Steely Dan

So you believe they should be handed things on a silver platter. Taxes are a part of living in almost any country, deal with it. If your net worth, after deductions, is more than a million then your kids are gonna have to deal with the fact that they'll have to make due with a half mil or more. If you want to coddle your kids into a life of leisure half of your worth will still be more than enough to do it.

Good news!

Just so you know changing names is something a lot of people here have done. I was tired of the Steely handle and decided to change it. Unfortunately I changed it wrong. I wanted to change it to Peter Gabriel but goofed. Once I can change it again I will be on the board as Peter Gabriel. Happy Pappy?!

You blamed "corn in the gas" for the high gas prices of 2008. Were you even close to right about that? No you weren't. Gas prices are a lot lower now and they are still putting corn in the gas. I'm not all that happy about the ethanol in the gas thing right now either but I wasn't an idiot enough to believe that it was responsible for $4 a gallon gas. Carry on.

If he was a whiny little biotch who didn't realize how uber lucky he was to be born into the family he was he might, if he felt that the world owed him something for being born rich he might, if he knew how hard it is to succeed when you have little to start with he might, if he was a lazy son of a B word he might. So I guess he'd have to be a complete ahole first. He doesn't seem like a complete ahole to me. JMO Do you believe people should work hard for the things they have or have them handed to them on a silver platter?

As far as I know WB doesn't have any kids. BG isn't saying to tax it all away he's saying that a tax is necessary. Your argument about his kids not suffering after he dies just makes the argument for estate taxes stronger. You're right they won't suffer even if half of his wealth is taxed. An ultra conservative friend of my brothers recently moved back to NY after living in SC. He's more than happy to pay the taxes now in exchange for the much better schools in this state. If Golisano wants to cry and pout about how he was being screwed by NY down in Florida let him. He is more about money than country anyway.

How's that corn in the gas theory of yours working out.

I've always found that funny. The Republicans lay claim to the "true patriot" title but don't practice what they preach. Money is far more important than country.

No, people who don't have the facts don't think first. Have you read the multiple posts on all of the things that the estate tax is taxing for the FIRST time? Oops! Sarcasm detector not working well today.

First, after all of the tax credits if somebody has a worth of over a million dollars they are pretty well off. Second if you want to raise the first rate to begin at two million I think that would be fair given inflation and such. Third the conservative mantra is that if you work hard you can make it. Why don't these people want their kids have to earn their keep? Fourth, taxes don't go to greasing palms of politicians. That's done by private enterprise. Fifth, if you believe in meritocracy and not aristocracy it's a necessary evil. JMO

Jesus was for capital punishment!! Dude are you familiar with the "Thou shalt not kill" commandment? Priceless. Jesus is a bleeding heart liberal. Don't try to twist the words and actions of a wise man to fit your sick ideas of what is right and wrong.

Hey, just curious. How much money are you planning to send to the strapped oil companies who are suffering needlessly through this crisis?

Dude how are capital gains from stock sales and, in the case of RW, sales from business ventures double taxing? Ralph has never paid taxes on the value of the Bills franchise because it's only paid when it's sold. The same goes for capital gains on previously unsold stocks. Stop parroting the party line and think first.

You're tilting at windmills, that will never happen. Most politicians are re-elected on their ability to steer pork locally. The taxes on the rich in this country are among the lowest in the world, IIRC.

No I don't because you're wrong. Do you realize you're wrong? http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/articl...=164871,00.html Estate Tax The Estate Tax is a tax on your right to transfer property at your death. It consists of an accounting of everything you own or have certain interests in at the date of death (Refer to Form 706 (PDF)). The fair market value of these items is used, not necessarily what you paid for them or what their values were when you acquired them. The total of all of these items is your "Gross Estate." The includible property may consist of cash and securities, real estate, insurance, trusts, annuities, business interests and other assets. Once you have accounted for the Gross Estate, certain deductions (and in special circumstances, reductions to value) are allowed in arriving at your "Taxable Estate." These deductions may include mortgages and other debts, estate administration expenses, property that passes to surviving spouses and qualified charities. The value of some operating business interests or farms may be reduced for estates that qualify. After the net amount is computed, the value of lifetime taxable gifts (beginning with gifts made in 1977) is added to this number and the tax is computed. The tax is then reduced by the available unified credit. Presently, the amount of this credit reduces the computed tax so that only total taxable estates and lifetime gifts that exceed $1,000,000 will actually have to pay tax. In its current form, the estate tax only affects the wealthiest 2 percent of all Americans. Most relatively simple estates (cash, publicly traded securities, small amounts of other easily valued assets, and no special deductions or elections, or jointly held property) do not require the filing of an estate tax return. A filing is required for estates with combined gross assets and prior taxable gifts exceeding $1,500,000 in 2004 - 2005; $2,000,000 in 2006 - 2008; and $3,500,000 effective for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2009. Don't like satire do you? How much are you planning to send to the rich dudes who are overtaxed this year? Just curious.

I was talking about the oil thread.

Yes pay less, is that hard to fathom? If we give these big tax cuts to the wealthy where do you propose the money should be made up from. Don't say cutting spending because both the Republicans and Democrats have proven that will never happen. After all we live in the USA, not fantasy land.

For those of you who feel the wealthy are unjustly taxed here's a list of the richest 400 people in America; http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/29/forbes-40...ll_slide_2.html Choose who you want to donate to and send them money.

Well, I put this in the wrong thread and moved it here but somebody deleted it. So I'll post it here and delete it from the other thread. A long Mercedes stretch limo pulls up outside of Sheeple's house. A man exits the drivers door wearing a black hat with a highly polished brim. He is wearing a black jacket and black bowtie over a starched white shirt. His crisp black pants hide the upper portions of highly polished black shoes. He walks around to the back passenger door and opens it up. Loud sounds of partying can be heard with raucous laughter. A man emerges in disheveled business dress. He stumbles out of the car holding a glass of champagne. He takes a minute to gain his balance with the help of his Chauffeur. He stumbles up to Sheeple's door and rings the bell. Sheeple: "Can I help you?" Bobby Richass: "Yeah, you sure can. My name is Bobby Richass and my dad died last year." Sheeple: "I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been devastating." Bobby: "Thank you it was. I've heard you're one of the few people who truly understand the plight of the uber rich and so I've come to talk to you. You see the government took half of my fathers estate in taxes last year." Sheeple: "I know I'm working to make people understand how wrong that is." Bobby: "I know dude but, that doesn't help me NOW! !@#$ing dad died at 11:59 December 31st 2009. We kept that bastard alive as long as we could and just one minute shy of no estate taxes the !@#$ dies. Do you have any idea what a six month hospital stay costs!!"(He turns his champagne glass up and drains it and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.) "So knowing you are a compassionate conservative I'm hoping you'll help me out. I already had to sell the fourth home in Barbados to pay those overtaxing bastards and now I'm very close to not being able to afford the renovation on the third house in Hawaii. Anyway I'm in a hurry." (A young buxom woman rolls down the back window and shouts at him.) Buxom chick: Baaahhbbbbeeee, we're gonna miss the plane!! Bobby: Relax I own the damn plane it isn't going anywhere without us. (He turns back to Sheeple) Look, I need a half a billion dollars to keep my head above water. I know you can't afford that right now but send me a hundred bucks a month and we'll be cool man. I already stopped by another Sheeples house and they agreed to it." Sheeple: "Well sir, I'm not a hypocrite. Let me get my checkbook." Bobby: "Look man I can't wait. I've got people to do places to go." (He snickers at his own joke and flicks a business card into the house.) "Send it to my accountant he'll take care of it. Oh by the way can you just sign this commitment contract first." Sheeple: "Yes sir!" (Smiling he signs the contract) "Hey maybe some time I can come down and see the house in Hawaii." Bobby: "Look guy I'm gonna be honest with you. That's not gonna happen." (He puts the contract in his coat and walks away. He stops and turns around) "Hey are there any other idio..compassionate conservatives in this neighborhood? I don't have time to talk to them but if you could go around to your friend's houses and give them my accountants address I'd really appreciate it." Sheeple: "Yes sir, I'd be happy to do that for you!" (He gives him the thumbs up and smiles.) Buxom chick: "Baaaaahhhbeee!" Bobby: "Jesus Christ can't you wait a minute." (The chauffeur opens the back door, lets Bobby in and then speeds away.) (Sheeple's wife comes up behind him. He tells her what just happened.) Wife: "WHAT THE !@#$ DID YOU JUST DO!! WE HAVE THE MORTGAGE DUE THIS WEEK!!!" Sheeple: (Rolling eyes) "Relax, I'm not writing the check from our savings account it's coming from Jimmy's college fund. Someday Jimmy is gonna make it big through hard work and he'll thank me for it." (Sheeple's wife runs upstairs and grabs a pistol. She runs downstairs and while Sheeple stares blankly into space admiring the great work he's just done she puts the gun against the back of his head and pulls the trigger.) (Cue "Don't stop believing" by Journey)

Well that explains the post to Deerball telling him you're proud of him.

I moved this post to the Ralph needs to die in 2010 thread. It really belonged there.

Did you know the California thing smelled bad? I highly doubt it. What am I a sheeple for?

I'm getting more and more frustrated with the sheeple who buy the complaints of the uber rich and somehow see them as being victims.

The people getting the inheritance haven't worked hard for it. Their ancestors did. The person who earned it can't use it anymore. I would think a conservative like yourself would be for taking it all away so people have to earn it and not get a handout. Do you think Ralph should have to pay any taxes on the nearly billion dollar gain in worth for the franchise when he dies? That money has never been taxed. A lot of it hasn't been taxed at all. The capital gains on any stocks they own and are sold upon death have never been taxed. So no, the government has taxed a lot of it at all. Shhh, common sense isn't welcome around here. Shhh, common sense isn't welcome around here.

What a pathetic post that is. BTW, people can stop saying they're winning. YOU CANNOT WIN THIS THREAD UNLESS YOU'RE A MODERATOR OR DEV!!! My thread offers a fair chance of winning!!