We Can Haz Progressive Tax Structure?

The top marginal tax rate for income over $400,000 in the 1950's wonderland that conservatives try to emulate was about 91%. These days, the top rate for income over about $310,000 is 35%.

Colorado Springs is turning off a third of the streetlights, trash services in parks, and other services because they don't have the budget.

And tonight, I heard about another idea some states are pushing - a 4-day school week. Now, I don't have kids myself, but I both was one once and know people that have them (shocking, I know), and my instant reaction to this idea was a bunch of swear words. Like it or not, working parents rely on school to watch their kids while they are at their jobs, making the money to feed those kids. I can't tell you the numbers, but my guess is that about at least half of families need to have two incomes, most of which are earned during the traditional work week.

The school districts that stand to "gain" the most from this idea are those that have large transportation costs. I use the quotes around gain because the only members of the school districts that gain are the ones pushing the paper around. Parents not only gain nothing, but may lose a significant amount of money from lost wages or extra childcare costs. Furthermore, areas where transportation is needed are often the rural areas, where the houses are far apart, and it isn't as easy to just "drop a kid off with the neighbor".

The radio program focuses on the lost learning time with this 4-day week, but that, to me, is a non-issue compared with the insult to working parents that this idea presents.

But, schools are hurting, just like the rest of our public sector. California students and other residents took to the streets highway on Thursday to protest the state's cuts to education. They walked right out onto 880 during rush hour, which made me really glad that I never, ever have to take that highway to get where I need to be. Just like the takeover of Wheeler Hall last year, nothing much will come of this - or, at least if we say that, anything that does happen will be a pleasant surprise - because the state is bleeding money. Of course, if we heeded Glen Beck's advice and seceded from the Union, we would have all that Federal tax money back to, but that's neither here nor there.

What we need to do, in reality, is stop being greedy hoarders and pay for our society already. We have ample evidence that giving rich people money does not work because they just use it to make more money for themselves. We know that raising the minimum wage allows people on the low end of the economic scale to spend more and live better, and we know that spending on public programs makes our towns better places to live. I'm hoping that we can some day act on evidence rather than ideology, but with the stupid Quiverfulls pumping out more idiots to be brainwashed with young earth creationism, I don't know how optimistic I get to be.