"Patriotic Millionaires": Raise our taxes, please!

[aGameOfThrones]

Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength, a group of dozens of the wealthiest Americans that formed last year during the fight over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts, is now jumping into the budget battle just as President Obama is expected to call for an end to the Bush cuts on the rich.

"For the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you increase*taxes on incomes over $1,000,000," the group writes in a new letter to Obama, Harry Reid, and John Boehner. "We make this request as loyal citizens who now or in the past earned incomes of $1,000,000 per year or more."

One of the signatories of the new letter, film and television producer Linda Gottlieb, explained her participation to me this morning: "For me to be sitting and hoarding my money is insane," said Gottlieb, whose producer credits include Dirty Dancing and who now teaches at NYU's Tisch school. "We all give to charity, but that's not the same as creating a more equitable society."

Gottlieb said she has been upset by the experience of her grandchildren, who attend a New York City public school where arts education has been cut and parents have had to organize an auction to try to fill the gaps. She added that raising taxes on the wealthiest people would be an important way of reducing the deficit.

"For rich people to moan and groan -- nobody likes to pay increased taxes -- but it's not going to change your life in any important way," she said. "What it can do is help your country."

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/04/13/millionaires_demand_higher_taxes


Group site: http://www.fiscalstrength.com/

[aGameOfThrones]

I saw a blackrock group employee and one of this group's members talk about how they want their taxes raise. My question is, what's stopping them from voluntarily giving more money to the fed right now?

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

Nothing is stopping them from writing a check to the Treasury.

[matt0611]

Nothing is stopping them from writing a check to the Treasury.

LMAO, yup, I hope they are all donating an extra 25% of their money to the government each year. :D

[Sola_Fide]

If you want to help America, invest in a business and put people to work or donate to charity, you idiots!

[manny229]

Nothing is stopping them from writing a check to the Treasury.

Ehhh By writing a check to the Treasury..... You just don't get that ego boost as when you publicly write an open letter to the public basically telling everyone how great "loyal citizens" you are by making that monetary sacrifice. Besides who really thinks they are serious?
Who knows.... it might even be a ploy to get the mundanes to follow the example of "our betters" and comply with the state to do "our fair share"; be it with money or obedience. Just a thought IMHO

[fisharmor]

Sure, they could give up their money, but that's not the point.
Income taxes on the super rich are meaningless. There are so many loopholes and ways around paying income tax that they aren't going to be affected.
All this does is create a barrier to entry. If you don't know the right people who know the right loopholes, then you don't get to be part of the club.
Also, knowledge that the extra tax is there is just going to create an awful lot of jobs with $999,999.99 yearly income, and a lot that are $1,100,000 or more, but very little in between. Which means that that income bracket is either going to be underpaid, or overpaid.
Which is basically price fixing.

[acptulsa]

Nothing is stopping them from writing a check to the Treasury...

...but a fervent desire to screw their contemporaries so they can share in the wonderful feeling.

[buck000]

Here they go: https://www.pay.gov/paygov/forms/formInstance.html?agencyFormId=23779454

:)

Also, this history of contributions (http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/gift/gift.htm) is interesting, in terms of dollar amounts given.

[NYgs23]

They should give their money to me. I'm poor.

[Stary Hickory]

I wish they woud just send IRS agents do their doors every time they said that and take their money. It would be nice.

[heavenlyboy34]

They should give their money to me. I'm poor.

ditto.

[aGameOfThrones]

They should give their money to me. I'm poor.

You don't qualify.

[Brian4Liberty]

Sure, they could give up their money, but that's not the point.
Income taxes on the super rich are meaningless. There are so many loopholes and ways around paying income tax that they aren't going to be affected.
All this does is create a barrier to entry. If you don't know the right people who know the right loopholes, then you don't get to be part of the club.
Also, knowledge that the extra tax is there is just going to create an awful lot of jobs with $999,999.99 yearly income, and a lot that are $1,100,000 or more, but very little in between. Which means that that income bracket is either going to be underpaid, or overpaid.
Which is basically price fixing.

Yep. They know full well that their taxes will not increase. They use that "excess" money of theirs to lobby politicians to ensure that their favorite tax exemptions are written into the new tax law.

[dean.engelhardt]

Yep. They know full well that their taxes will not increase. They use that "excess" money of theirs to lobby politicians to ensure that their favorite tax exemptions are written into the new tax law.

Exactly. This phony baloney raise my taxes BS chant from folks that would offset the increase by getting their Washington buddies to give them more tax exemptions. How are these people so stupid to think the government will spend their money better than they can. Haven't they noticed the US government picking new countries to bomb? If they want to fund arts in public school, do it! Don't try to make me believe it would be better to raise taxes to accomplish this. BS

[aGameOfThrones]

Exactly. This phony baloney raise my taxes BS chant from folks that would offset the increase by getting their Washington buddies to give them more tax exemptions. How are these people so stupid to think the government will spend their money better than they can. Haven't they noticed the US government picking new countries to bomb? If they want to fund arts in public school, do it! Don't try to make me believe it would be better to raise taxes to accomplish this. BS


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSh7WUK1GDc

Raise our taxes...

[ItsTime]

^ Useful idiots.

[virgil47]

Limousine Liberals dancing and prancing for the adulation of the masses.

[VIDEODROME]

Raise the wages for your employees you tight ass.

[Theocrat]

You know, instead of saying "Raise our taxes," why can't these economic masochists just cry, "Raise my taxes?" Wouldn't that be better for us all?

[QueenB4Liberty]

You know, instead of saying "Raise our taxes," why can't these economic masochists just cry, "Raise my taxes?" Wouldn't that be better for us all?


Then everyone wouldn't be paying their fair share. :)

[Theocrat]

Then everyone wouldn't be paying their fair share. :)

Yes we would. To those who think it's fair to have their taxes increased, they pay their share at that rate. To those who think it's fair to decrease taxes, they pay their share at that rate. To those who think we should have no taxes, let them move to Somalia. :D

[lx43]

If you want to help America, invest in a business and put people to work or donate to charity, you idiots!


Amen

[heavenlyboy34]

You know, instead of saying "Raise our taxes," why can't these economic masochists just cry, "Raise my taxes?" Wouldn't that be better for us all?

Excellent point! And, wouldn't ya know, the Treasury already has a program in which citizens can give "patriotic" gifts of cash to the FedGov. I don't recall what that program is called, but I'll dig it up sometime. You'd think the economic masochists you mentioned would be aware of that program, wouldn't you? ;)

ETA: Here it is-


How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government?

Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called “Gifts to the United States.” This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government. Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D
Hyattsville, MD 20782

[heavenlyboy34]

Yes we would. To those who think it's fair to have their taxes increased, they pay their share at that rate. To those who think it's fair to decrease taxes, they pay their share at that rate. To those who think we should have no taxes, let them move to Somalia. :D

Are you saying you favor income taxes? :eek:

[QueenB4Liberty]

Are you saying you favor income taxes? :eek:

Seriously what I was thinking.

[QueenB4Liberty]

Excellent point! And, wouldn't ya know, the Treasury already has a program in which citizens can give "patriotic" gifts of cash to the FedGov. I don't recall what that program is called, but I'll dig it up sometime. You'd think the economic masochists you mentioned would be aware of that program, wouldn't you? ;)

ETA: Here it is-


How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government?

Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called “Gifts to the United States.” This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government. Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D
Hyattsville, MD 20782

lololololol :D

[Theocrat]

Are you saying you favor income taxes? :eek:

Yes, I favor income taxes. I believe in a 0% rate for income taxes.

[aGameOfThrones]

Yes, I favor income taxes. I believe in a 0% rate for income taxes.

So you do believe in the income tax. Even at 0% it's too high. I favor a complete deletion from history that the idea ever existed.

[Humanae Libertas]

Translation - "Raise the Poor, and Working-Middle Clasess' taxes, while giving us the loopholes!"