My straight-up red Republican coworker today said...

[freshwest]

36. Excellent story up there, uplifting. Hope the good vibes keep spreading. Those numbers he cited...

Well, they are true. I don't think he understood the fire he set there.

Those number are made of people who:

Have not yet paid taxes -- the children in your school;

Have or have not been able to pay taxes -- those born disabled or disabled from working;

And the elderly -- who already paid their taxes.

Being able to work and pay taxes is not the standard for being a human and being treated with dignity. People that are in education know that as their lives are not based on money alone.

Teachers may not be paying taxes either -- I've known some who had to get food stamps, go to food banks and get on utility assistance and worked every day. Their tax rate was very low or not at all some years but that didn't mean they were lazy.

They 'followed all the rules and made good choices' as Obama says, and still, they are not independently wealthy. They are caretakers to their families, to other people, they work several jobs and don't party or indulge themselves --- they are not slothful or whatever it is Mitt is saying they are.

The Romneys, Ayn Rand cultists and Libertarians go by dollar value only. If you have money now, you get. If you don't have money, and can't get any, die and make way for the Supermen.

That's not the vision that Mayor Castro showed us at the DNC, of working people passing the baton forward to the next generation.

Many are brave enough to admit in the face of relentless RW sitgmatizing, that they had to get public help at some time in their lives. And now they can pay taxes. My Depression era family said paying taxes is a sign of pride, because it means you have a job that can pay taxes.

Romney doesn't know how to work, never did without, his whole life has been a vacation. That's why he doesn't respect those who are tired and need one. I'd say he needs to go home, but he is afraid to because he has to justify himself.

I'm feeling sorry for the man as I don't think he ever really grew up. If he lost all of his money and connections, I think he'd kill himself. He couldn't imagine the lives many of us have. We have had the courage to hold together. We'll be alright.