'Patriotic Millionaires' Ask to Be Taxed More - Ben Terris - NationalJournal.com "If President Obama's deficit-reduction speech today includes a call to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, there will surely be pushback; Republicans have already begun a preemptive attack on raising taxes. One group of millionaires, however, is saying that they are more than willing to pay more for the good of their country. The “Patriotic Millionaires†penned a letter to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker John Boehner, urging them to “increase taxes on incomes over $1,000,000.†The Millionaires-a group that includes producer and director Doug Liman, actress Edie Falco, the founder of Ask.com, and top Google engineers-wrote that the United States has helped them succeed financially, and they are willing to help the country do the same. “Our country has been good to us. It provided a foundation through which we could succeed,†the group wrote. “Now, we want to do our part to keep that foundation strong so that others can succeed as we have.†According to Alison Goldberg of the group Wealth for the Common Good, raising tax rates on millionaires could raise $60 billion to $80 billion a year in revenue. "This small monetary sacrifice is both an ethical and patriotic decision, made in the hopes of allowing the United States of America to continue to be a leader economically, politically, and morally," said Garrett Gruener, founder of Ask.com. But while these millionaires may be willing to pay more taxes, that doesn't mean everyone in the country necessarily thinks it's a good idea. “I am not in favor of raising taxes right now, period,†House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Wednesday on MSNBC. “The question is raising revenues.... And how are you going raise revenues? Are you just going to raise taxes through a magic wand you're going to produce more money? Or are you going to grow this economy?†"
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVOwaMWewGY]Warren Buffet On Why U.S. Taxes Are Too Low For The Wealthy - YouTube[/ame]
Why arent these people writing checks to the IRS? If they are so noble, why do they need the government to force them still?
Lead by example??? Well that explains why really...they are good at getting others to do as they say, not doing as they say.....
If these CEO's and billionaires were patriotic theyd be creating jobs, rather then outsourcing them to make an extra billion in corporate profit and globalizing the economy. Sure why not tax them, they want to be taxed and we have a deficit. But 80 billion dollars will barely put a dent in a trillion dollar deficit. I suppose its a start though. I just dont trust them is all.
Maybe it is because only a hand full of millionaires want their taxes raised and the rest are spending their money on politicians to keep their taxes where they are, if not, lower them. Those hand full of millionaires that want to pay more in taxes would not make much of an impact, they need all the millionaires and billionaires to join in on the tax to make a difference. That is why they need the government to force them all to do it.
They (the "patriotic millionaires") are either scumbags or ignorant/stupid. What's worse is the people who think this is a good idea. Yes, let's give a government that is in bed with the corporations even more money. That will surely help the poor. There are a lot of useful idiots holding water for the federal government.
So, you're admitting that taxes are theft? If not, what the hell do you mean by "force them all to do it"?
Yup, it's totally theft. The government is going to break into the millionaires and billionaires homes and steal their money.
Ahhhhhhhhh the humanity!!! Rich people actually realizing that making this country a better place makes it so we ALL benefit. Not just a small percentage. This had to happen eventually. Rich people have to have SOME common sense to make all that money.
The government doesn't need to break into their homes to steal. Do you know what coercion is? What about theft? You said that they need "the government to force them all to do it." What did you mean by that? They need the government to force them to voluntarily give up their money?
you mean a couple billionaires that dont mind giving out a few mills to the govt. bill gates and warren buffet arent the only rich people in this country and Im sure the guy making 1.2 mill per year isnt looking forward to higher taxes.
Are you saying people who make 1.2 million a year are struggling? When did making 1 million dollars a year make a person middle class? If 1.2 million is middle class, than I'm dirt poor, or damn near homeless
I love how all of the people who are for taxing the rich can only make emotional based arguements . "they make more then me, its not fair, TAX THEM MOREEEE!" .... but when pressed on how those tax dollars would actually impact our economy its like " WHO CARES TAX THE RICH". Its quite expected and quite laughable.
Yeah I love how people who want to completely downgrade the gov dont have any idea the true effect it would have. What would u say to all those millions of people that would be unemployed? Tell em to go work at walmart??? The tax money from that millionaire would go to help pay the salary of someone makin 30 - 50 g ayear for the gov. Fuck gov. employees though. They deserve to lose their jobs...
http://www.edvisionsschools.net/news/taxing-the-rich/ \t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t\t" \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tTaxing the Rich \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPosted on April 11, 2011 by ed\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t The Tax Foundation Nancy Folbre is an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Increased taxes on the rich could balance the budget and end the showdown over how many billions to slash from social spending. Consider, for instance, the Fairness in Taxation Act introduced by Representative Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois, which would increase the top federal marginal income tax rate to 45 percent for married couples earning more than one million dollars a year and to 49 percent for billionaires, from the current rate of 35 percent. Historically unprecedented? Hardly. The top marginal tax rate was 50 percent in the mid-1980s and even higher in the 1950s (as the chart shows). Such a boost could raise an estimated billion, more than the current Republican budget-cut goal. Even if it fell far short it would avert proposed cuts for many valuable programs, including Head Start, which provides early childhood education, and Pell Grants, which help low-income families send their children to college." The more people with a college education helps our economy Are more college graduates needed for a better economy? | Deseret News "The authors of the study found that by 2025, the U.S. needs to add 20 million more workers who have a post-secondary degree to more firmly meet the demands of the workforce and to improve the economic future of the country. "That effort is not only possible, but critical to maintaining American economic strength in an increasingly competitive world," the report states. "Postsecondary education has historically been one of the safest long-term investments we can make in our economic future. Educated workers are more productive, earn more and pay more taxes. Not only is higher education a sure return on investment, but access to postsecondary education has become the arbiter of economic success and upward mobility in our society. More postsecondary education will achieve not only a more dynamic and vibrant economy, but a more equitable society." "