Exactly who ‘makes enough money’ in Obama’s eyes?

Great Article! Hey jb, the next question is, “Who gets to decide what “success that’s fairly earned” means? You? Me? The President? It’s NONE of any of our businesses what other people make. Unfortunately, busy bodies on the left don’t think ANY income about what they decree is enough, is earned fairly no matter HOW it was earned.

The problem as I see it, is that celebrities who are CLEARLY overpaid get a pass from the President and the press while those in banking and finance get demonized when they only make a fraction of what the celebrities do.

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Typical left wing goat plop. The looters steal from the producers and hand over to the moochers.

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You seem to have a hard time distinguishing between CEO’s and the people on Wall Street. Mostly they aren’t the same people. For example, David Tepper, formerly of Goldman Sachs, pulled down $4 billion in 2009 from managing his hedge fund. That’s right. One guy. One year. $4 BILLION. How did he do it? Largely by betting that the government wouldn’t let the banks fail. In other words, the whole too-big-to-fail thing.

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We don’t want people to stop fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy.

Obumer does begrudge success, as most on the liberal socialist left do. His words in this part of his statement defies his actions.

Now probably no one bothered to actually read any of Obumer’s little speech, Kyle. But, buried in that little oratory jewel of his, he admits to stopping people from fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy, by nationalizing student loans. Of course, nationalizing student loans is not one more step into socialism, now is it? I mean, banks don’t actually make money off of loans as in the old days of capitalism that pays for employees and dividends to shareholders, right?

Oh but what the hay, dear leader comrade Obumer justifies it all in the name of saving us a butt-load of money.

So now Big Obumer GUB’MENT owns Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Sallie Mae.

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Here’s a little bit of Obumer’s “Social Justice” at work for you, Kyle: You know how he always speaks so passionately about FAIRNESS when it comes to paying PROGRESSIVE taxes and how the RICH should pay a little – BIG – amount more because they can afford it.

Now this is a real true life story about a very wealthy successful living fellow American who gives 100% of his income to charity – that means he gives it away to the “Under Privileged” and the “Less Fortunate” of our society – and because he gives away 100% of his income to charity the IRS a.k.a. Big GUB’MENT, makes him pay a 50% tax penalty on the 100% amount of income that he is giving away to charity.

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Now that was a very twisted unintelligent comment to say the least.

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Decency:

GLENN BECK: So how is it not reasonable? I called a good friend of mine, Jon Huntsman, Sr. –- he’s an industrialist and the guy who invented the, you know, plastic fork and spoon and Styrofoam cup. I mean, he’s given America so much.

He’s a philanthropist now. He pays 150 percent in income – he pays 50 percent in income tax and gives away his income. He has to pay a higher rate of income tax because in this country, if you give away 100 percent, they charge you 50 percent because something must be up, OK?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,591002,00.html

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As a footnote to the side note: Get rid of 2/3 of the bureaucrats(public trough feeders) and their bureaucracy(the public trough) and you really see a change we can believe in. Politicians come and go but the bureaucrats and their bureaucracy remains growing forevermore the same.

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There’s no talk of redistributing wealth

On that one you should be ashamed. Obumer spoke very clearly to redistributive wealth when he campaigned for the Presidency.

The angry lefties spewing lies and hate at those on the right who call Obumer on his statements and actions, which reveal what is truly being denigrated upon every opportunity.

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There is a difference between people shelling out money to be entertained by a celebrity and CEO taking your investment and entertaining himself as your expense.

Very true.

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I must have missed something. I didn’t know that Madonna and Beyonce’s would be allowed to get a financial bailout like the banks. If they are eligible, we should regulate them too.

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President Obama was referring to greed, to the behavior of the financial industry executives who have unlimited power to plunder the assets of their companies

If you have a problem with financial industry executives’ pay, don’t invest your money with them.

And don’t support the Idiot Messiah’s “reform” bill that promises taxpayer bailouts and a $50 billion slush fund to prop up politically favored firms.

Don’t you find it just a little bit curious that Goldman Sachs supports the Idiot Messiah’s financial “reform”?

No, of course you don’t, because you’re a mind-numbed Obama acolyte.

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Kyle,

Did you hear the news. Tiger Woods lost a key sponsor and it caused the economy to crash due to naked shorts that Goldman had taken out on him, right after Goldman paid two dozen hookers millions to seduce him and then go public with the information. Blankfein was overheard saying afterward that if Tiger had been doing God’s work, like he does, then all of this could have been avoided.

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Is Kyle defending the Goldman Sachs thieves now?

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The authors point is linked to the questions the Left will never answer; just exactly who are “the rich”, and just exactly how high does the Left want to raise the tax rates. They won’t answer the first question because the ugly truth is that the Left MUST reach deep into the middle class if they’re to raise the gargantuan amount of tax revenue in order to achieve european-style socialism. The won’t answer the second question because there truly is no upper limit to the tax rates for the Left; there will ALWAYS be more “great” govt programs necessitating just one more teensy tax hike. The blunt truth is the Left will never stop pushing for tax hikes until we’ve literally got absolute income equality…and that of course if a pipe dream which will/can never happen.

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And I will defend the Mortgage Bankers..because this is my philosophy..caveat Emptor..

If I can sell you a product that isn’t expressly illegal, I HAVE NO duty to make sure its good for you. I’d be glad to sell people drano for the express purpose of them committing suicide, if they want to buy it …not my business what they want to die for.

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Madonna is a wrinkled old hag, whose body parts are pretty much worthless, she should be in a nursing home for old @@@@@@, imho. She was called McDonna in New York for a reason, some thing to do with “over 15 million served.”

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Thank you for writing what I had been thinking. I think the reason celebs and high paid sports people are not complaining is because when your income is that high, you can sustain an 80% marginal tax rate and still be a millionaire. Oprah has already purchased her multitude of multi-million dollar homes, fleet of cars, etc., so a huge marginal tax rate won’t hurt her wealth status or lifestyle picture at this point. I don’t begrudge her the wealth, I am happy for her. But she certainly has no need to protect the ability of others to get as grossly wealthy as she has become.

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Odd set of comments. Do you folks disagree that there is such a thing as “enough money” or not? What’s with the vitriol? Do you really think 10 million, 20 million, 50 million isn’t “enough”? So much fake outrage. Don’t you have any serious policy issues to discuss?

As to entertainers: if we decide that there is such a thing as “enough money” and jack up taxes for the superrich, Oprah will pay her share. Obama himself just forked over 1.8 million in taxes, plus another 1.7 million in donations (incl the nobel money). He’s walking the walk, in other words.

Now please get excited about something important.

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So, for decades, the medical insurance companies have provided a good product. Actually it has been a needed and necessary product which they provided at a reasonable market rate. The rate had to keep rising because of government regulation and taxation, but the profit margin of the insurance industry was still only about 3% annually. 3% is not very much when you consider that’s about the same interest rate of a basic checking account. That’s the same profit margin that the big, nasty, evil oil companies make on a gallon of gas by the way. Our “fair minded” government, however, makes actually more profit from these same industries through taxation ( both federal and state), fines and penalties, lawsuits, lobbyists and kickbacks. Maybe someone should tell Obama that the government has made ENOUGH money off the backs of industries while simultaneously vilifying them or putting them out of business!

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I would love to comment, but I am too busy looking up big words that uberintelligent lefties lihe Artatlarge use in their commentary. I will be back in a moment

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The information Kyle presented is factual and accurate. Each person here has read it and come to vastly different conclusions, which is natural. My conclusion is that there is no power gained by the government dabbling in the entertainment industry, while their is tremendous power gained by controlling the capital markets of the country. This administrations tactics of demonizing an industry, then gaining control of said industry for the good of the people has proved successful so far. Health insurance and now the financial industry. As Obama said in one of his books, capitalism is the enemy of good social policy. And remember, Socialism is not defined as the governments ownership of the means of production. It is defined as governments control of the means of production. Education, Health care, and private capital is a very healthy start.

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Good news, Obama has been caught with his panties down, check Drudereport. He has allegedly been hitting (aka tapping, nailing, hammering, etc) a 35 year old campaign worker since at least 2004, right under Michelle’s big fat nose! John Edwards and Tiger Woods have come to the sneak-in-chief’s aid, saying “he is innocent until proven guilty.” Hotel security video tape reportedly has the sneak and his trophy on tape…..he he ha ha

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Obama makes enough money!

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The President might agree, he has said that if in fact there is class warfare, that his class is winning.

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“An afterthought: Hannity and Boortz probably have a negative value to society.”

Bedwetter: I think the same can be said over CNN and the rest of the DNC main slime media.

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With all the talk Kyle……what do you think of the theory of “Consumption Tax” ?

So if you make all that money and want to say throw $15 mil into your house, or buy a big boat like Tiger’s, you pay tax’s for the luxury….and not get it as a write off.

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“Hey, Jackalcrat: Which Book, What Page in Which Edition. Citation Required. Where is the moderator?”

When one of them gets taken to court for a lie or defamation of character, please call me. Until then, you made a comment and I made a comment. Both are OPINIONS. Oh, and for the record, I do love how CNN, MSNBC, and other Sunday “news” talk shows have a round table with three to five liberals and zero to one conservatives.

Now kindly return to wetting your liberal bed.

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Vote out the incumbents and start over

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what do you think of the theory of “Consumption Tax” ?

So if you make all that money and want to say throw $15 mil into your house, or buy a big boat like Tiger’s, you pay tax’s for the luxury….and not get it as a write off.

That is the way it should work, though I’m not completely sold on the consumption tax. What so many miss when talking about tax reform is that spending reform will have to take place before considering any type of equitable tax reform. Which will mean cutting the size, scope and cost of government, not simply cutting the rate of government growth. Yep, that means real pain and a great deal of GUB’MENT job loss, as rightly it should happen, when restructuring a government that is meant to work from the bottom up and not as now, incorrectly from the top down.

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Hey Jacklcrat: You don’t know which book, because I’ll wager you’ve not read one of them. I challenge you to read “The Audacity of Hope”. There you’ll find well reasoned, moderate, thoughts about how to better govern America.

And stop the infantile name calling. I know that Fixed News has given you precious little of substance and facts to work with, but name calling doesn’t contribute to discourse, and cannot possibly help make America a better place, you Chicken Hawk moron.

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[...] [...]

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Very good article.

Obama and his “progressives” have the intention of implementing control in United States of America. He will need the help of the wealthy elites, and will need the votes of the non-taxpayers.

That leaves the middle-class… we are the ones that Obama intends on having to ask the question “how much is enough”? Of course, Obama was talking about money…

The REAL question of “how much is enough” applies to – Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Soros, and their regime of “progressives”. And I have had quite enough of this gang, thank you.

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I agree with Obama. If you make over $250,000 a year, which I do, then you should shoulder a disproportionate amount of the burdens essential in maintaining the socio-economic environment that allowed you to earn that much money in the first place.

Do not confuse taxation of the wealthy with the benefits afforded the lazy. You’re combining two issues that are dissimilar in nature. The lazy of our country need to get off their sorry zzzes and contribute. We need to invest MORE money in the moderation and enforcement of our welfare state. Where were the Republicans in Congress on this issue from 1994 through 2006? Why wasn’t our porous welfare system addressed in those long 12 years? Where was Bush on this?

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Talking about sports stars and entertainers is comparing apples to oranges. Nobody has to go to a ball game or a concert or a movie. We have a choice in whether or not we give them our money. They can’t wreck the whole economy either.

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$250,000, its a magic number decreed by magic people who know of magical insights into their magical society..

$250,000, it’s a special number decreed by overseers with the overseeing power of swat teams and prisons.

$250,000 is a butt-pulled number reeking of sh!t for brains who can’t help but exercise their own maniacal brand of authoritarianism over others.

250,000 creeeeeeam piiiiies. Doh.

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Just how do you make 5.5 million dollars as a public servant?

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Any variation of socialism, paints a very pretty picture. Obama is all over the map, trying to get his vision explained. The entire doctrine of the left wing Liberal Democratic doctrine, clears things up. People should study it. It roots, it beliefs. Again nothing wrong with it, whether you agree, or disagree with it. It should however be clarified, and communicated. I had opportunity to interface with the United Steel Workers Union executives, and run a large facility, with them in control The rules were clear.

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“Obama never held a job, godless heathen? Does being a constitutional law professor for 12 years not count?” He was a lecturer with no publishing obligation (and no legal publishing accomplished). Having held a similar position myself while also actually in practice, I’d have to say, no, that doesn’t count as a real job.

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“Hey Jacklcrat: You don’t know which book, because I’ll wager you’ve not read one of them. I challenge you to read “The Audacity of Hope”. There you’ll find well reasoned, moderate, thoughts about how to better govern America.”

Hey Boortzpig: I don’t waste my money on propoganda. By the way, if you think your beloved Teleprompter In Chief is a “moderate” as he ran on, then Bush was a Conservative.

By the by: why can’t you liberals ever get over Bush, FoxNews, Tea Party, and Palin? Clean out your own yard of liberal rubbish, lies, incompetence, deficit spending out of control, and cronyism before wetting yourselves over anything Republican.

I dare you.

But don’t you worry – you’ll find out what payback means with moderates who voted for Obama this November and in 2012.

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Here’s the modern liberal mentality: make Queen Pelosi look about 30 years younger.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Vogue_-Cover-girl-Pelosi-looking-rather-airbrushed-in-D_C_-glossy-92327844.html

Kinda reminds me of this administration and lawyers running this nation telling us that 10+% unemployment is a good thing. (IE: reduces commuter carbon emissions, allows families to spend more time together, etc.).

Liberals really are the Baghdad Bobs of politics – and reality.

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Jobs lost at Ely Power Plant –

$135,000,000 in sunk costs to be passed on to Nevada ratepayers (Very Soon)
1,600 Construction jobs lost to build the facilities in Ely
200 Operations jobs lost

Jobs lost at Yucca Mt- 1,200

2,500 Construction jobs lost to build the facilities at the Nevada Test Site
500 Operations Jobs
(Since Yucca is the law of the land, it still goes forward, but without the Nevada workforce. {Watch it return, like a zombie from the cemetery}

Lost corporate travel business from Obama’s anti-Vegas statements – 6 Large Corporate cancellations, and climbing (One hundred million dollars in impact so far).

Economic Stimulus bill supported by Reid allows the Government to BAN TRIPS TO VEGAS due to excessiveness. As the RJ stated, “ An amendment to the $787 billion economic stimulus bill could have some unpleasant fallout for Las Vegas”

All travel to Las Vegas from Federal agencies are now under the microscope!
(This is not the case for San Diego, Miami, New York, or anywhere else)

Massive cutbacks in flights to and from McCarren

20.0% or worse unemployment for Las Vegas! (Unemployed, forced part time, & quit looking)

Nevada was shortchanged on the crumbs that we did receive from this multi-billion dollar stimulus. Reid was to blame for our misfortune

Let us not forget what Harry specifically ensured what would NOT be in the bill,,, E-Verify. For those not familiar with it, it helps ensure that only legal U.S. citizens get jobs.

$1,000,000,000,000.00 in debt to be paid by current taxpayers and their kids

Harry Reid’s negative impact on Nevada and voter revolt,,,, PRICELESS !!!!

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You Distort/We Deride

May 1st, 2010
12:09 pm
I agree with Obama. If you make over $250,000 a year, which I do, then you should shoulder a disproportionate amount of the burdens essential in maintaining the socio-economic environment that allowed you to earn that much money in the first place.

Why?

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NMP: liberals don’t like direct questions because liberalism is based on emotions. You won’t get a direct answer. I have YET to have one liberal give me either a dollar amount or household annual income ball park of what “livable” wage is.

Most of us had minimum wage jobs while in high school and/or college to help with expenses while living at home, but then we moved out and moved on to bigger and better things. It’s the American way. Well over 90% of those who moved out and moved on when to PRIVATE SECTOR jobs, not government jobs, like the Obamabots want us all to take joy in.

We had choices. We chose mediocrity and comfort which paid the same long term or chose sacrifice and hard work which paid off more long term. Guess which one made this nation great?

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Did you get college loans or grants Jackalcrat? Will you call the fire department if you need them? Do you have family members on SSI or Medicare? I’ve found that most of the knuckle dragging moronic Rethugs are against social help unless they or family member need it. And Barry the Bailout, I wasn’t aware Obama was President during the Bank Bailout? Is this another spin like Bush wasn’t President during 9/11? Again corporate welfare ok, just not for people.

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Jackalcrat

May 1st, 2010
2:20 pm

Your comments are insightful and refreshing. I realize that lefties are loathe to answer even soft-ball questions, but I like to ask them “for the record.”

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Antiboortz

May 1st, 2010
2:50 pm

For the record I do believe some form of value added tax is a good Idea…………..

So do I. Completely in lieu of an income tax. No more IRS. We can start Monday, I should think.

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If the Fair Tax did become law and the IRS were abolished, it’d take another bureaucracy just as big to administer it. It’d just have a different name.

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Jackalcrat May 1st, 2010
2:02 pm

Question: has paying for health care with chickens helped the GOP gain voter share in Nevada??
Harry Reid is gaining ground in Nevada……….

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Simple question, who is responsible for that total?

They are.

Another simple question, who is responsible for paying it off?

We are.

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Ya, Wall Street CEOs didn’t make very much in 2009 what with Blankfein generally setting the upper limits and setting his low as not to make the situation worse. Looking at 2009 doesn’t really give a very accurate picture.

Also, I have only ever met one person who thought that they could never make enough money. Fair enough, they’re free to do that. Everybody else generally concedes that at some point (whatever that may be) that you can have made enough money that time spent making more is a waste of life. It was odd to meet someone who could not understand this.

The point however is that “part of the American way is you can just keep on making it if you’re providing a good product or you’re providing a good service.” When you put together a bunch of crappy investments, sell them as good investments, and then bet they will fail, well, that’s not providing a good product or service.

So to jump on the what the President said without thinking it through…makes me laugh at the name Kyle Wingfield.

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Andy

May 1st, 2010
4:20 pm
When you put together a bunch of crappy investments, sell them as good investments, and then bet they will fail, well, that’s not providing a good product or service.

You’re right, and I agree. My question is why does the SEC require such rigid licensing to be in the securities industry? Series 7, 63 et al, and what do we get? Gambling. I thought FDR’s Securities act of 1934 was supposed to cure us of all this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Securities_and_Exchange_Commission

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Hillbilly, and just who is they? Be specific please.

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No More, regulations are only as good as the regulators who in this case were meant to enforce them. What good is the SEC and the FTC?

No good!

It is time to clean the BIG GUB’MENT house.

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“Harry Reid is gaining ground in Nevada……….”

HDB: only in a re-run of liberal revisionist history………….

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/nevada/election_2010_nevada_senate

You liberals are going to lose a LOT of seats this November, and it’s going to be a beautiful sight to behold.

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Oops – “Oh and on your point, ask Washington state residents on Medicare how they feel about not being able to get prescriptions filled at Walgreen’s.”

Make that Medicaid, not Medicare. But same difference, same government incompetence.

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retiredds @ 4:35

That was intended to be a little humor on a rainy day.

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No More Progressives

If labor and management cannot forge equitable financial arrangements between themselves, then I could care less if their business fails.

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Michael H. Smith

May 1st, 2010
5:15 pm

It is time to clean the BIG GUB’MENT house.

I’m ready. Hurry up November & we’ll get started.

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NMP – If the nation didn’t have union labor…many of the workplace protections wouldn’t be in place!! Southerners hated unions because of the history of slavery…..I hope we’ve gotten past that episode in history!!

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HDB – only prospers when free hand-outs are given? I am surprised that you are able to type while you lips are sn strongly attached to the hind-quarters of the DemoRats

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What a stupid conclusion arrived at by this writer. I heard the Obama statement and it went something like: “I don’t begrudge … but at some point you would think enough is enough”. Maybe I don’t have the quote exactly right but it is the essence of what was said. What is so unamerican about having such a view. I feel that way about my minister, my doctor, and many of the atheletes. My view however is nothing more than a personal opinion based on my values and sense of fairness. Kyle is attempting to make an issue of a none issue.

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So Obmas spent his life in “public service”? Who exactly did he serve other then himself-the slumlords of Chicago? The racists and communists? Wow, how noble. This idiot is a communist moron, who thinks that the Roman arch was invented by Muslims. he thinks that Islam is about tolerance and said so in the middle East. Sure they are tolerant of women, who they can burn and beat, and they are tolerant of Christians, Jews and homosexuals..Yup, that Islam particularly as practiced by Arab nations is a real tolerant. We should apologize to these tolerant progressive people as Obama did for their subhuman conduct and culture. Yup, that will help a lot.

What he said idiots is what he said, “at a certain point you’ve made enough money”. He tells you, “this is what I beleive” and you still can’t figure it out. “My health care will reduce the deficit”, “there will be no new taxes on anybody making less then $250K”, “I will bring a bipartisan approach to government”, “I do not have a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees BUT they must respect ALL women’s rights” (abortion-so he does have a litmus test). This fool can’t open his mouth without lies coming out and still the defenders come to his defense because they are either too stupid or brainwashed to take a step back and say, “this dimwit never had a job, never ran anything, doesn’t know the first thing about anything, is demolishing freedoms and rights and running roughshod ver the will of the American people by promoting policies across the board that he can’t win with the electorate, that he’s too cowardly to even try and pass through legislation with a stacked deck-this is not what America is about”…Now he’s going to share with the world out nuclear weaposn inventory cause you know, “it’s not fair that we have so many and htey don’t have any”…Let me guess he’s doing an international service here, is a real noble guy and we should “spread those nukes around”….What a tool

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One out of every two dollars of wealth that exists in this country sits in the pockets of about 4000 individuals, which would constitute a bad gate at a double A sporting event. When that much wealth is concentrated, especially in the rigged market system we have operating at the moment, then corruption becomes endemic and institutionalized. That so many are willing to stand in defense of a system because they perceive that they personally can sit beneath the table and catch a few dropped crumbs dropped to them by the ultra-rich, is pathetic, especially since the game is rigged.

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@atlantabill Start over tomorrow. Maybe you’ll feel better then. It must have been a hard day.

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The author is right. We should have an income cap for ALL Americans. Keep salaries at a reasonalbe variation around the mean–say fifty grand annually +/- two standard deviations. Pay should be proportionate to the amount and difficulty of work done, and it is not conceivable that any person can do several hundred times more work than any other person.

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the “at some point you’ve made enough money” crack was the one comment he made that was not on his teleprompter. it reveals a great deal about the boy-man behind the image..just as his “spread the wealth around” comment did. he has never moved beyond his college-days marxism and class resentment. i doubt, however, that he has scolded oprah for her ‘undeserved’ millions.

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It never fails to amaze me how those on the left just JUMP to name calling. Especially when they can’t counter the facts or argue the points. Just pull out the old Alinsky guide and take it from there.

Yep. Sure sign that you are right…when you start getting called names and not much else.

Intellectual dishonesty = name callers.

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There is no such thing as enough money.

The second it exists, the country fails. The liberals know this better than anyone.

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Gee … There are a lot of folks who seem to believe that the big financial companies do nothing but cheat poor schmos. Hmmm … Well, I’m sure I won’t disillusion you, since you’ll believe what you want, but the fact is that most of these companies do a good job handling others’ money, and making them tidy profits. Sure, markets have their ups and downs, and some lose their shirts and more, but these companies wouldn’t stay in business unless they provided services others want and need. These companies tend to make money regardless of the direction of the market, since much of what they make is in fees paid by clients. It’s the free market that filters the companies for honesty, as poor performance eventually results in clients going elsewhere for the requisite services.

Are there “bad actors” in the financial market? Sure. Pick any sector of the economy, and you’ll find some who play fast with the rules. Some even cheat. No field, no profession, is proof against this. And the financial market is tightly regulated already. All that is needed is for the regulators to do their jobs … which is part of how we consumers find out which companies are most honest, and which least: by regulartory action.

Good companies abound, really. There is no long-term gain for the typical “cheat,” but lots of long- and short-term risk. Executives at the financial companies know that getting caught cheating risks both their companies and their personal freedom. So, where did the recent “distortions” in the market come from? Congress. If you want the root cause of the Great Recession, look at Congress and its meddling with the mortgage market. The rules forced on the mortgage market REQUIRED lenders to provide signficant percentages of their loans to people who really couldn’t afford the payments. Those rules were used to get Fannie and Freddie to buy sub-prime loans and bundle them as “investments.” And all for political gain.

DON’T BLAME THE EXECUTIVES! Blame Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and others who blocked reforms to improve the safety of the mortgage market, and who also pushed dangerous social-policy-based lending rules.

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The gaps between the rich and poor in the US have been growing for years. And remember, large gaps in wealth are typical of the third world.

So, if you want a third world situation, fine. Be honest about it. But the middle class on down has been taking it on the chin for long enough. It’s probably getting close to pitchfork and torch time.

But if you like that sort of thing, good on you.

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I know at least one person who makes far more money that they’re worth — Kyle Wingfield.

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Oh, how blessed we are to have Perfezor Huffnpuff post on this blog. The world is saved, thanks to the Perfezor.

Well said, Comrade!!!

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Go watch more Faux news there, Herr NMP – you’re starting to think for yourself a bit… no , my mistake, no danger there. I thought the right-wingnut brainwashing was wearing off for a sec. Does education scare ya, guy, or what?

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President Obama’s comment was made in the context of discussing Wall Street’s financial shenanigans, where you have people collecting billions while running a rigged craps game where the losers are ultimately the taxpayers. Under those cirsumstances, I think anyone capable of reason would concur that enough is still too much.

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Point of clarification: I am NOT excusing illegal actions leading to financial gain, and neither was Obama. Illegal actions should be prosecuted. But “make no mistake,” as the President says…some of you people make too much money, according to The Annointed One!

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NMP – Just because you do not understand the lesson, does not diminish its importance. If you wish to comment on it in a critical (as in rationally countering it with fact) manner, by all means, go ahead. I suspect you are not intellectually equipped to do so, as I have NEVER seen anything from you but mindless Right-wing propaganda talking points and mindless dismissal with anything that doesn’t agree with them. Try reading it again and see if you can do better.

One out of every two dollars of wealth that exists in this country sits in the pockets of about 4000 individuals, which would constitute a bad gate at a double A sporting event. When that much wealth is concentrated, especially in the rigged market system we have operating at the moment, then corruption becomes endemic and institutionalized. That so many are willing to stand in defense of a system because they perceive that they personally can sit beneath the table and catch a few dropped crumbs dropped to them by the ultra-rich, is pathetic, especially since the game is rigged.

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Back when the world was on the gold standard, there was a limit on how much a government could inflate its currency, imports and exports had to be carefully balanced, and deficit spending impoverished the people and the government. In those days, a Bank of International Settlement existed in each major country which had on deposit a certain amount of gold from all major trading partners. The bank had little barred cells, like an old west jail house, where each coutry’s gold was stored. The balance of trade for each country pair was settled in gold each quarter by moving bars from one cell to another. When a county ran out of gold bars at the bank, they had to supply more, or stop all imports until they earned more gold. Since all governments have completely abused the power to print money, I believe we are heading back to the gold standard by necessity, not by choice. No government would willingly return to the gold standard, that would force the guv to be honest. But the sequence of financial crisis in the West is forcing a return to honesty, and the gold standard is the only way to force guvs to be honest. The Greek are known liars, thieves, and cheats, yet they were able to borrow unbelievable amounts of paper currency just because it was so easy to print. Under the gold standard, Greece would have been cut off in 1999, no new credit, and many of their foreign assets seized by creditors. The story is the same in the rest of the Western world, big lies about deficits and debt. In America, two trillion dollars has been stolen from Social Security, so far without a peep from the victims. That will not last. There is going to be a mad scramble governments to use paper currency to buy up as much gold as possible. The return to the gold standard will result in much lower living standards around the world, and governments are to blame for their wild deficit spending. Be sure to punish any and all government officials for your reduced living standard.

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[...] [...]

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[...] Exactly Who ‘Makes Enough Money’ In Obama’s Eyes? [...]

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MHS, it was you who was bringing up the 50’s and 60’s — just pointing out that things weren’t as rosy from a tax perspective as people seem to think before the age of “big gub’ment”.

The bottom line is that you can’t increase spending at the rate that is has been since 2000 while lowering tax rates and expect that combination to produce anything other than an increasing deficit. Both revenue and spending have to be addressed to fix it.

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Typical convervative – when arguments fail, start name-calling. Don’t have any more time to waste on you…

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Robert Littel

May 1st, 2010
10:18 pm
One out of every two dollars of wealth that exists in this country sits in the pockets of about 4000 individuals,

OK. Let me see if I have this correct. I have $22.00 in my pocket. That means that $11.00 belongs to me. Who gets the other $11.00, Perfezor??

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The sad part about the freedom of these forums is that they give equal voice to the absurd, the clown and the idiot. NMP, you are not intelligent enough to understand the basic structure of our economy, that placates you with crumbs and the promise of baubles you will never get because you are a simple tool of the Ultra-rich, there to be used and when you no longer are needed, discarded. Either get serious or get out of the way, progress in fixing our complex problems is only hindered when fools like you show us the way. In the days before these blogs, it was necessary to vent our anger on the editorial pages of newspapers, where the very act of writing a letter discouraged people like you, and when you did write, were dismissed as not being worthy enough to print due to space considerations, or the absurd nature of your positions.

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The main stream media Obamabots are just full of glee with POTUS ‘hamming it up’ at a press dinner. How swell. How fraudulently swell. Meanwhile New York about got hit with a terrorist bomb, the largest oil disaster in global history is bearing down on the Gulf Coast, and incompetents in government like Chuck Schumer are cursing and grilling Goldman Sachs executives with a nasty, wretched hatred. Why can’t we just grill every single one of the incompetent Democrat wretches in Washington hell bent on destroying America’s core of free market enterprise and capitalism who themselves get away with the VERY thing they are accusing corporate America of doing? Lying, stealing, cheating, plundering, cooking the books, and spending money that’s not there. WHY NOT???

But other than that, let’s all just sit around and laugh at how the media props up this empty suit elected president who otherwise couldn’t run a 10-years old’s lemonade stand with success nor any of those other lawyer-turned-politicians running Washington.

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“The sad part about the freedom of these forums is that they give equal voice to the absurd, the clown and the idiot. ”

Little Robert: we know you liberal neo-Marxist so-called “progressives.” You and your ilk of the modern left hates America. You people hate freedom and freedom of choices. You absolutely hate making money in a free market. The SEC is a government entity the last time I checked and they couldn’t stop fraud from happening in the private sector, which as I posted above, happens in government ALL THE TIME.

You people want to shut up voice of opposition. The only way in your little unused brains to do that is to label people racists, haters, nazis, and in the case of your attack on NMP, just stupid. Well I’ve got news for you, bud. We’re NOT going to shut up. We’re NOT going to go away. We’re NOT going to be intimidated by a bunch of radical left wingnut freedom and wealth creation haters. Now chew on that for a while, liberal.

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Oh gee, I feel safer already under this incompetent administration:

“(CNN) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Sunday for the United States to take part in a conference on nuclear nonproliferation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman told state television.”

And then there are idiots like this Republican:

“(CNN) – Republican Marco Rubio called the massive oil slick headed toward the Gulf Coast “a crisis” but the Senate hopeful refused to criticize the Obama administration’s response to the oil spill.”

You’ve GOT to be kidding me. The Katrina disaster was a failure of local and state government of epic proportion (the first and second response authority, respectively) as well as the incompetence of that federal government entity known as the Army Corps. Of Engineers (they only had tens of millions and years to deal with the levees). But Democrats pinned the blame squarely on Bush (as if Bush himself was supposed to physically remove all those stubborn people who didn’t want to LEAVE). So now we have wussified Republicans like Rubio saying don’t lay blame on the Obama Administration, who is about EIGHT DAYS late to the party? Pathetic.

“NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The recovery is picking up steam as employers boost payrolls, but economists think the government’s stimulus package and jobs bill had little to do with the rebound, according to a survey released Monday.”

Yet another FAIL from the Democrats and Obama Administration with our tax dollars.

“Two state representatives called on Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday to deploy the Illinois National Guard to safeguard Chicago’s streets. Chicago Democrats John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford said they want Quinn, Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis to allow guardsmen to patrol streets and help quell violence. Weis said he did not support the idea because the military and police operate under different rules.”

Well maybe when the Teleprompter Administration gets voted out in 2012, he can go back to his roots and straighten up Chicago as a community organizer once again.

“Police chased reporters away from the White House and closed Lafayette Park today in response to a gay rights protest in which several service members in full uniform handcuffed themselves to the White House gate to protest “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The most “transparent White House in history” there, huh? By the way, where was the media showing all those protests like they were over the protesters on Arizona’s new law? And to think people wonder why media outlets like Fox News and Conservative political blogs (liberals hate ‘em of course) are an informational source because GOD knows we won’t get this from PMSNBC or DNCNN or the New York Slimes.

“The New York Times Saturday made it clear that it is willing to fault the Obama administration for its response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hmm. Okay, so maybe my judgement on the liberal New York Slimes was too premature. But 95 out of 100 OpEds in that rag are Republican/Right bashing and Democrat/Left ignoring, so there you have it.

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Why can’t it be the fifties again? Obama cut my medicare to pay for mooches! I have socialist trying to takeover everything.I am proud to be a Tea Bagger as my grandson put it! God Bless you Marco Rubio! Yo Lucy I’m home! Ahh!!!!

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Yeah I agree with you Marco these Republicans are hypocritical!

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I’m a Libertarian and see more hope thru Obama then Repuke clowns! What a stink!

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You Tea Baggers are out of your minds!!!!!! Most of you are unemployed nitwits!

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I think we need to get the Rino’s out that are paying for all this bail out and welfare!

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Tea Party Man

May 2nd, 2010
4:33 pm
I’m a Libertarian and see more hope thru Obama then Repuke clowns! What a stink!

It’s very difficult to be a true libertarian AND support King Barry the Magnanimous. You either adhere to the Constitution or you don’t. Being a libertarian is believing in the maximum personal freedom possible. Every day, Little Barry Soetoro chips away………..

Good posts, Jackalcrat. I enjoy the back and forth with people that utilize their cerebellum.

Bookman’s site must be down or something. All the lefties are migrating over here, and the property value is going down…………………..

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What do we do to keep away these Heathen Democrats who kill babies and are weak on protecting us?

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Better stock up on seafood now, the oceans are doomed, according to this info I copied from a blog somewhere: ” A reader who is an engineer of considerable experience says watch this one evolve carefully because it is destined to continue to grow and he shares this long (but worthy explanation why:

“Heard your mention of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico this morning, and you (and most everyone else except maybe George Noory) are totally missing the boat on how big and bad of a disaster this is.

First fact, the original estimate was about 5,000 gallons of oil a day spilling into the ocean. Now they’re saying 200,000 gallons a day. That’s over a million gallons of crude oil a week!

I’m engineer with 25 years of experience. I’ve worked on some big projects with big machines. Maybe that’s why this mess is so clear to me.

First, the BP platform was drilling for what they call deep oil. They go out where the ocean is about 5,000 feet deep and drill another 30,000 feet into the crust of the earth. This it right on the edge of what human technology can do. Well, this time they hit a pocket of oil at such high pressure that it burst all of their safety valves all the way up to the drilling rig and then caused the rig to explode and sink. Take a moment to grasp the import of that. The pressure behind this oil is so high that it destroyed the maximum effort of human science to contain it.

When the rig sank it flipped over and landed on top of the drill hole some 5,000 feet under the ocean.

Now they’ve got a hole in the ocean floor, 5,000 feet down with a wrecked oil drilling rig sitting on top of is spewing 200,000 barrels of oil a day into the ocean. Take a moment and consider that, will you!

First they have to get the oil rig off the hole to get at it in order to try to cap it. Do you know the level of effort it will take to move that wrecked oil rig, sitting under 5,000 feet of water? That operation alone would take years and hundreds of millions to accomplish. Then, how do you cap that hole in the muddy ocean floor? There just is no way. No way.

The only piece of human technology that might address this is a nuclear bomb. I’m not kidding. If they put a nuke down there in the right spot it might seal up the hole. Nothing short of that will work.

If we can’t cap that hole that oil is going to destroy the oceans of the world. It only takes one quart of motor oil to make 250,000 gallons of ocean water toxic to wildlife. Are you starting to get the magnitude of this?

We’re so used to our politicians creating false crises to forward their criminal agendas that we aren’t recognizing that we’re staring straight into possibly the greatest disaster mankind will ever see. Imagine what happens if that oil keeps flowing until it destroys all life in the oceans of this planet. Who knows how big of a reservoir of oil is down there.

Not to mention that the oceans are critical to maintaining the proper oxygen level in the atmosphere for human life.

We’re humped. Unless God steps in and fixes this. No human can. You can be sure of that. “

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Thats how you are paying for my new Lime Green Suit No More Progressives. TY!!!

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Hustler777

May 2nd, 2010
5:15 pm
Thats how you are paying for my new Lime Green Suit No More Progressives. TY!!!

What color tie, Hustler? You can’t be outdone by the rap community, now………….

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Let’s go back to the Fifties!

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1/2 Gov. Palin did call for more Govt regulation for drill baby drill. You betcha! Socialism naw not here!

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Funny watching these marks feeding my pockets! Thanks Hustle777!
So easy!

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“It’s very difficult to be a true libertarian AND support King Barry the Magnanimous. You either adhere to the Constitution or you don’t. Being a libertarian is believing in the maximum personal freedom possible. ”

Heh. No NMP, that’s just a typical left wingnut liberal lying sack of dog squeeze trying to make a point. They lie to attempt to make points and one up you. But you and I both know these pathological lying sniveling psycho-fanatical conservative-infatuated stalking left wingnut liberals could care less about the truth and character.

“Better stock up on seafood now, the oceans are doomed, ”

Thanks for the heads up Tea-Man. Already got some shrimp and oysters this weekend from the Gulf Coast and am planning a fishing trip down there next weekend to catch as much as I can before it’s too late. Rumor is the smell of oil is already wafting the coast of Alabama near Gulf Shores. Obama’s doing a hell of a job.

And mindless Obamabots why we call that administration the Teleprompter Administration. Get him off the prompter and he can’t think.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/05/01/obama_uses_teleprompters_at_commencement_address.html

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Good Lordie you have got me!!!!!!

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Well spoken Robert! I make $55k a year and I got more money back. I still paid a lot in. A lot like 4k.

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You will see when unemployment at 7% in 11 bubbas!!!!!

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Jackalcrat

May 2nd, 2010
6:10 pm
Heh. No NMP, that’s just a typical left wingnut liberal lying sack of dog squeeze trying to make a point.

That may be, but I really do think that the core of being a Libertarian is the maximum individual liberty possible without infringing on anyone else.

I gotta give the lefties credit; they’ll attack anything and everything they disagree with with equal venom (the Perfezor is an example), and they march lock-step, regardless. Personally, I’d be embarrassed to admit that Chuck Schumer or Howard Dean represented me.

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Excellent article Kyle. Love the Hypocracy of the left.

Reminds me of the Bush/Gore election. Bush had donated almost $800k to charity. Tree hugging Gore had donted $300. Not 300k, $300 total. As a true liberal, he expects the government to help everybody with somebody elses money.

Now Obama is saying people know when they’ve maid enough money. I guarantee he is still cashing those checks. Maybe he should set the example by just sending all his money to the government to help reduce the debt.

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I go along with everything Obama says. I back all of his Socialistic policy. He’s going to pay my rent and car payment for me. He cares about how much I make. Ilove Obama. OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

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That’sright

May 2nd, 2010
11:35 pm
I would really like to hear Obama tell the NBA players or Oprah that they/she makes too much and that they/she needs a pay cut…………

I think pay in the NBA is predicated on 3 factors: How many tatoos you have, how many felonies you have (pending or convictions), and how badly you can butcher the English language.

I have no idea what the attraction is to Oprah (her Mother meant to name her Orpah after the Biblical character, but couldn’t spell it) but I don’t begrudge her earnings. You just won’t find me at an NBA game or in Oprahs studio. Ever.

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[...] I’m Going To Work Because I Haven’t Reached That Point Yet May 3, 2010 by Huckleberry Dumbell, Editor In Chief Exactly who ‘makes enough money’ in Obama’s eyes? [...]

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I believe wage earners make too much money! There should be cap of 10 million for a wage earner. However, this would not apply to businesses because they create jobs and the neccessities of life–plus a few pleasurable things. When I say wage earners I mean everyone who does not own a business. How much do you need to aquire the American dream.

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Williebkind

May 3rd, 2010
8:47 am

I suppose that you support a Federal Bureau of “Enough.” Some big gubmint no-nothing will send you a certified letter, telling you that, according to Official Records, you now have “enough.”

But keep sending those tax dollars. King Barry like those courses with expensive greens fees.

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MiltonMan May 1st, 2010
8:12 pm
HDB – only prospers when free hand-outs are given?

No….I’ve never received a handout……but the government DOES set the conditions for personal and economic growth!! Those conditions were best set for me and others like me when Democrats were in power!! Educational spending and strict enforcement of employment law granted me access to be successful. When Republicans were in control, such domestic spending was curtailed…and discriminatory hiring practices were in vogue…….

Just my experiences……and I don’t have to kiss anyone’s butt to have experienced what I have……

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HDB`

May 3rd, 2010
10:07 am
Union activity gave employees decent wages and working conditions….a current mainstay in economic progress.

Ummmmmmmm, Ok. GM is doing so well, and NLRB rules in favor of the UAW how often?

So what is better; a laid off Union worker at $27.50 and hour, or a working non-Union man at $16.50 an hour?

I thought blacks went “up north” to avoid the discimination liberals are so fond of repeating ad nauseum?

You can support Unions all you want to. Here’s a simple equation: Liberals + Unions = Detroit.

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After hearing Obama speak those words, I think it is time that he go without another paycheck from the American people. Didn’t he make millions for his books? If his statement is to be taken seriously then I think he made way too much money. When is enough going to be enough and who is to judge? I personally don’t care how much people make. Obviously they make that money because people out there are willing to pay them for what they do. Obama needs to stop bashing on the American dream, bashing people that work hard (or not as hard but still make it big) to make it in this country. He needs to stop this class warfare and try to encourage people to become the millions through hard work. Be a positive role model BHO! America is a land of opportunity only for those that push to fulfill the American dream!

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Just Saying

May 3rd, 2010
10:54 am
Obviously they make that money because people out there are willing to pay them for what they do.

Econ 101. What the market will bear.

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batou

May 2nd, 2010
8:07 am

“Capitalism unfettered has failed and failed abyssmally;”

Careful there, your ignorance is showing. Unfetterred capitalism has never been tried, ever, anywhere.

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No More Progressives! May 3rd, 2010
10:20 am

Look, I admit that in certain areas, unions have overreached…but many of the workplace rules and protections are in place BECAUSE of the unions!!

The discrimination up north is of a lesser degree than it is in the South……and that paradigm still exists!! Challenge you to go outside of the major cities in the South…and you will find those pockets of resistance still around!! (Been there….done that!)

Corollary to your equation: Conservatives – Unions = West Virginia

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HDB`

May 3rd, 2010
1:51 pm
Corollary to your equation: Conservatives – Unions = West Virginia.

You actually think that there are mines in VA/WV/KY that aren’t union? Think again, sir. Every last one of ‘em is union & has been for years. I dealt with Pittson Coal for years, and their major headache year in & out were the unions.

And if, as you imply, WV is so conservative, why do they keep sending the Senate’s only Klan member back to Washington?

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[...] until the president decides that you’ve made enough money. Time to dust this one off: I mind people who are bouncing on fluffy pillows of honest-to-goodness [...]

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mgd May 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
It’s the most recent example of unfettered capitalism? In what sense is this heavily-regulated sector of the economy–itself already distorted by government intervention–a good example of “unfettered capitalism”?

To answer your question: Regulation and oversight of such were MINIMIZED due to the repeal of Glass-Steagall. That cut loose the financial engine; when it overheated…no oversight and regulation in place to bring the market under control….therefore, near-collapse!!

Effective regulation and oversight would have prevented this from happening!! That’s my view!!

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Notice that public sector workers and politicians also aren’t on his “making too much” list. In fact, according to his proposal for the government taking over colleg loans, they will get a huge subsidy, forgiveness of their college loans, for working in the public sector. Only those evil capitalists are on the target list.

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HDB`

May 3rd, 2010
3:03 pm

“To answer your question: Regulation and oversight of such were MINIMIZED due to the repeal of Glass-Steagall. That cut loose the financial engine; when it overheated…no oversight and regulation in place to bring the market under control….therefore, near-collapse!!”

_____________________

To characterize the levels of regulation and oversight as “minimized” is inaccurate. Regulation increased overall during the Bush administration, as much as almost everyone–Democrats and Republicans alike–would like to believe otherwise. In 2004, the SEC changed the net-capital rule from a hard and fast limit to a subjective amount under direct SEC oversight. That’s a rule change, and it may have been significant, but it was hardly deregulation or lessening of oversight. If anyone can produce any information on any significant financial sector deregulation since 2001, I would be most interested in hearing about it.

The partial repeal of Glass-Steagall by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 repealed the portions of Glass-Steagall that prohibited commercial banks from acting as investment banks, and vice versa. There is little evidence that this partial repeal contributed in any way to the recent financial crisis. There is no correlation between institutions that took advantage of this repeal and those that failed. In fact, institutions that did not take advantage of the repeal included some of the most spectacular failures, e.g., Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. This only makes sense as they lacked the stability that commercial deposits would have provided them. In fact, without Gramm-Leach-Bliley, those troubled investment banks acquired by commercial banks during the crisis would have had nowhere to go.

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“If the money is in the hands of the few, then less cars, less couches, less computers, less meals, less clothes, less everything is purchased, which means less revenues for companies, which means more layoffs, and more jobs going over seas for less cost, its a NEVER ENDING CYCLE until you take the $$$ back from the rich who control everything!”

This is flabbergasting. Let me guess… your conception of the hyper-rich is informed by that cartoon of Scrooge McDuck, and you think that these folks have all of their wealth stashed in a swimming-pool sized vault so that they can jump off of a diving board into mountains of it. Because it’s just sitting there, doing nothing.

These people didn’t get to be hyper-rich by being that ignorant. The vast majority of their wealth is IN USE, funding the creation of jobs, making MORE revenues for companies who are able to expand based off of being able to borrow that money, meaning LESS layoffs, more job creation and a better standard of living overall.

Almost all of that wealth is out there in the real world, creating more new wealth. That’s why they keep getting richer… because they know how to create wealth, rather than consume it.

Educate yourself.

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Oh my, I just can’t believe all the people who say they don’t have a problem with jacking up taxes on the rich. People who are worth several billion dollars aren’t like Scrooge McDuck and have a big room full of gold coins that they swim around in. Their money is sunk into investments, and savings, and assets that total to their net worth. This money is all doing something to some degree in various segments of the economy and helping to drive forward wealth generation for all those other income brackets below them. The problem is when the gov’t comes along and takes that money in the form of taxes that money instantly loses value. A dollar in the private sector does far more productive good than a dollar in the public sector. The gov’t has bloated bureaucracies, fraud, waste, ludicrous pensions, and overly generous benefits programs, that soak up about 20 cents of every dollar it brings in. Governments are far less efficient and much slower to react to changes in market conditions than privately owned institutions. The moment a gov’t takes 80% of a persons wealth they are essentially taking 20% of that money and burning it, effectively destroying wealth.

Plus, Obama went off script when he made this statement. So, whatever meaning or intent was being implied certainly didn’t fit entirely within the framework of the speech as it was originally written. When I read what he said it sounds like, “I think that people can reach a point where they make too much money but the American way is to just keep on going ahead and making it.” If you took some of the words and moved it around you could say, “I don’t believe bears should maul people but the bear’s way is to just keep going on mauling them anyway.” He is providing a glimpse into how he thinks rich people should react to increases in taxes and abrogation of their wealth. Like, deal with it, were gonna take your money whether you like it or not.

Finally, all this begs the question, okay so you don’t think people should become that rich? Well, when do you think the gov’t has too much power?

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Kyle, this is a horribly written piece, you are comparing apples to oranges, mischaracterizing the point of what Obama was talking about, & you can’t even tell the difference, (in your response about your off-point salary/income comparisons), between the salaries of Wall Street CEOS, and “The Wall Street JOURNAL Survey of CEO Compensation”!
Sorry, but this is NOT a list of “Wall Street CEOS”, but just corporate CEOS from all areas of business, listed in the “Wall Street Journal”…..

Plus, the primary differences between movie stars, or pro athletes, musicians, etc, making huge bucks, & the huge bucks made by Wall Street speculators (which are far more, than a measly 30-50-70 million dollars), is that entertainers actually PRODUCE something, & their work enables the employment of lots of people, directly & indirectly, and the money used to pay them is 100% voluntarily given them by ticket, CD, & other merchandising buying people. While the speculators & hedge fund gamers use people’s pensions, portfolios, mortgages, etc, & more recently, taxpayer money, to do their gambling with.

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Kyle, whether or not the CEO’s are listed by industry isn’t the main point, as we all know, no matter what figures you may choose to use, that Wall Street speculators, the ones placing the big bets, make far more money than any of the top entertainers, often in one single deal. When Goldman/Sachs hands out BILLIONS in bonuses alone, you simply cannot make any comparison that holds any water.

The truth is, these guys are often making tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, some making billions, and for what, producing what, employing who, all the while paying far less a percentage (if at all) in taxes, as compared to their secretaries (as Warren Buffet & others have publicly affirmed), and doing it risk-free, cause if they lose too much, being “too big to fail”, WE end up bailing them out! We need to decentralize our financial system, as well as bring back the Glass-Steagall Act, as well as close all the tax loopholes they are able to shelter most or all their income with…

While Madonna may be considered “cheap & silly” I hardly think that questioning why “banksters” feel their need to make obscenely large amounts of money (esp. w/potential great cost to us) is comparable. And yes “obscene” because A) it’s more than anyone can ever spend in a lifetime, & is more about feeding their egos, than anyones stomachs, & B) because the consequences to society, on so many levels is negative, & of no real productive value (how much of an individual’s billions actually “trickle down”, beyond their heirs). Which is why we can see “the economy improving”, or the market on the upswing, yet no one much is being put back to work….

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What are CEOs worth? Are they really masters of the universe or just as self-deluded as Fabrice “Fabulous Fab” Tourre?

Do the names LTCM, Jimmy Cayne, Angelo Mozilo, Ken Lay, Steve Case, Gerald Levin, Dow Kim, Stan O’Neal, Joe Gregory, Bernie Ebbers, Lawrence Simon, Dick Fuld, Dennis Koslowski, Ahmass Fakahany ring a bell? What were they worth?

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