A political note:

[pyat]

Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher sounds like a jackass.

Mr Wurzelbacher said Mr Obama's plan to raise taxes to redistribute money was "kind of a socialist viewpoint".

"Robin Hood stole from greedy rich people and redistributed it to the peasants, so to speak, so if he's calling us peasants, I kind of resent that," he said."

He's worried that Obama would tax his prospective business to the tune of 39% instead of the current 36%. So, shouldn't he see himself as one of the "greedy rich people" Robin had to steal from?

Comments

[zorinlynx.livejournal.com]

I agree.

And what the GOP can't figure out, or more likely doesn't WANT you to figure out, is that the $250,000 figure applies to *PROFIT*, not income off the top.

Business expenses are *TAX DEDUCTIBLE*. You pay $0 tax on business income used to pay expenses. Only *PROFIT* is taxed.

And any business making a profit of more than $250K a year can afford to contribute a little more to the system. It's only 3% more, only on profits, and these people are acting like it's going to bankrupt them.

But right now the GOP will make any argument they can. They are desperate, cornered, and hopefully, will be out of power come next year.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

I agree. It's almost hilarious if it weren't so baldly rhetorically scary.

Dem: "The overwhelming majority of the middle class will have their taxes lowered."

Rep: "But you're going to raise taxes for the middle class!"

Dem: "95% of the middle class will have their taxes lowered."

Rep: "You, out there, my friend! You're in the middle class, right? The Dems want to increase taxes!"

Dem: ::sigh::

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

When the minimum wage was first established, the argument was that it would destroy business.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Also, $250K US takes this guy right out of the small-business owner category.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

...see above. :)

And, some food for thought: what right-wingers mean when they call Obama a socialist (http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is_john_lewis_right_after_all).

[unselighe.livejournal.com]

They must've heard the gripes through the blogosphere about "Joe Sixpack" being the new moniker for the "average" American (if there is such a thing), so now they've switched to "Joe the Plumber," as if "Joe the Plumber" represents us peasants.

[eyemage.livejournal.com]

never mind the guy isnt even registered to vote...

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

Not only is he a jack ass, he does not understand how US business entities work. There's a big difference in how income from sole proprietorships and liability shielding companies(LLCs, S-Corporations and Corporations) are taxed. If he's pulling down enough to get hit by Barry's tax cut, he's making enough that he should be organized as an LLC or S-Corp. Among other things, this lets you split your assets from your company's. That means your personal income is not the same as the company revenues or even its total profits. The company will have to pay taxes in its own right, but the share Joe would want to take home would be much smaller. Meanwhile, starting or purchasing a business gives you a big tax break. The following year, you might be in trouble for owning the business as an asset, but this is all why you hire an accountant instead of listening to some idiot on LJ.

[foomf.livejournal.com]

He's a fiction created by a Republican who isn't speaking to anyone who actually knows how business works.

Sadly I know of at least two such people, in real life (well, one has died, and the other inherited, without benefit of meaningful legal preparation.)

Because of the carefully sustained folk tale that any small business can be successful without needing to get a specialist to ensure that they are not just following the law, but also taking advantage of its protections ... they're Independent and Self Reliant. This lets the stinking rich ones come away so much better, while increasing the resentment of the barely rich, so they can be herded into voting for slime.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that myth almost got me in a lot of trouble. If the state if Michigan at the time was not so forgiving of filing mistakes and so willing to let idiots like me file and file again until I got it right, I would've had a lot of fines. I shoulda consulted a local lawyer on this stuff. Luckily I did hire an accountant and avoided trouble with the feds on taxes.

[eyebeams.livejournal.com]

If Joe's business can't handle a 3% increase, Joe is a shitty businessman.

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

See, in America, right now we're stealing from the poor still to give to the rich, from whom some of it ltrickle down, back to us. Of course, if they didn't take it in the first place... o_O

Joe is a jackass. Yep. One reason more to leave Ohio.

I have horrible wording that I don't know how to fix

[zenten.livejournal.com]

No one actually thinks that they are rich. Other people who make more than them are rich, but not themselves.

Re: I have horrible wording that I don't know how to fix

[pyat.livejournal.com]

*nods* People forget that their expenses expand to meet their income. They think, "I'm making $200K and I'm still living from pay cheque to pay cheque!" Mind you, they also have three cars and an in-ground pool.

Re: I have horrible wording that I don't know how to fix

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Well, expenses don't have to expand to meet income...

Re: I have horrible wording that I don't know how to fix

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Very true. But I suspect someone like Joe the PLumber will be buying multiple Ford trucks and SUVs and complaining about his mortgage...

losing it a little

[paka.livejournal.com]

Wait. Taxed for fulfilling the American Dream?

The thing I always thought was the American Dream is that, yeah you start with nothing and get somewhere in life (and hey, isn't helping poor people more helping fulfill the American Dream) but more importantly, people thought you were shit back where you came from, and yet here people can consider you an equal citizen. I've heard McCain's party talk about their god. I'm a second class citizen in McCain's America, so's my family, so are my friends, so are a lot of other people out there. Fuck that. Where's my American Dream?

[aslowhite.livejournal.com]

First of all, his first name is really Samuel, but I guess McCain's lobbyist campaign managers thought that sounded too Jewy.

Second, if his biggest problem is that he may have to put off buying his business for a year or two? Compared to someone who is about to lose their health insurance because they are being laid off? He should thank his lucky stars. He's a lot better off than a lot of people.

It's all about I, Me, Mine, isn't it?

[archai.livejournal.com]

...although actually, as I've heard on the news (NPR this morning), Joe makes $250k/yr. Joe would see no rise at all - he's in the last bracket (http://www.stefanhayden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/obama_mccain_taxcut.gif) before Obama's tax plan would switch from cuts to hikes. He has room to increase his annual income nearly two and a half times before he comes out of that bracket, too.

I would mind JtP less as an icon of the middle class if he weren't a) so highly atypical of it and b) less of a shill. Seriously.