Off-Topic

More importantly, where does the authority come from to enable the government to dictate how much someone can make?

From the same place they get the authority to require people to buy a product they don't want - the Commerce Clause! Any restriction on CEO pay would likely only apply to CEO's of publicly traded companies, and it would be looped in under the securities laws. Which, of course, would accelerate even further the flight of corporations from American exchanges towards those in Europe and Asia that started with Sarbanes-Oxley.

Taxation isn't really dictating how much you can make, it's just the government dictating how much they are entitled to keep of your money. It's often portrayed as wealth regulation, though, which is the problem. That's what ridiculous overspending does to the government...they have to go around looking for who has the money and how they can get to it.

Just as an aside in the grand scheme of things does CEO pay really matter, you cant deduct it if its in excess of $1M anyway if I remember correctly so who cares?

i haven't followed the protests that closely, so I am sure there is some wacky stuff going on. Still, it seems like a weird sort of nihilism to suggest that people should "stop whining" or "just work harder" when it relates to the activities of government or the growing inequality in this country. Wall Street firms certainly don't just sit back and follow the rules - they spend millions of dollars a year to lobby government. People who don't have that kind of money to spend should still have a way to make their voice heard.

I just see a bunch of people writing letters about how shitty their lives are like its a badge of honor.

So instead of making more rules (which we've already established the people with money are going to get to write), we should drastically reduce the size of government so that lobby money will become less relevant. If the government is smaller and has a lot less power, it won't be there for the wealthy to take advantage of.

i haven't followed the protests that closely, so I am sure there is some wacky stuff going on. Still, it seems like a weird sort of nihilism to suggest that people should "stop whining" or "just work harder" when it relates to the activities of government or the growing inequality in this country. Wall Street firms certainly don't just sit back and follow the rules - they spend millions of dollars a year to lobby government. People who don't have that kind of money to spend should still have a way to make their voice heard.

This is the exact point that is lost on many they are to quick to tell peopleto shut the hell up get back in line than rather admit there is a problem. Even if they do admit its a problem they think it can be handled differently they only point to the radicals and not the majority who are marching for whats right. Not to sound so extreme and radical myself but I can imagine many of these same folks today would of fallen in the same category 50-60 years ago if you know what I mean.

wcTerp said

So instead of making more rules (which we've already established the people with money are going to get to write), we should drastically reduce the size of government so that lobby money will become less relevant. If the government is smaller and has a lot less power, it won't be there for the wealthy to take advantage of.

Isn't that akin to blaming the rape victim if you weren't wearing that mini skirt and looking so damn fine this prolly wouldn't have happened.

Its almost like bro I get your point I see where your coming from, But its almost like putting a guaze over a sucking chest wound. The greedy people will still be there, they will just focus their greed, greed of power and money in new areas. Put them on notice you may have power,money and influence but we are not dumb were on to you and God you better hope we never get the chance to screw you guys over like you've done us. There's your bailout.

Anti-semitism amongst the lol 99 percenters.

Give me a break. Did you read the letters? If you did read them, no point in arguing this point with you.

By the way, it's somewhat hilarious and ironic to see some of these people talk about getting screwed by "Wall Street bailouts" as if THEY paid a majority of the taxes that allowed the government to loan a few hundred billion dollars to banks. Guess what, those rich people you love to hate so much funded a larger percentage of the bailout than you did.