He paid the same rate on the Cayman investment..didn't avoid that at all. I'd imagine a lot of his blind trust investment comes from his dad's success. It is managed, and he doesn't even know much of his investments, just takes a draw, and his charitable contributions have been LARGE, as in HUUUUUGE. TAKE billionaire John Kerry who became a street bum between wealthy wife marriages that libs were happy with, and the press was happy to not report. Numerous years kerry gave ZERO, as in NOTHING to charity. while a billionaire he gave some years less than several hundred dollars, until he was a candidate, then he gave $43,000. Shows you the value difference between a John Kerry, or a John Edwards, and a Christian like MITT. Then there was Clinton that made $82,000,000 giving speeches, and chasing gals through the peoples house, and that was quite acceptable...a right-wing conspiracy as Hillary said. But let's hope the 15% tax on investment continues to be a major subject, and it will, in this year's campaign. It is the difference between a rat socialist, and a capitalist like Mitt, or Newt. I'd luv to see, front and center, the RAT stand on stage, and present his question to NEWT belittling the 15% tax on investment. I SMILE :)

Not just that, Romney paid 3 million dollars in fed. taxes! And donated another 3 million in charity. If it were liberals going after me because I made that much, and wanted to raise my taxes, the charitable contribution would not be made. Now how much more for state and local taxes did he pay? Twer he rich John Kerry who is a billionaire, not a Romney millionaire, he would have moved his yacht to the state he moved it to, and avoid the taxes on his yacht. I wonder how many folks have a job today because of Mitt? Conservatives have to hope that this subject continues about wanting to raise taxes on successful folks that create the real jobs that so many folks depend on.

WAM,
Amen!

Will someone tell the Rat that millions of people in this country, especially old people, do the same thing Mitt is doing...they paid taxes on their working money, too many taxes, and as govt grows under liberalism it is hard for them to save...but they do, and take their hard earned money and INVEST IT....they depend on their investments to provide them a rate of return. 15% on TOP of their normal rate they paid taking RISK that they could lose it all at an older age. Under Obama, who wants to raise taxes everywhere he can find them given the tax income is shrinking under his socialist governance there is real reason for older folks especially to be scared...but they pay the same rate as Mitt does...called capitalism! And why does rat hate rich people? Obama has lots, and lots of rich doner friends.

WAM,
Perhaps I pulled the trigger a little too quickly.
Are you proposing total elimination of taxation on capital gains and sales tax on property?

The tax code is a joke. It's thousands of pages long. I think you should be able to fill returns on a post card. If you make X amount, pay Y%, if you make Z amount, pay W%, and so on and so forth.

Rat

As usual, you jump to conclusions. Of course, a flat tax would be graduated based on income level, just get rid of the complex code with loopholes etc. Why should the average American have to pay capital gains tax or a F*&^$%^ sales tax on his home? Probably the only real investment made over time.

And for the record, I don't listen to any of that BS on the radio that you call "hate radio". They are as full of manure as you are. I'm surprised someone hasn't slapped the taste out of your mouth long before now! :-)

Hoski,

No, just elimination of taxes on the sale of primary private residences. Helps out the old folks and stimulates home sales. People who make their living on investments or flipping property should pay their fair share of taxes just like wage earners working at the mill...

WAM

Right on WAM!
Good for Romney! I don't care for him much, but I will not begrudge a person smart enough to use current laws and regs to make money.
I wonder how many holier than thou blankety blanks in the same situation spouting garbage would actually say "ohh Mr govt my bad please allow me to give you another 1.2 mil even though I made it legally" Not me!!!!
We could make more money by getting the lazy shirkers sucking down coke and dorritos paid for with food stamps and unemployment to do their fair share( if you have hit hard times and are working your way out please do not take this part to heart).

Even if a person makes $18,000 a year asking them to pay $100-200 is fair and just.

Well boo effen hoo Hoski and the rodent don't like a system that works!

Well thanks for the ding Mois...er Jere, I returned the favor.
In what alternate universe do you believe our current tax system is working?
Maybe you've heard about the national debt?

It does work for me I pay enough to get pretty good refunds with which I buy GOLD!

Hoski,
Read what I wrote no need to question it, thats what I say and believe.
As far as the folks standing in line around the block read what is in parenthesis.

Again easy to say negative things when not in the same situation.

Otherwise anybody that uses tax deductions to pay less taxes is doing exactly what Romney and others do, they are just better at it. So as soon as someone proves to me that they do not use dedecutions, writeoffs EIC or anything else they are a hypocrit.

EVERYONE or NONE should pay taxes. How about the people that get more back than pay in?

In case you are wondering, you bet you last dollar I have been broke and low payed with a family in my early 20's I worked thru it.

Anyone that wants uncle sugar to take care of them can get political asylum and move to Germany, they wont miss much same type of govt. as we have now.

hengst,
I appreciate your line: "Again easy to say negative things when not in the same situation". How apropos.
The issue of the small numbers of folks gaming the system has been discussed here many times...and again I say what you refer to is an enforcement issue...you obviously acknowledge the fact that as a whole, citizens want to work.

Dang! puter double tapped me again...here, I'll ding myself.

Hoski,
We can agree on a few of those points, however I still maintain that every last person in America should pay taxes. If a person is eligible at some point or another to qualify for the social "freebies" then they are eligable to pay taxes.

Again I don't like Romney but this is America. We have an amazing history. What would have happened if we dinged the railroad guys or other enterpeneurs that helped shape the nation. Heck our founding fathers were motivated businessmen that were going broke because of taxes and did something about it.
Nowadays we would call our founding fathers elitist 1%ers, demonstrate against them and do everything to stop progress. Times have changed for the worse.
So more power to all of the rich folks that invest money into businesses and only pay 15% taxes on the earnings, may the earnings be high and their cups full of mead.
I'll continue to work and save and hope that we stop being jealous because others have more than us. I do know that I have a chance one day to pay 15% taxes, why? because this is still America.

Sorry btw the prosperity we should have gained from the Bush tax cuts was a wash.
Folks had more money and credit. Bought houses they couldn't afford because some socialist thought everyone in America should have a house. Ooops oil went up that extra money went into the tank and higher prices because of the high oil prices. So you have a coice pay the credit card or go to work so the credit cards jacked the interest up. Ohh its ok I can "turn my house over to the bank besides the interest I signed for were unfair"
So houses went to crap. Besides what does a signature mean anymore its the banks fault for high ARM's blah blah blah
We as a people felt entitled and spoiled. That is what happened!

As someome so well stated somewhere Bush isn't the issue.

That is close enough to the very simplified truth rock rat, so I'll agree.(a whole books worth of other crap also involved)

Thank goodness for the inequality, the rich folks were eventually able to help get the wheels going, contributed to the later war effort AND some new rich came out of it.(simplified)

That is more than most americans pay. Almost half pay nothing. I think the 13.9 is more than 97% of America pays.

Rat i don't mean what is taken from their check, I mean after tax refunds, credits etc. And i did look it up.

It must be true (Red Ted Turner's Network said so.)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- After plunging the week before, first-time claims for unemployment benefits ticked up last week.The
Labor Department reported Thursday that 377,000 people filed for
initial unemployment benefits in the week ended Jan. 21, up 21,000 from a
revised reading of 356,000 claims the week before.The slight
bump up is not necessarily a bad sign for the job market. Economists
were expecting to see claims head higher after they dropped
significantly the week before. While the week-to-week data tend to be
volatile, the overall trend continues to show improvement."A
clear increase this week was in the cards," Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S.
economist with High Frequency Economics said in a note to clients. "What
counts, though, is the trend, not individual weekly observations. And
the trend is clearly downward."The four-week moving average,
which smooths out weekly choppiness, is still hovering near its lowest
level since 2008. In general, weekly initial jobless claims below
400,000 are typically seen as a sign that hiring is strengthening.Amid the worst of the recession, unemployment offices around the country were at one point processing as many as 659,000 initial claims per week.That said, the job market is still not fully healed either, and millions of Americans remain on the unemployment rolls.About
3.6 million people filed for their second week of unemployment benefits
or more in the week ended Jan. 14, the most recent data available.

Jere, that is very open minded and generous of you to be posting quotes contradicting your usual line of argument. Thanks. Now, in reference to the question of taxes... Of course we need to raise taxes. Our nation must raise more revenue to pay for our national debts. We must pay for health care, feed and clothe those in need, educate our children, etc. It only makes sense to raise more revenue as is logical in any family. In the USA the top 1% controls 40% of the wealth, so should carry 40% of the tax burden. We need more revenue. Tax the rich, and tax us all fairly, according to what we can pay.

Have you died also. What do you mean that you have no more responsibility for the shared well being of your community? I don't think our responsibilities lapse just because we get old and selfish.

hengst,
I noticed a few posts up you make reference to somebody being jealous of wealth.
Nobody posting here has made any reference that brings up jealousy or envy...just merely pointing out unfairness in our tax code.
Why do you GOP types have to resort to tweaking the issues?
Like: class warfare, Govt take over, restoring tax rates comes out raising everyone's taxes, legislation rammed through, and on and on.
Can't you just have a debate without changing definitions?

Hoski,
Looks like you just did what you accused me of, pot meet kettle.

I never said you or anyone on this board were jealous but jealousy in Americas as whole is a part of the issue.

BTW no GOP for me I just like freedom and and not communism.

I will however call it what it is redistribution of wealth and tax warfare and a rose by any other name is still a rose.

Sorry Hoski forgot to add,

The housing issue. This might sound bad and I hate to do this in the spirit of a debate :) but...I think both of us are a little right on the issue.

There was more to it than I stated, you stated it, and there was more of what I stated than what you stated....so we are both a little right....make sense?

That's right Mr. Knots. We on the left want to capture all the wealthiest Americans and squeeze every last cent out of them. You have seen through the smoke screen and recognized the truth. Now, I guess we'll have to go to plan B, have all people making over $1 million per year pay no less than a 30% tax rate. According to an article by Michelle Hirsch published today in the Fiscal Times:
"According to the most recent 2009 data from the IRS, the 236,883 richest American households with income over $1 million and adjustable gross income (AGI) of $727 billion, paid an average 24 percent effective tax rate. If they had paid an average effective tax rate of 30 percent, as Obama is proposing, they would have paid about $218.1 billion in taxes that year, instead of $177.5 billion. That difference is a net gain of $40.6 billion in revenue."

$40.6 billion is a drop in the bucket when you are borrowing in the trillions.

from hengst wrote 1 day 12 hours ago,
Hoski,
We can agree .....
I'll continue to work and save and hope that we stop being jealous because others have more than us. I do know that I have a chance one day to pay 15% taxes, why? because this is still America.....

Further, in the same post you referenced why our founders chose to go to war as because they wee going broke.
The history I learned was, we fought for independence over taxation without representation.
Simply stated, nobody complained much over the taxes, (anymore than we all do today) they didn't like being taxed while not having a voice in govt.

Oh, but the wealthy do decline. A number of wealthy lawyers, for example, take the last half of a year off just because they reach a certain bracket where it isn't worth working. And then those subordinates can be adversely effected. There are many in that category. Liberals always think that people work at their jobs just because they like their job, and do what they do regardless of the increased taxation. Increased taxation is regressive. Bush's tax cuts only got passed because liberals insisted they be temporary. They should be made permanent. Liberals also insisted that Corporations not be given a tax break, and now we are the highest taxed corporation country in the world, and losing market share because of it. High taxation, and bigger and bigger fed govt reduces the private sector, and results in very high debt. So what do liberals do? Look for more taxation wherever they can find it rather than reducing the size of govt, and their influence on personal freedoms, and our lives. Why won't liberals look at Europe, and what has happened? Europe is threatening the global economy. It isn't that hard to make the correlation. And our lack of consumer dollars that supports the world economies is threatening the global economy. All because Big Govt wants to control the money rather than the consumer controlling the money, and they use it to stay in power. And what do we get? The Chevy Volt. I can't wait to buy one of those.

clinchknot,
Very few if any new business take into account the tax rate as to where they propose to establish their business. They look at availability of raw materials, educated work force, availability of utilities, transportation networks and so forth.
If what you say were true, Ireland and other nations would've been paved over long ago.

A Lie?!?
Geez you drank the whole pitcher didn't you?

Honest to goodness, you are new here. As proof you cheer Texas' job growth. Check the state and Fed statistics. Texas has the largest number of working poor in the nation, highest number of uninsured, lowest average wage and on and on.
Year in and year out Texas runs a $10 billion dollar state budget deficit that ol Rick is too happy to make up for in Fed dollars.

Mr. Tiedupinknots will never admit that the republican ideal is an economy that has no unions, no minimum wage, with the majority of workers making just enough to get by, shopping at Wal-Mart, Dollar stores, and yard sales.

Dakota. Dim on Econ 101 like all the other libs I see. What does minimum wage do for anyone? It reduces initially, job opportunities for those to get into the job market. Then it just raises the wages of everyone else, and inflates the price of goods. It's the bottom of the totum pole regardless of what the wage is. Create lots of jobs that conservatives have the handle on, and then employers have to compete for decent labor, and the wage goes up, not govt creating the wage. Your side of the isle KILLS job creation. On lib acts stupid, and another lib says Bravo! Two dimbulbs make an intelligent thought?

Still at it? You've used the "Sayfu shoots, he scores" line as Sayfu before, you dolt. And on your other thread post "I know next to nothing about computers" is akin to the "if the glove does not fit, you must acquit" defense. You were able to start one F&S account, why wouldn't you be able to start another? You claim to be brilliant one day, then own up to being a C student the next. Please don't be an (Anthony)Wiener and continue to stick around well past the time to 'fess up and bow out. Seriously, log off, give it a rest for two years, and then come back with a new handle and start over. Need suggestions for a new screen name? How 'bout "Nutless&Gutless" or "NancyBoy"? I know some will want to keep you around for the comedic effect you and your rant supplies, but having to create a doppleganger to try to validate your wackness is reproachful. I mean really, you already had the anonymity the internet provides and that wasn't enough for you. I'm sure you'll stick around doggedly though, because you fancy yourself a gamer, hangin' in there till the end, gettin' your azz kicked all the way. That, and the fact that this is the only venue for the garbage you post, 'cuz no one else is listening to you. Good-bye, Fu/clinch.

Sayfullah, please don't leave, you make me smile once again with your foolishness! This is very amusing and the sockpuppet tag fits! :-)

You libs still avoiding the big issues, and going after another poster now, Mr. Knot? Way to funny! Pig...Runnin hounds will not get you a degree in Econ 101. Get rid of the hounds, man-up, and read that 8th grade Econ 101 book that you neglected to read when in school. And Mr. Knot. You are right on. I like your "shoots he scores!" line."

My GAWD backcast. Do you lose it on the river the same way? Guess that's why I carry a cellphone when on the river. You need to take a deep breath, and calm down. It's evident liberals run their lives making decisions based on emotion, but you've gone over the edge.

???This getting way off point here, but why, exactly do you carry a cellphone when on the river? The teachers who rubberstamped your report cards and passed you through school despite your obvious difficulties did you a great disservice. If someone had critiqued your work you might have turned out to be a productive member of society. And a quick tip: don't slip up and use GAWD in one of your "clinchknot" posts!

This is just too funny! You can't make this stuff up if you tried! LMAO

Not really. Basics work just fine. Read, or get the gist of the CBO report just out. Very easy to understand what they say about the economy. Next year, after the elections our economy will grow at a 1% rate accourding to the feds own budget office. That is catastrophic, and understandable for those that barely can understand commonsense economics, 101. The debt will increase another trillion dollars!...and 3 trillion over the this decade...catastrophic as well. Reason?..one major one is the effect the huge tax on business ObamaCare will cause. The Heritage Foundation just gave their report, and it stated that all the govt spending in the world can NOT stimulate the real economy, the private sector. They said it actually works in reverse! DUH! Then why did Obama spend the trillion dollar stimulus?..then later laugh, and say "Gee, guess the shovels weren't ready!" real funny BO. All of this Sayfu told you many moons ago. And you still don't get it. And the scary part is Obama wasn't ignorant, or stupid. The left accomplished what they intended.

backcast- BOOOOOOOO! scared you didn't I ! Safu has turned you into a basket case! Call the guys in the white coats! When you get the facts for Fox you're supposed to balanced them out with liberal BS from CNN, or ABC? That's called a well rounded individual to you? Called a lock step liberal wonk to me. One guy lies, and all the other liberals swear by it. And Safu, looking forward to going fly fishing with you this Summer! I'm not any better than backcast at it, but I won't have to be baby sit.

Warning! Anyone who has no interest in clinchFu and myself's love/hate relationship, venture no further. That's it clinchFu! Keep workin' it, though no one is buying your "we are two seperate people" ploy. clinch exhibits the same Safu syntax, and writing style, of his would-be mentor. unable to conjugate verbs. Mispeled words, creative punctuation, and Improper capitalization and run-on sentences and sentence fragments that are all a hallmark of fu's inability to write in his native language, that shows that Fu was quite LIBERAL in applying his aversion to being taught during his formal edjucashun. Or didn't have the ability. GAWD!! Keeps lying, and trying, to make us believe someone else is in his corner. Freely admits, and is proud, that he is not, or has no interest in being, a well rounded Individual. Happy under the Fox Big Tent. Would throw April Volkey over for a date with Neil Cavuto. Claims to be a teapartier, but loves big WA insiders and career politicos. Doesn't pass the smell test. Both of 'em do it something like that. If ignorance is truly bliss, clinchFu is the happiest girl in the whole USA. Close your "Economics for Dummies" book and turn off Fox News. Your dignity and credibility need tending to.

Backcast. Please! The guys in the white coats are coming knockin! Mispeled words? Mr Knot has been more than kind to your ignorance. I think it is truly funny. The real backcast has been forced to stand up. very funny!

WAM,
Fairly well known stream right in the middle of steelhead alley just outside my back door. Ice broke from the warm weather recently and when conditions permit you can bet I'm on the water!
Heck I'm so close I don't even bother driven!

Snafu is too busy catching wrinkled-neck scupper trout....

Too funny!
I propose a new handle for our new literary whit?whits, how about "knotfu"?