Please "spread the wealth"

This whacky Presidential campaign continues unabated. In some ways, I can hardly wait for November 5 and the end to this madness. On the other hand, many of us will probably feel like heroin junkies who suddenly don't know where they're going to get their next fix.

The newest whacky issue is that the Democrats are "socialists" who want to "spread the wealth." Say what you will that's unflattering about the Obama campaign, but I don't think simplistic labels and incessant name-calling are at its heart. But McCain/Palin love to throw out nasty labels that are presumed to be negative. With respect to taxes, let's re-consider that "spread the wealth" metaphor and whether Obama is a "socialist."

To be blunt, I think we desperately need to "spread the wealth" a bit. Having lived in L.A. for 16 months way-back-when, I can tell you that one afternoon drive through Beverly Hills ought to convince you that there is an obscene level of wealth in our nation, and an obscene disparity in wealth. Here in the Twin Cities, a leisurely drive through parts of Minnetonka, North Oaks, or Edina will convince you of the same thing.

Enter the Obama tax plan. From the McCain response, you'd think Obama was proposing a 90 percent tax rate for the rich. But the hard reality--the actual numbers--suggest that an Obama tax plan would, at most, tweak those high salaries somewhat. We're talking a very small percentage here--an amount that is just plain affordable and almost inconsequential to these people. Yes, the rich became rich partly because of their drive, their hard work, their creativity, and their willingness to take risks. And they deserve to be rewarded for that--absolutely nobody is saying otherwise. But, when you're making into the 7 figures, you should rightly expect to pay more in taxes than the secretary who's making 38 grand. And, by the way, how did many of these people GET to a 7 figure salary? On the backs of many other people who are often paid peanuts.

So I say, spread the damn wealth a little. We are so far away from "socialism," even with the Obama tax plan, that it isn't even funny. And it really ISN'T funny; in a nation of such alleged wealth, there is a disparity in means that approaches shamefulness.