You may know Phil Mickelson as one of the top golfers on the professional circuit. But did you know that he is also a trenchant analyst of the hardships that the current tax system imposes on the real producers in this economyt? Gary Legum gives the appropriate response to the perennially oblivious Mickelson who really feels the pain of that persecuted underclass: corporate CEOs.
You may recall that Mickelson was also the person who openly mused about moving his residence out of California because the high taxes there were making it difficult for him to survive. He said that the paying those taxes rates lessened his motivation to work and made him even think about retiring which immediately prompted the question: playing golf is considered work?
As Jeff Watrick writes, people like Mickelson don’t seem to realize that it is rich people like him who benefit most from the taxes the pay.
After all, all those taxes go to pay for the transportation infrastructure that allows Mickelson to travel across the country to play in golf tournaments and enforcement of federal broadcast standards that makes it possible for golf fans to watch guys like Mickelson putt a tiny ball into a slightly larger hole while dressed like billboards on tv. Taxes also pay for the public education system that created the vibrant middle class of Americans with the Sunday afternoon leisure time required to watch professional golf tournaments. Also, the disposable income to spend the rest of their week purchasing the products endorsed by professional golfers. Taxes also pay for the military and public safety operations that allow millionaire golfers like Phil Mickelson to live in peace and tranquility.
But if you socialists insist on making Phil Mickelson pay for all that stuff, well, he’ll show you by not playing golf ever again.
But Wattrick doesn’t realize how hard it is for a millionaire golfer to put food on the table for his family when the state takes so much out of his paycheck.
I bet all those taxes make it hard for Mickelson to afford those designer ice cubes.
He needs some accompaniment.
http://www.quickmeme.com/the-worlds-smallest-violin/?upcoming
Rich people need to be *sentenced* to having to do real jobs for a while so they can realize how hard they *aren’t* working. They also need to realize that taxes are progressive since cost of living is inherently regressive -- a sufficiently rich person could drive their ‘necessary costs’ into a single % of their net income, whereas these things can be great than 100% of the income of most poor people.
Poor little Phil. Financially destitute little Phil. He’s the Montel Williams of golf. Another privileged athlete??? ass.
http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-phil-mickelson-shilling-for-enbrel.html
It’s amazing how the ‘lower pay = less motivation’ argument is only used when referring to th wealthy. Because at 7$ an hour, you are lazy if you’re not ultra motivated. Hm.
It’s kind of sad in a way, Mickelson is one of the most popular golfers on the PGA tour. He is always the perfect gentleman on the course, standing around signing autographs long after other golfers have departed. Another reason for his popularity is the fact that he plays left handed, a total rarity on the PGA tour (AFAIK, there are only 2 or 3 other left handed players on the tour).
By the way, the notion that professional golfers only work 20 hours a week when playing in a tournament (assuming making the cut and a round taking 5 hours) is rubbish. For every hour spent actually playing in a tournament, a golf pro will spend at least 2 to 3 hours on the practice tee, and longer if he is having swing problems.
And yes, it is work. It’s all very well for weekend golfers to consider it a pastime but they don’t spend 60 to 80 hours a week swinging a golf club.
Sign me up then. Oh that’s right I need to work so that I can make money, unfortunately I don’t have 60-80 hours of spare time to actually swing a golf club, but if I could I would.
Will you pay me to swing a golf club 60-80 hours a week?