[Pan_Yans Wife]

I'll say it again, and I will say it until I am blue in the face.

Why is it that these wealthy liberal elitists do not quibble over tax increases that they can afford, when the typical middle-class American family is being squeezed from the right and the left, and pinching pennies?

If these liberals love these pet projects so very much, why don't they support charities that could offer the same services?

The liberals' idea of compassion through taxation leaves me confused and angry. I'll take compassionate conservatism any day of the week, over the alternative that they offer.

[mewzilla]

Why is it that these wealthy liberal elitists do not quibble over tax increases that they can afford,...

Oh, but they do quibble...Remember what just happened up in WA a few weeks ago? The libs voting down their latte tax? Freaking hypocrits.

[auboy]

Why is it that these wealthy liberal elitists do not quibble over tax increases that they can afford, when the typical middle-class American family is being squeezed from the right and the left, and pinching pennies?

Maybe it's that misery loves company. Even with her millions, Katie is not a happy camper these days. Bush is in the White House… Arnold is new Governor of California… Katie is not Queen of the Universe.

When you worship the god "More", you'll never have enough money, power, ego, et al… and you'll never be truly happy.

[mo]

Confusion is understandable...their postion is one derived from the internal effort at constant "compartmentalization" of morally conflicting ideas and behavior...i.e. it is the outward manifestation of a borderline sociopathic thought process. the Clinton duo evidence this in its most mature form presently.

[johnb838]

The liberals' idea of compassion through taxation leaves me confused and angry.

Isn't that the definition of liberalizm? Doing good with someone else's money? That's why I have a hard time with those who say they are social liberals and fiscal conservatives -- by definition it's about wealth transfer (socializm)

[Wright is right!]

"Why is it that these wealthy liberal elitists do not quibble over tax increases that they can afford, when the typical middle-class American family is being squeezed from the right and the left, and pinching pennies?"

You've got to understand how Katie gets paid (and just about every other high-dollar lib you see on TV)in order to understand why taxes don't faze them. It's because THEY DON'T PAY THEM.

Compensation packages for the TV people you see are carefully structured to minimize any taxes. In her case, NBC pays a production company Couric owns for her "services." That company pays all her expenses, which it can deducting from operating income. It can pay for her house, car, anything related to "maintaining her public image," which is what NBC pays her for. It pays for her clothes, grooming, you name it. And it then pays HER a nominal "salary," which she pays taxes on at probably the same rate you do. She also receives deferred compensation, which means that not all of the $7M she earns this year is PAID to her company this year.

Another way high-dollar earners shield themselves from taxation is to set up a Foundation and have the network pay the foundation the money. The foundation pays for house, car, you name it, and donates the required 5% of its assets each year to charity. 5% is a very very low "tax" rate.

Michael