A Rich Rant about the Rich

I've been thinking about rich people quite a bit these days.

Probably because the Richy Rich assnugget in the White House seems more concerned about how he and his swamp buddies can acquire more money than they could ever spend in a lifetime.

Or a dozen lifetimes.

Buried below the headlines about Russia, witness intimidation, and obstruction of justice, there are daily tales of how this craven jizzknobbin is stripping away all our protective regulations, turning his cadre of pals into international ambassadors and pimping Trump trash all over my social media feed.

Take the new healthcare bill that came out of the Senate last week.

I'm far too ignorant to dive into the weeds about the ins and outs of health insurance, I have a hard enough time figuring out how our deductibles work, but the new TrumpCare bill and the proposed tax cuts amount to a windfall for wealthy people.

Why do people who have billions of dollars need millions more?

Or even thousands more?

Last week, my wife and I boarded one of those Hornblower-type boats for a sunset cruise around Marina del Rey. It was a birthday party for a friend. And attended by the usual assortment of West LA affluentials.

Not rich, but not wanting to be richer if it comes at the expense of people getting fed, clothed and cared for.

What about the guy who owns the behemoth in the picture (See above)? Does he need a million dollar tax break? A 10 million dollar break? A 100 million dollar tax break? Why? So he can have two helicopters and one on standby if the other is in the shop?

It's fucking disgusting.

And I share the rage of Bernie Sanders. Particularly when I see disabled and terminally ill people dragged from the corridors of the US Senate because they took a stand (albeit seated) for their rights.

Look, I don't like paying taxes anymore than the next guy.

I'd rather keep that money in my pocket so I could pay off my daughter's college tuition. Or fix the rotting pergola in my back yard. Or get out of my 2007 Lexus and into a car with air conditioning that actually works and a retractable moonroof that actually retracts.

But I also like knowing there are policeman, fireman, and men and women in arms ready to defend the country. And that shit costs money. So I'm willing to pay my fair share.

What I'm not willing to do is stand by and watch poor people lose their welfare in favor of the government redistributing money in the form of a WealthFare™.

The thing that will Make America Great Again is when we stop caring about lining our pockets and start caring about our fellow citizens.

I'll get off this soapbox now.

Oh look, new soapboxes are on sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond.