Going to dinner

[RippedCord 0]

Since the filing deadline is rapidly approaching, this seems timely enough:

Suppose that every day 10 men go to dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If it was paid the way we pay our taxes, the first four men would pay nothing; the fifth would pay $1; the sixth would pay $3; the seventh $7; the eighth $12; the ninth $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

The 10 men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until the owner threw them a curve. He said, "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to reduce
the cost of your daily meal by $20."

Now dinner for the 10 only cost $80. The first four are unaffected. They still eat for free. Can you figure out how to divvy up the $20 savings among the remaining six so that everyone gets his fair share?

The men realize that $20 divided by 6 is $3.33, but if they subtract that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would end up being paid to eat their meal. The restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid $5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12, leaving the tenth man with bill of $52 instead of $59.

Outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out the $20," declared the sixth man pointing to the tenth, "and he got $7!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got seven times more than me!”

"That's true," shouted the seventh man, "why should he get $7 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks."

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor."

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They were $52 short!

AMDG

[kelel01 1]

Are you rich?

[JoeyRamone 0]

Are you rich?
***

HA-HA

[Gawain 0]

That's what is facing California right now. Davis and the gang in Sac saw all the 22 year old dot.com millionaires and said, "We'll have money forever, and they won't care! Spend, spend, spend! It will be shangrila!!" Dummies.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[akarunway 1]

But when the rich mans tax lawyers used all their tax loopholes and deductions and kickbacks to the restuarant what was his final bill after years end?

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[RippedCord 0]

No. I'm in insurance too.

AMDG