Hey Jade, I effin hate welfare. It's a flawed system that more people abuse than don't.

I don't collect social security, I don't use medicare, I pay my taxes and I am preparing for social security to not even BE there when it comes time for me to collect.

AND... I think Rolling Stone is a commie, pinko, leftist, POS magazine.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! I'll take care of me and my family, you take care of you and your family.

MACS

you and i paid more in taxes last year then Bank of America. they paid nothing on their profits. is that also welfare, or gaming the system?

my taxes and yours paid for the sewers that dispose of our waste and and fixed the side walks that needed fixing including the bank of america's sidewalks that they paid nothing to fix..

Last week, Forbes magazine published what the top U.S. corporations paid in taxes last year. “Most egregious,” Forbes notes, is General Electric, which “generated $10.3 billion in pretax income, but ended up owing nothing to Uncle Sam. In fact, it recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion.” Big Oil giant Exxon Mobil, which last year reported a record $45.2 billion profit, paid the most taxes of any corporation, but none of it went to the IRS:

Exxon tries to limit the tax pain with the help of 20 wholly owned subsidiaries domiciled in the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands that (legally) shelter the cash flow from operations in the likes of Angola, Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi. No wonder that of $15 billion in income taxes last year, Exxon paid none of it to Uncle Sam, and has tens of billions in earnings permanently reinvested overseas.

despite benefiting from corporate welfare in the U.S., Exxon complains about paying high taxes, claiming that it threatens energy innovation research. Pat Garofalo at the Wonk Room notes that big corporations’ tax shelter practices similar to Exxon’s shift a $100 billion annual tax burden onto U.S. taxpayers. In fact, in 2008, the Government Accountability Office found that “two out of every three United States corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1998 through 2005.”

you think of some poor family stealing food stamp, which they pay for and some people that game the system for medicare.

why did you not mention corporate welfare, which you fund out of your taxes.

it's all there written in invisible ink. you just need a brighter light.

MACS: Hear Hear! I do not get how anyone thinks that it is my responsibility or yours or the governments to provide for other people. People are responsible for themselves. So far, despite asking many times, I have never had anyone give me any justification for why I should have money that I earn taken from me and given to someone who did not earn it. The best thing that they come up with is "Because it is right". I call BS.

Rick: I believe that everyone should pay taxes. There should be a flat tax rate on income and everyone should pay it. If you have evidence that someone or some corporation is not paying taxes illegally, then that is wrong and should be addressed. If you have evidence that someone or some corporation is is not paying taxes legally, then what do you expect us to do? If it is true, then maybe tax law should be changed. Endlessly railing about how bad corporation are is not accomplishing anything. Those corporations employ people and provide them with livelihood. At least they are of some benefit. I don't see how you can endlessly beat on the idea that because they make big profit, they should pay more money to the government than anyone else. That kind of punish the successful mentality will bring down our country. Did you not read Ayn Rand?

Illegal war? Prove it.

Torture? Prove it.

The people of the Tea Party are speaking their minds? So what. The First Amendment gives them the right to do that. If you don't agree with what they are saying, that is also your right. I don't agree with what you say most of the time. I do not spew invective about you and try to silence you though, as I recognize that you have the right to say what you want.

What does a family do that has not had income for a year and can not eat? I don't know, but it is not my oblgation to take care of them. In the America that I live in, if you are in trouble your friends or family or church or community would pull together to help you. But ultimately, it is your problem and no one is responsible for you but you. In your America it might not be that way. Some of the population and government have been trying hard for a long time to break down and get rid of the ideas of personal responsiblity and community. Don't know why, but they do.

Medicare is a shining example of a program that was started by the government when it decided that it did not have to follow the Constitution and that it should start programs that did not fall under its purview to start. For too long (since FDR) the federal government has done everything it can to grow and bloat and take over aspects of life and society that it should not. It is time to stop. The founding fathers were proponents of strong states held together in a union under a minimal federal government. We need to get back to that.

I am not attacking you personally, I just do not see or agree with the view point that you have presented about how things are.





J

I agree but I question whether it is possible at this late date to change the Nanny State mentality that has metastasised into nearly every segment of this culture. We've got millions of people who drink deeply the entitlements Kool-Aid and, should government somehow decide to derail the Welfare gravy train, they face limited entry level jobs to go to even if they did decide to start supporting themselves.

The welfare gravy train can only be broken when the money runs out. Promising money gets votes.

When does the money run out?: See Spain, Greece, Portugal, France, Germany, United Kingdom.

Tough love is happening all over Europe.

Bravo Rick.......I love listening to people bitch about some family receiving a couple of hundreds of dollars a month to eat. Really makes me proud to be an American. The greatest trick the leading class have ever pulled on the people of this country is to make the poor believe the party of the rich is actually for THEM. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I can picture a bunch of rich men sitting around saying...."Hey....you know what poor white trash hates? Queers and abortions and Mexicans!! Let's be AGAINST THAT!!!"

The US tax code is completely legalized corruption. Plain and simple. It always has been and always will be.

With that being said, when it comes to corporate taxation there are difficult choices to make. The notion of taxing companies into tthe dirt sounds very grass-roots appealing until we realize that those tax increases will have to be offset.

How are the tax increases offset?

1. Cut labor force.
2. Stagnate wages.
3. Raise prices.
4. Invest in other countries instead of the USA.
5. Cut profits and eventually file bankruptcy.

All five are happening right now and we have 9.6% unemployed and a large amount of people who are underemployed or quit seeking employment. Companies are not hiring because of the threat of increased corporate taxes and Obamacare.

Obama's stimulus package was desired to create or save government jobs and reduce private sector influence. It has worked out a little less than desired.

Those individuals living off the government want companies to live off the government less so those individuals living off the government can live off the government even more. If you already live off the government, the five offsets won't affect you to much so kill the corporations.

If it was just a couple hundred a month to eat, that would be one thing. It isn't. It's section 8 housing, a debit card for food, cash for non-food stuff, etc... and the system is ABUSED. What part of that do you not get?

More than half the people ON welfare are ABUSING THE SYSTEM. AND - they're giving it to people who do not deserve it... i.e. - non-citizens.

Where did I say I thought the rich shouldn't be taxed? Where did I say I thought ANY party was for me? Quit putting words in my mouth.

What I said was welfare is an abused system (it most certainly is) and I think that people should be responsible for themselves. Don't read any further into it than that. If you have specific questions about my stance on the issue, ask, instead of assuming.

calavera

i read the fountain head in the late 50's and i have lived
my life like howard roark.

ayn rand's next book "atlas shrugged" was
unadulterated BS.

prove the war was illegal? prove we used torture?

are you trying to be cute. it was in all the newspapers and
on radio and tv. where have you been?

Endlessly railing about how bad corporation are is not
accomplishing anything. .
it is suppossed to bring awarness to the voters

Those corporations employ people and provide them
with livelihood. At least they are of some benefit. I don't
see how you can endlessly beat on the idea that
because they make big profit,they should pay more
money to the government than anyone else.

where did i suggest that? doln't waste time looking, i
never did. according to the people that study corporate
tax, some don't pay any.

i don't feel attacked and i don't believe you meant to
attack me. we just disagree.

is the VA a violation of the constitution, sending people
off to war to be killed or maimed with the promise to pay
$200.00 to bury them or provide for medical care for
their war wounds?

we build roads for everyone to use, should we let people
die if they get sick?

This one minute video can save your souls,

The Medicare system is an example of the govt. Running something better than any corporation could?! Are you effing kidding me? Dude if you believe that than there truely i5 n0 h0pe f0r you. Medicare is broken, Medicaid is broken.......wake up. Le Hockey Dad provided some good examples of where we are heading.