Posted on 12/14/2012 11:50:33 AM PST by nickcarraway
There are a bunch of bargaining chips currently being passed back and forth between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner as they seek to reach a budget deal before the county slides down the much-feared fiscal cliff.
Perhaps the most notable involved tax rates for the wealthy: Generally speaking, Democrats want to raise them; Republicans -- many of whom signed Grover Norquist's pledge to never raise taxes -- don't.
So even though more than 60 percent of Americans say they would support higher taxes on the rich, we remain at an impasse. Some of those 60 percent also happen to be part of the 1 percent. And, this week, nine San Francisco millionaires joined more than 200 rich people nationwide to demand that Congress raise their taxes by letting the Bush tax cuts expire for those making more than $1 million a year.
The San Francisco cohort includes Mark Buell, president of the Recreation and Park Commission and chair of the America's Cup Organizing Committee; his wife, Susie Buell; international philanthropist Marta Drury, retired Google software engineer Frank Jernigan; Google engineer Fritz Schneider; Chairman of Mortgage Resolution Partners Steven Gluckstern; real estate executive Ken Morris; housing developer John Stewart; and Marsha Rosenbaum, director emerita of the S.F. Drug Policy Alliance office.
Along with 39 other California millionaires, they joined the Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength, a national group of wealthy folks who have signed onto a letter asking the president to "Raise our taxes":
Our country has been good to us. It provided a foundation through which we could succeed. Now, we want to do our part to keep that foundation strong so that others can succeed as we have. The easiest way to raise taxes on the rich -- or on anybody else -- is to allow the Bush-era tax cuts to expire. That's because back in July 2011, Norquist told the Washington Post that "Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase." Republicans who had handcuffed themselves to the pledge, internally anguishing over whether letting tax cuts expire technically breaks the vow, were ostensibly set free. And yet, more than a year later, it was still news when Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said of letting the cuts expire, "I don't see that as a violation of my pledge."
The tax cuts, passed during President George W. Bush's first term, lowered rates for everybody. For those in the highest tax bracket -- those making more than $250,000 annually -- rates dipped from 39.6 percent to around 36 percent. The Obama Administration has projected that reverting top earners' rates back to the Clinton era's 39.6 percent would bring in $678 billion in revenue through 2020. But in each of the last two years, Obama was unable to reach a deal with Congressional republicans that would raise taxes on the wealthy without raising taxes on everybody else too. So the full cuts were extended. They are once again set to expire at the end of this year.
In a statement yesterday, Californian millionaires who signed the "Raise our taxes" letter argued that "letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for those earning the most will support vital infrastructure and social programs, grow the economy, and ultimately help the system that helps the wealthy."
Ever notice how the MSM brings up the tax pledge, and especially Norquist’s name, more than we do? I think they think it’s supposed to be embarrassing.
Ok, you folks go first!
What’s keeping you from stroking a bigger check on your own. After all, your dough will go to such grand programs that always work!
Now that they’ve already acquired their wealth and probably have minimal income anyway.
Funny, no one on the right is saying if the left wants to pay more in taxes, they could check off the box and put in the amount they want to send to the government.
This should be an ad.
I support every Obama voter, supporter, to pay a 75% Federal income tax. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!
I would love Beck or Limbaugh to offer to host an event where wealthy Democrats and Liberal entertainers could come and write checks for One, Ten, One Hundred Million dollars payable to the Federal Government above and beyond what they pay in taxes.
Joke’s on them: Democrats, activists and occupiers don’t care what rich people think.
After all - rich people have too much pull in our society.
It is SO easy to call for higher income tax when...
1) you already got yours
and
2) you can now afford a tax attorney who can HIDE your “income”.. you wealth is safe.
What about philanthropy? What about donations to charities? What about voluntary contributions to the government?
Well they’ve already enjoyed low tax rates enough to accumulate their pile of assets. Will they retroactively pay the higher tax rates for years past? Or is that just for people climbing up the ladder now.
front of the card:
How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government? Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called “Gifts to the United States.” Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government.
back of the business card:
Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below. Gifts to the United States U.S. Department of the Treasury Credit Accounting Branch 3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D Hyattsville, MD 20782
Feh. Its easy to call for higher payroll taxes on the ‘rich’ when you don’t receive a paycheck.
No one will stop them from writing their own check to pay more.
Why does their guilt over not paying enough taxes apply to the rest of us?
Lunatics, disingenuous azzhats, and clueless brainwashed ideologues.
Maybe they don’t care about the term ‘rich’ so much as the concept of ‘achievement’ and ‘success’.
Of course you know we are all one mass of undifferentiated being... with NO distinctions whatsoever. No one should have more than the next guy-EVEN IF HE WORKS HARDER!! (sarc)
Because THEY have loopholes. (Ain't nobody gonna touch their stash!) If they can get higher taxes on OTHER PEOPLE, the politicians will leave THEM alone.
Anyone who believes they should pay more in taxes can simply go to the IRS website and click on the "Donate" button. Problem solved. Everybody is happy.
As others have pointed out, just another bunch of millionaires who have already accumulated enough to last out their lifetimes. What nobody wants to address is the bogus use of $250,000 in income as excessive or “rich”. For years attempts have been made for the IRS to consider indexing. Try telling two income families in New York City or Washington, DC that they are rich because they make a combined income of $250,000, most of which is spent on housing, local taxes, and transportation. Hold to artificial definitions of rich like this and you further encourage people not to get married. Just another blow against the family and a civilized society.
Being a declared Conservative in San Fransqueersco will get you disinvited from all the society functions.
It simply means that those particular wealthy folk would benefit somehow with the changes. Nothing more.
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