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I've Never had it so Good Flying in the face of the Republican/Tea Party rhetoric complaining about high rates of taxation and advocation against allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to expire for the wealthiest 2% comes this from Warren Buffet. The Buffet' position also is now embraced by Bill Gates and the senior Mr. Gates (his father). "WASHINGTON -- Billionaire Warren Buffett rebutted claims that the Obama administration is unjustly hurting business orders with high taxes by saying that in fact, the wealthy have never had it so good. "I think that people at the high end, people like myself, should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it," he told ABC's Christiane Amanpour in a clip played on "This Week" on Sunday. When Amanpour pointed to critics' claims that the very wealthy need tax cuts to spur business and capitalism, Buffett replied, "The rich are always going to say that, you know, 'Just give us more money, and we'll go out and spend more, and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you.' But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on." On Tuesday, Buffett wrote a New York Times op-ed in the form of a letter to "Uncle Sam," thanking him for saving the U.S. economy: When the crisis struck, I felt you would understand the role you had to play. But you've never been known for speed, and in a meltdown minutes matter. I worried whether the barrage of shattering surprises would disorient you. You would have to improvise solutions on the run, stretch legal boundaries and avoid slowdowns, like Congressional hearings and studies. You would also need to get turf-conscious departments to work together in mounting your counterattack. The challenge was huge, and many people thought you were not up to it. Well, Uncle Sam, you delivered. People will second-guess your specific decisions; you can always count on that. But just as there is a fog of war, there is a fog of panic -- and, overall, your actions were remarkably effective. Buffett isn't the only billionaire who has argued for higher taxes. Both Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his father, Bill Gates, Sr., recently came out in support of a Washington state measure to "create a 5 percent tax rate on annual income exceeding $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for couples, and a 9 percent tax rate on income that tops $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples." Buffett has spoken out in the past about taxes for the wealthy, telling the Senate Finance Committee in 2007 that the estate tax should not be repealed. "I think we need to...take a little more out of the hides of guys like me," Buffett testified. Makes one wonder what the psuedo economic geniuses will have to say now that Buffet has clearly stated that "trickle down/voodoo economics does not work. |
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11/21/2010 2:57 pm |
Hi Sandy, Thanks for your comment. Things are noticeably quiet on the right hand.
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11/21/2010 4:04 pm |
That's the opinion of at least two billionaires. I'd like to see the opinion of a couple with two kids, earning about $40,000, when their tax bill goes up about $3,000 or so in 2011, .....assuming the Bush tax cuts aren't extended for all people, regardless of income. This Washington "state" tax of 5% on $200,000 = $10,000 and 9% on $500,000 = $45,000.... seems as though since this would be a state tax, that it would be in addition to any federal tax increases. Bad logic on Gates' and Buffet's thinking, even though both could afford it, regardless. AZ
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11/21/2010 4:18 pm |
Thanks Unduplicated, Sofar as waking up...I sorta doubt that some folks just want to stay blissfully ignorant and stupid.
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11/21/2010 4:20 pm |
Good facts. Good blog.
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11/21/2010 4:45 pm |
Good facts. Good blog.
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11/21/2010 6:08 pm |
Thanks Gary, You and I have both recognized for months now that the rightwingnut propaganda about tax cuts for the rich was so much BS.
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11/21/2010 9:14 pm |
Hi Roxy, Thanks for your comment. I don't mind paying taxes if they are equitably levied. That has not been the case with both of the Bush tax cuts when 66% of the tax reduction benefit went to a very small percentage of wealthy individuals. Of course we need to pay taxes when we live in a society that affords us certain things that we are not equipped to provide for ourselves. Things such as a military, safe food, safe drinking water, fire protection, roads on which to travel, protection through regulation of those crooks on Wall Street and those crooks that run insurance companies to name just a few that some of the rightwingnuts seem to be unaware of.
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