Reply #218: Yes, you are correct

[mntleo2]

...Seattle, which F.D. Roosevelt called our state, "The Socialist Republic of Washington State" has roots in socialist thought, all right (some roots who are mine, coming from WOBBLYS).

In the states like MA, where the racism is more evident, you are fighting some very real enemies all right. Not that it is much better here in Seattle where racism, along with classism, ageism and sexism is often hidden, because people are ashamed of the fact they are any of those things (except classism, which is a "front" for racism and sexism). Friends from the South say, "In Seattle, they (racists) stab you in the back, at least in the South they stab you in the FRONT"

Yes I have taken to the streets and I go to Town Hall meetings and my state legislators know me by name. But I do not see much being done, even with the Progressives in this state to stand with real Progressive ideas. A lot of talk, but little action.

In our state we have two of the richest men in the world (Bill Gates and Paul Allen), along with the Nordstroms, The Weyerhausers, cell phone moguls, and rich farmers. Yet in this state the poor pay the highest taxes in the nation due to our regressive tax structure, which Progressives refuse to change even though in our legislature and our Governor, Democrats are the majority.

If Bill Gates alone paid the same percentage a welfare mother pays in taxes, this state would not only be in the black, it would be in the black by several billion dollars. And if the rest of the wealthy and corporations paid what a welfare mother paid, we would be rolling in the dough. Boeing, which began in this state has not paid a red cent in taxes for decades yet get billions back in tax breaksevery year. They all know this yet will they DO anything about it? No. Just last week our (Democratic) governor cut services to the disabled and poor by 19% and did NOTHING to call on the rich or corporations to pay their fair share. As a matter of fact we had a freaking VOTE on the last ballot that We The People turned down because these greedheads convinced the middle class that, "they would be next" if the rich paid taxes that was a quarter of what a welfare mother paid.

It is an uphill battle everywhere, this is true. It is not going to work to go to the streets, that will just get us maced. What will work is opening the eyes of the middle class to the Truth about how they are being duped.

Yes small businesses are one way, but this is often skewed with policies, taxes, laws and regulations toward the already established to ensure they win and any beginning entrepreneur loses.

One example I might cite is my BIL who TRIED to start a movie theater here showing movies nobody else would show. The "middle class" theater owners a mile away found ONE regulation that was not observed and put him out of business, even though he had tried to go with all the right directions and do the right things with advice and licensing from our city officials. PLUS the movies he was showing were not even the same kind of movies the theater owner who blitzed him showed (they were showing the "major" film companies not independent ones). Turned out the other theater owners were alarmed not only by the "revolutionary" content of my BIL's movies, but they were alarmed because his freaking snack counter served things they did not (healthy popcorns, vegan candies, etc).

But due to the fact the middle class is ignorant that they are next, they ALL think it is just fine that a low income worker or a desperately poor and sick mother pay almost 20% of their badly needed income for much more than they could possibly use such as THEIR roads, THEIR courts, THER government offices.

Oh one thing the poor use MUCH more often: THEIR prisons who at this time can never pay a red cent in wages or taxes for the forced labor they impose that, again, enrich the wealthy, not anyone else, including the middle class...

The point I am making here is small businesses are a beginning all right, but they need support and what elitist corporation or rich person is going to allow that and cut $1 out of the profits from the millions/billions they already receive, with help from a middle class they keep well enough fed to ensure support?

Not one, they don't even want to pay a quarter of what a welfare mother in this state pays in taxes and the middle class won't either.

Cat in Seattle