Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
Why the extreme histrionics. It's as if some have been taking lessons from the extreme left. Conservatives used to be relied on to be rational. Another gift of the alt-right I guess.
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I35
5,000+ Posts
That's funny, you typed out "used." But now you are saying the left are the rational ones?
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
So-called un-biased journos gave to HRC at a rate of 96%:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/w...ly-donated-to-hillary-clinton/article/2604762
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/w...ly-donated-to-hillary-clinton/article/2604762
My intent was not to bash Buffett. I actually have a lot of respect for Buffett. However, it is ridiculous to bash Trump for taking advantage of a legal tax deduction to minimize his tax obligation. Buffett does the same even though he believes that wealthy Americans such as himself should pay more in taxes.
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
Just to be clear, I'm not bashing Trump for taking a legal deduction. I'm bashing the tax system and do agree with Buffett is support of a progressive tax system. Donald Trump should never personally pay less federal taxes than the bellman in Trump towers.
I would agree with that too, but the narrative from HRC and the MSM is that Trump has somehow done something wrong by using the tax system to his benefit. Trump hasn't helped matters by refusing to release his tax returns. I can understand attacking him for not releasing his tax returns but I have an issue with the attacks for using legal tax deductions for his benefit.
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
I would point out the difference between Buffet and Trump is that the former is advocating for a fairer tax system while the latter is indifferent at best and likely used his lobbying money to push the system to his benefit. With that said, I suspect his tax filings are legal even if it puts him in the amoral category of potentially paying less federal income tax than most of his employees. At least Buffet demonstrated that he paid in $4.5M last year and has never paid $0 in his career dating back to 1944. Could it be that Buffett isn't trying hard enough to avoid paying taxes?
Amoral? Trump is risking his personal money in these investments, his employees are not. Trump is risking personal bankruptcy by taking on large loans, his employees are not. His risk profile is not the same as his employees. The tax policies take this risk into account. I find it troubling that a grown man cannot understand this simple economic truth.
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Suspect it is legal? He has been audited for years. How could it not be legal? Again, shaking my head.
Buffet is an investor. He has a lower risk profile than a business person who takes out loans to build a business. Why don't you think a little bit before making wild accusations.
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Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
OK. Risk = the bellman pays for your military protection? Your bridges. A portion of educating the workforce? Do you work for Wall Street? Risk = a get out of jail free card or at least no federal income taxes. Yes, I'd argue that tax policies overvalue that risk in the tax scheme.
Keep in mind, as Trump has shown the reward already values the risk. Giving the risk taker an overly advantageous tax scheme limits the risk greatly. When the reward is great and the risk diminished, we get bubbles (housing, stock, etc.).
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Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
According to Trump his last 8-12 years of taxes are still under audit. Even the IRS haven't verified "legal" but clearly you are ready to make that leap. Shaking my head. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
Investors equal low risk, business owners are high risk. Do you have a class I can take? Would you recommend Trump University?
I suggest walking away from the computer...have a beer. If the mere suggestion that the tax system needs to be reevaluated gets you this spun up it may be time to log off for a little while.
The bottom 50% pays very little federal income tax. He should be paying for education via state and local taxes - his family needs it. My family can home school or pay for private education. Anything I pay is essentially charity. Wall St = red herring for 95% of businesses not financial related. As stated earlier, doorman has job because of risk taken by real estate developers. Move to Venezuela to see the result of your policies. Who do I blame not for jobs lost, but for jobs not created? You!
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Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
I'm not arguing the bottom 50%. I'm arguing the top 1%. Is that so hard to understand? It's amazing we managed to emerge from our "Venezuela" years when our tax rates were higher for the top bracket.
GreenDragonSix
100+ Posts
It is the responsibility of the United States House of Representatives, that power given to them in the US Constitution, to promote and impose any tax or taxes and who will vote and can change income tax, tax laws, tax breaks, tax loopholes, etc. The Senate also needs to ratify what ever taxes the House proposes.
If successful businessmen and congressman can use certain tax advantages to their benefit, why not? Congress has allowed it and if the IRS hasn't found anything illegal in the past decades on political captains like the Koch brothers, George Soros, Warren Buffet, the Bushes, or the Clinton's why is this such a matter??
If anyone is to blame on taking advantage of tax breaks, tax brackets, etc. it is the US House of Representatives, political lobbyists and corporate America....do not blame those who can navigate the byzantine tax laws that the House and Senate have given us. If it's anybody's fault, it's the United States Congress who allow our tax culture and they even benefit from it.
If successful businessmen and congressman can use certain tax advantages to their benefit, why not? Congress has allowed it and if the IRS hasn't found anything illegal in the past decades on political captains like the Koch brothers, George Soros, Warren Buffet, the Bushes, or the Clinton's why is this such a matter??
If anyone is to blame on taking advantage of tax breaks, tax brackets, etc. it is the US House of Representatives, political lobbyists and corporate America....do not blame those who can navigate the byzantine tax laws that the House and Senate have given us. If it's anybody's fault, it's the United States Congress who allow our tax culture and they even benefit from it.
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Okay, you want to use the tax code to address income inequality. Not clear when jumping into these long threads. Guess what? As stated in the reply above, everyone wants to use the tax code for this or that. It's far easier to use the tax code to give tax credits to favored industries than the government to pass a bill and write a check for certain industries. The former is discreet and the latter is overt. There is no easy answer to what you're wanting as it goes against the normal Washington method of operation for decades.
GreenDragonSix
100+ Posts
Blame Congress for the current US tax culture...your US Representatives and US Senators are at fault for the whole tax nonsense in this country.
They write and pass the laws...it's on them...you really think we have a chance of ever seeing of what the founders stated..."No Taxation without Representation"...No we are blind to taxation and we vote straight down ballots.
WaPo completely fabricated the story about Trump making fun of a disabled reporter. Trump met the guy ONE time 27 years ago, plus the actions done by Trump were equally applied to other non-disabled persons.
Confirmation bias writ large.
Confirmation bias writ large.
Seattle Husker
10,000+ Posts
I don't need a WaPo article to tell me that Trump was absolutely mocking the reporter in this speech.
The Washington Post like the NYT is extremely biased, but there is no way to spin that to be anything other than Trump was making fun of that reporters disability. It was disgraceful and part of the reason why so many Republican voters cannot hold their nose hard enough to be able to vote for him.
Confirmation bias is one hell of a drug. No one disputes he met that person for only one day 27 years ago. Also, have you seen the other videos where Trump does the same motions when imitating other people? Finally, the reporter does not wave his arms around like Trump does - he only has the wrist issue - not loss of motor control. Stop being a tool.
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I35
5,000+ Posts
He did that exact same thing to Ted Cruz as well. He doesn't have any physical disabilities.
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