Forum Post: NPR article on how some of the 1% reduce their tax burden
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 10, 2011, 11:14 p.m. EST by zymergy
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http://www.npr.org/2011/12/10/143508437/just-what-do-the-rich-have-thats-taxable
the IRS makes the rules, Congress makes the laws, we elect our Congressional representatives. So, where should we start to change the rules?
In addition an excellent discussion of the global control of governments by big banks: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2011/12/2011121074125944352.html
Please read: useful information in the article cited.
here is how we change the rules:
Sanders Proposed Constitutional Amendment:
Sanders Petition here:
Rep. Deutch's amendment discussed here:
and you can read repelican reaction here.
Yes, that (above) of which you are a proponent is a good start. My preferred start is to shake up Congress. No reason why we can't pursue both.
I think there are enough of us, we can shake up a lot of things simultaneously. In fact, I think that is the only solution.
Run a search on the American Legal Exchange Council
did you mean "American Legislative Exchange Council"?
Yes!!! That one. ALEC.
First Power, Then Change.
Each citizen has the power of her vote, and the power of his purse. We simply need to look more carefully at what our Congressional Representatives and Senators are doing, and vote them out of office when they do not attend to the people's best interests. (I would limit them by the ballot to one term anyway to prevent the corrupting influence of campaign contributions on incumbents.) We can also leverage the 50% of the nation's wealth that we do control by refusing to buy the products and services of the 1% who lobby Congress to their own advantage. To accomplish these two things requires neither an organization, nor a party, nor a leadership, it only requires an awareness in the American people of the problem, and the ease of the solution. Let each person retake and exercise his or her own power to effect the necessary changes, a power that until the present has been abdicated by inattention and gullibility.
By breaking the stranglehold of the two party system.
incontrovertible
Why?
Why is it incontrovertible that we should break the stranglehold of the two party system? When you strangle something, it dies; be it plant or animal or an aspiration.
So you support a two party system?
No, I do not support any political party. My voter registration is as an independent, but I have given money directly to individual candidates from time to time to help them get elected. Usually they do not get elected though. What is your view on political parties?
Until the republicrat stranglehold on power in this nation ends nothing will change for the better. A parliamentary system ( like nearly every other democracy in the world) is better than what we have now. The more parties the better.
Yes, one party per voter would be nice!
"I wanna be a Billionaire, soooooo freakin bad,,,,,,"
Then you're a pig.
The ugly truth. America's wealth is STILL being concentrated. When the rich get too rich, the poor get poorer. These latest figures prove it. AGAIN.
According to the Social Security Administration, 50 percent of U.S. workers made less than $26,364 in 2010. In addition, those making less than $200,000, or 99 percent of Americans (actually more like 98%), saw their earnings fall by $4.5 billion collectively.
The sobering numbers were a far cry from what was going on for the richest one percent of Americans.
The incomes of the top one percent of the wage scale in the U.S. rose in 2010; and their collective wage earnings jumped by $120 billion. In addition, those earning at least $1 million a year in wages, which is roughly 93,000 Americans, reported payroll income jumped 22 percent from 2009. Overall, the economy has shed 5.2 million jobs since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. It’s the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
Another word about the first Great Depression. It really was a perfect storm. Caused almost entirely by greed. First, there was unprecedented economic growth. There was a massive building spree. There was a growing sense of optimism and materialism. There was a growing obsession for celebrities. The American people became spoiled, foolish, naive, brainwashed, and love-sick. They were bombarded with ads for one product or service after another. Encouraged to spend all of their money as if it were going out of style. Obscene profits were hoarded at the top. In 1928, the rich were already way ahead. Still, they were given huge tax breaks. All of this represented a MASSIVE transfer of wealth from poor to rich. Executives, entrepreneurs, developers, celebrities, and share holders. By 1929, America's wealthiest 1 percent had accumulated 44 percent of all United States wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes were left to share the rest. When the lower majority finally ran low on money to spend, profits declined and the stock market crashed.
Of course, the rich threw a fit and started cutting jobs. They would stop at nothing to maintain their disgusting profit margins and ill-gotten obscene levels of wealth as long as possible. The small business owners did what they felt necessary to survive. They cut more jobs. The losses were felt primarily by the little guy. This created a domino effect. The middle class shrunk drastically and the lower class expanded. With less wealth in reserve and active circulation, banks failed by the hundreds. More jobs were cut. Unemployment reached 25% in 1933. The worst year of the Great Depression. Those who were employed had to settle for much lower wages. Millions went cold and hungry. The recovery involved a massive infusion of new currency, a World War, and higher taxes on the rich. With so many men in the service, so many women on the production line, and those higher taxes to help pay for it, some US wealth was gradually transferred back down to the majority. This redistribution of wealth continued until the mid seventies. By 1976, the richest 1 percent held less than 20 percent. The lower majority held the rest. This was the recovery. A partial redistribution of wealth.
Then it began to concentrate all over again. Here we are 35 years later. The richest one percent now own over 40 percent of all US wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes are sharing the rest. This is true even after taxes, welfare, financial aid, and charity. It is the underlying cause. No redistribution. No recovery.
Now, do you still want to be a billionaire?
No. Human. Yes. Pig.
Multi-Billionaire. Like George Soros.
It's not all it's cracked up to be.