Missing entry

October 2, 2016

You are the one who's going to flip out because it's more likely than not that he has recouped

that entire $916 Million over the past 18 years through non payment of taxes on other earnings he's had since 1995. So he'll get the last laugh. I posted this information along with other links regarding Trump in another post linked below. People here should read it. You won't be laughing when you do.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2460438

October 2, 2016

I read all the articles related to Trumps income tax and the probability that he's paid no taxes

since 1995 and the fact that he could get away with that legally should be disturbing to everyone. FTR, I am an accountant and I read through all the articles below, beginning with the first one which shows how Trump can legally rack up 916M in debt with his Atlantic City casinos and write that debt off over 18 years against other taxable income he has over an 18 year period (going 3 years back from the year the loss was incurred and 15 years forward into the future). Professional accounting firms have looked into this matter for the NY Times and vouch for the fact that based on existing tax laws, it is possible for Trump to have written off 916M in losses over an 18 year period, against income earned in that 18 year period and never having paid any taxes. My one question which wasn't mentioned in the first article was, what about AMT, (Alternate Minimum Tax). This is a tax imposed by the federal government usually applicable to wealthy people that is suppose to make sure that people with lots of deductions and loses pay at least some taxes.

The system is definitely rigged on behalf of wealthy real estate owners, as they can take deductions that the average Joe cannot. The major deduction is depreciation which in most cases you can take a deduction for property which in many cases has appreciated. Also in most cases Trump was able to secure/negotiate tax breaks and tax credits that no one else could, probably as a result of crony capitalism. Also in spite of of six bankrupcies Trump seems to still manage to secure financing from lenders. Try that John Q Public. Also the thought that someone could have hundreds of millions of income and pay no taxes for 18 years while still increasing his net worth year in and year out over that same period just seems wrong on so many levels. I think everyone should read these 4 articles and if they information is determined to be accurate, i think the people who DO PAY TAXES should revolt. We should tell Congress on January 1,2017, that we are not going to pay any taxes owed until the provisions in the tax code that allowed this to happen are repealed. And mean it.

Trump Tax Records Obtained by The Times Reveal He Could Have Avoided Paying Taxes for Nearly Two Decades
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html?_r=0

A Trump Empire Built on Inside Connections and $885 Million in Tax Breaks
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/nyregion/donald-trump-tax-breaks-real-estate.html

Trump Casinos’ Tax Debt Was $30 Million. Then Christie Took Office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/us/politics/trump-chris-christie-casinos.html

Donald Trump’s Deals Rely on Being Creative With the Truth
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/us/politics/donald-trump-business.html

February 21, 2016

Donald Trump is the most ignorant, tone deaf, blowhard ever !!!!!! He is proof positive that

even if you're a billionaire, you cannot buy CLASS. No amount of money can. Apparently, even with his education at the finest schools, and the Wharton School of Business, he never was introduced to the concept of humility or the art of being a gracious winner. His family seemed truly embarrassed standing next to him on that stage. As he went on and on with that rambling victory speech, which could only have been inspired by Sarah Palin, I'm sure his daughter Ivanka was thinking, "Please just say Thank You, and SHUT THE F UP!"

I believe that America, in spite of her warts (namely the GOP), truly is the greatest nation on earth; and as such, she cannot have a dick for a president. Therefore, I agree with President Obama, that Donald Trump will never be president of the United States. In addition to supporting Hillary as my candidate, I will also do whatever is within my power, to help see that Donald Trump is defeated.

February 17, 2016

I think it's obvious that many here at DU thinks that their views represent the Democratic Party

and that the party is as angry as people on this board are, about the same things. However, I live in California, and I don't know anyone personally who frequents DU other than myself. As the primary season progresses across the nation, it might be comforting for people here to think that they have their hands on the pulse of the nation, and everyone feels as they do, but I would disagree. Most of the people I know, or work with, or meet with and talk with standing in line at the bank or grocery store, or doctor's office, or socialize with are not aware of a tenth of the things which are discussed here on this board and I meet with and talk with a diverse segment of people on a daily basis. Most have seen none of the debates or watch on a regular basis, any news or political shows on cable tv like MSNBC or CNN, but they all are out there on Facebook posting what they did over the weekend. So for people here to think that the party is as passionate as they are, they would be mistaken.

February 10, 2016

Dear Hillary and Bill,

Dear Hillary and Bill,

Thank you for your service to your country. I and others appreciate what you have tried to do for this country.

Unfortunately, there is a nasty segment of our society who, because they have political differences with you, hate you so much that they would stop at nothing to see your candidacy destroyed and you and your family humiliated.

There is a plan to resurrect the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal of the 90’s and try to drag you through the mud if that is what it will take to destroy your candidacy and you as well. So I would like to suggest that you take all those millions you and Bill earned legally, in speaking fees and buy yourselves the best house on Martha’s Vineyard where you and your family can retire to in peace. Your family doesn’t need this. The country doesn’t need to go through this again.

The young women of today don’t understand what your generation and my generation of women as well as women of many generations before that, had to go through to change attitudes in the workplace, in universities, and the legistative houses across this country for our daughters who came after us. Andrea Mitchell reported today that the young women who support Bernie Sanders don’t remember the struggle that women like Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Gloria Steinem and a host of many others who went before them, to clear the path that allows them to move forward they move down unimpeded today. As Andrea quoted, “they said that they don’t remember those things, and they have their own problems to deal with. They have college debt to pay off. ”

I’m curious how many of Bernie’s young white women supporters realize how much they have been the principle benefactors of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Affirmative Action Laws, and Title IX.

While people of color, individually and as groups, have been helped by affirmative action in the subsequent years, data and studies suggest women — white women in particular — have benefited disproportionately. According to one study, in 1995, 6 million women, the majority of whom were white, had jobs they wouldn’t have otherwise held but for affirmative action.

Another study shows that women made greater gains in employment at companies that do business with the federal government, which are therefore subject to federal affirmative-action requirements, than in other companies — with female employment rising 15.2% at federal contractors but only 2.2% elsewhere. And the women working for federal-contractor companies also held higher positions and were paid better.

http://ideas.time.com/2013/06/17/affirmative-action-has-helped-white-women-more-than-anyone/

Educational programs and activities that receive ED funds must operate in a nondiscriminatory manner. Some key issue areas in which recipients have Title IX obligations are: recruitment, admissions, and counseling; financial assistance; athletics; sex-based harassment; treatment of pregnant and parenting students; discipline; single-sex education; and employment. Also, a recipient may not retaliate against any person for opposing an unlawful educational practice or policy, or made charges, testified or participated in any complaint action under Title IX. For a recipient to retaliate in any way is considered a violation of Title IX. The ED Title IX regulations (Volume 34, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 106) provide additional information about the forms of discrimination prohibited by Title IX.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

I know how it was to be young and naive at one time. Well actually I don’t, because as a young POC, I had too much responsibility as a child, and as a teen, as well as a young adult, to have the luxury of being young and naïve. But I can imagine what it might have felt like.

I also, feel bad knowing that their victory, should Bernie succeed in winning the Democratic nomination, will be a hollow victory, because chances are more likely than not, nothing will come of it. Being white in America, comes with privileges that people of color can only imagine, and white people take for granted, every day.

So go about your lives Bill and Hillary. Leave tonight. Run don’t walk. You’ve put in your time. Don’t wait for this primary to be over. I assure you, even if you win, and I know that you can still win, you will lose so much in the process, and you don’t deserve that.

Thank you again for you service and have a good life.

PoliticalJunkie41910

February 8, 2016

I just watched the Bernie interview from the Huff Post interview where

Bernie was asked what would make people vote against there own self interest and Bernie said that he didn't know. But in saying he doesn't know, he's insinuating that a vote against Bernie IS a vote against one's own self interest. Something I don't happen to agree with.

After almost 8 years of gridlock, I don't think we can take another 8 years of more gridlock, or even 4 years of gridlock.

So a Bernie supporter said in another thread that,"You know that Bernie's agenda is not going to happen unless we win a majority of both Houses of Congress"? Well no shit Sherlock!!!!

So listen up Bernie supporters, come 2017, and 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 etc, etc, it's going to be YOUR FAULT that you have no FREE College Education, No FREE Universal Health Care, No 3 months Paid Maternity Leave, No Doubling of your Social Security benefits, because the Dems are not going to control the House before 2022 at the earliest because of gerrymandering and the soonest we could hope to have a major redistricting. That's UUUUUGGGGEEEE I know, but I think you need a dose of reality. None of the GOP is going to vote for new taxes on the wealthy or Big Business, or on anybody for that matter, because of that pledge they all take, and threats of increased taxation will just ensure more businesses leaving the country. Dems in purple states are not going to vote to increase taxes. There was a reason that the Dems lost the House after passing the ACA.

The reason that you're not going to have all those things is because YOU didn't deliver Bernie the Revolution that he needed to pass all that FREE stuff through both houses of Congress. You're not going to have all those things because our nation is 19 Trillion dollars in debt, our nation's infrastructure is crumbling and we are already besieged by growing entitlement programs that we can't afford to pay for now, let alone pay for new entitlement programs, and double a Social Security benefit which is not going to be able to continue to pay its current level of payments in less than 20 years from now if we do nothing to ensure its survivability.

I know many of you Bernie supporters are young and idealists. But, Bernie would be the oldest president to be elected POTUS should he win in November, so it's a good bet that neither of you are going to get to the mountaintop together. So every Revolution needs to have a Plan B.

February 5, 2016

Someone should remind Bernie that it takes money to run a presidential campaign. We're just in

the primaries. Whomever is the Democratic nominee is going to have a wave of campaign ads thrown their way and they won't be paid for with $27 donations. Which is why I don't get bent out of shape by the fact that Clinton took large sums of money for speeches. She knows from experience that presidential campaigns don't come cheap. Maybe Bernie being from a small state like Vermont, which is next door to a small state like New Hampshire, is the actual Bubble Boy. Campaigns have to travel. They have to rent office space and equipment, and they have to pay for campaign ads to get their message out and to correct misleading information. I don't like that SCOTUS has made it possible for PACs to dump unlimited amounts of money from people like the Koch Bros and that rich guy from Vegas who all the GOP flocks to in order to kiss his ring.

Hillary would have been committing political malpractice if she wasn't out there raising money for her campaign, or she ran out of of money towards the end of the campaign. Many campaigns end up with huge debt that takes them years to pay off.

For the record, a lot of groups looking for speakers, are doing so for big affairs they put on. Some of these events are annual events and used by organizations for their own annual fundraising and they charge high prices for their tickets. They need someone who has some prestige to charge those high ticket prices and to ensure attendance. I know because I've been on that side when I was trying to raise funds for my kid's catholic schools for fundraising for athletic equipment or resurfacing the track, or building a new building to replace the old trailers used for classrooms, and when I was in college, speakers for commencements. You're competing with lots of other civic organizations and those people charge money for travel and their time. Yes, Hillary could have charged a lot less, but you know what, word gets around. If Hillary spoke at a small group's fundraiser, or commencement, everyone would be knocking on her door to speak at theirs. Somehow, when a person of Hillary's stature said her fee is $300,000 you decide that you'd better take a second look at that Manager at Costco, who once played quarterback at UCLA.

February 5, 2016

I would like to take a break from the usual back and forth bickering here to pose a question

that was on C-Span this morning. Backbitting about either Dem Candidate need not respond.

C-Span asked the viewers during what appeared to be a later segment this morning, the following question regarding Iowa and New Hampshire being the leading states in the primary:

What would you propose as a change to the current process of allowing Iowa and New Hampshire,two states who don't represent the country's demographics, to go first in the nation?

Most of the callers thought that small monolithic states like Iowa and NH should not get to go first while other states get penalized if they try to move up their elections. Some people called in defending the current process, but others offered proposals like everyone voting the same day, to rotating state primaries. One guy stated rotating the states each presidential primary starting with Alaska and continuing in alphabetical order. When the moderator told him that it would take 200 years to get through all the states, the caller said "I knew it would take a while, but I didn't realize it would take that long." Others though Iowa and NH should remain because it allowed the country watching from outside, to get to know the candidates and it was an affordable way of getting to know the candidates. Most thought the caucus had outlived their usefulness. Campaign financing of all candidates would be wonderful, but the SCOTUS has determined that contributions are free speech.

I hesitated to to offer up my suggestion because I wanted to encourage a discussion rather than attacks on others ideas, so I didn't.

I would however, like to offer up my suggestion about how the primary process is covered. but not necessarily about the primary process itself though, for whatever process was put in place, or should the current process be retained.

That suggestion is: I would make it illegal for any news organizations, political groups, institutions, etc to include private citizens to conduct ANY polls during the entire primary process. No polls of any type of the candidates. My reasoning is twofold. One Polls influence outcomes. First, going back to the beginning of 2015/early spring, I began seeing polls on MSNBC that said simply, "Do you think that Hillary Clinton is Honest and Trustworthy." This at a time when the Congress's polling numbers was at 9%. The poll was repeated about once a month at least, and each time I saw it, the number that though she was not Honest and Trustworthy grew". I never saw a similar poll about the other perspective candidates until long after primary season was under way, and then only one time. I don't doubt that some people actually think that Hillary is not Honest or Trustworthy, but anyone out there who has taken a basic course in human behavior or hasn't studied human behavior would know that if you repeated something often enough, it becomes a fact. This, mind you, was before any of the masses descended on Iowa and NH canvassing voters. Polling influences perceptions. Polling influences votes.

Secondly, the press has given unprecedented coverage to one individual including free media time. Since, I conclude that Polling numbers are influenced by how much coverage individuals get. if any station gives air time to one candidate, they must give that same time to all candidates in an equal time space. Donald Trump can call in on any show at any time and talk for as long as he wants. This is unprecedented. Don't think that future candidates won't have figured out what they need to do or say, what types of antics they must engage in, to get Trump-style coverage in future primaries. The current equal rule time is not adequate because it allows a station to give the reciprocal time space at whatever time that station wants which would be the least watched time slot, probably late on a Saturday night when no one's watching. Please don't waste time debating this, Lawrence O'Donnell explained what the rules are on a show a couple of months ago.

January 30, 2016

So yesterday Bernie announced that every woman should have 3 months FREE maternity leave

Is this part of the official Bernie Sanders platform, or is this just Bernie being Bernie? You know..."If you say FREE, they will come caucus for you."

I recall several months ago when some groups were demonstrating to raise the minimum wage and also calling for mandatory sick leave for employees. They were asking for either 5 or 7 days mandatory sick leave and meeting with strong resistance even from the Gov of New Jersey. Now I happen to think everyone who works should have some paid time off, including paid sick leave and paid vacation time off; even those who work part time. No one wants someone coming into the office or restaurant, or grocery store who's sick and passing it on to everyone else. However many small and some not so small employers have been reluctant to past laws even when they are popular.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/05/27/3662199/christie-paid-sick-leave/

I live in California, where most women I know get 6 weeks maternity leave. Some employees can purchase a disability policy on their own from the state which guarantees them 6 weeks maternity leave, even if their employer doesn't offer it. Who wouldn't love 12 weeks maternity leave, but if employers say they can't afford to pay 7 days sick leave, what makes Bernie believe employers can afford to pay 12 weeks maternity leave. Bernie says he will pass legislation and make it mandatory. But will they have to make it mandatory for men also. After all, men would want to bond with their newborn child also. Of course Bernie will.