Some rich people are willing to help..we should ask them to do more..

[SoCalDem]

BULLSHIT..

willing to help?..ask them?

You cannot run a government/nation on charity..or pleas to rich folks to help out.

There has to be POLICY....clear concise tax rules that FORCE people to pay their fair share.

For every Warren Buffett who is "willing" to pay more, there are many others who will "just say no"..

Our government is run by (and has been run by for a very long time) greedy, devious, lying bastards who will do ANYTHING to grab all they can for themselves, and who don't give a crap about anyone else.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. First step is cleaning up and simplifying the tax code

[tblue]

2. Agree. It's a gov't not the Salvation Army.

I look at the streets around where I live. They're in need of repair and this is a pretty well-to-do area, too. But people love money more than community, I guess. But they use the roads, same as you and me. They should pay for them. If they have 80% of the wealth, they should pay 80% of the taxes.

[Newest Reality]

3. I would like to assume that,

of the 1%, there is a percentage of very kind, caring, generous people, to some degree. While that may seem heretical in light of the struggle for rights and economic justice that we face, it might have merit.

What we are clearly railing against are that part of the 1% that control and direct our wealth and power and those that support them. Those that support them may be in their ranks and are even a segment of the 99%, as we all know.

What would be interesting is an invitation to join us and envision a potential, someday, maybe after great struggle and persistent effort, to create a wholeness that is 100%. That is, at least, a potential as we are coming to a critical threshold economically, socially, globally, and environmentally that truly effects us and all life on the planet. Even if we could get to 99.9% by invitation and cooperation, that would be an interesting goal.

Meanwhile, our struggle continues, grows and the threats come from all directions and rapid-fire.

[saras]

4. What help I'd like from the "nice" part of the 1% isn't money, exactly...

...it's inside help in getting a handle on the REST of the 1%.

[Obamanaut]

5. Regarding your last line: This has been a recurring theme for quite some time.

In November 2012 the incumbents who seek reelection will see about a 90% success rate.

One wonders why if we don't think they are doing what they should be doing, we continue to reelect them.

'We the people' generally vote for the "name you know" and all those incumbents know that. They do not care if the public is unhappy with their performance, their jobs/careers/money magnets are pretty much secure.