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Important (shocking, appalling) info from Robert Reich: (Original Post) tblue37 Apr 2019 OP
APPALLING! True Dough Apr 2019 #1
GOP tax scam Traildogbob Apr 2019 #6
The individual income tax provisions expire at the end of 2025. It's not a one year thing, but 8 progree Apr 2019 #20
Corruption is constantly transferring more and more wealth to the already wealthiest. democratisphere Apr 2019 #2
This is a bit of a false cut-off - the Federal Minimum Wage is only $7.25/hour erronis Apr 2019 #3
That was my thought exboyfil Apr 2019 #4
I recently reviewed all the fines they pay... Pluvious Apr 2019 #5
Or we could just let history repeat itself Fritz Walter Apr 2019 #7
I am sorry to say.. BigOleDummy Apr 2019 #10
Paul Ryan considered his zentrum Apr 2019 #8
Is anyone surprised? This is Reality 101. Boomerproud Apr 2019 #9
We have a federal minimum wage. PoindexterOglethorpe Apr 2019 #11
Pro athletes would be hit hardest by a $5 million cap. riverine Apr 2019 #13
So? PoindexterOglethorpe Apr 2019 #15
I commend you for being consistent on that. riverine Apr 2019 #17
When did we decide that MAKING MONEY OFF OF MAKING MONEY was an American, Christian 'Value' Volaris Apr 2019 #12
The bonuses get distributed to everyone. Blue_true Apr 2019 #14
WTF???? a kennedy Apr 2019 #16
From the same Robert Reich thread alfredo Apr 2019 #18
Criminal and cruel southerncrone Apr 2019 #19

True Dough

(17,304 posts)
1. APPALLING!
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 03:14 PM
Apr 2019

More evidence of the rich getting richer. The imbalance is far too much. We know Trump has only made things worse with his tax cut.

We need to reverse course in a big, big way.

Traildogbob

(8,731 posts)
6. GOP tax scam
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 04:45 PM
Apr 2019

Let us not forget, he made the Corp and billionaire tax cut permanent. The tax "cut" for the rest of us is "one" year only. That cut had millions of tax payers realize they owed a shit load back this year. Just wait and see what happens next year, when "our" tax break expires. MAGA! 60, that's right, 60 major corporations paid zero taxes this year, actually many got refunds or even subsidies. Winning, the damn winning is killing us. Damn libruls with socialism economics.

progree

(10,904 posts)
20. The individual income tax provisions expire at the end of 2025. It's not a one year thing, but 8
Wed Apr 17, 2019, 10:04 AM
Apr 2019

years.
https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/despite-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-federal-tax-system-becoming-more-progressive-over-time

But you are correct that the individual tax cuts are temporary, while the corporate ones are permanent.

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)
2. Corruption is constantly transferring more and more wealth to the already wealthiest.
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 03:32 PM
Apr 2019

We need to elect politicians that will actually do something about THIS instead of providing a whole bunch of rambling lip service.

erronis

(15,241 posts)
3. This is a bit of a false cut-off - the Federal Minimum Wage is only $7.25/hour
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 03:47 PM
Apr 2019

Anyone making more than that would not be counted in this comparison.

It would be better to use the federal poverty level ($12,140/year for an individual) but that would not have made the differences seem so stark.

Still the incredible imbalance does not bode well for future stability.


exboyfil

(17,862 posts)
4. That was my thought
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 03:52 PM
Apr 2019

I would like to get a handle on the ratio of Federal taxes/wealth for individuals. The three richest in the US have more wealth than the bottom 50%.

Fritz Walter

(4,291 posts)
7. Or we could just let history repeat itself
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 05:36 PM
Apr 2019

By now, we’ve all seen the warning from Nick Hanauer to fellow plutocrats about pitchforks.
Or — if you haven’t — watch this:



In light of recent news from France, perhaps these oligarchs would respond better if guillotines were re-introduced to public squares.

BigOleDummy

(2,270 posts)
10. I am sorry to say..
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 07:32 PM
Apr 2019

.. that this was the first time I've seen this. This guy seems to get it but I do not think the majority of his class does or will. People like our chump in chief DO think they are better than the rest of us and it WILL probably take us getting our pitchforks out before they listen. Thank you for posting this Mr. Walter.

zentrum

(9,865 posts)
8. Paul Ryan considered his
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 05:38 PM
Apr 2019

...work done once the tax cut for the rich was enacted. McConnell also considers it his signature action.

Demons.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,853 posts)
11. We have a federal minimum wage.
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 08:39 PM
Apr 2019

We need a federal maximum wage.

I'm willing to be very generous and set it at five million dollars a year. If you can't live on that, then too bad.

 

riverine

(516 posts)
13. Pro athletes would be hit hardest by a $5 million cap.
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 09:22 PM
Apr 2019

Since people like Warren Buffett, Bezos, and Gates made their fortunes on stock appreciation. You can't stop that kind of wealth creation unless you are a full on company-seizing socialist/communist.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,853 posts)
15. So?
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 09:52 PM
Apr 2019

If they can't live on $5million/year I haven't a lot of sympathy. Not to mention, it's not all that long ago that pro athletes didn't make millions and millions of dollars. I don't happen to be interested enough in pro sports to attend a game, but every so often I see recent information on how much tickets cost and I'm genuinely shocked. I'm astonished that anyone can afford to go to the games, but maybe my response is simply an indication of how relatively poor I really am.

And yeah, I know that even without a federal maximum people high up in the corporate hierarchy have all sorts of tricks to evade taxes, such as stock options.

Someone who understands these things better than I do can come up with a sensible solution. Maybe the cap should be $10 or $20 million, but yes, I honestly think there ought to be an upper limit to wages. Confiscating excess income and redistributing it does not seem like such a bad idea.

And I'm not advocating a tax on wealth as such. Occasionally such things have been brought up here. I am doing as well as I am, even though my income is somewhat below the national median, because most of my adult life I saved significant portions of my income, invested it, and am now finally reaping the reward. So if you save and invest, you deserve to reap the rewards. But a CEO

There ought to be a limit on what companies can pay their upper management. At least have a law that says the highest paid employees can only make some specific multiple of the lowest paid employee, and that multiple should not be thousands of times more. A couple of hundred times more at the very most. THAT would create a rising tide that would lift all boats.

 

riverine

(516 posts)
17. I commend you for being consistent on that.
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 10:05 PM
Apr 2019

Many on the far left don't mind a LeBron James or Leonardo DeCaprio pulling down $50 milllion/yr but will gripe about a CEO who does the same.

That said I don't support a cap but will support higher tax rates on that kind of income.

Volaris

(10,270 posts)
12. When did we decide that MAKING MONEY OFF OF MAKING MONEY was an American, Christian 'Value'
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 09:17 PM
Apr 2019

Good gods, yes. TAX these fuckers.

There IS a federal mininum wage. There should ALSO BE a federal MAXIMUM wage (set at a hundred grand per year).

You should be able to EARN, or 'pay yourself, or someone else' a hundred grand per year, tax-free.
Anything over that regardless of source, should be considered INCOME, and should be taxed on a progressive curve starting at 10%.

Any accountant worth their dergree should be able to do that very simple math, and that should apply to corps as well as individuals.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
14. The bonuses get distributed to everyone.
Tue Apr 16, 2019, 09:31 PM
Apr 2019

Yes, higher ups get bigger bonuses, but relative new hires can also take home tens of thousands in bonus money. Fantastical headlines always get people's attention, but the bare truth usually is something else.

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