Why Taxing the Rich to Help the Poor Doesn’t Work

Ben Stein Tax the rich

How many of you remember the Comedy Central game show: “Win Ben Stein’s Money?” The host, Mr. Stein, would challenge his opponents in answering trivia questions and actually give away his own money to those who beat him. That show has long been off the air, but the game show host, turned conservative commentator is apparently still OK, with giving away his money…sort of.

According to a recent commentary, from Mr. Stein, he says that even if the democratic presidential candidates take more of his money and give it to the poor, it won’t help the poor get out of poverty. Mr. Stein noted that he is happy to pay his taxes and has no problem signing his income tax check, as he should. However, he says even if you gave the poor all the money from the rich, it still wouldn’t help the poor long-term. He claims it wouldn’t be long before they most likely returned to their bad habits.

That’s because according to Mr. Stein, it takes hard work, dedication and discipline in order for people to be successful and become rich. Mr. Stein’s comments come after Hillary Clinton, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who are running for president, both recently made comments about wealth inequality in America. Mr. Stein noted that there has “never been a time in history when the poor were made rich by making the rich poor, and I don’t think it will work this time either.”

Mr. Stein also noted that he is all for people making money and becoming wealthy in the U.S., but he does not believe it should come at the expense of those who are currently wealthy. Those who obtain wealth typically reach that status by getting an education, working hard and living with self-discipline.

Posted in
executor and trustee

Choosing Your Executor and Trustee

Choosing Your Executor and Trustee You know that it’s vital to make a proper will and keep it up to date. No less critical is the need to select your executor or personal representative with care. You may believe that any friend or relative whom you might select could do the job. Perhaps so. But…

Estate Planning is not One size fits all

Estate Planning is Not “One Size Fits All”

Estate Planning is Not “One Size Fits All” Married, never married, widowed, divorced—each of us has unique needs when it comes to how and to whom we make our bequests. Here, in a brief discussion, are a few checkpoints for developing an estate planning strategy for people who are on their own. Review your will…

News letter

News letter Keeping abreast of the latest tax and wealth building tips is a time-consuming process for the successful individual. That’s why the GROCO Weekly delivers content directly to your inbox, saving you the trouble of scouring the net yourself. It is an electronic magazine (ezine) that features wealth-building tips and tax articles from some of…

Make Your Children Investors While They’re Young

Make Your Children Investors While They’re Young As an investor, you’re likely to have learned any number of valuable lessons over the years. Some came from observation, some from experience. Why not share some of your life lessons with your children, helping them become knowledgeable investors at an early age? Here are four ideas with…