Comments on: Joe The Plumber's Chat With Couric

Message to Joe the Plumber:

You know how much your fine will be under Obama''s health care plan, Joe? ZERO. You know how much I care if you can buy your new plumbing business, Joe? ZERO. I just got fleeced for $1300 to fix a leak in a shower. And that didn''t involve any drywall type of expenses... that was purely a half-day of plumbing cost. It would have been cheaper to have a trial lawyer or brain surgeon fix it. I think their hourly is less. So if you have the money in this horrible economy to start your business, more power to you. But you don''t sound like the "Average Joe" to me. You sound like a guy doing pretty well, dude. Right now, you have ZERO sympathy from me.

[wwwtadporg]

"I served with Joe the Plumber, I knew Joe the Plumber, Joe the Plumber was a friend of mine. You''''re no Joe the
Plumber."---Mike the Plumber from NYC/917-974-6367

[cliffclark]

Honestly Joe Plumber really made no sense with his 250 thousand or 100 thousand comment because Obama specifically told him the taxes he plans are on families earning MORE than 250 thousand. And Joe plumber doesn''t fit in that bracket now and won''t under his plumbing buisness. Unless any of you know a Plumber who makes that kind of cash. And if you do? Stop your whining.

Joe is a hard core republican and that''s fine but masking his bias with supposed "tough" questions which were in fact, answered honestly and directly make no sense to me. If you like McCain great. But not a soul in the Mccain camp have unfolded an Economic plan yet. They were supposed to this week but McCain wanted to wait. You can find this fact in any Wednesday paper. Bottom line? He has no plan so what plan is Joe referring to that he likes from mcCain? I read that and laughed my butt off.

Joe seems like a good guy. He really does but he''s to busy buying the republican negative smear campaign to actually care about the truth or facts. Sadly, typical of all republicans. In the end, Obama was named victor once again by a HUGE margin in CNN''s, ABC''s, CBS''s and NBC''s and AOL''s polls. Take away the fact that 35% more Dems watched the debate and he still wins by around 50% to 30%.

Game over. Obama will be our next President.

[homespunlady]

Re: Posted by Kay_L at 02:46 AM : Oct 16, 2008 WHO''S REALLY doing the "stealing" in this nation?
Whatever happened to "a FAIR days WAGE"?

By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
Published: December 15, 2007

The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 EXCEEDED THE TOTAL INCOME of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows.

The poorest fifth of households had total income of $383.4 billion in 2005, while JUST THE INCREASE in income for the top 1 percent came to $524.8 billion, a figure 37 percent higher.

The total income of the top 1.1 million households was $1.8 trillion, or 18.1 percent of the total income of all Americans, up from 14.3 percent of all income in 2003. The total 2005 income of the three million individual Americans at the top was roughly EQUAL TO that of the bottom 166 million Americans, analysis of the report showed.

Earlier reports, based on tax returns, showed that in 2005 the top 10 percent, top 1 percent and fractions of the top 1 percent enjoyed their GREATEST SHARE of income since 1928 and 1929.


(HINT - the trigger to the previous Great Depression)

[homespunlady]

I find it LAUGHABLE, SICK and REALLY twisted the way some of these comments CLAIM to be "poor single moms" then DEFEND and ENCOURAGE the VERY "military-industrial complex" that President EISENHOWER (R) WARNED the US about!

CORPORATE SHILLS - Have YOU NO SHAME!

Next thing they''ll be defending will be to EXTERMINATE all the "useless eaters" like the disabled, and then the scapegoats such as the homeless gypsies, and finally religion based individuals so the ALREADY POWERFUL and WEALTHY can accumulate even MORE.

Sound familiar? like post WWI - Depression, Hyperinflation, Hyper-exclusive "patriotic" militarism, Eugenics (look it up) and finally MASS internment and death.

If it gets that far WHO will save us from OURSELVES?

[JamesMorehead]

This illusion that we don''t have to pay taxes is just that - an illusion. I''ve been to parts of the world where there is not a functioning government - if you want to avoid taxes completely go there. Have fun driving down a street (meaning dirt road with potholes) - and don''t drink the water (no water purification plants - another result of evil taxation). Is the US tax system fair? perfect? efficient. NO. Are taxes necessary? YES.

Everything else on taxation is just naive chatter.

[homespunlady]

Posted by HOTTISHAN at 01:32 AM : Oct 16, 2008

My guess is it''s the 700 BILLION of our TAX MONEY for WALL STREET FAT CATS on top of the ONE TRILLION of OUR TAX DOLLARS for WARMONGERING CRONIES (like Haliburton and Blackwater) of the GOP that has SOMETHING to do with WHY so many are so angry and McCain with 7 to 10 MULTI-MILLION dollar houses and DOZENS of VEHICLES looks like he''s LYING when he "claims" to even have a CLUE of how the REST of us LIVE!

- It''s NOT THE POOR that are the BIGGEST COST and YOUR professed frugality proves it (IF YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH)

You''ve FALLEN for BLAMING the "least among us" instead of looking at the REAL HOGS AT THE TROUGH - CORPORATIONS and Individuals like AIG with their nearly HALF MILLION DOLLAR RESORT SPREE (apparently Palin was "guest of honor" at THAT shindig) and their RECENT nearly Hundred Thousand dollar "Partridge Hunt" by 4 of their TOP EXECS that the BRITS EXPOSED recently AFTER GETTING HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of TAXPAYER DOLLARS FROM people LIKE YOU scraping by to save a FEW dollars so the FAT CATS can SPLURGE on YOUR MONEY!

A few more years of BUSH STYLE CRONYISM and "Mission ACCOMPLISHED" and it will be:

"FREE" SOCIALISM for the WEALTHY
SLAVERY for the POOR and
EXTINCTION for the Middle Class

[etherAvatar]

Poor Joe...how rude of Obama to disturb his football game...you know. Clearly, clearly this skin-head is for McCain...you know. I have to wonder why neo-cons are sooo intelligent...you know.

[elcriz]

I don''t get how anyone could think that McCain is good for anyone but Big Business and the Rich. If you read between the lines it is simple. Obama just wants to share. If Joe is going to be making big money in his business then he can share with the people that work for him. He can make $249,000. Then share the rest of the profits with his employees. Anyway he would get credits for providing jobs to Americans. I don''t think that he or any other small business owner will be hurt by Obama. Big Business on the other hand will be forced to share some of these profits that they are making off of us. Their taxes will help fund education, energy projects and health insurance. I am a Diabetic and under McCain%u2019s insurance plan I am going to be screwed. It would cost me $600 a month to get Healthcare if it is not provided by my company, if I could even get insurance at all. Will McCain%u2019s big $5000 plan help me? NOPE. I would be left standing with a bill of $2200, not to mention meeting all of the other outrageous cost insurance companies and charge. Obama is what we need. He is smart and diplomatic and I believe he is our future. Please God let him be our future!!

[wontread]

Hey hun? You DO know that the money you "get back" is your money that was sent to the goverment? It wasn''''t theirs to begin with, it was money YOU earned. They invested it and made money off of YOUR money, can you understand the concept??



Posted by raflin001 at 01:39 AM : Oct 16, 2008

Your money? Really!!! How would you earn that money with out the infrastructure, court system, employment laws, banking laws, etc. established by the government?

Well I guess you could barter the vegetables or fruits you grow on your land. Other than that you need government to make a living, enforce contracts, etc.

[hottishan]

No really??? Gee thanks for enlightening me. Well hopefully I can get more money.. Right Isnt that what we want. I DO NOT pay taxes period I do not pay taxes I get everything back ohh yes and Earned Income Credit.. So why do i need a bigger tax break?

[Regensburger]

I can''t relate to Joe the plumber.

[dmb35]

It is true that Joe the plumber will pay more taxes if Obama is president. It all trickles down. Corporations don''t pay taxes - they just increase the cost of goods so that the consumer pays more than before. That is what will happen with Obama''s tax plan. He will make you share your earnings with others that make less than you. He will be writing out checks even to those who don''t pay taxes, thanks to your generosity. McCain''s logic is that corporations can keep from laying off employees if they can afford to pay them. You start overtaxing them and they will start laying off employees. In today''s economic situation we cannot afford to be layed off. I am not willing to take a chance on it being me. Are you?

[hottishan]

Why is everyone so mad in this country at people who make more money than them??? Obviously someone who makes more pays more in taxes. What is the problem? Look I do not make more than 250,000 a year. I get a tax return. I''m a single mom. Why do I need more money back from the government? My kids eat, they have what they need. My bills are paid. To be quite honest I almost have my mortgage paid off. Oh yea by the way I make less than 50,00. Live within your means people. Quit blaming other for your own short bad spending habits. Can someone tell me why I am entitled to more money back when I already get a nice return?

[cozyflo32]

purplelady49,
YOU just do not get it!
Unintelligent? Only the educated are allowed to be "rich"? Typical liberal elitist attitude.
Taxpayers in the upper brackets already pay a disproportionately large amount in taxes. (Both in percentage of income and absolute $ amount.) The top 5% already pay half of all federal taxes.
When the "rich" have less to invest in the economy, fewer jobs are created. Then the middle class suffers. When the cost of doing business goes up, companies pass it on to the consumers or stop growing their business. Then everyone. Have you ever gotten a job from a poor person?

[elleinca]

purplelady49, I think you missed a point there.

Joe was contemplating to buy a business that will generate income between 250,000 to 280,000.

You know that small business owners file taxes individually. Under Obama, he will see the following tax raised if he buys that business:

Federal tax: Up by 3%
Payroll/Self employed tax: 15.4% on 102,000 and 280,000 income (because right now, we only pay social security on 102,000 only)
Capital gains: up from 15% to 28% (i have no clue why Obama tied capital gains to income tax).

Joe will have marginal tax rate of 53.6% which means even if he can keep the same revenue, it will be tougher for him to expand the business because the government take more than half away from him.

Now, if you buy a business, you probably have to borrow money or risks your live savings. 56% of small businesses fail. Knowing that government will take more than half of what you are making, is it worth it? Why not just take the easy way and work for corporation even though it''s less pay? The less small businesses around, the less jobs around.

[ucla900]

this guys a RACIST!! Sammy Davis Jr. Tapdancing??? Come on! Someone should tell McCain!!

[purplelady49]

Evidently, Joe the Plumber, is not intelligent enough YET to understand Obama''s Tax Plan. If I were a young plumber making $250,000, I would think that I was fairly well off. Much more so than single-mothers that I know of who make $30,000 a year, even after getting education, and much training. After $250,000 I agree that taxpayers in that upper level bracket SHOULD pay more taxes than the middle class people. The middle class has to pay the same percentages as the over-$250,000 group and that is NOT fair. Obama also said it 10 times these past few weeks that businesses $250,000 and under would NOT be punished for not providing Health Insurance coverage for their employees.
Joe--no wonder you are a plumber---YOU JUST DO NOT GET IT!!!!