^Bruce: I think C.A. Brobst actually hates people who WORK and SAVE. And, would someone please explain to me how a person on medicade “qualifies” for a FREE cell phone w/ 250 minutes/ month (free also), while those nasty “rich” (i.e., we that WORK) have to pay for our cells?
Bruce, you are once again falling into the trap that because rich people are collectively paying more of the total tax revenue, that somehow they are paying more individually than other Americans. This is not true. In many cases they are paying a smaller percentage of a far larger base, because they have more means by which they can dodge taxes. Not to mention that they have the lowest tax rate in the last fifty years.
The solution is to abolish the I.R.S.
Set up a flat tax of 15-20% with no deductions or loopholes. You can file your income taxes on a postcard.
Problem solved, everyone pays the same percentage of tax.
^How DARE you raise the taxes of the hedge fund boss who made a mere $5 Billion dollars- in capital gains- at, at most, 15% tax rate- he probably paid NOTHING!
A “flat rate” with NO DEDUCTIONS could be an easier way to tax INDIVIDUAL incomes- but demystifying “corporate profits” (income) could be a lot trickier. BTW, if my gardener and I both pay income tax on the “source” of the money he gets for mowing my lawn- it ISN’T “double taxation”, neither is taxing corporations on their profits, but yes, THEY can just compensate by increasing prices- which they’ve done ANYWAY!
All corporations handle tax as an expense, just part of the cost to do business. From that standpoint, corporations have never paid a tax and never will. It really is just the governments way of extorting money from a business. You know protecting the business!
”And, would someone please explain to me how a person on medicade “qualifies” for a FREE cell phone w/ 250 minutes/ month (free also), while those nasty “rich” (i.e., we that WORK) have to pay for our cells?”
would someone please explain to me WTF that comment is about?
any American wanting to do the robin hood steal from the rich thingey and who has 24/7 “billionaires on the brain” is indulging in a serious SIN of coveting what others have.
if government steals from the rich, don’t kid yourself that politicians are doing that to send it to you! they will skim off the cream for Swiss bank accounts and put some into programs for you that have a political agenda to keep you dependent on them so you’ll keep voting them into office!
It is a program started under BUSH 43, not Obama.
The email I get blames Obama, that is clearly not true.
But do you want people who live in bad neighborhoods to have no phone in emergencies?
“Well, here’s an interesting link about who pays into the tax pool and who does not. And, it is my experience that those on the bottom do not pay taxes and actually receive a “refund” as well”
And at the top:
The most egregious example is General Electric ( GE - news - people ). Last year the conglomerate generated $10.3 billion in pretax income, but ended up owing nothing to Uncle Sam. In fact, it recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/01/ge-exxon-walmart-business-washington-corporate-taxes.html
No, it doesn’t. Multinationals adjust where they put their losses to take advantage of different tax laws. So GE can make $10.3 billion in profits, but put a losing business on the books in the US, and get money back from the government. Not exactly free enterprise: more like socialism of risk. Many American companies have their nominal “headquarters” in the Cayman Islands, for example, which is composed of a mailbox.
“There is no “Obama phone” or other newly created federal program to provide free cell phones. As you may know, this is a myth that is now circulating on the Web via email and blog sites. It has been thoroughly debunked by independent groups. (See for example: FactCheck.org at http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/, which notes: “Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.”
“SafeLink phones are not paid for by taxpayers or the federal government. TracFone Wireless pays for the phones and also the cost of promoting its SafeLink program to make sure that eligible consumers know about the program.”
^^But the righties always confuse the e-mails and fox news with the facts. It seems that the majority of us “on the left” seem to be playing snopes while “the right” make bogus claims and back it up with material from right wing sites. They seem to have a problem with common sense.
Jaedabee Premium Member over 13 years ago
Hah hah hah!!
halfabug over 13 years ago
She only spreads her wealth when it is tax deductable.
Charles Brobst Premium Member over 13 years ago
Tax the billionaires.
mnsmkd over 13 years ago
^Bruce: I think C.A. Brobst actually hates people who WORK and SAVE. And, would someone please explain to me how a person on medicade “qualifies” for a FREE cell phone w/ 250 minutes/ month (free also), while those nasty “rich” (i.e., we that WORK) have to pay for our cells?
Motivemagus over 13 years ago
Bruce, you are once again falling into the trap that because rich people are collectively paying more of the total tax revenue, that somehow they are paying more individually than other Americans. This is not true. In many cases they are paying a smaller percentage of a far larger base, because they have more means by which they can dodge taxes. Not to mention that they have the lowest tax rate in the last fifty years.
Motivemagus over 13 years ago
Clay needs to work on his art. Oprah apparently has one breast which sticks out to the right.
S_T_F_U over 13 years ago
The solution is to abolish the I.R.S. Set up a flat tax of 15-20% with no deductions or loopholes. You can file your income taxes on a postcard. Problem solved, everyone pays the same percentage of tax.
Dtroutma over 13 years ago
^How DARE you raise the taxes of the hedge fund boss who made a mere $5 Billion dollars- in capital gains- at, at most, 15% tax rate- he probably paid NOTHING!
A “flat rate” with NO DEDUCTIONS could be an easier way to tax INDIVIDUAL incomes- but demystifying “corporate profits” (income) could be a lot trickier. BTW, if my gardener and I both pay income tax on the “source” of the money he gets for mowing my lawn- it ISN’T “double taxation”, neither is taxing corporations on their profits, but yes, THEY can just compensate by increasing prices- which they’ve done ANYWAY!
rockngolfer over 13 years ago
I don’t think Oprah’s half sister wanted money. I didn’t watch the show.
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/224815/oprahs-half-sister-revealed-oprah-winfrey-dishes-on-her-secret-sibling.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/24/oprah-sister-patricia-secret-half-sistern812999.html
josefw over 13 years ago
All corporations handle tax as an expense, just part of the cost to do business. From that standpoint, corporations have never paid a tax and never will. It really is just the governments way of extorting money from a business. You know protecting the business!
believecommonsense over 13 years ago
”And, would someone please explain to me how a person on medicade “qualifies” for a FREE cell phone w/ 250 minutes/ month (free also), while those nasty “rich” (i.e., we that WORK) have to pay for our cells?”
would someone please explain to me WTF that comment is about?
rockngolfer over 13 years ago
^ Here is part of the story, while I find the rest.
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx
disgustedtaxpayer over 13 years ago
any American wanting to do the robin hood steal from the rich thingey and who has 24/7 “billionaires on the brain” is indulging in a serious SIN of coveting what others have.
if government steals from the rich, don’t kid yourself that politicians are doing that to send it to you! they will skim off the cream for Swiss bank accounts and put some into programs for you that have a political agenda to keep you dependent on them so you’ll keep voting them into office!
rockngolfer over 13 years ago
On the subject of free cell phones:
It is a program started under BUSH 43, not Obama. The email I get blames Obama, that is clearly not true. But do you want people who live in bad neighborhoods to have no phone in emergencies?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp
Jaedabee Premium Member over 13 years ago
Sorry to butt in …
“Do you really believe that the “wealthy” do not pay their fair share?”
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2007/oct/17/john-edwards/rich-man-low-tax/“Well, here’s an interesting link about who pays into the tax pool and who does not. And, it is my experience that those on the bottom do not pay taxes and actually receive a “refund” as well”
And at the top:The most egregious example is General Electric ( GE - news - people ). Last year the conglomerate generated $10.3 billion in pretax income, but ended up owing nothing to Uncle Sam. In fact, it recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion. http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/01/ge-exxon-walmart-business-washington-corporate-taxes.html
cjr53 over 13 years ago
^- so she only spreads her wealth when it is tax deductible??
Doesn’t that also mean that she spreads her wealth?
Yes, it does.
Motivemagus over 13 years ago
No, it doesn’t. Multinationals adjust where they put their losses to take advantage of different tax laws. So GE can make $10.3 billion in profits, but put a losing business on the books in the US, and get money back from the government. Not exactly free enterprise: more like socialism of risk. Many American companies have their nominal “headquarters” in the Cayman Islands, for example, which is composed of a mailbox.
believecommonsense over 13 years ago
back to “free” cell phones. From Safelink’s website:
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/benefits.aspx
“There is no “Obama phone” or other newly created federal program to provide free cell phones. As you may know, this is a myth that is now circulating on the Web via email and blog sites. It has been thoroughly debunked by independent groups. (See for example: FactCheck.org at http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/, which notes: “Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.”
“SafeLink phones are not paid for by taxpayers or the federal government. TracFone Wireless pays for the phones and also the cost of promoting its SafeLink program to make sure that eligible consumers know about the program.”
WarBush over 13 years ago
^^But the righties always confuse the e-mails and fox news with the facts. It seems that the majority of us “on the left” seem to be playing snopes while “the right” make bogus claims and back it up with material from right wing sites. They seem to have a problem with common sense.