Oil companies do indeed suck the lifeblood out of this country.
The top 2% hoard 85% of the nation’s wealth.
Tax them or lob off their heads, myself I say we wait and do the latter.
Wrong Narrowminded(how fitting) it is time for everybody to step up and help this country get back on its feet. Those who benefitted from the American way of life are obligated to give more. It is tiring to hear about trickle down theories that havent worked yet as the panacia to our problems. It is tiring to hear that big business has to be protected and that multi millionaire stock traders have their income taxed same as the average joe.
No one wants to stop growth, we want to make sure producers are supporting the system it gets its support from. Fair is fair, and it is about time that “the other side” started seeing things that way.
Bropst is back at it again. Forget the 2% drivel he spouts, and the fact that taxing only the rich won’t be near enough. I’d like to see him get along WITHOUT oil companies.
Wow… look I already know that saying anything to Brobst is like throwing berries against a protective nuclear bunker… and he probably doesn’t really read much else that gets posted… so this may actually be for me and anyone else who cares more than Brobst.
There was a certain esteemed ruler who in his love for total control and hatred for capitalism and all that made up Americanism decided to kill all the wealth creators and those with technical skills in a goal to create a marxist utopia. What happened after that was tragic as those people left, which were generally very poor and untrained people initially. However, with the highly skilled workers gone, the work still needed to get done. But there was no one with those skills left to do or train others how to do the work. Thus, the solution was to kill more people who couldn’t figure out how to do the difficult, highly skilled work (even if it was a completely foreign line of work for them). And everyone still stayed in poverty regardless… unless they were killed or were starved to death.
Yes, now isn’t that the great sound of Utopia? And this is the kind of direction that Brobst’s thinking leads to, or i fear, even desires. So hopefully those who share similar beliefs to Brobst who actually care might just check themselves a little to make sure they’re not going too far. (or for that matter, act to extremely in the opposite direction.)
Nothing good would come from a change to Communism, Theocracy, Socialism nor Anarchy. And that should take care of each major extreme polar direction.
I use this metaphor… if you go too far left, you drown. If you go too far right, you drown. If you go to far north, you freeze to death. And if you go to far south… you freeze to death.
Re: Toon. There’s something missing… I know! A teleprompter.
@ The pro-tax coalition: The problem with taxing the rich is they can run away before they are taxed. I’m quite certain a good majority of them work very long hours, work very tirelessly, endure heart attacks, strokes, or worse because of stress, and now they’re being demonized because they “have too much.” Instead of bringing others down, find a way to make your own million. Instead of saying “I deserve,” find out how you can say “How can I make it on my own?” It is not anyone’s obligation, rich or poor, to take care of someone’s financial well-being. It is their own responsibility.
Let’s compare the two camps of ideas.
1) Tax them at x% (assuming a high percent). That means less money in the pockets of the wealthy, and more money in the hands of government. That government (who has a history of mismanaging money), doles out programs for the poor (transferring wealth). The rich have less money to throw around (assuming they keep much at all), and they stop investement programs or “tax shelters” (like charitable contributions). The poor still are poor, because government programs do not create wealth. The rich are less rich, and are funneling less money into the economy through spending, and donating less to research or other philanthropic causes. They hold onto their money, and find other ways to hide it from the feds. At a certain breaking point (like idiotic Bropst is suggesting), the wealthy will just pack up shop and move to a country that has no wealth extradition. Or buy an island of their own. Or whatever. But the entire income and wealth of that individual is gone from the pool of funds. And then where are we? And without that money, jobs leave. We end up poorer as a nation, and higher taxes on everyone as the government consumes more to provide more for the poor.
2) We reduce taxes for everyone, including the rich and poor. Everyone keeps more of what they earn. The poor increase their income, meaning they have more purchasing power. The wealthy keep more, and because they can count on HAVING more, they spend more. They invest more. They donate more (to avoid taxation). The banks make more interest (by having more cash in the system legitimately, unlike quantitative easing), meaning there’s more money to go to other parties. Interest rates are lower, because there is more access to cash. Inflation stays low, because the government won’t need to flood the system with cash. This means more people have more purchasing power. Job count increases due to increased purchasing and demand for products/services. Debt is paid off, and people have more readily-available capital. Trickle-down is assuming that all wealth stems from the wealthy. It doesn’t. But a good chunk of jobs come from corporations, who are owned by the wealthy. You encourage corporations to set up shop, and they bring jobs. Taxing them more heavily only scares them away.
Increasing taxes will not create jobs. It will not solve our fiscal woes. It may provide a 1-2 year boost in revenues, but you will then see it bottom out as businesses lay off people to make up for that increased taxation or reduced purchasing (no purchasing, no demand for products). Increasing taxes only does 2 things: Scare off businesses and make liberals feel good about themselves, neither of which help the economy any.
I don’t want to subsidize oil companies, but I also don’t believe any increases on taxes to the rich is the solution. The simple fact is that for about the last 40 years, total federal revenue has run about 18% of GDP while total federal expenditures have run about 20%. It’s not hard math to see that it is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Eliminating all subsidies is one place to start.
Savage has the facts about Obama’s agenda from Obama’s own writings and public records of his associates since age 10….through his college education…and quotes from Obama’s books….
Facts that Obama is a full-blown anti-capitalist explain every anti-American word and act since his inauguration January 2009. He plans and seems to have a lot of help from a lot of liberal/left people to disarm the USA, and to collapse our free enterprise economic system….already well on the way after more than 2 years of bureaucratic actions and Oval Office executive orders doing end runs around Law, around Congress and around the court decisions against the Obama activities.
book, 2010, HarperCollins, TRICKLE UP POVERTY by Michael Savage….page 31 to 59,” Obama’s Marxist-Leninist Roots”…..
the above liberal posters will refuse to read this book…365 pages including notes and index.
Is there more blood to be taken by a mosquito from a horse, or a mouse? The “horse” today sees itself pulling only the doctor’s shay, while the mouse is supposed to pull the beer wagon. The real fairy tale is that “godmother” will pay for the wedding while the prince and cinderella settle back to sip Champaign from glass slippers- and the subjects will be happy ever after.
Operating Income or Loss 21,029,000 10,825,000 (2,053,000)
Income from Continuing Operations
Total Other Income/Expenses Net (92,000) 46,000 (535,000)
Earnings Before Interest And Taxes 20,937,000 10,871,000 (2,658,000)
Interest Expense 1,187,000 1,289,000 935,000
Income Before Tax 19,750,000 9,582,000 (3,593,000)
Income Tax Expense 8,333,000 5,090,000 13,405,000
Minority Interest (59,000) (78,000) (70,000)
Net Income From Continuing Ops 11,358,000 4,414,000 (16,998,000)
I agree, it’s far easier to place all of the blame on Unions, Teachers, and Old People. They’re evil greedy bastards. Not like those saints on Wall Street who’ve never done anything wrong. *
wbr, would you mind parsing your numbers and sharing wtf you are trying to say? I studied accounting for four years, and I haven’t the foggiest idea what all the run-on numbers are supposed to mean.
could it hurt to reign in spending? Government is NOT the solution. I don’t want to be a slave to the state.
The point about the industriousness of people with money is well-taken. I’ve worked 70-80 hours a week for 25 years and now I’m making some pretty good money. Frankly, I’ve freakin earned it. What make someone think that they are entitled to my money that I’ve busted my hump getting – just because I have it? If they worked like I did they’d have it to! Bone the lazy ba$tard$ This country should owe you nothing more than a rule of law and an opportunity!
“The problem with taxing the rich is they can run away before they are taxed.”
You know we used to have legislation that stated that anyone who does business with the U.S. gets taxed. We used to call these tariffs. If we bring those back they have no where to hide.
“….work very long hours, work very tirelessly, endure heart attacks, strokes…”
I’m sure their subordinates work effortlessly for their paycheck but the CEO has executive meeting at the seasons, the country club, Aruba, and other luxurious places. That’s real hard work.
“…find a way to make your own million.”
Sure. So long as government gives me tax subsidies for the land I’m on, tax breaks so I can stay in business, less regulation so I can make more money regardless of who my business hurts (even if its another business). If things get too complicated I’ll join my breatheren overseas and flip you off since I won’t have to worry about taxes AND I’ll get subsidized anyway. Screw America! International is the way to success!
After that its the same talking points: The government wants to tax you and give your money to welfare, the rich guy is a millionaire instead of a billionaire because the government has his money, cut taxes for everyone so they can “invest” (which is code for speculation), and goverment is the problem.
We’ve done this for thirty years and has it made America rich? Depends. Do you have a chauffeur and a Bentley with one of your many mansions? If the anwswer is no then you answered your own question.
I have improved my standing in life over the past 8 years to a pretty comfortable (not affluent or wealthy) lifestyle. I started working retail at minimum wage, and now have a good salary. But with the increase in the wage comes an increase in the workload. I am now able to invest my money into things I believe in, purchase more goods, and plan long-term. I am living proof that the system of opportunity by finding it and pursuing it. My father owns his business that he built from his basement. My brother owns a business he built from his home. They both now have comfortable lifestyles as well. Pretty certain that the suggested taxation that you all are proposing would have made their creations impossible to achieve.
And government is a problem. They think they know how to spend our money better than we do. They are wrong.
Taxing the rich does create jobs actually. Look at the Clinton Administration. He raised taxes and look. OMG Prosperity!!!! I wonder if we can captilize on that Idea, or at the very least restore taxes to what they were. Think of it not as rasing taxes but getting back from the last decades tax vacation and back to real world.
Flat tax, personal exemptions & standard deductions ONLY.
The progressive tax rates have much more impact on those in the 28% bracket than those in the 35%. I would be willing to be that those in the far upper income ranges don’t even pay 15% of their gross, after their accountants get done massaging the numbers. Go to a flat rate with no shelters and they will end up paying more dollar-wise.
Tax laws were written for rich people, by rich people.
Here’s something even easier: let tax cuts expire so it’s back to the 1993-2001 tax rate, AND reduce shelters. You don’t need some magical tax rate, just go to what it used to be.
“My father owns his business that he built from his basement. My brother owns a business he built from his home.”
Your family owned business isn’t destroying the way others live (BP) or are forcing other companies to off shore their products (Wal-Mart). No one is declaring war on small businesses. Its the ones that have gotten big enough to bring this country to its knees.
^ My point was they are (and by proxy, I am) very familiar with the intrusiveness of government and its regulations. The regulations everyone is throwing around to “curb big business” hurts the little guy most. Here’s what I mean:
That 1099 filing requirement to any vendor over $600 a year in business was retarded. It was democrats’ way of trying to bring in extra revenue to pad Obamacare’s impact on the bottom dollar. (how many billion did they say it was going to save?) Small businesses don’t have the staff to absorb that much more paperwork.
Penalty to businesses if they don’t offer their employees competitive health plans. They just can’t afford it (the business). So they pay a fine, which they can’t afford. So damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Suggesting to raise the minimum wage. If you have a multi-billion-dollar business (like walmart) and they raise the cost of wages a dollar per person per hour, you can spread-load that wage increase amongst your product line. But if you are a small business, you aren’t exempted from this rule, and that wage increase costs you big time. You either have to lay off a worker or two, or you fold.
Higher taxes on corporations to make them “pay their fair share.” Unfortunately, taxes don’t discriminate based on their revenues like personal individuals. Some “small businesses” are high volume and high revenue/expense, with profits operating in the margins. So while they may do $2 million in business a year, the owner’s wage is only 50k a year. But the tax code doesn’t differentiate this.
All these show that the liberal establishment applies rules to try to curb in people they view as harmful to the US, but the unintended consequence is that it costs small businesses jobs or livelihoods.
^A 1099 has to do with additional income (for example rental property and dividends). If you’re earning some money on the side please pay your fair share of taxes. Its not right that only the working class has to pay taxes. Besides if you’re in business and can’t afford an auditor (which is what nearly all businesses use anyway) then you have no business doing business.
There is no penalty for NOT offering health insurance to anyone. Its optional. I’ve worked for some dead beat a while back that didn’t offer us anything, yet he’s still in business (and I live in FL). If you state requires it then its a local problem. As far as I know it the federal government doesn’t penalize people for NOT offering health insurance.
If you can’t afford to pay anyone the minimum, then either scale back or higher illegal aliens. If you can’t afford to pay for help then don’t go into business. Real businessmen know what their income is, who to hire, the expenses, etc., Or would you rather they blow up the minimum wage and have businesses hire Americans at Chinese wages?
This is called revenues and expense. A great company will always try to lower expenses so that income stays great. If you’re operating at the break-even point then you need to change your strategy. The place I worked at laid people off, sold some of its trucks, and made drastic cuts so that it could stay in business. It has seems to be working but the people there aren’t happy. That’s when I found a better job.
If you’re a horrible business person then I don’t feel sorry for you. Some of my neighbors go to China and buy a bunch of cheap stuff to sell here. They’re making it and they pay their fair share. Why should you and your family be any different?
Hmmmm… let the rich continue to use the system for free, or tax them and watch them leave…
Okay. See ya’!
In case you haven’t noticed, the big money makers are NOT the ones doing the actual work in this country. THEY are the “parasites” the Randies hate so much…
War, you obviously have no concept of how business works. A 1099 is a form that needs to be filled out to register how much business you do with a vendor. It usually has a much higher threshold than $600. You buy a few boxes of paper from staples, you have to file a 1099 with staples. And then there’s that water jug company for the office water supply. And then there’s Office depot for the 3 desks you purchased. And don’t forget the 2 computers you purchased from Dell.
See? It’s a mountain of paperwork. Many of these small businesses are 3-10 person shops. They don’t have the staff to process 50+ requests at tax time, not to mention the extra labor to track all of the expenses throughout the entire year to each individual vendor.
Regarding the health insurance, the feds have imposed a penalty to businesses who offer insurance but don’t offer it to the level they deem to be “qualified.” So those businesses who were offering catastrophic plans for their employees will drop the insurance for them. That doesn’t help anyone.
The minimum is set at a specific rate, but arbitrarily raising it because “it needs to be a living wage” (which it’s never been designed to be that) will impose an undue burden on small business owners. As for hiring (not highering) illegals, there’s a reason it’s called illegal. As in, prohibited. As in you’re not supposed to do it. That’s what blows my mind about suggestions about helping illegals here. They are here illegally. Breaking the law! So you’re advocating not only do the workers break the law, but so do the employers??
As for lowering expenses? All businesses are supposed to operate that way. My father, for example, operates on the margins. He keeps his prices low (and thereby very competitive) by keeping the per-hour charges low. He pays well above minimum wage, but if the minimum wage goes up, his employees just lost purchasing power because my father can’t afford to raise wages without shrinking his margin to nothing or raising his rates to his customers (which are other businesses, over 100 of them). See how one simple interference by congress can have a cascade effect?
As for my family paying their fair share, they are. They pay personal income taxes on their wages. They pay corporate taxes. They pay the employee taxes (that are their share). I think your definition of “fair” is “as much as they can bear.” That is where you and I differ.
What a stupid cartoon. Obama has said nothing of the kind.
Asking the rich (including oil companies) to play on the same field as the rest of us (including small businesses) is hardly unfair, and no one can balance the budget without increasing taxes. Paul Ryan certainly doesn’t – he calls for six trillion dollars in additional debt in the next ten years.
Odon Premium Member almost 13 years ago
No but they can bleeep well step up to the plate that has served them so well.
Charles Brobst Premium Member almost 13 years ago
Oil companies do indeed suck the lifeblood out of this country. The top 2% hoard 85% of the nation’s wealth. Tax them or lob off their heads, myself I say we wait and do the latter.
rush09 almost 13 years ago
Wrong Narrowminded(how fitting) it is time for everybody to step up and help this country get back on its feet. Those who benefitted from the American way of life are obligated to give more. It is tiring to hear about trickle down theories that havent worked yet as the panacia to our problems. It is tiring to hear that big business has to be protected and that multi millionaire stock traders have their income taxed same as the average joe.
No one wants to stop growth, we want to make sure producers are supporting the system it gets its support from. Fair is fair, and it is about time that “the other side” started seeing things that way.
beenthere41 almost 13 years ago
Bropst is back at it again. Forget the 2% drivel he spouts, and the fact that taxing only the rich won’t be near enough. I’d like to see him get along WITHOUT oil companies.
Gypsy8 almost 13 years ago
Lots of blame to go around.
billbruce almost 13 years ago
Let’s tax the unionized bureaufatcrats instead. These bloodsuckers earn more than workers who actually produce thingsl.
DavidGBA almost 13 years ago
Didn’t the prez stop smoking yet?
DjGuardian almost 13 years ago
Wow… look I already know that saying anything to Brobst is like throwing berries against a protective nuclear bunker… and he probably doesn’t really read much else that gets posted… so this may actually be for me and anyone else who cares more than Brobst.
There was a certain esteemed ruler who in his love for total control and hatred for capitalism and all that made up Americanism decided to kill all the wealth creators and those with technical skills in a goal to create a marxist utopia. What happened after that was tragic as those people left, which were generally very poor and untrained people initially. However, with the highly skilled workers gone, the work still needed to get done. But there was no one with those skills left to do or train others how to do the work. Thus, the solution was to kill more people who couldn’t figure out how to do the difficult, highly skilled work (even if it was a completely foreign line of work for them). And everyone still stayed in poverty regardless… unless they were killed or were starved to death.
Yes, now isn’t that the great sound of Utopia? And this is the kind of direction that Brobst’s thinking leads to, or i fear, even desires. So hopefully those who share similar beliefs to Brobst who actually care might just check themselves a little to make sure they’re not going too far. (or for that matter, act to extremely in the opposite direction.)
Nothing good would come from a change to Communism, Theocracy, Socialism nor Anarchy. And that should take care of each major extreme polar direction.
I use this metaphor… if you go too far left, you drown. If you go too far right, you drown. If you go to far north, you freeze to death. And if you go to far south… you freeze to death.
ChukLitl Premium Member almost 13 years ago
It will all be solved by subsidizing the oil companies & cutting taxes on the rich. Both sides love fairy tales.
tcity almost 13 years ago
“wealth creators”?!? HA!
petergrt almost 13 years ago
My, my.
A lot of Leninist poooop on this page … .
Ramirez always gets the leftist uberintellectuals to yap out from under the slime … great!!!
Wraithkin almost 13 years ago
Re: Toon. There’s something missing… I know! A teleprompter.
@ The pro-tax coalition: The problem with taxing the rich is they can run away before they are taxed. I’m quite certain a good majority of them work very long hours, work very tirelessly, endure heart attacks, strokes, or worse because of stress, and now they’re being demonized because they “have too much.” Instead of bringing others down, find a way to make your own million. Instead of saying “I deserve,” find out how you can say “How can I make it on my own?” It is not anyone’s obligation, rich or poor, to take care of someone’s financial well-being. It is their own responsibility.
Let’s compare the two camps of ideas.
1) Tax them at x% (assuming a high percent). That means less money in the pockets of the wealthy, and more money in the hands of government. That government (who has a history of mismanaging money), doles out programs for the poor (transferring wealth). The rich have less money to throw around (assuming they keep much at all), and they stop investement programs or “tax shelters” (like charitable contributions). The poor still are poor, because government programs do not create wealth. The rich are less rich, and are funneling less money into the economy through spending, and donating less to research or other philanthropic causes. They hold onto their money, and find other ways to hide it from the feds. At a certain breaking point (like idiotic Bropst is suggesting), the wealthy will just pack up shop and move to a country that has no wealth extradition. Or buy an island of their own. Or whatever. But the entire income and wealth of that individual is gone from the pool of funds. And then where are we? And without that money, jobs leave. We end up poorer as a nation, and higher taxes on everyone as the government consumes more to provide more for the poor.
2) We reduce taxes for everyone, including the rich and poor. Everyone keeps more of what they earn. The poor increase their income, meaning they have more purchasing power. The wealthy keep more, and because they can count on HAVING more, they spend more. They invest more. They donate more (to avoid taxation). The banks make more interest (by having more cash in the system legitimately, unlike quantitative easing), meaning there’s more money to go to other parties. Interest rates are lower, because there is more access to cash. Inflation stays low, because the government won’t need to flood the system with cash. This means more people have more purchasing power. Job count increases due to increased purchasing and demand for products/services. Debt is paid off, and people have more readily-available capital. Trickle-down is assuming that all wealth stems from the wealthy. It doesn’t. But a good chunk of jobs come from corporations, who are owned by the wealthy. You encourage corporations to set up shop, and they bring jobs. Taxing them more heavily only scares them away.
Increasing taxes will not create jobs. It will not solve our fiscal woes. It may provide a 1-2 year boost in revenues, but you will then see it bottom out as businesses lay off people to make up for that increased taxation or reduced purchasing (no purchasing, no demand for products). Increasing taxes only does 2 things: Scare off businesses and make liberals feel good about themselves, neither of which help the economy any.
curtisls87 almost 13 years ago
I don’t want to subsidize oil companies, but I also don’t believe any increases on taxes to the rich is the solution. The simple fact is that for about the last 40 years, total federal revenue has run about 18% of GDP while total federal expenditures have run about 20%. It’s not hard math to see that it is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Eliminating all subsidies is one place to start.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 13 years ago
Savage has the facts about Obama’s agenda from Obama’s own writings and public records of his associates since age 10….through his college education…and quotes from Obama’s books….
Facts that Obama is a full-blown anti-capitalist explain every anti-American word and act since his inauguration January 2009. He plans and seems to have a lot of help from a lot of liberal/left people to disarm the USA, and to collapse our free enterprise economic system….already well on the way after more than 2 years of bureaucratic actions and Oval Office executive orders doing end runs around Law, around Congress and around the court decisions against the Obama activities.
book, 2010, HarperCollins, TRICKLE UP POVERTY by Michael Savage….page 31 to 59,” Obama’s Marxist-Leninist Roots”…..
the above liberal posters will refuse to read this book…365 pages including notes and index.
worldisacomic almost 13 years ago
A Grimm fairytale indeed!
Dtroutma almost 13 years ago
Is there more blood to be taken by a mosquito from a horse, or a mouse? The “horse” today sees itself pulling only the doctor’s shay, while the mouse is supposed to pull the beer wagon. The real fairy tale is that “godmother” will pay for the wedding while the prince and cinderella settle back to sip Champaign from glass slippers- and the subjects will be happy ever after.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member almost 13 years ago
Overused theme!
there are other things in the news. Have opinions on that, too and then start talking about Obama again. You’ll only have more credibility, Michael.
oneoldhat almost 13 years ago
ConocoPhillips (COP)
2010 2009 2008Operating Income or Loss 21,029,000 10,825,000 (2,053,000)
Income from Continuing Operations Total Other Income/Expenses Net (92,000) 46,000 (535,000) Earnings Before Interest And Taxes 20,937,000 10,871,000 (2,658,000) Interest Expense 1,187,000 1,289,000 935,000 Income Before Tax 19,750,000 9,582,000 (3,593,000) Income Tax Expense 8,333,000 5,090,000 13,405,000 Minority Interest (59,000) (78,000) (70,000)
Net Income From Continuing Ops 11,358,000 4,414,000 (16,998,000)
thanks for the list of bho achievements jimathai
the majority of racist will vote bho in again
Jaedabee Premium Member almost 13 years ago
I agree, it’s far easier to place all of the blame on Unions, Teachers, and Old People. They’re evil greedy bastards. Not like those saints on Wall Street who’ve never done anything wrong. *
Odon Premium Member almost 13 years ago
Read a book by Mike Savage for education? Does one look under fiction or science fiction?
Bluejayz almost 13 years ago
wbr, would you mind parsing your numbers and sharing wtf you are trying to say? I studied accounting for four years, and I haven’t the foggiest idea what all the run-on numbers are supposed to mean.
pirate227 almost 13 years ago
No, but you should hold big oil accountable and stop paying them corporate welfare. Raising the taxes of millionaires will help too.
ynnek58 almost 13 years ago
could it hurt to reign in spending? Government is NOT the solution. I don’t want to be a slave to the state.
The point about the industriousness of people with money is well-taken. I’ve worked 70-80 hours a week for 25 years and now I’m making some pretty good money. Frankly, I’ve freakin earned it. What make someone think that they are entitled to my money that I’ve busted my hump getting – just because I have it? If they worked like I did they’d have it to! Bone the lazy ba$tard$ This country should owe you nothing more than a rule of law and an opportunity!
WarBush almost 13 years ago
“The problem with taxing the rich is they can run away before they are taxed.”
You know we used to have legislation that stated that anyone who does business with the U.S. gets taxed. We used to call these tariffs. If we bring those back they have no where to hide.
“….work very long hours, work very tirelessly, endure heart attacks, strokes…”
I’m sure their subordinates work effortlessly for their paycheck but the CEO has executive meeting at the seasons, the country club, Aruba, and other luxurious places. That’s real hard work.
“…find a way to make your own million.”
Sure. So long as government gives me tax subsidies for the land I’m on, tax breaks so I can stay in business, less regulation so I can make more money regardless of who my business hurts (even if its another business). If things get too complicated I’ll join my breatheren overseas and flip you off since I won’t have to worry about taxes AND I’ll get subsidized anyway. Screw America! International is the way to success!
After that its the same talking points: The government wants to tax you and give your money to welfare, the rich guy is a millionaire instead of a billionaire because the government has his money, cut taxes for everyone so they can “invest” (which is code for speculation), and goverment is the problem.
We’ve done this for thirty years and has it made America rich? Depends. Do you have a chauffeur and a Bentley with one of your many mansions? If the anwswer is no then you answered your own question.
Wraithkin almost 13 years ago
I have improved my standing in life over the past 8 years to a pretty comfortable (not affluent or wealthy) lifestyle. I started working retail at minimum wage, and now have a good salary. But with the increase in the wage comes an increase in the workload. I am now able to invest my money into things I believe in, purchase more goods, and plan long-term. I am living proof that the system of opportunity by finding it and pursuing it. My father owns his business that he built from his basement. My brother owns a business he built from his home. They both now have comfortable lifestyles as well. Pretty certain that the suggested taxation that you all are proposing would have made their creations impossible to achieve.
And government is a problem. They think they know how to spend our money better than we do. They are wrong.
myming almost 13 years ago
and if you believe this…
yayliberalism almost 13 years ago
Taxing the rich does create jobs actually. Look at the Clinton Administration. He raised taxes and look. OMG Prosperity!!!! I wonder if we can captilize on that Idea, or at the very least restore taxes to what they were. Think of it not as rasing taxes but getting back from the last decades tax vacation and back to real world.
OmqR-IV.0 almost 13 years ago
^ Gosh, you’re loud.
JoeRaisin almost 13 years ago
Fixing taxes would be easy.
Flat tax, personal exemptions & standard deductions ONLY.
The progressive tax rates have much more impact on those in the 28% bracket than those in the 35%. I would be willing to be that those in the far upper income ranges don’t even pay 15% of their gross, after their accountants get done massaging the numbers. Go to a flat rate with no shelters and they will end up paying more dollar-wise.
Tax laws were written for rich people, by rich people.
4uk4ata almost 13 years ago
“Fixing taxes would be easy.”
Here’s something even easier: let tax cuts expire so it’s back to the 1993-2001 tax rate, AND reduce shelters. You don’t need some magical tax rate, just go to what it used to be.
WarBush almost 13 years ago
“My father owns his business that he built from his basement. My brother owns a business he built from his home.”
Your family owned business isn’t destroying the way others live (BP) or are forcing other companies to off shore their products (Wal-Mart). No one is declaring war on small businesses. Its the ones that have gotten big enough to bring this country to its knees.
Wraithkin almost 13 years ago
^ My point was they are (and by proxy, I am) very familiar with the intrusiveness of government and its regulations. The regulations everyone is throwing around to “curb big business” hurts the little guy most. Here’s what I mean:
That 1099 filing requirement to any vendor over $600 a year in business was retarded. It was democrats’ way of trying to bring in extra revenue to pad Obamacare’s impact on the bottom dollar. (how many billion did they say it was going to save?) Small businesses don’t have the staff to absorb that much more paperwork. Penalty to businesses if they don’t offer their employees competitive health plans. They just can’t afford it (the business). So they pay a fine, which they can’t afford. So damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Suggesting to raise the minimum wage. If you have a multi-billion-dollar business (like walmart) and they raise the cost of wages a dollar per person per hour, you can spread-load that wage increase amongst your product line. But if you are a small business, you aren’t exempted from this rule, and that wage increase costs you big time. You either have to lay off a worker or two, or you fold. Higher taxes on corporations to make them “pay their fair share.” Unfortunately, taxes don’t discriminate based on their revenues like personal individuals. Some “small businesses” are high volume and high revenue/expense, with profits operating in the margins. So while they may do $2 million in business a year, the owner’s wage is only 50k a year. But the tax code doesn’t differentiate this.All these show that the liberal establishment applies rules to try to curb in people they view as harmful to the US, but the unintended consequence is that it costs small businesses jobs or livelihoods.
WarBush almost 13 years ago
^A 1099 has to do with additional income (for example rental property and dividends). If you’re earning some money on the side please pay your fair share of taxes. Its not right that only the working class has to pay taxes. Besides if you’re in business and can’t afford an auditor (which is what nearly all businesses use anyway) then you have no business doing business.
There is no penalty for NOT offering health insurance to anyone. Its optional. I’ve worked for some dead beat a while back that didn’t offer us anything, yet he’s still in business (and I live in FL). If you state requires it then its a local problem. As far as I know it the federal government doesn’t penalize people for NOT offering health insurance.
If you can’t afford to pay anyone the minimum, then either scale back or higher illegal aliens. If you can’t afford to pay for help then don’t go into business. Real businessmen know what their income is, who to hire, the expenses, etc., Or would you rather they blow up the minimum wage and have businesses hire Americans at Chinese wages?
This is called revenues and expense. A great company will always try to lower expenses so that income stays great. If you’re operating at the break-even point then you need to change your strategy. The place I worked at laid people off, sold some of its trucks, and made drastic cuts so that it could stay in business. It has seems to be working but the people there aren’t happy. That’s when I found a better job.
If you’re a horrible business person then I don’t feel sorry for you. Some of my neighbors go to China and buy a bunch of cheap stuff to sell here. They’re making it and they pay their fair share. Why should you and your family be any different?
Wildcard24365 almost 13 years ago
Hmmmm… let the rich continue to use the system for free, or tax them and watch them leave…
Okay. See ya’!
In case you haven’t noticed, the big money makers are NOT the ones doing the actual work in this country. THEY are the “parasites” the Randies hate so much…
Wraithkin almost 13 years ago
War, you obviously have no concept of how business works. A 1099 is a form that needs to be filled out to register how much business you do with a vendor. It usually has a much higher threshold than $600. You buy a few boxes of paper from staples, you have to file a 1099 with staples. And then there’s that water jug company for the office water supply. And then there’s Office depot for the 3 desks you purchased. And don’t forget the 2 computers you purchased from Dell.
See? It’s a mountain of paperwork. Many of these small businesses are 3-10 person shops. They don’t have the staff to process 50+ requests at tax time, not to mention the extra labor to track all of the expenses throughout the entire year to each individual vendor.
Regarding the health insurance, the feds have imposed a penalty to businesses who offer insurance but don’t offer it to the level they deem to be “qualified.” So those businesses who were offering catastrophic plans for their employees will drop the insurance for them. That doesn’t help anyone.
The minimum is set at a specific rate, but arbitrarily raising it because “it needs to be a living wage” (which it’s never been designed to be that) will impose an undue burden on small business owners. As for hiring (not highering) illegals, there’s a reason it’s called illegal. As in, prohibited. As in you’re not supposed to do it. That’s what blows my mind about suggestions about helping illegals here. They are here illegally. Breaking the law! So you’re advocating not only do the workers break the law, but so do the employers??
As for lowering expenses? All businesses are supposed to operate that way. My father, for example, operates on the margins. He keeps his prices low (and thereby very competitive) by keeping the per-hour charges low. He pays well above minimum wage, but if the minimum wage goes up, his employees just lost purchasing power because my father can’t afford to raise wages without shrinking his margin to nothing or raising his rates to his customers (which are other businesses, over 100 of them). See how one simple interference by congress can have a cascade effect?
As for my family paying their fair share, they are. They pay personal income taxes on their wages. They pay corporate taxes. They pay the employee taxes (that are their share). I think your definition of “fair” is “as much as they can bear.” That is where you and I differ.
ARodney almost 13 years ago
What a stupid cartoon. Obama has said nothing of the kind.
Asking the rich (including oil companies) to play on the same field as the rest of us (including small businesses) is hardly unfair, and no one can balance the budget without increasing taxes. Paul Ryan certainly doesn’t – he calls for six trillion dollars in additional debt in the next ten years.