Guest Post: To Joe the Plumber from Scott the Preacher
Scott Lohse, pastor of St. Martin’s United Church of Christ in Dittmer, Mo., won our “Five Minutes with a Candidate” contest and will guest blog here through the election.
I guess you are experiencing a wildfire of instant and fleeting fame after being referred to so much in Wednesday night’s presidential campaign debate! In fact you may or may not realize this, but I just looked at the web site CafePress.com and noticed they are even selling Joe the Plumber T-shirts already.
The shirt I liked the most says, “Support Joe the Plumber because our economy is in the toilet.” A close second, however, is the shirt that says “No more drips in the White House.” I suppose you have already heard all of the plumber humor that you can bear.
You were selected as a prototypical person who might be able to succeed in your own small business if the U.S. tax code were to provide the proper climate for you. You have not made an endorsement yet in the current campaign, but you have made it pretty clear that if you ever were to earn a quarter-million dollars a year, you would not want for it to place you into a higher tax bracket.
Joe, I have to tell you that I feel your pain. I actually know a number of small business owners and they feel that a good deal of hard earned money constantly goes for operating expenses. As difficult as it can sometimes be to earn a living in this climate, I have to say that I have always subscribed to the notion that the customer is No. 1.
By that, I mean the best thing for the small business owner would be a healthy economy. That would help the greatest number of people fare well, so they have the resources they need. And they can feel like they can afford the services and goods you have to offer them.
Here is the thing Joe: I am looking for something new in the tax structure of our great nation that will stop awarding the best breaks to just a few people at the top and building on the backs of the majority.
I hope you do get your license to become a plumber Joe, and that you do make six figures.
I wish you well, but I believe that the current mess that our economy is in is due to people who already have more than they need always seeking to get more. Meanwhile, others, who cannot even afford health care and do not have any one to speak up for them, truly suffer.
Our system is broken, Joe, because the numbers of the poor and those on food stamps are growing while those who are wealthy continue to get more exclusive. Take heart, Joe, this economy is a drain on all of us.
So, here’s the question: Do you think that Americans have it within ourselves to look at the current state of affairs and ask, “What is best for everyone?” and not just, “What is best for me?”
Guest blogger Scott Lohse is the winner of our "Five Minutes with a candidate" contest and will post guest blogs through the election.
He is the pastor of St. Martin's United Church of Christ in Dittmer, Mo. He has also served United Methodist Churches in Eastern Missouri towns over the past 30 years including Kennett, Bonne Terre, Jackson, Creve Coeur and Manchester. Scott has also worked as a hospice chaplain and a radio broadcaster. He is also an amateur magician.
Scott has been married for 30 years to his wife Lin. They have three children. He is an avid reader, a news junkie, and he spends more time online than he cares to admit. 
I agree with the attitude that what’s best for everyone has been missing, in the context of the economic crisis. Those with money to lose have spoke out, while it’s those with little to no money lose the most. For those who have little to climb back above poverty line, the economy itself must be strong.
Though numbers-wise, taxing the wealthy will only pay for a small portion of what’s needed across the board. It’s a good start.
I have it in myself to ask “What is best for everyone that works for it, or tries, or has no choice but to accept help.” You stated the exact reason our system is broke. Too many people on food stamps/wellfare. Our system can be fixed by stopping food stamps and wellfare checks and free housing to people who don’t even make an attempt to work for what they get. The Dummycrats are doing their best to turn this into a communist country, by taking money from the people who actually do the work, and giving it to a bunch of lazy idiots for doing nothing but sitting on their collective butts. I have no problem helping people who need it. Obviously times are tough, and many people have lost jobs, and are looking for work. These are the people that need help. I have a problem with hand outs for perfectly able bodied people who don’t even bother to look for work. I’ve yet to see a McDonald’s without a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. And yes, I realize this is probably not enough money for a person or family to get by on. But I didn’t make the choice for that person to treat their education as nothing but a nuisance. I didn’t make the choice for that person to spend years after high school smoking pot instead of being responsible and working towards a career like I did. I didn’t make the choice for that person to pop out 4 kids by the time they were 22 while I waited until I was 33 with a home, wife, and good wage to support my family. Even so, I would be more inclined to help a family WORKING on a low wage with a little extra help. As long as they’re trying.
I think this is the second five minute installment from this guy. According to the gospel of Andy Warhol, he has five minutes of fame left. Here’s an idea. Why don’t you preach to the liberals who are so parsimonious with their charitable giving. You can start with Biden. You should be ashamed to adopt the tactics of the secular progressives who feel compelled to discredit anyone who disagrees with their leftist doctrines. To quote Arthur Laffer, you can’t make poor people rich by making rich people poor.
What is best for everyone is to general. As a society we are responsible for taking care of those that can’t take care of themselves. Where does that start and stop. To some, a mother in her early twenties that has five children with five different fathers needs to be taken care of. With me, it stops there. People that need to be taken care of in my mind are those with severe mental or physical disabilities. Not those that choose to get themselves into a rut that they have no desire to get out of as long as they continue to get a check. What is best for me is to go to work everyday, provide for myself and my family in every aspect & take care of our parents in their old age.
There will always be rich people and most of those rich people help the needy more than you will know. If someone didn’t have the drive to make a lot of money, where would the Salvation army and the United Way be today? The fact is that there wouldn’t be one. What is best for everyone is not a fare question because everyone is not the same, and everyone has different values in life. That is why we have different levels of society. Some have more drive to be successful that others and they should not be penalized for doing so.
Last of all, many small businesses are sole ownerships and not corporations. If the sole owner gets the business to where it shows an income of over $240,000.00 he has finally made enough money to advance his or her business to the next level. That may mean the addition of several more employees, buying a building instead of renting. Putting more people in the workforce. Why should that small business owner be charged for doing that? You tell me whats fair.
Thank you Rev for supporting the main idea behind the FairTax. You may, however, take the remainder of your proto-Marxist collectivism elsewhere.
PS. You don’t need a license to be a plumber any more than you need a license to be an artist. The people who are pushing this stupid notion are idiots.
An Obama/Biden administration simply wants this: take the money you busted your rear end off for, and give it to those who haven’t worked, don’t want to work, or in the millions who don’t pay taxes at all! Now, WHAT, I ask, benefit do any of you see in voting for the guy? My God.
Oh, and by the way, while Obama/Biden want you to pay more if you earn more, Biden is THE EXPERT on spreading around the wealth. In fact, you may want to know just how generous he is. Last year, he donated a whopping $360 to the less fortunate. Folks, please punch the correct button this election.
I also agree that the attitude should be what’s best for everybody. But that is not the whole issue here. To take from someone who got the “break” is VERY shortsighted. The break that most people talk about comes because the didn’t give up when the going got tough.
The “lucky” people are those that stuck out the hard times. They are willing to be patient and tweak their circumstances until things work out right. They are willing to take the risk of total failure, hoping in the end it works.
No one has the moral right to take riches and other rewards, from someone who has the guts to fight. Successful people have fought usually for 20-30 years before they got that “break” you describe!
Instead of feeding a man a fish, why don’t we get back into the habit of teaching them to fish, get them off welfare and out of my pocket!
Great article. I don’t think throwing Joe into the center of all this was a good idea. To the Republican Party, he was just putting a face to the issue they have with Barack and the Democrat’s tax policy…but he is a real person. It does provide an example, but was it the best one?
As for the tax code, I believe in America - hard work should pay off BUT the tax code shouldn’t just reward the successful, (it should not punish them either) and that is what it currently does and would continue to due under McCain. Doesn’t it make since that 3% of $1 is worth more to the person with $1 than what 3% of $100 is to a person with $100? This is very simplistic, but it’s true. John admitted he needs to learn more about economics.
To that, (climb on my soapbox) I get pretty miffed when people throw around “the liberal elite” (climb down). I don’t think it is elitist at all to want someone educated, measured and learned to represent our Nation to the world.
Vote to your conscience and don’t look at color. Imagine each candidate were the opposite color than what they are - really challenge yourself. Do you feel the same? We are all allowed to have separate view points, and we will never agree on all things - but vote for who you truly believe will be the best representative and leader for our Nation.
Rev. Scott, Some of these guy’s are hitting you pretty hard. They are forgetting what you do for a living. You would not be in ministry if you thought any different. It has to be difficult to be able to defend every everyones opinion. I think that is what someone in your position has to do in your heart. I don’t think much like you when it comes to peoples problems, but I respect your position.