I keep hearing the same old class-envy, anti-business crap from the politicians:

• We'll increase taxes on the rich to pay for this
• We'll make the rich pay their fair share
• Businesses will pay the cost (oh no they don't... the pass it along to the end-user/buyer)

What happens when the "rich people" have had enough and say to hell with it?

It's these "rich people" (which I think to some politicians means anyone making more than $60K/yr.) that are the best at creating jobs, starting companies, growing businesses, etc., so why make any more burdens on them? If you torque them off enough, they'll just say screw it and cut way back or give up all together.

I know a guy that a couple of years ago had about 12 people working for him and he had a very successful plumbing business and paid his workers a top wage, but the ever-increasing taxes, regulations and insurance requirements became so onerous he gave it all up and now works solo... he turned everyone that worked for him loose.

These same politicians seem to think that the the tax system in this country is an unlimited resource from which they can tap into in order to spend money like crazy. Also, the politicians that we elect seem to use the quantity of new laws and regulations that they bring about as a measure of success; they never take into account how much they are draining the resources of people and businesses alike.

What exactly do you mean "bail out?"

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"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

They'll follow Halliburton to Dubai?

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

This country is still the greatest place in the world to be rich. It also still offers great opportunities to become rich (or richer) legally. Taxes, regulations, and insurance requirements are just the cost of being allowed to live and do business in such a fertile environment.

It's also these "rich people that are the best" at moving jobs and money offshore, damaging the environment, exploiting workers, gulling consumers, and generally jobbing the system for their own benefit. So it's perfectly acceptable to ask them to shoulder a large part of the "burden" of keeping this country great for all of us.

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

When the cost of maintaining civil order becomes greater than the benefits of residence. That's dependent on the ability to maintain privacy and lifestyle through control of LE and the military.

Society provides the environment necessary to accumulate wealth, and rich people are the ones that benefit most from society. They should contribute more. Not to mention it's in their own interest to protect the system which allows them to be rich in the first place.

This is the kind of thing that afflicts rich people in countries that do not have adequate business regulations and taxation. Like indonesia for example where rich people have to live in protected compounds with their own electrical generating capability and need bodyguards for themselves and their families whenever they venture out. The cost savings from not being taxed or regulated are reduced by the cost of providing your own security and infrastructure and of course by the bribes that are endemic in such a system. Then there is the cost of sending your children to europe or the US for their education

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

As I said, when the cost of maintaining civil order becomes greater than the benefits of residence.

I don't know how much exposure you have to US residents of moderate to vast wealth but you've pretty well defined their lifestyles in metropolitan areas though the generators are normally for back-up purposes.

No personal exposure to vast wealth - only moderate (millions to tens of millions - not hundreds of millions or billions) - and the moderately wealthy here do not routinely pay bribes as a daily cost of doing business. Their money is safe and easily available in banks in this country and can be moved at will (red tape notwithstanding). Their investments are protected from nationalization and are protected by government watchdogs. Nor do they worry about their family members being kidnapped, or a change in government resulting in the immediate confiscation of everything they own. They can educate their children here - sometimes even in public schools. This may not apply to the famous - just the wealthy.

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the utmost extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

Thats a good question, and I have to wonder how much loss and damage has been done to our economy as a result of companies and individuals moving their money overseas. Outsourcing and tax havens are examples. No doubt Microsoft is not going anywhere, but at least part of its wealth does not reside in the United States as a result of the punishment that goes on here.

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http://www.fairtax.org

Elminate all taxes on income and replace with a national sales tax.

Halliburton just couldn't bear the cost of doing business in the U.S. so they moved to the Emerites. Now they don't have to follow as many pesky American laws like not doing business with Iran.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

Halliburton is a mere tip of that iceberg. The only industrial expansion in the US is by foreign companies servicing US consumer markets. They generally locate in rural areas where local politicians give away the tax base to get low paid jobs, dominate their markets and remove all profits to their home countries. Any company with global markets has already fled the US to serve those and US markets, along with their capital. We got fat and lazy, pushed the general US standard of living to an unsustainable level and now we're going to pay the price.

Your views are shared by Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, George Soros, Ben Cohen (Ben and Jerry's), The Rockerfellers and others who are considered amongst the wealthiest people in the world.

The only ones bailing out are the thieves who are stealing and swindling US taxpayers, using immoral and illegal means to obtain wealth and those government folks who are helping to making it happen.

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"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
~Thomas Jefferson

"There is Still No Such Thing As a Fair Tax"

No doubt, the people you listed also have at least part of their money not in the United States, and probably in a tax shelter offshore. This means their money is not here working to increase the productivity of the country. Lets say that 1% of the wealth that citizens own in this country is offshore. That equates to at least billions, if not trillions of dollars. Were the country more favorable to keeping wealth here, that money could be providing jobs and increasing the wealth of all.

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http://www.fairtax.org

Elminate all taxes on income and replace with a national sales tax.

Providing jobs? What jobs, service sector? There's no demand for capital in the US.