At Sotheby's, Finally, the 99 Percent Were the Highest Bidder
Posted 13 years ago on Sept. 23, 2011, 4:11 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
At 10 a.m. yesterday morning, activists involved in #OCCUPYWALLSTREET paid a visit to a Sotheby's art auction. Last year Sotheby's made record profits, enough so that their CEO Bill Rupprecht awarded himself a 125 percent raise. At the same time the company decided to use union-busting tactics, demanding over 100 concessions to the IBT 814 Art Handlers Union Contract. With their unionized workforce currently on lockout, Sotheby's continues to operate using scabs and a non-union subcontractor and wants all new hires to have no collective bargaining rights, no health benefits and no job security.
Today's auction was held on the seventh floor of Sotheby's Upper East Side auction house—a sterile atmosphere, ripe with the stench of expensive perfume. The activists staggered their entrances and planted themselves in the crowd of businessmen and women, all gathered to witness the sale of artwork, with prices ranging from the average salary of a working American to the average cost of an American home. The first of the activists took the room by surprise, disrupting the auction and announcing that “Sotheby's made $680 million dollars last year but then they kicked their art handlers out on the street!”
While making a call for security, the auctioneer read a prepared statement kept on her podium for just this sort of demonstration. “Thank you for your patience, ladies and gentlemen,” she said, “I hope that is the last interruption we have today.”
However, nine surprise demonstrations disrupted the two-hour auction. One protestor shouted “This is disgusting! Art is about truth.” Another, in sunglasses and a "Greed Kills" T-shirt attested that the “greed in this building is a direct example of the corporate greed that has ruined our economy.” The #OCCUPYWALLSTREET activists were there to show solidarity with the art handlers in their struggle for worker's rights and to warn of a coming increase in direct protests against the top 1 percent of New York City's economic food chain.
“In addition to auctioning off these fine pieces of artwork,” said Mary Clinton, one of the demonstrators, “today Sotheby's is auctioning off the American dream.”
All nine were escorted from the premise by security, shouting, “End the lockout!” and “Occupy Wall Street!” Sotheby's auctions epitomize the disconnect between the extremely wealthy and the rest of us. These are the same financial elite who were bailed out in their moment of need and who now refuse to pay their fair share in taxes.
@Equity: as somebody else explained income tax is a farce. these people are "investment" class and make ALL their real income from capital gains:
"In 2008–2012, the tax rate on qualified dividends and long term capital gains is 0% for those in the 10% and 15% income tax brackets."
god is great fuck usury those that sin against your brothers and sisters your time is coming to an end
Your comment doesn't actually address anything that I posted.
Go find Barney Frank and ask him why he was the architect of the "Everyone should own a home" initiative!!! Who bailed out all those people that got a mortgage and didn't even have a job? The taxpayers!
Sorry guys, Barney Frank was the seed who made this all happen.
Look up Rightwing Authoritarian Followers. Take the test. Read.
Don't forget Dodd .
These are the numbers:
The top 1% control roughly 43% of the wealth The next 9 % control an additional 40% The bottom 90% only control 17% of the wealth
Is this a democratic society? or a PYRAMID SCHEME?
Source: http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Keep it up everyone!!
"The top 1% control roughly 43% of the wealth The next 9 % control an additional 40% The bottom 90% only control 17% of the wealth."
So?
Equate those figures now with the wealth produced by this nation, how the working class fits into the picture, and how those not working and those on welfare share in all of this.
SO?? Since when does "control" equate to "personally have in their possession(bank account) as their sole property"
I personally would like to support some of the efforts of OWS but you have allowed your reason for existing to be so distorted that you are beginning to look a bit foolish in my opinion.
I have seen more greed and jealousy evidenced as a result of the OWS movement that I can really be a part of.
You see problems, try to solve the problems - you are slowly becoming a part of the problem.
Who really cares what Sothebys sells and how much it brings. Art dealers are are Americans too. Go paint your own pictures if you don't like the prices. Who are you kidding.
i wonder if any of those artists were hoping for their payday after years of poverty only to have protestors interupt. but i also wonder what their commission is after the acution house and branded dealer get their cut.
but i guess nobody argues about artists when the majority don't have the basics.
third world disparity in the usa
You also would have to ask, what it costs to advertise an auction of the scale that Sotheby's put on, what their overhead is, etc.
Why the simple one-eyed vision of the world on so many issues. Is it really going to make America a better society if you sit around and wonder what Sotheby's cut or commission was?? What is the point in such wasteful discussion. I am sure that if you went down to Sotheby's with any credibility they would be more than happy to tell you what their commission would be for selling your piece of art. Then it becomes your choice - that is what America is all about. Freedom of choice.
You take away my freedom of choice and I hurt you. That includes the freedom of choice to sell through an art auction, on the street corner, in my own studio, or in a tourist shop along some interstate highway.
i wonder if any of those artists were hoping for their payday after years of poverty only to have protestors interupt. but i also wonder what their commission is after the acution house and branded dealer get their cut.
but i guess nobody argues about artists when the majority don't have the basics.
third world disparity in the usa
i wonder if any of those artists were hoping for their payday after years of poverty only to have protestors interupt. but i also wonder what their commission is after the acution house and branded dealer get their cut.
but i guess nobody argues about artists when the majority don't have the basics.
third world disparity in the usa
i wonder if any of those artists were hoping for their payday after years of poverty only to have protestors interupt. but i also wonder what their commission is after the acution house and branded dealer get their cut.
but i guess nobody argues about artists when the majority don't have the basics.
third world disparity in the usa
i wonder if any of those artists were hoping for their payday after years of poverty only to have protestors interupt. but i also wonder what their commission is after the acution house and branded dealer get their cut.
but i guess nobody argues about artists when the majority don't have the basics.
third world disparity in the usa
This is why unions mean something. Don't believe the garbage people put out about them.
See the Oscar-winning documentary movie “Inside Job” (available as a DVD) and read the book by Michael Lewis, “The Big Short” to know how corrupt and irresponsible the banksters are. It's not just the folks in the US who have lost or are losing their homes and jobs, but hundreds of millions around the world..
A huge THANK YOU to all of you walking the grounds! I am disgusted with NYPD and any standing President should not be re-elected for letting this happen to the protesters. This my sound over-the-top but, unless we put some pain on the President (NO RE-ELECTION) then pain is what the rest of us will get. I am a 99% now. YOU ARE HEROS! AND I WANT YOUR VOICE HEARD!
But WHY did they have to be forced to do it, is the question. Once in a while a get a notice from my city to clean up the weeds in the alley. I feel very guilty when I get that letter - because I did not do my job without being told. Show stupid of ME and NOT the city.
A huge THANK YOU to all of you walking the grounds! I am disgusted with NYPD and any standing President should not be re-elected for letting this happen to the protesters. This my sound over-the-top but, unless we put some pain on the President (NO RE-ELECTION) then pain is what the rest of us will get. I am a 99% now. YOU ARE HEROS! AND I WANT YOUR VOICE HEARD!
A huge THANK YOU to all of you walking the grounds! I am disgusted with NYPD and any standing President should not be re-elected for letting this happen to the protesters. This my sound over-the-top but, unless we put some pain on the President (NO RE-ELECTION) then pain is what the rest of us will get. I am a 99% now. YOU ARE HEROS! AND I WANT YOUR VOICE HEARD!
A huge THANK YOU to all of you walking the grounds! I am disgusted with NYPD and any standing President should not be re-elected for letting this happen to the protesters. This my sound over-the-top but, unless we put some pain on the President (NO RE-ELECTION) then pain is what the rest of us will get. I am a 99% now. YOU ARE HEROS! AND I WANT YOUR VOICE HEARD!
I think Justice needs to take her blind fold off, because she's been hood-winked. Those that stand in her houses, in her stead, are now making decisions for her, under her name, that are blasphemous and deceitful. The law is a game that has lost all sense of justice and it has FAR too much power in our country. Our Justice system is a broken one. Socretes said the more laws a state has the more unjust it is. Because that state is depending on it's government to do what it's citizens should be which is governing themselves. I believe this movement is the best sign of hope we've had for many years in the USA because citizens are stepping up once again to take their country into their own hands, regardless of the risks it entails. They are concerned only for betterment of their communities, not their own gain. The focus on individuality is one of individual responsibility not self -centered fulfillment. The mind set is one of social justice not individual gain. We can move mountains with this mentality. It's been done before and I am encouraged to see that citizens are resurrecting the mentality.
Let me see if I get this correct. The first home I purchased way back when involved maybe 5 sheets of paper including the loan papers. I closed on another house later on 20 sheets of paper. I just recently moved again and guess what - close to 40 sheets.
And everyone of those sheets represents primarily an individual action. This individual didn't understand this or that, filed a law suite against the bank or abstract company = we get another sheet of paper, (over and over and over until it gets laughable-sadly.
AND I do agree that it should have been one of "individual responsibility" but it just isn't working out that way. We are a lot more about rights than we have been about responsibilities since I was a young man - and it really isn't getting any better.
After this housing bubble burst - expect even more papers to sign next time and I don't mean 41 or 42. this really speaks to the amount of responsibility that we are willing to accept for anything that we do in our culture today.
Well, that's off my chest. Go buy a house and you'll see what I am talking about. If you are renting, ask yourself why it takes more than one sheet of paper to rent an apartment. I own four apartments, my lease is 1 page long, )(basically name, address, where the property is, rental rate, etc) I fill all the information out for my tenant from what we are discussing and NO ONE has to sign anywhere.
Now let me ask this question - how did our society get from where I am with a one page lease to where you are today.
B.O is an enemy of the state or absolutely the dumbest individual ever voted into any office
Go take your fight to the White House
Great you fools!!! Make it more difficult for business to hire. All your doing is shooting your own foot. All your gov't bullshit, taxes, fees and hand outs. All of you voted for the worst President ever! Go march over to Pennsylvania Avenue and take your battle where it belongs
I love the action you guys are taking, but I think you need to overtly state the goals of Wall Street occupation. Sure the guy at the end of the video summarizes these goals, but most people are not going to watch the video. Also, I would advise against endorsing a specific party as guy at the ending saying it's the extreme left answer to the tea party-as this conflicts with the whole Republicrats comment at the beginning of video. Don't help FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, or Bill O'reily any ammunition. You need to get the average American's support behind you, while also keeping international communities support. Doing protests in every major city-especially NY and D.C. is advisable. Keep fighting the good fight!
Pennsylvania Avenue is more like it. Go take the battle where it belongs. Worst administration ever! Millions to a solar energy firm that failed...Good one! Looking to spend $447 Billion on union road projects that 90% of American workers will not realize except in higher taxes to pay for it. Obama is an absolute train wreck
And you're all just so innocent. "pushed for no reason" Acting like a bunch of clowns on the streets. They should shoot you all
They deserved to be maced too. Take your occupation to the White House. Your Obama is doing such a wonderful job. Thinks he can spend his way out of this mess fleecing America with $447 Billion worth of Union projects.
Hate Unions, huh? They created the large middle class in this country, gave us the 40 hr. workweek, minimum wage, child labor laws... Union busting and outsourcing is decimating the middle class in this country, and they are the people that really drive the economy, not the wealthy. The middle class buys the goods that the corporations need to sell. Most of the wealth of the upper class is invested, in things like commodities, driving up the price of food and oil and making the rest of us poorer.
And have they finally met a foe that they can't stop in the form of outsourcing - or one that they just will not compete against. Take your choice - either way you lose.
I do not hate unions. I hate what they stand for so stubbornly that we now have outsourcing. But we get what we stand for, don't we.
I suppose that if I could get control of all the bakeries I could probably get the price of a loaf of bread up to around $10.00 each. And you think that outsourcing wouldn't happen if I stood my ground and would not look at the causes and what my role in the problem was.
You simply cannot force an artificially high price into-upon an item in a free market, especially if that item is or is perceived to be, an inferior one, and not suspect some type of outsourcing even if it as simple as moving from the manufacture in your home town to the one in the town down the road to get your product. What difference does it make if that line is between towns, states, or countries - it IS going to happen.
I will be more than pleased to purchase a Chevrolet auto if you can make that auto better and cheaper than a KIA. But don't push that too far, I am not going broke buying a car just because it is the patriotic thing to do.
Check into the manufacturer of SEARS ELITE line of appliances and ask yourself WHY do we have to go that far to get that quality at that price?? It will give you something to think about today without having to dig into history and the "they created-they gave" mantra which is simply not working in today's economy.
So, according to you, unions should have to compete with virtual slave labor in third world countries? The unions pulled us out of those kinds of conditions, and with their demise, we are headed back to them. BTW, Kias in the US are made in Georgia, and while it is not a union plant, I don't think that has anything to do with the quality, or the price.
To the extent that you want NO outsourcing, YES. What is your alternative with or without unions.
BTW - I think it has a lot to do with quality AND price.
you people are all idiots
grow up please
The People of Arcosanti, in Arizona are very proud of you. Thank you for all the work you are doing to make changes that are necessary for our world and society to shift in the right direction. Please consider the concepts of establishing Arcology and ridding ourselves of the unbalanced systems of Banks and Corporate greed... Towards a Just Society and Toward the new Era of Humankind! Nameste - JA-2R
The People of Arcosanti, in Arizona are very proud of you. Thank you for all the work you are doing to make changes that are necessary for our world and society to shift in the right direction. Please consider the concepts of establishing Arcology and ridding ourselves of the unbalanced systems of Banks and Corporate greed... Towards a Just Society and Toward the new Era of Humankind! Nameste - JA-2R
The People of Arcosanti, in Arizona are very proud of you. Thank you for all the work you are doing to make changes that are necessary for our world and society to shift in the right direction. Please consider the concepts of establishing Arcology and ridding ourselves of the unbalanced systems of Banks and Corporate greed... Towards a Just Society and Toward the new Era of Humankind! Nameste - JA-2R
The People of Arcosanti, in Arizona are very proud of you. Thank you for all the work you are doing to make changes that are necessary for our world and society to shift in the right direction. Please consider the concepts of establishing Arcology and ridding ourselves of the unbalanced systems of Banks and Corporate greed... Towards a Just Society and Toward the new Era of Humankind! Nameste - JA-2R
The People of Arcosanti, in Arizona are very proud of you. Thank you for all the work you are doing to make changes that are necessary for our world and society to shift in the right direction. Please consider the concepts of establishing Arcology and ridding ourselves of the unbalanced systems of Banks and Corporate greed... Towards a Just Society and Toward the new Era of Humankind! Nameste - JA-2R
There people were probably shocked because they all have blinders on. Keep shocking them till it sinks in...this is just the beginning of the end of corporate days as predicted.
This is injustice for the working/middle class, we should march Up to the rich and wealthy upper east side where Sotheby's is Located, let's see the media coverage we get there,@ 72 st and York ave Lets take back America one fight at a time.
You guys suck! You don't even know what you are mad at. You keep saying you're growing, yet the rest of us can hardly see you. LMFAO! Take a bath and shave, maybe you can get a job and buy a home, loosers!
sothebys is a supermarket for the rich,great to see people standing up for the middle/working class,sothebys has sales scheduled for tuesday sept 27 @ 2pm, wed@ 10am, thurs and friday call 1212 606 7000 for more info
Be sure to be there. I hear they are going to auction off a velvet Elvis original- don't want to miss that one.
JUSTICE IS COMING VERY SOON
now this i fully support. and i would like to see more of and participate in...
-@thomasmonopoly
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED !!!
Hell nothing is televised in the US.
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED !!!
Except on FREE SPEECH TV. Tune in to Lora Flanders and DemocracyNow!
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED !!!
One Good example of whats is going on in our country that is destroying us. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/business/global/26bridge.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share
so sad., that we allow this to happen. A simple solution would for our government to set policies to not allow the states to outsource labor, services or products of any kind to other countries. There are other countries that do this, why not the U.S. A better use of Occupy Wall Streets efforts perhaps could be to help their followers vote for the better candidates in their districts that support their efforts or to find someone that will represent them and run for office.
Children, children.. When you finally mature and leave mama's basement to make it on your own, you'll likely also begin to appreciate that socialism is not, repeat not what you should be striving for. And freedom and liberty are truly precious blessings- that's what you should be fighting for. Despite what your favorite marxist professors told you.
What do you just know how to copy and paste. Loser.
Children, children.. When finally mature and leave mama's basement to make it on your own, you'll likely also begin to appreciate that socialism is not, repeat not what you should be striving for. And freedom and liberty are truly precious blessings- that's what you should be fighting for. Despite what your favorite marxist professors told you.
Freedom and liberty are what they are fighting for, and those are socialist principles. Corporatist rule and oppression are what they are fighting against. These things are the opposite of freedom and equality. You seem to think this is a free country. You need to grow up and learn to look at the real world. You've been taught a bunch of lies.
Yea I am an artist - trained in NY and I am done trying to sell art in this climate - it is just wrong. I will make art to soothe my spirit and create a worker cooperative to work in - fuck the art market. I will NOT participate. Art is s a SPIRITUAL act not a monetary one.
I AM SO PROUD THAT THE PROTESTOR'S DID THIS
Thank you acitivists! Maybe someday people will understand!!
Thank you acitivists! Maybe someday people will understand!!
People do you know that the Chinese are here on our soil doing our jobs right here in front of us. In California the goverment had hired a Chinese company with their workers from China. Their there right now building the there. This is so wrong in so many ways. WHY, because we don't fight. Go to Diane Sawyer news and you can see the clip from today for yourselves. There are protests going on in this country that we need people of all racist and ages to go. We need to stand together against these wrong doings. What more do they have to do us before everyone gets mad enough.
Hey buddy, do you know that in China there are American workers doing work right now? LOTS OF THEM! It's called globalization, stop whining and get with the times
Hey I'm a 54 year old woman. Watch your mouth. We are suppose to have Americans doing those when it's tax payers money. I don't care if there's people working there. That only means that our jobs were sent there and some went with them. Like white collar workers.
I am 54 too and the young folks better wake up or we are done in this country. My partner and I have lived the outsourced jobs world for 2 or 3 times. I saw many big shots go overseas leave their American families and stay. Now that is so wonderful for your children here. And IbuildmyWebsites.... I am educated so go away please.
I think you need to read the book "the world is flat" before making more comments. The Chinese companies that come here create American jobs, lots of them. Additionally, all these people complain about there being no jobs, yet there are tons of jobs right now this very second, waiting to be filled! What's the problem? Oh American culture has bred an MTV generation that would rather party, take easy classes and slide on by, rather than being educated in math, sciences, and computer science which are prerequisites to the thousands of vacant jobs in our country.
You would tell people to read a hack like Thomas Friedman? It was fools like him who got us into this mess. They should read The Shock Doctrine instead. China is just a great trade partner for us, huh? Done wonders for the US job market. Most young people today can't possibly afford to get the kind of education you are talking about, and thousands of vacant jobs in a country of 300 mil. is meaningless. Most of those jobs are outsourced to places like India, where an education is cheap, and so is the cost of programmers. More 'flat world'.
Hah, you're talking to a highly paid programmer who educated himself (with business degree) and landed one of those jobs. People are lazy here, no getting around that. Our culture is not nearly as job-centric as India or many Asian nations. At the majority of U.S. public colleges, the most popular degree is communications... How can you even get a degree in that? If you deny globalization you might as well turn your computer off, sell your car, sell your clothes, and go live in a teepee somewhere. This is the world, it is evolving, things are different, some people will never be able to accept that. Either you survive and thrive or you don't. Sure Wall Street is fucked, but most of the people complaining are the same ones that buy a cup of joe at starbucks in the morning, buy a laptop from bestbuy, buy their gas from shell station, hold their money at wells fargo, drive their car from honda or toyota and shop for their food at a major chain grocery store (all big corporations oh noooo!!!). Do you get my point?
Thank you for admitting Wall Street is fucked. Would you also agree that a college education is out of the reach of most young people today? And that if they all had PHDs that there still would not be jobs for most of them? There is no 'denying globalization', it has wrecked our economy and created sweatshops for child labor and sexually segregated labor, not to mention ecological disasters like in Ecuador, all over the third world. It has put the global workforce in a race to the bottom in which everyone loses. Now, we need to implement changes in our economic globalization policies that protect working people and stop the destruction of the middle class. I have nothing against corporations per se, just against corporations using their lobbying power to buy special treatment from our government, avoid paying taxes, swindle people's homes, create health hazards and poison our environment, etc., and do so without fear of prosecution. And these kids are not there to complain. They are there to try to promote a positive change.
You don't know what your talking about. You sound like a paid right. Those jobs can't support a family. It wouldn't even pay for rent somewhere. The land lords have raised their rent so high that people can't afford them. Then you have sky rocking energy prices that people have to decide do I eat or do I have heat. Then there's the sky rocking medical care and drug prices. Are people suppose to just die when they can't afford their medication. You need a reality check and maybe a heart replacement. That's if your insurance will pay for it. What about the food prices going up? Are you going to let people starve to death. Your a great example of the most extreme ideology I've ever heard. You and the right are the worst thing that could happen to this country. God bless and bug off.
If you can't get a job that supports a family then don't have a family.
OMFG. I cannot believe it. I just watched it, then read another story on it elsewhere. This has got to stop. We all need to Wake up. I am truly sick to my stomach now. This was approved by California government officials, with complete disregard for the citizens of their State who could use the work and revenue. OMFG
I wonder why people aren't protesting this right in front of the bridge and keep the chinese from working on it. It's totally wrong in so many ways.
This percentage ratio applies to the whole planet; the top 1% richest countries own roughly verbatim the same % amount of the world's wealth...
So two countries then?
Maybe others have voice this before, but I just thought of a pretty good idea. We should contact celebrities that would be interested in getting themselves involved somehow, I'm sure there are a lot of celebrities that would like to pull attention towards Occupy Wall Street, or even make an appearance. Guys like Michael Moore and others that are interested in activism may even show up, who knows. You could even tweet them some information, anything to help the movement. Just a thought.
I am pissed off...! I support a peaceful protest but all this media blackout is doing is making me mad!... I have a feeling I'm not the only one.. Does the media want a violent one? I feel that would be the only way anyone will listen..I want a voice as an American . It's my right. What needs to be done so people will listen? We should be protesting outside of these major news companies asking why we have no say. I say move the protests outside every single news agency in NY and force them to listen. Something needs to be done! Call your news agencies and demand to be heard!! Protest outside the U. N.!!!! The world needs to know what's going on down here!!
PO'ed, there's no need for violence - let's get numbers instead. If the MSM tries to ignore tens of thousands of people or hundreds of thousands in cities all across the US, it will make them look like the out of touch frauds that they are.
I am completely against a violent protest.. But we need something . It's going to be impossible to get those kinds if numbers if nobody knows. Everyone I tell about this ha no idea what I'm talking about. They have no idea that this is even happening. We need to get the word out better. That should be what we are talking about right now. We need ideas , a promise to the people that we are going to demand a change! We are not being taken seriously . Most of us are educated people with great ideas! Who will be the one to stand up and unite the people and say WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!!
I still get that too when I talk to some people. They're like 'Occupy what?'. It's annoying and frustrating. Violence will only bring unwanted attention and criticism though. Some things that may help: protesting outside of news stations, during live broadcasts, getting some high profile people to come out, etc etc.
Cnn (212) 275-7800 10 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10019.....
Fox news 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10036-8795
Can we make this happen?
YouTube Michael Moore occupy wallstreet
You guys are a bunch of hooligans who are doing nothing other than causing public disturbances to the thousands of hard-working, educated citizens who work in all types of jobs in the area you are in. Get a life, you wine and moan and complain about how America sucks so bad, SO MOVE THE FUCK OUT. Do you really think that loitering in the streets of NY is going to even get you anywhere? Good luck! Try picking up a textbook instead.
it's amazing that 2 years ago Sotheby's laid off 25% of the New York office, 25%!!!!!!, because of such poor sales (this didn't have to do with unions at the time, from what i remember) and Ruprecht still made around 13million salary - with an expense account for traveling and living. Now he gives himself a raise. I know a lot of people that were laid off then, none have gotten their jobs back - yet he got a raise? My friends ARE hard working, over-educated for the administrative positions they were laid off from, and read. And it is happening everywhere, not just America, so leaving one is not solving anything. We are trying to CHANGE our home, not run away the problems or stay and accept being taken advantage EVERYday. What are you doing to better the world? going to your 9-5, losing your retirement and getting screwed? By the way - Wine is a drink, WHINE is to complain. Pick up a dictionary.
Screw you. Wall Street ripped us off. I have paid in for over 30 years who the hell are you to tell us to move the fuck out? I bet you are wet behind the ears young man. I am educated what has that go to do with putting up with thieves? All of Wall Street should be in fricken jail for many, many years.
And what do you think you're going to accomplish by pitching a tent at their doorstep? Do you think they give a shit? And it doesn't help when you post youtube videos of hippies and career "activists" who sound like they're on drugs talking about the supposed problems in America (wait they're protesting wall street because of the high unemployment? wtf!)
They need to go march down Pennsylvania Avenue.
That would be the more logical thing to do
You're an idiot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bJjEqRQVvk&feature=youtube_gdata_player Top 10 ways 2 hit big banks n d nads
It is not a question of what percentage of the total tax bill they paid, but what percentage of their total income. Even Warren Buffet is clear - he pays less percentage of his income in taxes than his cleaner, and he thinks that is wrong.
The fact that 46% were exempt from paying taxes is an appalling indictment of the inequitable distribution of wealth across the nation.
The 46% should be payed enough to be paying taxes. If they are not paying taxes they are likely too poor to pay.
Unless they are rich. Then if they are not paying taxes it is because they are cheating.
U.S. government policies concerning the tax code need to change. The more you make the less you pay. There are so many deductions allowed that the wealthy show little or no income. A flat tax could make a big difference. Or, perhaps teach the poor to write off their income too and then the government will not have any money to pay their bills. It is possible. It is not cheating, it is fair game. You just need to know the rules and share them.
A flat tax is way out of the question unless it is a progressive one. A flat rate across the board is a horrible idea.
The poor have nothing to write off. No need to teach them.
http://michael-hudson.com/2011/01/why-america-had-a-90-income-tax/
Please don't feel you have to share your information and rules with anyone until they are accurate.
The tax code does need to change. I cannot understand how someone can walk into HRBlock and 30 minutes later walk out with a 100% refund while I have 4 file boxes to process and approximately 80 hours to just file on one year's income on my small business, when my one employee and I make basically the same amount in the final count.
Do you really know enough to speak to the complexities of the US Tax Code?? and how it applies in the real world??
You must be a tax expert - Read the chart in the back of your tax forms and you will find that the government has ALREADY written off the income of the poor.
You should have know that if you are really in that tax bracket (the poor)
@equity: probably because the bottom 95% aren't making as much income from loss of jobs.
"These are the same financial elite who were bailed out in their moment of need and who now refuse to pay their fair share in taxes."
Per the NYTimes, in 2007, the top 1% paid 40.42% of total federal income taxes. The top 1% paid more than the bottom 95%.
In 2001, 46% of taxpayers were exempt from federal income taxes.
Just FYI.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/top-1-paid-more-in-federal-income-taxes-than-bottom-95-in-07/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/28/46-percent-of-americans-e_n_886293.html
http://visualizingeconomics.com/2007/11/03/nytimes-historical-tax-rates-by-income-group/
Its not about what you pay for taxes, its about liberty! When the financial decisions of the top 1% can cause 30 million to have job insecurity, that is wrong. In the past they had a way to fix this, if you made over 500,000 (in the sixties this was like making 3-4 million in 2011 dollars)... that was enough, you then got taxed 91% because anymore and it was considered obscene and too influential on, guess what! Other peoples liberty!
I'm with you equality. I don't understand the arguments against those who work hard and get compensated for it. I can't afford anything in Sotheby's, but If someone has the cash to drop on that stuff then go for it. If they have the money to buy goods and services to fuel the economy, then keep up the good work. If they pay over 40% of the tax tab and not complain, then leave them be.
Everyone also seems to forget that the American elite are the most philanthropic on this earth. Americans (corporations and citizens) donated an estimated 290bb, not including volunteer work. Do you think this money is coming from the 99%? I'm in the 99% and only donated $200 to that huge pot.
Is it right to call people greedy if they donate as much money as they do? And now I'll let you all proceed discrediting this with the "they do it to evade taxes argument" and not place any appreciation for a tiny 1% population that's paying most of this government's tax revenue tab.
actually, the poor donate a larger portion of their income than the wealthy. http://library.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=4&page=161
In addition to everyon pointing how you were wrong. Federal income tax is less than half of federal taxes.
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Great Job guys and gals
You all are nothing more than terrorists. No better than the cowards who flew into the towers
Cowards who flew into the towers? They may have been crazy, but to call them cowards makes about as much sense as saying al qaeda hates us for our freedom, or anything else you've said for that matter. Just proves that you let someone else tell you what to think, no matter how irrational.
By what definition are these people terrorists? It seems that many of them have been the victim of corporate and police terrorism, but they have not terrorized anyone. You are just throwing out words whether they make sense or not.
Children, children.. When you finally mature and leave mama's basement to make it on your own, you'll likely also begin to appreciate that socialism is not, repeat not what you should be striving for. And freedom and liberty are truly precious blessings- that's what you should be fighting for. Despite what your favorite marxist professors told you.
That is correct. Socialism only works on paper not on the streets. Go and convince yourselves in the run down countries in eastern europe who did not yet even recovered. Or go to north korea to get a taste. BUT we need a complete reztructuring such as i western europe, we need stron social democracy znd lots of REGUATIONS in favor of the working class and TOUGH Control of corporations. !!!!!!!!!W
Children, children.. When you finally mature and leave mama's basement to make it on your own, you'll likely also begin to appreciate that socialism is not, repeat not what you should be striving for. And freedom and liberty are truly precious blessings- that's what you should be fighting for. Despite what your favorite marxist professors told you.
Turbo, perhaps when YOU grow up you will realize this isn't as simple as socialism versus capitalism. First of all our representative democracy is neither representative nor democratic. More participative and deliberative models should be examined and put into practice, where people can participate directly more than just voting for the same corporate politician every 4 years and delegate to them the power to "represent" them when they do not anymore. Second of all this capitalism we witness now is a form of corporate socialism. Too big to fail entities getting bailed out and wasting money, government subsidies, incentives, and contracts abound for the richest... the rich don't cry about big government when it helps them. Open your eyes and realize there are different models out there and it isn't necessarily socialism what people are asking for, but a more cooperative and participative democracy and a TRUE free market without enforced scarcity that strangles true creativity and progress and competition. If your definition of what the epitome of a civilized society can be is slaving away in a debt economy so sociopaths can increase their profit margins at the cost of the citizenry, the environment, and our very democracy, then it is not much better than the socialism you seem to abhor.
Yeah whatever you wanna be oracle. There are plenty of examples of functional left leaning Keynes influenced economies. The laissez faire, Friedman influenced markets have been causing the problem. Friedman realized early on that his policies wouldn't work without shock and awe to back them up.