'Meathead' Is at It Again

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113400678561116975.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

LOS ANGELES -- Celebrities with a social conscience are a growing breed in Hollywood. But it would be nice if they'd stick to whales and landmines and leave our children alone.

Unfortunately, California parents have no such luck. Movie-director-turned-child-advocate Rob Reiner recently acquired a million signatures to put his Preschool for All initiative on the California ballot next June, his second attempt to launch a "universal" preschool program. The initiative would impose a 1.7% income tax on couples making over $800,000 a year ($400,000 for individuals) to offer three hours of free preschool for all the state's 4-year-olds.

This soak-the-rich scheme would put $2.3 billion into the state's coffers that Mr. Reiner might himself control if he unseats Arnold Schwarzenegger as the next governor of California. (The gubernatorial ambitions of Mr. Reiner -- who once played Meathead alongside Archie Bunker in "All in the Family" -- are an open secret in the Golden State).

for pre-school, I see no reason to object, unless perhaps I made over $800,000 a year and didn't want to pay a few dollars for education.

Thank goodness he isn't running. I guess he just couldn't live with himself if he deprived those people of their spas, French toilets, and golf vacations just for the sake of a bunch of rugrats.

Oh my God! "Meathead" is taking advantage of couples who make more than $800,000 per! Somebody do something! How dare he take food out of those poor upper-upper-middle-class people's mouths and cynically say "it's for the children"?!?

And if those $800,000/year types want to eat caviar while sitting on their French toilets, let 'em go to Belize to do it! (I heard that the Cunningham-related defense contractor or whatever he is, Wilkes, is heading to Belize ahead of the storm.)

for ya..they wanted our Social Security money, too, but we beat them down on that. They had stupid bush going out there trying to drum up business for that and it turned out to be the unraveling of his presidency(sic) according to bill kristol.

snips~

"George W. Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, the centerpiece of his second-term agenda, is dead. Conservative pundit William Kristol argues that this Bush defeat began the unraveling of his presidency: "The negative effect of the Social Security is underestimated," says Kristol. "Once you make that kind of mistake, people tend to be less deferential to your decisions." There was an "entire Republican agenda, based on the idea that we reform these entitlement programs," says New York Times columnist David Brooks. "That's gone now because of the failure of Social Security." A remarkable progressive mobilization caused Bush's defeat--and progressives can learn much from the anatomy of that victory."

.."Republican unity began to crumble. CAF bought an ad in the hometown paper of Louisiana Representative Jim McCrery, Republican chair of the subcommittee in charge of Social Security reform, revealing that he had received hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions from Wall Street firms that would profit from privatization. The Shreveport Times embraced the CAF argument in an editorial chastising McCrery. Republicans started to get nervous. Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal supporter of private accounts, realized the problem: Bush "ran on it. We didn't. He's not up for election again. We are.."



http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051219/editors

I may be mistaken, but I think Reiner made a statement yesterday rejecting a run for Governor.

I, for one, am much happier with extremely wealthy people getting "soaked" for things like education for children than I am about the poor and elderly getting soaked by companies like Enron etc.

The WSJ is a shameless whore for the extreme right wing.

throughout the country.

Some children are ready to learn to read by the time they are four or five, preschool would give them the concepts they could use should their parents want to pursue this. Sure the rich can send their kids to preschool now, but what about working class kids? Also some hispanic kids need lots of help adapting to a new language and the preschool would be a helpful place for them to learn English as a conversational language before the real begining of reading in the first grade.

They should be glad I'm not running for Governor ! :evilgrin:

campaign hippiechick!

Well it is about time the ultra wealthy paid for something in this country. What is it with the wealthy? Why do the majority of them think they should not have to pay a little for living in the lap of luxury and freedom. The middle class and poor have been carrying the burden of the country's taxes for far too long.

So, let me get this. Say I make $799,000 a year, and my wife doesn't work, I am totally unaffected by this tax, yet the WSJ opposes it rather than providing preschool to "undeserving" (my quotes) 4 year olds?

When are 4 year olds going to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and take personal responsiblity!

And how has this economic plan of restitution to the rich been working out?

Like the "for instance" in post # 17.

Someone actually asks the wealthy to do something that would better the masses . . .

wished I lived in California!

The rich want a free lunch, paid for not only by the blood, sweat and tears of the American working person, but by their taxes. Hence, let us keep income taxes relatively high while seeking to eliminate capital gains taxes ... by all means, let us not tax inherited money.

I make good money. Really good money by today's standards. My expenses are high ... two kids in college, medical bills for the wife. We came perilously close to losing health insurance during my last job transition. If a guy like me is having trouble making ends meet, I can only shake my head in amazement at the pluck of the average citizen. I can afford to pay a bit more in taxes to invest in our kids, our infrastructure, our common good as a nation. I am not rich by any means, and earned every penny I have.

So why are those who make millions without raising a finger in effort so reluctant to invest in the nation that makes their wealth possible and protects their interests?

that way the repubs would give a shit about them. How fucking dare they burden the rich like this!