What in the world do you mean by "financial rape?"

By that I mean the increase in state of CA taxes this year - it's quite painful to be on the receiving end of it, hence the metaphor.

Bad, stupid choice of metaphor. The word apparently has no meaning for you.
Sounds like you earned a lot of money that's why your taxes are high. boo hoo.

They were lowered way too much for very high earners like you, under prior governors. We had a huge budget gap that needed fixing.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a patriotic duty to pay one's taxes, both federal and state taxes?

First Chris does not have good neighbors and now the rape. How much can one person take!!!!

Dang, one tough crowd. Done spitting venom?

"Done spitting venom?".... from a guy (gal?) who started with "Is there a hotline to report financial rape" ?????

Taxes are the price for civilization. You can move elsewhere: Texas has a lot of minimum wage jobs a, oh so clean, air.

Or Somalia. I hear their taxes are low. Quite the libertarian, low government form of paradise many say they seek.

We should be sympathetic to Chris-- he is a rape victim and he does not have good neighbors

The term "rape" has more than one meaning, it seems that many do not like it being used for any reason other than sexual. Chris is quite right to feel this way and use the term.

It is a shame that there is a narrowing of our vocabulary.

Dictionary definition <. 4. an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation: eg the rape of the countryside. >

Resident -- and how does the above description apply to Chris having to pay his fair share of taxes. I think we know in what context he was using the word and what he was trying to say

You took the tax breaks under Schwarzenegger & Bush ... maybe next time you will not set yourself up for the bad times that inevitably were ahead after that or if you do you will not complain about it.

@CrescentPark*Anon* - if by "not setting myself up for the bad times" working my tail off for 8 years to get to an extremely well-earned equity exit and then being screwed by a *retroactive* tax I had no ability to prepare for (other than by somehow seeing into the future), I think the lunacy of your statement is clear.

Addressing your assertion that we had tax breaks in the State of CA under Schwarzenegger: are you even aware that CA has one of the top four most onerous tax levels of any state in the U.S.?

Are you aware that 100's-1000's of high income, productive citizens are leaving the state each weak right now?

Lastly, it'll be a cold day in ____ when, like the majority of my PA brethren, I sit there and take it like a pansy when unions and politicians conspire to take unconscionably large pieces of my property so they can curry favor with the majority. You're probably not a good neighbor anyway, but CA will miss people like me when we and our income can no longer be pillaged in lieu of more conservative fiscal policy.

First Chris makes light of rape victims and now he is denigrating gay people with his " take it like a pansy" comment. Any other group you care to insult, Chris?

@NotAnIssue - seriously? This is a dialogue about the ethical boundaries crossed by the imposition of retroactive taxes, and you're taking issue with me using the word 'pansy'? Really?

Address the subject at hand or kindly take your idle hand off the keyboard.

Chris- please refrain from telling me that I am not allowed to,post on this thread because I find your analogies to repulsive. Ian not the only one was turned off by your earlier rape comments and now you add fuel to the fire. If you cannot take the heat, then....
If you feel that your being unfairly taxed, there are civil ways to address it, but obviously....

NotAnIssue - OK, stay here and divert from the topic at hand, but kindly note the irony in taking issue with harmless metaphors while saying so with four grammatical errors in three lines.

Typically, grammar errors arise from being hot under the collar, so maybe you should step back from the keyboard a bit?

Am I the only one getting fed up with the rape of the English language.

Firstly rape has more meaning than just a sexual one, as in my usage above.

Secondly gay is a charming word with more than one meaning: bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments and having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music.

Lastly, pansy is a pretty little flower with abundant blooms and is very popular in most flower gardens and planters.It does nothing but sit there and look pretty and certainly does not want to upset anyone.

It is a shame that we cannot use words without causing umbridge.

Resident,.feel free to make excuses for Chris. Ate you saying he wasn't going to take out like a little flower?
Chris, your comments are beyond revolting,.maybe you are the one who needs to step back from the keyboard.

I am not making excuses for anyone.

I just can't excuse the misuse of the English language, particularly when it is being used correctly.

I can talk about the rape of the English language. I would like to talk about the gay flowers, including the pansies, that are making some front yards look very attractive. What's wrong with that?

If you are so concerned about not diverting from the topic at hand, then why not state what the problem is without thE unnecessary embellishments? And if you are concerned about diverting from the issue at hand, why bring up grammar? Sounds like you have issues deeper than taxes.