Make Believe Story for modern times

United States
November 3, 2008 3:44pm CST
Yes, this is not true. Barack Obama discovers a leak under his sink, so he calls Joe the Plumber to come and fix it. Joe drives to Obama's house, which is located in a very nice neighborhood and where it's clear that all the residents make more than $250,000 per year. Joe arrives and takes his tools into the house. Joe is led to the room that contains the leaky pipe under a sink. Joe assesses the problem and tells Obama, who is standing near the door, that it's an easy repair that will take less than 10 minutes. Obama asks Joe how much it will cost. Joe immediately says, "$9,500." "$9,500?" Obama asks, stunned. "But you said it's an easy repair!" "Yes, but what I do is charge a lot more to my clients who make more than $250,000 per year so I can fix the plumbing of everybody who makes less than that for free," explains Joe. "It's always been my philosophy. As a matter of fact, I lobbied government to pass this philosophy as law, and it did pass earlier this year, so now all plumbers have to do business this way. It's known as 'Joe's Fair Plumbing Act of 2008.' Surprised you haven't heard of it, senator." In spite of that, Obama tells Joe there's no way he's paying that much for a small plumbing repair, so Joe leaves. Obama spends the next hour flipping through the phone book looking for another plumber, but he finds that all other plumbing businesses listed have gone out of business. Not wanting to pay Joe's price, Obama does nothing. The leak under Obama's sink goes unrepaired for the next several days. A week later the leak is so bad that Obama has had to put a bucket under the sink. The bucket fills up quickly and has to be emptied every hour, and there's a risk that the room will flood, so Obama calls Joe and pleads with him to return. Joe goes back to Obama's house, looks at the leaky pipe, and says "Let's see – this will cost you about $21,000." "A few days ago you told me it would cost $9,500!" Obama quickly fires back. Joe explains the reason for the dramatic increase. "Well, because of the 'Joe's Fair Plumbing Act,' a lot of rich people are learning how to fix their own plumbing, so there are fewer of you paying for all the free plumbing I'm doing for the people who make less than $250,000. As a result, the rate I have to charge my wealthy paying customers rises every day. "Not only that, but for some reason the demand for plumbing work from the group of people who get it for free has skyrocketed, and there's a long waiting list of those who need repairs. This has put a lot of my fellow plumbers out of business, and they're not being replaced – nobody is going into the plumbing business because they know they won't make any money. I'm hurting now too – all thanks to greedy rich people like you who won't pay their fair share." Obama tries to straighten out the plumber: "Of course you're hurting, Joe! Don't you get it? If all the rich people learn how to fix their own plumbing and you refuse to charge the poorer people for your services, you'll be broke, and then what will you do?" Joe immediately replies, "Run for president, apparently." I say there is a lot of truth in the above modern fairy tale. What do you say?
5 people like this
9 responses
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I say this sounds an awfully lot like the plans that 0bama has with his wealth redistribution and socialist health care plans. It is too bad that people can't see the reality behind the liberal rhetoric.
5 people like this
• United States
3 Nov 08
I think they do. They just think that in their new positions of power none of this will impact them very much. That's why this story is so great. It does throw the consequences of 0bama's ideas on to him.
4 people like this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
4 Nov 08
What a great story with a very good message. Do you think it has hit the right people yet?
• United States
4 Nov 08
Yes, this is one of those things going around on email. Before morning several million should see it.
3 people like this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
4 Nov 08
Ha, ha a very funny story but you forgot to give credit to the author or did you make it up?. The moral of the story should be that unmitigated socialism is just as bad as unmitigated capitalism. Look at Cuba, and for the other side look at America and the recent financial crisis which in my opinion was brought on by greed and unregulated capitalism.
• United States
4 Nov 08
The author is unknown to me other than it was not me! Unregulated capitalism? Some think the problem was that financial institutions were forced into making loans to unqualified applicants by the government. Some think regulations were loosened only so financial institutions could not resist by claiming these stupid loans were against the law. Some think it was a part of the plan all along to loosen the regulations, cause a financial crisis, and then blame it on unregulated evil capitalism as an excuse to institute fascism. Some think a handful of super rich are going to get even richer buying up deflated assets for a fraction of their worth. Some think some of those super rich endorsed and backed 0bama.
• United States
4 Nov 08
unregulated. UNregulated? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
3 Nov 08
How about we start spreading around some of the wealth of those that want the wealth spreaded around. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet think you and me have to much money. Okay now what I am about to say is not the view of GewCew but just a wild thought of mine. Since a lot of billionaires are Democrats and Democrats love to talk about taxing the rich let us start with the billionaire class. Okay like I said I am not comfortable if this line of logic but I will go on. Does anyone really need more than one billion dollars, so after one billion your tax rate would be 90%. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would have to pay each about 40 billion dollars to the IRS alone. About 80 billion dollars the federal government could do with "better" than them two. They would still have a billion plus 10% of everything above the billion dollar level. I wonder how soon them two would start seeing thing our way. The same could be applied to the story above. Barack Obama makes more money than our friendly plumber Joe. Barack as a politician is immune from his legislation yet Joe and others like you and me are fully affected. Basically Joe's Fair Plumbing Act allows average Americans the chance to smack the politicians right up side the head with their own medicine.
4 people like this
• United States
3 Nov 08
Ah... you have figured it out. Our friends, Gates, Buffet, and Soros will not be affected by these wealth redistribution plans due to the nature of their investments and possibly as pay back for their support. In the case of at least Soros, possibly Buffet, and maybe Gates, they expect to make a lot of money off the carcass of the USA's infrastructure. Soros, in particular, has been in trouble elsewhere in the world for playing games with hurting a nation's economy for his own personal gain. I suspect some of the world's super rich elite of backing Obama as a way of robbing America. Time will tell.
4 people like this
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I love it! Actually, since Obama came out with the original figure of increasing taxes for people who make more than $250,000 a year; he has decreased that amount several times. First, he decreased the amount to $200,000; then down to $150,000: and now it is down to $125,000 and he hasn't even been elected yet! At this rate it will be no time at all before he is just increasing the taxes on everyone who works for a living.
3 people like this
• United States
4 Nov 08
As I pointed out to another poster in another thread, there won't be an 0bama tax cut. When was the last time a candidate made a campaign promise of cutting taxes and kept his word? Clinton didn't. George H. Bush didn't. I can't remember anyone who did.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Nov 08
Actually, I'm old enough, but maybe getting old enough to start forgetting things? Of course, Ronald Reagan did promise a tax cut and came through with it. However, 0bama and McCain are no Ronald Reagan, though McCain could come close if he tried. Thanks for the reminder. It is nice to remember we had a politican once who kept his word.
3 people like this
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
4 Nov 08
Ronald Reagan; but, maybe you aren't old enough to remember him?
4 people like this
@clrumfelt (5597)
• Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee
5 Nov 08
We've been hearing the song of tax the rich and give to the poor for years. In fact, at least once every four years. It has never worked and a lot of people are going to be disappointed when this "plan" turns out to be a nonsolution for the economic woes of the USA. Your allegorical illustration gives teeth to this truth about the matter.
• United States
5 Nov 08
It is a great story, but only 'mine' in the sense that I posted it. It was one of those things circulating through email inboxes.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Nov 08
Great story red. I just wish that the people who need to understand it, could understand it.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Nov 08
Perhaps a few of them understand it. I believe 0bama understands it but does not care.
• United States
4 Nov 08
I agree. Very relevant. Maybe this will put things into a clearer perspective for some people who just don't seem to get it. Did you write the fairy tale? Very well done.
• United States
4 Nov 08
Nope, I did not write it. I'm not that smart of a writer. It came from an email going around the internet. I have no idea who wrote it.
• United States
4 Nov 08
So, the Moral of this story is... Joe the Plumber lost another job because he was trying to overcharge a customer just like the American citizen has been done for the last 8 years by its officials? And poor 'ole Joe, had a connection with a big plumbing company that might allow him to lay some "pipe work" for something else if he sides with McCain and tries to make Obama look simple minded? Logically speaking, let's face the fact that Obama got a bucket to catch the water in preventing a major flooring problem. Compare that to "our" tax money bailing out the rich bankers that messed up because they didn't have enough sense to tread the water! Hmmm, today is the day, VOTE DEMOCRAT!
• United States
5 Nov 08
...forcing wishful thinking upon banking practices would be one reason..
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Nov 08
Unfortunately, for the American public, Democrats and Republicans both favored bailing out the rich bankers. You do not seem to have understood the rest of the story, either. Or why the bankers did not have the "Sense to tread the water.". There are reasons for all of these things. You would find it interesting to find out what those reasons are.