Posted on 04/13/2011 9:46:06 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
If President Obama's deficit-reduction speech today includes a call to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, there will surely be pushback; Republicans have already begun a preemptive attack on raising taxes. One group of millionaires, however, is saying that they are more than willing to pay more for the good of their country.
The “Patriotic Millionaires” penned a letter to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker John Boehner, urging them to “increase taxes on incomes over $1,000,000.”
The Millionaires—a group that includes producer and director Doug Liman, actress Edie Falco, the founder of Ask.com, and top Google engineers—wrote that the United States has helped them succeed financially, and they are willing to help the country do the same.
“Our country has been good to us. It provided a foundation through which we could succeed,” the group wrote. “Now, we want to do our part to keep that foundation strong so that others can succeed as we have.”
According to Alison Goldberg of the group Wealth for the Common Good, raising tax rates on millionaires could raise $60 billion to $80 billion a year in revenue.
"This small monetary sacrifice is both an ethical and patriotic decision, made in the hopes of allowing the United States of America to continue to be a leader economically, politically, and morally," said Garrett Gruener, founder of Ask.com.
But while these millionaires may be willing to pay more taxes, that doesn’t mean everyone in the country necessarily thinks it’s a good idea.
“I am not in favor of raising taxes right now, period,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Wednesday on MSNBC. “The question is raising revenues.... And how are you going raise revenues? Are you just going to raise taxes through a magic wand
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
RE: By the way, I never heard of any of the morons on this list.
I’m willing to bet that this list won’t grow beyond a hundred people, tops.
I’m still waiting for Bill Gates Sr. to join their group.
I meant figuratively, not literally.
Michael Moore is the biggest hypocrite of them all.
We should shove a camera in his fat face for once and get him to sign over his hundreds of millions of dollars to the government.
Patriotic Millionaires: “What Money?”
Anyone with any sense has already made plans to offshore their wealth.
Taxing someone on what they made in the past year is arbitrary and wacked. Why do that? It means nothing. I reject the entire notion that anyone is "wealthy" based on what flowed THROUGH their pockets. It is taxing cash flow, not wealth. These people are MORONS and they are fine examples of why this country is in the toilet. If you look at most of these folks they really have not done much to have created (key word) the cash flow they live off of. Obama cretainly has not. Someone like Al Gore has not. They are parasites.
It is unfortunate that people buy in the premises that are so widely accepted but really have no basis in reality.
My BS meter pegged and broke when I saw that. What is his side business - running drugs?
Of course these “millionaires” say they want to be taxed more. It’s no different than the unions that fought so hard for Obamacare. What happened? Many of the unions got waivers out of Obamacare, thus giving them an unfair advantage vs. the non union shops that have to abide by the law.
IIRC, Jeffrey Immelt has argued for higher taxes & yet his company, G.E. pays very little, if anything in taxes. I would be willing to bet that Immelt himself pays little in comparison on his personal taxes.
The point? These “millionaires”, while arguing for higher taxes, I’m sure have been assured “loopholes” will be their reward for their efforts, just as w/ the unions, etc. w/ Obamacare. These liberals are soooo hypocritical & frankly transparent w/ a little research. Remember Teddy Kennedy, who while fighting ardently for windmills, wouldn’t allow them in his area?
Millionaires, it’s time to put up or shut up. Set the example. Voluntarily pay extra without anything in return. Otherwise we’ll have no choice, historically speaking, but to wonder what you’re receiving on the back side. You virtually always do.
RE: Anyone with any sense has already made plans to offshore their wealth.
Under Obama, the IRS has new and increasing powers to go after your money deposited overseas.
Even Switzerland, the historical safe haven for millionaires has caved to the all-powerful IRS and already agreed to reveal the names of their American depositors.
Vote another term for Obama and you will see the IRS DOUBLE or TRIPLE their number of tracking agents. This country is desperate for money and the government will do anything in its power to confiscate it wherever they can find it.
I know, but there are still plenty of options. Screw the Swiss. They are horrible at numbered accounts. Hong Kong, however, has been horribly uncooperative with the IRS.
They should be told, point blank, to:
1. Quit worrying about what everyone who is “rich” will pay.
2. If you actually believe what you say, then put your own money where your mouth is and simply donate all your income over $1,000,000 to the government.
That should shut them up.
Yeah, I didn't know there something preventing these great patriotic millionaires from paying more.
Demagogic hypocrites.
Here is an address for these patriotic, caring, full of bullcrap wealthy progs to send money to the government .
Internal Revenue Service Charlotte, NC 28201-1302
pfft.
“Under Obama”
P.S. I think this all started under Clinton and gained strength under Bush.
No, they asking the Federales to tax OTHER people more. They can give as much as they wish to IRS, but they want to force others to “donate,” too.
yup. lots of government employees can make a million easy.
RE: David Krakow, school teacher, DC
My BS meter pegged and broke when I saw that. What is his side business - running drugs?
What is his side business - running drugs?
He probably INHERITED HIS WEALTH and like a typical DC teacher, is guilty that he did little to actually earn it.
There are lots of folks who think this way... many of them college professors and teachers. And yes, they will probably be teaching YOUR KIDS.
Well, he won’t be teaching my kid. She is grown and is a teacher herself (for now - long story). I hope she keeps her job but with the cuts here, there is no telling. She is one of several conservative teachers in her ISD.
I don’t see Hussein 0bama’s name on the list - oh yes, you have to be “Patriotic”.
. If they are really serious, then there is nothing preventing them for giving extra money to the Federal Treasury even today. I would imagine you would fine that none of them have done this!
Is there some law that prevents people from donating money voluntarily to the government?
If these people want to pay more... they LET THEM PAY MORE, and leave the rest of us the hell alone.
again, one simply must ask....WHAT’S STOPPING THEM FROM WRITING A CHECK THEN??
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