Posted on 12/19/2019 5:11:56 AM PST by karpov
Among the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment is the right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." You have a right, in other words, to communicate with the government, to complain about its current policies, and to advocate for new and different ones without fear of punishment or censor. You might call it a right to lobby.
That unlimited right to lobby the lawmakers who make decisions that affect your life, your family, and your fortune is one that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) thinks American businesses should not have. The candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination has proposed taxing corporate lobbying. Expenditures between $500,000 and $1 million would be taxed at 35 percent. Spending over $1 million would face a 60 percent tax rate, which would jump to 75 percent above $5 million. Some nonprofits would be exempt, but the tax would hit trade associations as well as corporations.
Warren's campaign estimates that if the rule had been in place over the last decade and businesses had made no changes to their lobbying activities, it would have raised about $10 billion in government revenue. But the point isn't really to generate new funds from taxation. It's to eliminate much of the advocacy that happens in Washington.
"We can end excessive lobbying," Warren wrote on Medium in October. The point of the tax is thus to eliminate, or at least severely degrade, a fundamental provision of the Bill of Rights. It is probably unconstitutional and certainly anti-constitutional, in the sense that it is contrary to the spirit of the First Amendment.
That's not surprising coming from Warren, whose respect for the Constitution knows many bounds. A number of Warren's vaunted plans—from her wealth tax to her proposed executive order banning fracking—appear to violate constitutional requirements.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet
Beat me to it.
“...does the evil witch have any ideas that are not unconstitutional? …”
I have read several articles that have change as their theme. The idea is that “progressives” want change above all else. It does not matter whether that change is beneficial. It only matters that they accomplished it. Further, the moment they have that change, they will want even more change. They are motivated not by logic but by the need to force something different to happen, but played to their tune.
We went from ratifying gay marriage to “you have to bake the cake and wax the crotch” in mere months. One wonders what will come next. Whatever it is, it will require us to learn new words and wrap our heads around insane logic. (Cisgender and woke are terms now so old they are probably already banned.)
They will eventually change the “tax” on lobbying based on some arbitrary formula that will hurt political opponents more than supporters.
How about a 20% wealth tax on all elected officials at all levels, and their extended families, until the federal budget is balanced?
How about a 20% wealth tax on all elected officials at all levels, and their extended families, until the federal budget is balanced?”
...AND all federal gov employeess...AND their families.
If this would ban corporate $$$$ from further polluting our system, she has actually proposed something I would be wholeheartedly in favor of.
Since the courts have held (based on the notes from a property tax case in the 1870’s involving a railroad) that corporations are legally “people” with all the rights a living human has, it won’t stand up. It would be good if it could though.
I guess she’s not smart enough to know that former congresscritters in general, especially former senators, are the ones the big lobbying firms hire?
Probably thinks she’s going leave office when she dies.
As stupid as that sounds, I can see it polling north of 70% with the general public.
She’s taxing the wrong end of the lobbying. She should make the politicians and fed workers pay the tax on benefits received.
I guess I am the general public because I have always felt we have the best government that money can buy.Something has got to be done to get this government back in the hands of the people. The enormous amount of money spent on elections, lobbying and related activities deprives the very notion of one man one vote unless the person happens to have gobs of money to funnel about. If you do not, write an email or make a phone call to your elected official and hope your idea gets tallied. If you are the one pouring money on DC, you get an audience with the official. If you are pouring tons of money, you get an audience plus probably get to meet over dinner or go on a trip with them.
Unions, ~10% of the workers during the 2016 campaign, shelling out $1.713 billion, with the vast majority being spent to support Democratic candidates.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/labor-spent-1-7-billion-on-politics-in-2016-mostly-for-dems
And how much on ‘in-kind support’?
It appears at a glance that unions are spending about half of all lobbying money or more.
The unions are over-represented and should be taxed to level the field.
$3.42 billion on lobbying in 2018,
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/lobbying-spending-reaches-3-4-billion-in-18/
Warren will be in Oklahoma City on Sunday, December 22. She will be joined by Kendra Horn, the OK 5 Representative that just voted for impeachment. I hope that Oklahomans show both of these progressive individuals a warm welcome and express our true feelings about their actions. Oklahoma is at the forefront of fracking technology, so let us show them how much we appreciate their efforts.....
:)
“: Darteaus94025
How about a 20% wealth tax on all elected officials at all levels, and their extended families, until the federal budget is balanced?”
...AND all federal gov employeess...AND their families.”
And all flag officers. Double it for those who become defense contractor lobbyists.
Never pass.
A money tree for the pols.
Political prostitution.
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