A Tax Break for Struggling Actors (Democrats for Tax Cuts for Special People)

New York Times ^ | 06/12/2008 | Sewell Chan

[C19fan]

Maybe bohemian New York has a fighting chance after all.

This morning came the news that the United States has nearly two million artists — more than the numbers of lawyers, doctors, police officers or farm workers — and that many of them, no surprise here, are struggling. We also learned that Representative Anthony D. Weiner, Democrat of Brooklyn and 2009 mayoral aspirant, wants to make it easier for fashion models to get visas to work in the United States.

Senator Charles E. Schumer — who before being elected to the Senate in 1998 held the House seat that Mr. Weiner now occupies — is not to be outdone. Mr. Schumer proposed a tax benefit Thursday that he said would benefit “struggling New York City actors,” and save up to thousands of dollars for some 36,000 local performing artists every year.

...

[C19fan]

Democrats: Tax Cuts for the Special People... Screw the rest of us.

[inkling]

Wait a minute: You can spur business by lowering taxes? I’ll be darned! Since the Democrats have finally realized this, why don’t we lower EVERYONE’s taxes so that all business is spurred to grow?

[Tenacious 1]

We also learned that Representative Anthony D. Weiner, Democrat of Brooklyn and 2009 mayoral aspirant, wants to make it easier for fashion models to get visas to work in the United States

Great!!! Let foreigners take the jobs of starving runway models here in America.

[Tzimisce]

Well duh - they’re not going to put the screws to their voters.

[TribalPrincess2U]

No that is not what they want. Special people doesn’t include people that get ‘er done on their own merits.

[VOA]

IIRC, the New York “starving artist” community got fairly sizeable lumps
of cash...
taken out of the charity donations following 9-11.

Now they’ve discovered tax breaks...just like the ones for those
EEEVVVIIILLL oil companies.

[Wuli]

Let them eat cake!!!!

[TribalPrincess2U]

Selective tax cuts will only divide the people even more.

[ccmay]

You can spur business by lowering taxes? I’ll be darned! Since the Democrats have finally realized this, why don’t we lower EVERYONE’s taxes so that all business is spurred to grow?

Come now, don't be silly. Those actors are so very important to the world; their heartfelt dramatic dynamism holds up a mirror to the ugly face of capitalism and enlightens all of the ignorant unwashed masses. You can't compare the revolutionary transgressive work they do, when not being downtrodden by having to wait tables, with the mean and nasty capitalist scum who engage in mean and nasty capitalist oppression like growing food, treating illness, or building homes. Let's get our priorities straight here.

-ccm

[Steamburg]

Yep, we really need more actors. So, how good do you have to be to get the exemption?

[vpintheak]

let me get this right. A person chooses a crappy profession that only a few make it big. But because you chose this profession, and refuse to do anything else, you will be on the receiving end of a big fat government benefit? Does that sound right? Unbelievable how far we have fallen in a little over 200 years.