Comments on: Somebody Stop The "Bailout Party"

Declan McCullagh Says Increasing Evidence Suggests AIG Should Not Have Been Bailed Out

[hungry1968-15]

The best way to do this is a national sales tax. everyone pays it. it is fair. No one can escape it or have write-offs. rich people, who have more money, would buy more and higher dollar items, and thus pay more taxes. The poor would pay less in taxes (but more than they do now...which is none when it comes to Federal taxes) than the rich because they would buy less and less expensive things.

That is fair!!!!
Posted by mortar29 at 11:41 AM : Mar 25, 2009




And what happens when a multi-millionaire goes to Canada or Europe and buys $20,000 worth of clothes, and brings them back to America with him?

We don't get ANY of the taxes off the money he earned?




You sure don't think things through very thoroughly, do you?

[hungry1968-15]

Why yes they are! Please show me in the Constitution where it says that one of the powers of the Federal government is health care, or education.

And while trying to find it, please remember that the folks that wrote that document (they are called the Founders) said that the Constitution gives specific and limited powers to the Federal government...NOT broad and umlimited.

So, I will wait for that education article or that health care amendment, if you can find it!
Posted by mortar29 at 11:33 AM : Mar 25, 2009






That's not how the government OR the constitution works.

There needs to be an amendment PROHIBITING the creation of government intervention. The ONLY amendment that comes close, is the tenth amendment, and that guarantees the states the right to self governance, which they already have.

Keep guessing.

[noloyalisti]

We need massive government (public) power over big corporations. They have ruined America and enough is enough. That is not socialist, that is pragmatic.

And thank God, Reagan is finally getting his comeuppance as the evil force that began this whole fiasco that is playing out right now with these ridiculous anti-worker, anti-people corporate culture.

[hungry1968-15]

We do own it. We own close to 80% of it. Even your buddy Barney Frank said "Hey, we own this comapny, why are we allowing this stuff to happen?"

It is you that is guessing!
Posted by mortar29 at 11:20 AM : Mar 25, 2009





We've "loaned" it money, up to 80% of the net worth of their insurance holdings.

We don't "own" it, and we don't make the day to day decisions in running it, dummy.



Apparently your "business skills" are as pathetic as your "math" and "tax preparation" skills.

[hungry1968-15]

You call me an idiot, but you are woefully degraded in reading comprehension. Let's start at the top.

First off, I didnt say I paid 39% right now. I said Obama wants to raise it to 39%! So, you can apologize for your mistake!

Second, my wife and my income are not our only income. I also stated we started a small business. So, you can apoligize for your mistake on this also.
Posted by mortar29 at 11:17 AM : Mar 25, 2009





I didn't call you an idiot - I called you a liar. And both terms OBVIOUSLY apply.

And if you have a "small business on the side", then you OBVIOUSLY made $200,000 PLUS the extra money from your small business, meaning that you didn't declare that extra income, or your failed math and lies about your income taxes are worse than you previously posted.

Which is it?

[hungry1968-15]

Uh, let's see. CBS wont give me enough room here to document it all. But, over 75% of the budget funds things that are clearly unConsitutional. There is no power given the Federal government over education. But we have a Department of Education that spends billions per year on education. The Federal government has no power in health care, but is already involved in almsot 40% of the health care in this nation.

The Constitution gave the Federal government LIMITED powers. Only thos expressed in the Consitution. The rest were reserved by those who wrote the Constitution...which is the States and the people.

Under what we have been doning, the Constitution is useless!
Posted by mortar29 at 11:09 AM : Mar 25, 2009





The Department of Education is "unconstitutional"?

Reforming our terribly broken health care system, is "unconstitutional"?



Isn't it a little early in the day to be as drunk as you apparently are?

[hungry1968-15]

My God, what is wrong with the American people? Have you ever heard of AIG? Do you understand that the US government is the majority owner of AIG? Why is the government of the United States, in direct violation to the Constitution, owning any part of a private firm?

That is socialism! it is also against the law.
Posted by mortar29 at 10:57 AM : Mar 25, 2009





We do not own that company, we don't own stock in that company, nor do we have seats on the board.

Keep guessing.

[noloyalisti]

Just make sure you know who the REAL enemy is. The big corporations who have been running everything since Ray Gun (actually mostly because of him). They have used their money and mainstream media propaganda to convince Americans they are doing good for us. NOTHING could be further from the truth.

[hungry1968-15]

Well, you are hanging around losers then! My wife and I did EXACTLY that! It is our story. I was in the military, my wife a stay at home mom. When I got out, I went back to school and got my Masters degree. Then my wife went and got her nursing degree. In the meantime, we moved up in our respective professions. And then, three years ago, I not only started making over $100,000 a year, but my wife began making close to that. And added to that, we started a small business on the side that we now employ 4 people.

Posted by mortar29 at 11:02 AM : Mar 25, 2009





So you claim to be in the upper income level, you claim that you've paid 39% in federal income taxes, AND you claim that you paid $30,000 in federal income taxes.

Then you claim that you're making "over $100,000", and your wife is "close to that".

$200,000 X 39% would be $78,000.

But you wouldn't have paid 39%, because the TOP tax rate is 35% and that hits married couples once they earn $372,951+.

Your math is PROVING you to be a liar.




That and the fact that you salary increased by the unheard of rate, of 150% in 5 - 8 years, leads me to believe that you are making up EVERYTHING as you go along.

[hungry1968-15]

Again, are you kidding me? What is the top tax rate? It aint 15%. I am in the upper bracket. And Obama is talking about raising the rate to 39%. Now, I would be for paying 39% of MY hard earned money if EVERY American paid 39% of their hard earned money.

Of course, if I made $100,000 a year and you made $50,000 a year, you would pay 50% less in actual dollars. But we would pay the same percentage of our income.

THAT is fair!!!!
Posted by mortar29 at 10:49 AM : Mar 25, 2009





Lehman Brothers paid 1% CORPORATE INCOME tax last year.

GE paid 11% corporate income tax in 2007.

Warren Buffet paid 15% the last three years in a row.



I PAID 28% income taxes, because I don't have 1000 loopholes to jump through, lowering my tax rate.


And your claim that you're in the "upper income bracket" is obviously BS, because you have NO IDEA how the workforce works.

In an earlier example, you said "someone starts at $40,000, and 5 - 8 years later they're making $100,000". WHO did that happen to, and at what company?

[jxknowles]

I respect Declan McCullagh for taking a stab at this. Regulatory authority, here and in Europe, would have curtailed this mess.

If you want an extraordinary, nuts and bolts explanation of what happended, read Matt Taibbi's 'The Big Takeover' in Rolling Stone. It is an eye-opener and excellent article.

[hungry1968-15]

That was silly! He wasnt saying Obama bought the business with his own money or borrowed the money to buy it on his own credit. No. He used other people's money to buy it for the government.

That is socialism. It is also unConstitutional!
Posted by mortar29 at 10:45 AM : Mar 25, 2009




What company was bought for the government?

[hungry1968-15]

You are kidding, right? Let's see...government handouts, trying to have government run healthcare, deficits as far as the eyes can see, spending our grand kids' money, buying up private companies, getting involved in areas that the Constitution does not give the Federal government authority to involved in.

Our form of government and our freedom is getting torn apart day by day.
Posted by mortar29 at 10:43 AM : Mar 25, 2009





Government handouts to who?

The REAL problem that companies are having these days, is the out of control costs of health care. You think that he should leave the ultra-expensive, currently broken system alone?

Deficits are nothing new, and in fact Bush passed $1.6 TRILLION onto Obama, but you are okay with that, aren't ya?

Spending our grand kids money is DEFICIT spending which you already mentioned dummy!

What private companies are being "bought up"?

What part of the constitution are you referring to, that the federal government doesn't have a say in?

[hungry1968-15]

This is where we have come to as a country. It is sad. And it cannot continue long before those that work hard have had enough!
Posted by mortar29 at 10:35 AM : Mar 25, 2009





You obviously have never been in the workforce, because I know of NO ONE that has moved up the corporate ladder like that!!!!!

Not even close!!!!

[hungry1968-15]

TJ is incredibly ignorant because he is an Obamabot. Ignore his tirades because it is painfully obvious that he will support Obama all the way to socialism.
Posted by TruePirate09 at 10:26 AM : Mar 25, 2009





Define "socialism", and then point to the Obama policy that you think is going to lead us there.

You seem to like that Fox News talking point, even though it's nonsense, so go ahead dingbat - back up your claim.

[hungry1968-15]

You see? More Marxist propaganda! You just mouth what others tell you, and have no idea what you are talking about.

You can easily Goggle the Treasury statistics to see that the upper 20% pay MOST of the taxes in this country. And the bottom 50% pay next to nothing!

So, is it more fair if the wealthy pay ALL of the taxes?

Karl Marx would be very proud of you!
Posted by mortar29 at 10:21 AM : Mar 25, 2009





Why should I pay 28%, while the extremely wealthy pay 15% or less, while making money OFF OF ME and my spending?

[hungry1968-15]

Do you have any clue about economics? This whole diatribe is full of holes and just Marxist propaganda. It is not rooted in anything closely related to truth.
Posted by mortar29 at 10:12 AM : Mar 25, 2009




Judging from your post at 10:03, you apparently think that "economics" has something to do with the second amendment, and a "coup" to overthrow your government.

I think what you should do, is get both of your friends, climb into your 1975 F-150, and drive to Washington DC, armed to the teeth.

And when you get to Washington, you should try to storm the capitol building, while carrying your guns.

Go ahead dude, you can do it!!!

[hungry1968-15]

I am going to keep saying it, while things continue to go south...I told you so. Obama isnt about fixing things, he is about concentrating power...even at the expense of the people.

The good thing is that thanks to the 2nd Amendment, the People are well armed. So, when things go too far, they still maintain the power to reign in their government.
Posted by mortar29 at 10:03 AM : Mar 25, 2009




So what has Obama done to cause the country to "go south"?

[hungry1968-15]

Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, creates an unequal society, and does not provide equal opportunities for everyone in society. Therefore socialists advocate the creation of a society in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly - sounds exactly like words used by most Obamabots.
Posted by TruePirate09 at 9:47 AM : Mar 25, 2009




Funny, the ONLY people that use the word "socialist" are the reich wing dingbats like yourself.

What a coincidence!!

You're also the ONLY brainless morons that talk about his birth certificate non-stop, refer to him as the messiah, and believe that the republicans plan to keep us mired in economic catastrophe is the ONLY plan we should be following.

[bigsk8fan]

socialism to me is a state that pays everyone in that state for the use of its natural resources. thank god the socialist palin was NOT elected vp.