Topic: Rich people don't spend money

I was reading an article ( http://zfacts.com/p/318.html )
In it the author says:
"The only way out of this, if we don't want to wait 10 years, is for the government to spend, pay unemployment insurance, or give tax breaks to people who will spend (not the rich)."

It's frightening that someone would think this. Following Mr Soft's logic: the rich don't spend, but the middle class and poor people do. So we tax the rich to fund a stimulus to give to the middle class. They now have extra cash, temporarily. They spend the cash; meaning, they give the cash to the rich. Mr Soft says that the rich won't spend it, so we're right back where we started.

We can only go through the loop again with more government intervention.

Rich -------government-------->middle class/poor |
^                                                |
|___________________Spend money__________________|

Mr Soft doesn't have the right idea. When we give the rich tax breaks they DO spend it.

They gain a surplus of money and decide they want to live a better lifestyle. They either hire people directly to provide services, or indirectly by purchasing luxury items that take lots of middle class workers to produce. So instead of giving the middle class tax breaks, we should give the rich tax breaks.

Rich have extra money. They Buy more expensive items made and maintained by more middle and lower class individuals.

Rich-------->Middle class/poor |
^                              |
|______________________________|

And look, a self sustaining economy without government intervention.

Why do people want government to act as Robin Hood?
Jealousy.

At some point in history a person who is currently rich or one of their ancestors worked their asses off to make a better life for their children. Yes their kids have an advantage.

Is that a bad thing?

Would you want to work hard for your kids and then the government steals most of what you worked for through taxation? Even worse to keep the economy alive the government needs to repeatedly steal from you.

Lower and middle class liberals are either blind with jealousy or lazy, and want the government to steal for them.

Rehabilitated IC developer

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Your spot on.

A rich person has less money, percentage wise, sitting in his wallet, pillow case, or wall safe than us poorer people.

Most of their 'wealth' is properties of some sort or investments.

Property in terms of land rarely is considered in a normal economy but the rich pay to have this land maintained. Show me a poor person with a gardener, pool boy, and a maid.

Property in terms of non-land was made by someone, giving that someone a job (or portion thereof)

If the money is invested generally it is providing jobs. A bank account gives the bank the means to loan this money to small businesses. A business invested in is providing jobs. Stock market investments provide jobs for the handlers of the money.

Only Gold and already made art can be exempted from these rules. Yet gold is where you go if you see no means to profit if you are rich, and art is a special catagory where they do not put their entire life savings into.


The rich are better at making money and spending money. These are the people, unless born into wealth (interesting fact, a very high, well past 75%, amount made their own fortunes), that made a better product that we enjpy (ipod for instance), found a way to reduce costs (Walmart with better packaging and warehousing), that improved the rate they can make products per man hour (Ford with the Model T), or made getting the product easier for us (PIZZA!).

Your so dead on with your analysis! Thanks for making a thread, was well made (though the code boxes were annoying with my smart phone)

Everything bad in the economy is now Obama's fault. Every job lost, all the debt, all the lost retirement funds. All Obama. Are you happy now? We all get to blame Obama!
Kemp currently not being responded to until he makes CONCISE posts.
Avogardo and Noir ignored by me for life so people know why I do not respond to them. (Informational)

Re: Rich people don't spend money

I think the point is that the rich don't become the rich by spending all their money, but the poor do stay poor by doing just that.... therefore if you want to inject some stimulus into the economy via new spending you should give tax breaks to those who, historically, are more likely to spend all that extra cash...

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but i am Jesus"
"Nothing is worse than a fully prepared fool"

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Tax breaks should target demographics not income brackets.

It's a well-known fact that majority of the wealth is tied up in the 60+ bracket, give them tax breaks so they stop hording all their money and spend it.

Everyone knows when you tax the rich they just defer it to the middle/low class and thus they never actually take the loss, they are intelligent to know how to pass on expenses into their budget to the point that their bottom-line remains the same, and it just hits the middle/low class instead, when you tax the rich you are just breaking the poor.

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Give a tax cut to a 60+ and they are unlikely to spend it, which is the point of a tax cut. Give a tax cut to the 'rich' and they may invest it into stocks of a 'real' company, they may save it or invest in a different type of investment portfolio, including overseas markets. Some of these actions may be desirable but some are not, and you have no control over it. Give a tax cut to the middle or lower wage earners and you will see them spending all that extra money on goods and services in their local region, a generally desirable action as then some of the money is put back into the government coffers to do something else with. Trickle down does not work because it is unreliable, targetting the income levels most likely to do the action you want is better.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but i am Jesus"
"Nothing is worse than a fully prepared fool"

Re: Rich people don't spend money

It's not my money. Why would I care?

[I wish I could obey forum rules]

Re: Rich people don't spend money

depends on what you mean by "works"

when the income disparity or "unfairness" ie "waaa bill gates owns stock worth the life earnings of 40,000 people waaa" is way up we also see less unemployment, more consumer confidence and brisk growth

because of course Bill Gates can't lawfully sell 100% of his stock.  further the value is based on him NOT selling it, and therefore it is not control you buy, you buy into a ride with Bill Gates, with Gates doing the driving.  That's true so long as Gates has himself together.

Nobody tumbles into that kind of wealth, they have to want it and chase it and it only comes from making other people really rich too.  Look at all the self-made millionaires, Gates, Jay Z, Oprah, Limbaugh-- they persuaded expert handlers that they'd bring in millions of customers, and their teamwork paid off.  Letting them keep what they earn makes them less willing to stop earning.

I wouldn't give Oprah or Rush Limbaugh one penny of bailout. but if they wanna earn, let em!

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

Re: Rich people don't spend money

What makes you think the elderly wouldn't spend it? The hell is "saving" gonna do for them? They are nearly dead, the popular misconception is that they save all their money, when in fact the vast majority of them save due to fixed incomes, if you throw them a bone, you give them the chance to spend.

I would have to really care about this enough to look into some sociological research as to the spending habits of the 60+ -- However, i don't really care, and won't consider it past that which i already have smile

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

most elderly, though this number is diminishing rapidly, grew up in a war or depression and learned thriftyness. It is a mis-conception  that all pensioners will spend willy nilly... they will spend some, but generally they don't believe in splashing out on themselves....

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but i am Jesus"
"Nothing is worse than a fully prepared fool"

Re: Rich people don't spend money

"A rich person has less money, percentage wise, sitting in his wallet, pillow case, or wall safe than us poorer people.
Most of their 'wealth' is properties of some sort or investments.
Property in terms of land rarely is considered in a normal economy but the rich pay to have this land maintained. Show me a poor person with a gardener, pool boy, and a maid."

This is the start of a historical mechanism called "la trahison du bourgois". A wealthy man starts to invest in real estate and or land. This actually drains the economy, rather than supports it, as money is just put aside and is not being spent. A wealthy person, in the free market system, needs to spend the money he makes or it's a drain on the economic growth.. In that system a man like Bill Gates or Ted Turner who retreat out of their businesses and focus themselves on other things like charity are rarely a good thing for the economy.. Piled up riches are riches that lie to waste. Fortunatly, banks lend their money to compagnies so it still contributes, but it does less than when it's spent normally..
In history this has ended up in economic breakdowns for cities (in that period economies were mostly organised on a regional (i.e. a large city and it's surrounding land) base) multiple times..

God: Behold ye angels, I have created the ass.. Throughout the ages to come men and women shall grab hold of these and shout my name...

Re: Rich people don't spend money

> You_Fool wrote:

> most elderly, though this number is diminishing rapidly, grew up in a war or depression and learned thriftyness. It is a mis-conception  that all pensioners will spend willy nilly... they will spend some, but generally they don't believe in splashing out on themselves....


I'm talking about the Baby Boomers, not so much the WW2/Korean Era, more so Nam Vets --- They do not spend like their parents, they are a bit more lavished in their expenditures. *shrug* -- I don't see why they would continue to horde their wealth, when it serves them no purpose, most of it was tied up in 401ks, IRAs, and the housing market, and i don't need to tell you how well that went.

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

A rich man who invests in land, drives up the price of land, enriching all who own land, and employing those who sell land and that which taxes land.

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Yes, and that theory only works if :::::::

The land isn't purchased on a credit promissory thus rendering a negative APR aspect to the quality of it, and fundamentally imposing it's worth into a financial institution's assets, further compounded by incapable borrowers abusing the existence of boycotting, and political affirmation groups (Acorn), from forcing out loans to those who can not afford them, thus resulting in lapsing and foreclosure of said land, thus resulting in all proximal land value, and housing value dropping on multiple levels, and seizing up loans, and forcing the assets to be auctioned off below market value, thus dropping the value further.


I don't know many people who can buy land outright with out some sort of loan.

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

I can almost buy some land.

Next payday I could if I wanted to. Cash up front.


Of course the taxes would kill me since the land is still appraised at 1000 times the value.


This is in a Democrat run (down) city, in a Democrat run State, where Democrat labor destroyed their own jobs.

If you have $800 you can get a 1/4 acre lot with a run down house (no plumbing or wiring) in a crime ridden neighborhood in a major city also!

Everything bad in the economy is now Obama's fault. Every job lost, all the debt, all the lost retirement funds. All Obama. Are you happy now? We all get to blame Obama!
Kemp currently not being responded to until he makes CONCISE posts.
Avogardo and Noir ignored by me for life so people know why I do not respond to them. (Informational)

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Well, i live in Florida, the land here (Albeit there isn't much haha), is rather expensive all around.

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

BUT my indebtedness on the land has a limit, and the value of the land does not.  So when I borrow 90% of the land value and then some rich guys keep buying land, the debt is worth only 80% of the land.

I have 10% equity to realize.

Not because of what I did.

Because rich guys keep buying land.

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

Re: Rich people don't spend money

And he owes that money to a bank, which uses it to help other investors realize a profit (since they provided the bank the money)


Though he actually owes me 30%, and not one payment, jeez Chris X(

Everything bad in the economy is now Obama's fault. Every job lost, all the debt, all the lost retirement funds. All Obama. Are you happy now? We all get to blame Obama!
Kemp currently not being responded to until he makes CONCISE posts.
Avogardo and Noir ignored by me for life so people know why I do not respond to them. (Informational)

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Everyone seems to overlook certian expenses you must pay while acquiring the rights to purchase land, resulting in a much smaller equity gap then you realize.

You don't need to be indebt to your land to lose value for OTHERS being indebt to their land, resulting in a ceasure that will affect the value of your property, i know this to be true first hand - Furthermore it's a primary factor that contributed to the housing bubble bursting, incapable borrowers lapsing on their loans, value is proximal, your land's value will only be as good as those within proximity, when 10% of the land in proximity has been ceased and auctioned off a below market value, if you were to attempt a sell your value would be diminished, you would have to hold on to your asset til a time that proximal ceasures drop off to the point that the -market value- goes up, i'm agreeing with you in the context of the -VALUE- of your land will be worth more yes ---- ON PAPER ---- But what good is that if no buyer will purchase?

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

arguing "you could lose money on real estate" is not the same thing as saying "when rich men buy land the price is lost to the economy"

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

Re: Rich people don't spend money

And yet profit or loss aside.


They BOUGHT, LEASED, RENTED, or improved the property. Their cash is a direct stimulus. Not only direct, but these guys know how to make it profitable generally. The government cannot, has not, will not make things profitable except by giving a company more money than it loses

Everything bad in the economy is now Obama's fault. Every job lost, all the debt, all the lost retirement funds. All Obama. Are you happy now? We all get to blame Obama!
Kemp currently not being responded to until he makes CONCISE posts.
Avogardo and Noir ignored by me for life so people know why I do not respond to them. (Informational)

Re: Rich people don't spend money

Would someone please answer my question: Why would I care?

Unless you have any right to tell other people what to do with their money, all of your "educated" discussion only results in measures which place burdens on everyone, hurting everyone in the name of helping. You do a lot more good by minding your own business. "X system will be help the economy by 50v, at a mere cost to the economy in new bureaucrats, tax attorneys needed, and stifled motivation of only 100v! I'm so smart!"

And to make things worse, in your enlightened zealotry you're usually referencing macroeconomic theories without knowing which ones they are and what the major disagreements with them are, not even addressing them. You're referencing them like they're known economics basics without acknowledging that they're much-disputed theories.

[I wish I could obey forum rules]

Re: Rich people don't spend money

To be honest, i have no clue how i ended up discussing real estate stratagem, i already asserted the fact that i don't personally -care- enough about this topic to study certain aspects of it, for it almost completely has no affect on me tongue (Ah low class America, where else should a starving 24 year old collage boy be? Hahah ).

United States Marine Corps
-Providing the enemy with the opportunity to die for their country since 1775-

Re: Rich people don't spend money

The only economic theory I espouse to is the Laffer Curve.

To me the others I looked ast (dozen or so) held no water

Everything bad in the economy is now Obama's fault. Every job lost, all the debt, all the lost retirement funds. All Obama. Are you happy now? We all get to blame Obama!
Kemp currently not being responded to until he makes CONCISE posts.
Avogardo and Noir ignored by me for life so people know why I do not respond to them. (Informational)