'What Does $40 Mean to You?' Sad Stories Roll In to White House

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[Sub-Driver]

'What Does $40 Mean to You?' Sad Stories Roll In to White House December 22, 2011

(CNSNews.com) - The White House says it's been flooded with responses to the question it posed Wednesday: "What does $40 mean to you?"

An extension of the payroll tax cut will save a "typical" family earning $50,000 around $40 a paycheck, the White House says. (It also will reduce the only dedicated funding source for Social Security benefits, but few in Washington are talking about that.)

One day after the White House asked "working" people to "tell us what your family will give up if your taxes increase," the stories are rolling in, including one from a person who worried about not having enough to pay the cable bill:

"Our cable internet bill is $49 per month. If we lose this payroll tax cut then we will have to give up either (our) internet access or possibly our 'Friday Family Pizza' night. Either way, we will lose something that brings us together as a family," wrote "K.Z" from Frederick, Maryland.

Another person wrote that $40 will "buy lunch from the cafeteria for almost a whole month for my twins."

Someone else who "can barely get by now" said taking $40 out of his paycheck "would just about put me under."

A person from New Mexico said "$40 less a paycheck means I will have to pick between my insulin and the water bill. It means never being able to see my doctor -- even though I have insurance."

[Sub-Driver]

Oh boo hoo.......

[lucky american]

It is not a payroll tax cut.
It is a reduction in Social Security Insurance.
This means that we pay less into a system that is already under water.
What will happen in 5 years when there is no more money to cover seniors and entitled citizens....
Oh, sorry it already is under funded. Never mind.

[DeaconRed]

If I understand this whole thing correctly, this is nothing.
The only thing that is happening is that the IRS takes out less money from our paychecks. If they take out too much we get it back as a refund. If they don't take out enough we pay on April 15th.
THIS IS NOT A TAX BREAK. . . . . . .
ALL the MSM have the sheepele convinced this is a tax break.
Is this correct? Somebody on here will know the correct answer and flame the hell out of me if I am wrong. . . .

[nuconvert]

What bs. Sure, I could pick out something that costs $40 and say I couldn’t do it anymore. That’s ridiculous. I could do it if I cut back on other things.

[StonyBurk]

I agree with the House Republicans on this political game — a two month compromise demanded by the Senate Democrats and the
enemy of our Country in the WhiteHouse is worse than cow crap—because the dung can at least be used to grow something we can either eat ourselves or sell. The Democratic dung is nothing but deception from the Party of destruction and deception.

[JIM O]

$40, not sure I can get by. That money represents 2 weeks of grande latte with skim milk. I may need to go with tall latte with skim milk and skip a few days each month. I plan to meet with my dietary consultant later today for a consult and study if I switch to the tall latte with whole milk and skip 4 days per month will I feel more satisfied.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

how much money would be saved by the average taxpayer if the Keystone Pipeline was built?

[sodpoodle]

Well that’s pure irony. Yesterday’s photo op showed the First Dog Whisperer purchasing a ‘chew toy’ for BO.

IT COST $41!!!!!!!!!!!

A man of the people!!!!

[Safetgiver]

Is this correct?...Hell NO. Whenever I brought up the idea that FICA is a tax, I was ALWAYS corrected by college teachers, politicians and Dems that this is a contribution, NOT a tax. I have always said “just give me back my money, and I’ll consider it even.” I was ALWAYS told by politicians “It’s not your money.”

[rod1]

The better question is: what does a 4 million dollar unnecessary Hawaii vacation mean to you?

[surroundedbyblue]

I’ll tell you what $40 means to me.....

Tuesday evening, I took my little girl out for dinner in Pittsburgh. Nothing fancy; I just had a long day & didn’t feel like cooking. We had mussels as an app & shared a salmon entree. I had two beers.

The total was $40, with tax & tip. That cost was very typical for that restaurant. There were perhaps 100 patrons in there eating while I was there. So, if everyone there was spending around forty bucks (give or take), the place did pretty well for the evening.

So Mr. President (commrade), $40 , to me, means a small business stays alive & people have jobs.

[Fresh Wind]

That’s $40 less than I can contribute to the candidate that will kick King Barry’s sorry ass out of office.

[Sacajaweau]

$40 a week means you're making $2,000 a week x 52 =

You may have to give up the vacation in Cape Cod.

[surroundedbyblue]

“A person from New Mexico said “$40 less a paycheck means I will have to pick between my insulin and the water bill. It means never being able to see my doctor — even though I have insurance”

Oh please.......

[JIM O]

Just to be fair the President should have to also cut back. He shoud only be allowed to spend $3,999,960.on his vacation.

[Notwithstanding]

Can you top this:

We will have to choose between our son and our dog - which one will we put down?

[JIM O]

That is a good one. I would support every Billionaire puts up an extra $40. That initiative will save 100 dogs.

[DeaconRed]

OK
Let me try again.
A tax break means I will pay less taxes.
If I still owe the exact same amount on April 15th. Then it is no tax break. They just pull less out of my paycheck, and yes I prefer for me to have that money, but stop calling it a tax break because it is NOT.

[hal ogen]

From the fact that the Republicans don’t support this two month “tax cut” I have concluded that not only do they want to kill grandmas and children...they obviously want to kill everyone!!!!! OMG!!!!! What’s next? Kill Santa Claus? Oh, those hard-hearted, mean-spirited Republicans.

[midwyf]

In the first place Social Security payments are supposed to be insurance premiums, NOT taxes. Secondly SS is supposedly going broke and will have to either be cut or eliminated. Considering those things why is SS payments and not income tax being cut? So they can have an excuse to drastically cut SS or eliminate it altogether? This whole thing smells to high heaven.

[Sacajaweau]

$40 a week means you’re making $100,000 a year. So without the $40 a week, you’ll only be making $98,000 a year??

[ctdonath2]

$40? So what? Running a $1.5T deficit means that monthly $40 “savings” is overwhelmed by $410 debt which must be paid at some point.

It’s the bread and circuses stage.

[PogySailor]

$40 bi-weekly won’t pay for nonexistent electricity when the EPA forces your local power plants to close.

[Pollster1]

I know exactly what $40 means to me. Every year after printing my taxes, I reduce my final reported income by $100 to see how much of that last hundred dollars I get to keep. Forty percent, forty dollars is the share of my own earnings that the government permits me to retain these days. Is it any wonder I’ve gone Galt to a large extent?

[nuconvert]

I thought it was $40 a paycheck. My paycheck is every 2 wks. Some people who wrote their sob stories think it’s $40 a month.

[Dr. Ursus]

Two cases of malt and a slim jim!

[JIM O]

Just to make it clear, we are talking $40 per week or $1000. per year average. Since all we are talking about is a 2 month extension or January and February. The real number is a total of $167.66 average total.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

THANK YOU!!

Gosh, I wish someone brave enough in the media would point this out! All the “tax cut” does is delay the amount they take from you - that’s all!

Pay up now, or pay up later - either way we still get the shaft...but it’s being played up in the media like it’s an actual tax savings, which it most certainly isn’t!

[Sacajaweau]

2% of whatever.....

$50,000 a year = $1000

$100,000 a year = $2000

$200,000 a year = $4000

etc, etc

[andy58-in-nh]

What Congress is doing here is to shortchange a program that is already underfunded, in order to provide a temporary increase in the percentage of people's non-withheld earnings. The "beneficiaries" of this decision are disproportionately people who pay little or no tax to begin with. However, the amount of FICA that is being "put back" into people's paychecks is money that was formerly deducted and paid by employers in the form of a payroll tax, and will now be subject to current tax as ordinary income for the individuals who receive it.

It's the kind of smoke-and-mirrors nonsense that makes people feel good but does nothing to promote economic growth. But that won't stop the White House from ruthlessly demagoguing it, as they do everything else, and without fail.

[RS_Rider]

This from a fraud who thinks nothing of spending 20 times his salary on just one of his taxpayer funded vacations.
To me $40 means 1/100,000 of what you are stealing from the American taxpayer, you freeloading communist!

[A_perfect_lady]

An extension of the payroll tax cut will save a "typical" family earning $50,000 around $40 a paycheck,

1) If you are so poor that you can barely afford cable, either you are not earning $50,000 a year to start with, or you are such a poor budgeter that you deserve to go without until you improve.

2) Cable TV is trash anyway. Do yourself a favor and get rid of it.

3) If you are diabetic because you are overweight, this might be the time to consider some lifestyle changes.

4) Switch to Family Spaghetti night. Your family isn't going to fall apart because the pepperoni went away.

[astounded]

I read a very interesting comment on this topic posted after an article in the LA Times. The person posting indicated he has increased his 401k contribution by the amount that he saw back in his paycheck due to the reduced FICA confiscation. He is essentially “privatizing” his “contribution”, taking it back. I like that concept!

[wbill]

Interesting that the first person quoted was worried about losing their cable.

If I was that strapped for cash, where $40 would make a real difference, cable would be the FIRST thing to go.

But, then again, I'm intelligent enough to entertain myself.

[wbill]

Your family isn't going to fall apart because the pepperoni went away.

Or, they just could make pizza, like at my house.

The kids like to "decorate" their own. And, I like "pizza night" because - more often than not - it uses up the leftovers (odds and ends of cheese, 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce, etc etc etc) in the fridge.

But, I suppose that "making" pizza, would involve something called "work". Or "creativity". Easier to call Domino's and tip the pizza guy.

[blueunicorn6]

Women ask me that question all the time.

[DeaconRed]

"THANK YOU!!" -- You are welcome
"Gosh, I wish someone brave enough in the media would point this out! All the “tax cut” does is delay the amount they take from you - that’s all!"

The MSM is hell-bent on getting the community organizer re-elected - nothing else.

[ilgipper]

Our side should start a twitter campaign...’what 1.5 trillion deficit mean to me’. The #Iamthe53percent campaign was awesome to counter the 1% thing.

[keepitreal]

Without cable you can make your pizza and play a card or board game - which is actually better for family relations than pizza and a cable movie.

[keepitreal]

Stealing from granny’s SS trust fund to ensure being able to watch 100 channels of nothing.

[Gaffer]

Lemme guess......Two pack o’ Newports....a 6 pack o’ forties, $10 in Lotto tickets, and the rest in scratch offs....

[Gaffer]

They don’t even realize this is all going to come crashing down. The only way to pay for all of the unfunded liabilities is to confiscate IRAs, 401Ks and bank account savings over a “normal constituent” amount.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

The fuzzy math coming from the White House is way too deep for most if these idiots who are in charge of America these days.

Who cares that the National Debt and Government spending is hopelessly out of control. What matters is if they can buy that extra 50 inch flat screen, get a new i-phone w/unlimited texting and Internet, afford a weekly banquet at Buffalo Wild Wings or Pizza Hut, and all work a 30 hour week earning 100 grand a year. (Mostly Union)

America is history folks! This is now the average American stereotype.

[Doe Eyes]

Secondly SS is supposedly going broke and will have to either be cut or eliminated.

The rest of our Government is running a trillion dollar deficit. I think that part is already broke. Should we be cutting or eliminating other pensions, such as those paid to our veterans?

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

It means a couple of fatties and a bottle of Night Train. Spark that dude and don’t Bogart it!

[longtermmemmory]

what about the employers?

how about those stories?

“I will not hire anyone until because of Obama’s instability.”

“I will lay off more workers because of the tax increase.”

“Obama is unstable.”

[freeangel]

Perhaps the Senate should have been thinking about this and acting on SOMETHING or ANYTHING since 2009 since that’s how long the DEMOCRAT controlled Senate has been kicking the can down the road with no real financial plans in sight.

[tenger]

He's probably got a point if we didn't have all these other fees and taxes to worry about. They do tend to add up. I'm sure this list isn't exhaustive but it makes a point. Even if 50% of them don't apply to you, it's still quite a bit going out the door.

1. Accounts Receivable Tax
2. Accumulated Earnings Tax
3. Accumulation Distribution of Trusts
4. Activity Fee (Dumping Permit Fee)
5. Air Tax (PA coin-operated vacuums)
6. Aircraft Jet Fuel Tax
7. Aircraft Excise Tax
8. Alcohol Fuels Tax
9. Alcoholic Beverage Tax
10. Alternative Minimum Tax - Amt
11. Ambulance Services (Air Ambulance Services, SD)
12. Ammunition Tax
13. Amusement Tax (MA, VA, MD)
14. Annual Custodial Fees (Ira Accounts)
15. Ballast Water Management Fee (Marine Invasive Species)
16. Biodiesel Fuel Tax
17. Blueberry Tax (Maine)
18. Bribe Taxes (Pay If You Dare)
19. Building Permit Tax
20. Capital Gains Tax
21. California Interstate User Diesel Fuel Tax
22. California Redemption Value (Can and Bottle Tax)
23. CDL License Tax
24. Charter Boat Captain License
25. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee
26. Cigarette Tax
27. Cigarette Tax Stamp (Acts) (Distributors)
28. Compressed Natural Gas Tax
29. Commercial Activity Tax (OH - for Service Providers)
30. Corporate Income Tax
31. Court Fines (Indirect Taxes)
32. Disposable Diapers Tax (Wisconsin)
33. Disposal Fee (Any Landfill Dumping)
34. Dog License Tax
35. Electronic Waste Recycling Fee (E-Waste)
36. Emergency Telephone User Surcharge
37. Environmental Fee (CA - HazMat Fees)
38. Estate Tax
39. Excise Taxes
40. Facility Fee (CA - HazMat Fees)
41. FDIC tax (insurance premium on bank deposits)
42. Federal Income Tax
43. Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
44. Fiduciary Income Tax (Estates and Trusts)
45. Fishing License Tax
46. Flush Tax (MD Tax For Producing Wastewater)
47. Food License Tax
48. Fountain Soda Drink Tax (Chicago - 9%)
49. Franchise Tax
50. Fresh Fruit (CA, if Purchased From A Vending Machine)
51. Fuel Permit Tax
52. Fur Clothing Tax (MN)
53. Garbage Tax
54. Gasoline Tax (44.75 Cents Per Gallon)
55. Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
56. Generator Fee (Recycled Waste Fee)
57. Gift Tax
58. Gross Receipts Tax
59. Hamburger Tax
60. Hazardous Substances Fees: Generator, Facility, Disposal
61. Household Employment Taxes
62. Hunting License Tax
63. Illegal Drug Possession (No. Carolina)
64. Inheritance Tax
65. Insect Control Hazardous Materials License
66. Insurance Premium Tax
67. Intangible Tax (Leases Of Govt. Owned Real Property)
68. Integrated Waste Management Fee
69. Interstate User Diesel Fuel Tax
70. Inventory Tax
71. IRA Rollover Tax (a transfer of IRA money)
72. IRA Early Withdrawal Tax
73. IRS Interest Charges
74. IRS Penalties (Tax On Top Of Tax)
75. Jock Tax (income earned by athletes in some states)
76. Kerosene, Distillate, & Stove Oil Taxes
77. Kiddie Tax (Child's Earned Interest Form 8615)
78. Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee (Occupational)
79. Lease Severance Tax
80. Liquid Natural Gas Tax
81. Liquid Petroleum Gas Tax
82. Liquor Tax
83. Litigation Tax (TN Imposes Varies With the Offense)
84. LLC/PLLC Registration Tax
85. Local Income Tax
86. Lodging Taxes
87. Lump-Sum Distributions
88. Make-Up Tax (Ohio, applying in a salon is taxable)
89. Marriage License Tax
90. Meal Tax
91. Medicare Tax
92. Mello-Roos Taxes (Special Taxes and Assessments)
93. Minnow Dealers License (Retail - For One Shop)
94. Minnow Dealers License (Distributor - For One+ Shops)
95. Mobile Home Ad Valorem Taxes
96. Motor Fuel Tax (For Suppliers)
97. Music and Dramatic Performing Rights Tax
98. Nudity Tax (Utah)
99. Occupation Tax (Various Professional Fees)
100. Oil and Gas Assessment Tax
101. Oil Spill Response, Prevention, And Administration Fee
102. Pass-Through Withholding
103. Pay-Phone Calls Tax (Indiana)
104. Personal Property Tax
105. Personal Holding Company (undistributed earnings)
106. Pest Control License
107. Petroleum Business Tax
108. Playing Card Tax (Al)
109. Pole Tax (TX - A $5 Cover Charge On Strip Clubs)
110. Profit from Illegal Drug Dealing
111. Property Tax
112. Rain Water Tax (Runoff after a Storm)
113. Real Estate Tax
114. Recreational Vehicle Tax
115. Road Usage Tax
116. Room Tax (Hotel Rooms)
117. Sales Tax (State)
118. Sales Tax (City)
119. Sales And Use Tax (Sellers Permit)
120. Sales And Use Surcharge (electric)
121. School Tax
122. Service Charge Tax
123. Self Employment Tax
124. Sewer & Water Tax
125. Social Security Tax
126. Sparkler and Novelties Tax (WV Sellers of Sparklers, etc.)
127. Special Assessment Tax (Not Ad Valorem)
128. State Documentary Stamp Tax on Notes (FL RE Tax)
129. State Franchise Tax
130. State/Local Consumption Tax
131. State Income Tax
132. State Park Fees
133. State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
134. Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) Fuel Tax
135. Stud Fees (Kentucky?s Thoroughbred Sex Tax)
136. Tangible Personal Property Tax
137. Tattoo Tax (AR Tax On Tattoos)
138. Telephone Federal Excise Tax
139. Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
140. Telephone Federal Surcharge Taxes
141. Telephone State Surcharge Taxes
142. Telephone Local Surcharge Taxes
143. Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
144. Telephone Recurring Charges Tax
145. Telephone Non-Recurring Charges Tax
146. Telephone State Usage Charge Tax
147. Telephone Local Usage Charge Tax
148. Tire Recycling Fee
149. Tobacco Tax (Cigar, Pipe, Consumer Tax)
150. Tobacco Tax (Cigar, Pipe, Dealer Tax)
151. Toll Road Tax
152. Toll Bridge Tax
153. Toll Tunnel Tax
154. Tourism or Concession License Fee
155. Traffic Fines (Indirect Taxation)
156. Transportable Treatment Unit Fee (Small Facility)
157. Trailer Registration Tax
158. Trout Stamp (Addendum To Fish License)
159. Use Taxes (On Out-Of-State Purchases)
160. Utility Taxes
161. Unemployment Tax
162. Underground Storage Tank Maintenance Fee
163. Underpayment of Estimated Tax (Form 2210)
164. Unreported Tip Income (Social Security and Medicare Tax)
165. Vehicle License
166. Registration Tax
167. Vehicle Sales Tax
168. Wagering Tax (Tax on Gambling Winnings)
169. Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) Fuel Tax
170. Water Rights Fee
171. Watercraft Registration Tax
172. Waterfowl Stamp Tax
173. Well Permit Tax
174. Workers Compensation Tax

[Safetgiver]

As has been said by the Dems, FICA is NOT a tax it is a contribution. They say you should NOT get anymore back because it is not a tax.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

FICA taxes are separate from the income taxes you compute on your return. You really are being taxed less.