have had children, and have been taking them for 21 years, and then you take them away to pay for some other spawn who does not pay taxes, and most likely never did, that is a problem.

Huh? Both of you lost me on this one.

Well, Merc was bitching about taxpayer-funded programs, of the kind he believes Obama will increase by taking more of Merc's money. I indirectly pointed out that Merc himself has been taking advantage of a taxpayer-funded social perk all these years, in the form of tax deductions for his children. Just because they didn't call it "welfare" doesn't mean he isn't getting a break from the government to help raise his kids.

His response seems to be that it's okay to give back money to people who already pay taxes, it's giving free money to people who pay no taxes that he has a problem with--but I'm not entirely sure, his last post above isn't terribly clear.

And worthy to note, in most cases the money you are getting "back" is not money you paid out during the year. You are getting back more than paid out i.e. a total tax liability in the negative range.

If Clodfobble can't understanding a post, ain't nobody gonna understand that post.

She gets it.

Getting money you haven't paid out...same damn thing.

You paid 1000 over the year. You do your taxes. You get 5000 back.

Welfare ho in sheepish clothing!

Well actually it doesn't work that way. I pay $60000 in taxes and get a break by not being futher taxed on the rest of the money I make by subtracting the $5000 from the top. Hardly the same thing.

How about this. I make $18000 a year, I pay no taxes. Now give me my free health care and I want a burger with fries too.:headshake