Scott Conlon

If you were watching the Final 2008 Presidential Debate last night then you might have heard a lot about ‘Joe the Plummer’. Well Joe the Plummer is a business man in Ohio who is looking to buy a plumbing business and be successful. Joe Wurzelbacher had a talk with Senator Barack Obama and was concerned about his tax plan. Joe told Barack that he was looking to buy a plumbing business that made over $250,000 and was concerned that under his tax plan, he would raise taxes on his business. Joe was concerned that Barack is going to penalize him for being successful by taxing him more and giving his money to others.

Obama responded with a remark, “I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

Wurzelbacher stated that Obama’s tax plan doesn’t sit well with him.

“Redistributing the wealth, as far as my hard work, that upsets me,” he said. “That’s not right. That’s not American.”

McCain said in regards to Obama’s tax plan, “We’re going to take Joe’s money, give it to Sen. Obama, and let him spread the wealth around. I want Joe the plumber to spread the wealth around.”

As a middle class person, I really do not want a tax break right now. Why would I need a tax break that would put a whopping $500 in my pocket. Instead I would rather the tax breaks go to businesses that are going to create the jobs. I work very hard to be successful and I know once I make more than $250,000 I would not want that money redistributed among others to “Share the Wealth.”

Spreading the Wealth is too much socialism and too much government. Obama said something about wanting others to have the same opportunities that Joe the Plummer had to become successful, but taking more from him to give to someone else is not going to encourage that person to want to become more successful. It will just make more and more people rely on the government.

There are so many opportunities out there for people to be successful. Hard work does not come easy. I think that we do need more regulations to keep big time CEOs from getting $5 Million bonuses, but increasing taxes on people that make more than $250,000 to spread the wealth is a bit too much for me to take in.