YES

FWIW, I have a friend who works as a collection manager for one of GE's many businesses.    A couple of years ago, they transferred all phone collections to India.   My buddy asked management "How the hell am I supposed to manage people who live in India?"    Their response "If they're not doing the job, fire them and hire one of the 10 people waiting outside the door.  Labor laws are different over there." 

So, essentially, GE went from paying a dozen people 35k a year to paying a dozen people a dollar a day(an exaggeration) with no messy labor laws.   Why wouldn't a company do that?

PATRIOTISM!

HONOUR!

It's not that I have a problem with raising taxes on the ultra wealthy, it is that more revenue is not the answer because govt has no financial responsibility.

Using the same analogy as above, let's say that you are a billionaire.

So you could EASILY keep bailing out your son and it really won't hurt your budget whatsoever. Heck you could give him 3 or 4 more cards with even higher limits and it still would have a very minimal impact on you.

However you know the RIGHT thing to do is to teach him responsibility and not give him another credit card until he demonstrates responsibility.

Likewise, I think it is unwise to just keep raising taxes to gain more revenue until the govt demonstrates responsibility.

In a similar vein, jam rock band Phish is holding a benefit concert to raise funds to help those hit hard in their home state of Vermont.

THIS is how people should help one another, NOT by having the govt TAKE OUR money and doling it out as THEY see fit.


I also have a friend who was born disabled. She has been on SS her whole life.
I taught her that she could be independent.
I purchased handicap driving controls and taught her how to drive. I helped her buy a car. She got a job, and she was doing well for herself.

However the SSI benefits began to decrease. In fact they even started taking out a little extra each check to pay back some of the money she was overpaid by them while she was earning money at an actual job.
It wasn't long at all before her whole family began chiding her for working.
If they were going to reduce her disability check, why should she bother trying to hold down a job?
She was eventually laid off and basically caved in. Never bothered to look for work again.

Again, nevermind that she was legitimately earning a living and bringing home 3 times what she receives from SSI. She wasn't going to give up any free money from the govt.

Try to buy some groceries with that. 

I do have a problem in making certain groups pay more taxes.  

Keeping in line with philo's analogies, I usually pick up the tab when I go out with friends.   I make more so it's no big deal.  But as soon as they start EXPECTING me to pick up the tab, I'm not going to do it.   Just because you have more doesn't mean you have to pay more.   A gallon of milk costs the same if you make 20k or 20m.   Of course, if you're on some government program, your milk is free.

Right. 

The point is that we, as a nation, (the citizens of the country, aside from all the govt. does) give away more money voluntarily to charities around the world than any other country and probably more than any 3 or 4 countries combined. 

We are a nation of caring people who do not need the govt. doing it for us because, let's be honest, the govt. absolutely spends money on many many unnecessary and flat out corrupt things.

Dude, I'm not saying tax the rich more then us... I'm saying that they should pair their FAIR share... I don't know how I can make that more clear... The fact that GE and so many other huge corps pay no tax is mind blowing and that anybody can defend that blows my mind even more.

What is the total American debt 14 trillion or something like that? How bout get the taxes that are fairly owed and pay down some of that debt? If everybody were paying their fair share there would be no deficit every year.

Philo, you are starting to seem more and more like Swampy.  I put up a good point about something and he never refutes that point.  He cant answer it so he doesnt bother saying anything about it.  You are doing the exact same thing here.  You are giving me your point on financial responsibility which I agree with, and youve also given me a story about a lazy American.  But what about my fair taxes and paying down the debt and not having an annual defecit???

Heck Im not even giving you any of my "extreme" viewpoints on the national debts and the federal reserve and all that.  LOL

Posted by greeny9 on 9/14/2011 8:02:00 AM (view original):
I agree with you Phil, financial responsibility is an important thing.  We do need to make our collective governments learn that lesson.  The differences lie in how people think is where do we cut the fat?

And another difference is I believe in FAIR taxation, you rightys seem to think only the poor and middle class should pay tax.  Whats up with that?

Woah.... only the poor and the middle class? That's not true.... no one ever said the rich should NOT pay taxes.

greeny, I did address that.

The fact is, whether one chooses to believe it or not, is that tax breaks are incentives for companies to expand to some place or keep jobs in one place or another. It happens on the state level all of the time.

One example that comes to mind is Paris-based Gameloft SA, who is about to open a new studio in the US. This will be the 2nd US location for a company that has 24 studios around the globe.

They are opening the new studio in New Orleans, which will really help their economy. One of the biggest, if not the biggest, consideration was the tax incentives offered by the State of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.

Now there certainly is a lot of corruption all over the corporate world, and there should be more done to curtail it, but tax-based incentives are legitimate and do work.

Posted by greeny9 on 9/14/2011 8:38:00 AM (view original):
Dude, I'm not saying tax the rich more then us... I'm saying that they should pair their FAIR share... I don't know how I can make that more clear... The fact that GE and so many other huge corps pay no tax is mind blowing and that anybody can defend that blows my mind even more.

What is the total American debt 14 trillion or something like that? How bout get the taxes that are fairly owed and pay down some of that debt? If everybody were paying their fair share there would be no deficit every year.

I'll ask again.  Are you suggesting that taxes be raised on certain individuals or companies?

Louisiana gov. Bobby Jindal said Gameloft considered other sites for the studio and selected Louisiana after the Legislature boosted the state's digital media tax credit this year.

Also, before the company chose Louisiana, the state, Greater New Orleans Inc., a southeastern Louisiana economic development group, and Gameloft set up a "help wanted" notice on Facebook and other social media pages to see if the company could get a qualified work force in New Orleans.

The result: Gameloft got 1,300 resumes from which it was able to get 700 qualified candidates, said Jeff Lynne, executive director of the Louisiana FastStart program in the state economic development agency.

Posted by greeny9 on 9/14/2011 8:38:00 AM (view original):
Dude, I'm not saying tax the rich more then us... I'm saying that they should pair their FAIR share... I don't know how I can make that more clear... The fact that GE and so many other huge corps pay no tax is mind blowing and that anybody can defend that blows my mind even more.

What is the total American debt 14 trillion or something like that? How bout get the taxes that are fairly owed and pay down some of that debt? If everybody were paying their fair share there would be no deficit every year.

There would still be an annual deficit even if we taxed the 'rich' 100%.

'Fair tax' taxes everyone equally. That's why I like it. No more class warfare. No more loopholes.

Our spending is the BIGGER problem... and its the easiest thing to fix.... unless one is pandering for votes.