Katie Porter's Twitter response to Bill Gates whining about taxes....

[Heartstrings]

[albacore]

1. I'm in love with Katie...and this time it's the real thing!

[calimary]

61. She's facing an aggressive opponent.

She's worth helping:

https://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/katie-porter-20

[Voltaire2]

2. ibm built a violin out of a single atom.

But it still isn't small enough.

[dameatball]

38. Maybe overlooked but well put.

[LakeArenal]

3. VP for me. Hope she gets a nod.

[PSPS]

4. LOL. "I've paid more than anyone in taxes."

First, that must be impossible because I'm sure I've heard trump say the same thing. Trump always says "I've (something) more than anyone."

Second, even $20 billion on over $100 billion is a giveaway rate. In earlier and more equitable times, he would have paid over $70 billion in taxes and would be saddled with the horror of having to somehow make ends meet with a paltry $30 billion (which amounts to $1.6 million every day, 7 days a week, over 50 years.) Oh, poor put-upon Billy, safely ensconced in his "house" in no-tax Washington State, the favorite refuge for the parasite class:

[crickets]

12. Absolutely on point. When you have more money to begin with, of course you should pay

more in taxes. The point is, what percentage is being paid, and how does that percentage feel to someone who makes thousands and lives paycheck to paycheck as opposed to someone who has billions of self sustaining wealth?

Bill Gates is not too stupid to understand this, or even to have thought about it. He's being a whiny baby and it is a good thing to call him out for it. His little fee-fees will get over it.

[CaptYossarian]

66. "I've (something) more than anyone."

If Trump would ever tell the truth, it could apply to the following:

* raped/molested more females of all ages
* committed adultery
* walked in on more naked teen girls on each continent
* stiffed people I've owed money to
* cheated on my taxes for decades
* lied to more gullible rednecks & white supremacists
* hired more unqualified people who agreed with my twisted values
* committed impeachable offenses

Trump is the biggest waste of a sperm and an egg that ever lived. His 3 oldest children are competing to surpass that distinction.

[Unclephil]

5. demonizing people like Bill gates

and everyone makes us look small. Yes income inequality is a major problem but not everyone is evil. Demonizing like this makes us look like a bunch of crybabies. Whining is not attractive.

I bought shoes to small and wore them to their were holes in the soles when I started in sales. You should address the income inequality but don't makes us look small in the process.

[Dream Girl]

6. Agree. Demonizing doesn't help, besides I think his statement was tongue in cheek, but our side is

ready to pounce. Not helpful.

[Squinch]

7. How ever will we endure your thinking us unattractive?

And what the hell does your meant-to-be-heroic-but-really-just-kind-of-odd shoe story have to do with any of this?

Hint: don't buy shoes "to" small. Or when you do, return them and get the right size.

[Unclephil]

8. It was all I could afford

and it was a way to save money. It was a closeout and it was at least $30.00 less that the regularly priced shoe so i bought them and endured. Sometimes we have to make do.

[Squinch]

9. Gosh... still not heroic.

[Unclephil]

10. whatever

Just don't make the Democratic party look like whiners. I think most Americans don't like people who appear to be whiners. Loo at how it makes Trump look. It diminishes yourself in many people's eyes. Don't you have anyone you know who is always complaining and what is your feelings about them?

[Squinch]

16. Interesting that you see her tweet as whining, and not Bill Gates's. Things like that diminish

yourself in many people's eyes too.

You seem to be doing a lot of complaining. What is [sic]your feelings about that?

Did you join DU to teach us deportment? Or was it to baselessly call us "snowflakes" without using the word?

[catbyte]

17. Pointing out the enormous income inequality & tax burden on the working class as opposed to the 1%

is not "whining." And Gates started whining first, actually. Are we just supposed to sympathize with the poor put-upon billionaire and not answer back? You sound like one of those guys who think that being a 1%er makes you inherently nobler than poor working-class shmucks and that we should never question them. I hope I'm wrong.

Remember: It's only called "class warfare" when the workers start fighting back.

[smirkymonkey]

48. We're whiners?

Have you been listening to the republicans lately? Talk about a bunch of whiny little bitches!

[japple]

21. Your way to save money is ridiculous. Buy a pair of shoes that will save you money today but cause

foot deformities, like bunions, over the long haul? Why didn't you go to a 2nd hand store or thrift store? Your story sounds artificial to me.

[Squinch]

25. I know. Weirdest thing I ever heard. And the explanation is essentially, "They were on sale. I

had no choice."

[58Sunliner]

59. You could do what many do regularly-go to a thrift store.

And hope someone with more money than you donated expensive shoes. At least the size would be correct.

[QualTest]

13. Hmmm

I don't believe the original post, or the replies "Demonized" Mr. Gates.
It/they simply pointed out that one of America's 3 most wealthy people
don't have a great deal of credibility crying about their tax burden when
many can't afford basic needs.

Not sure how pointing this out makes anyone look "small".

I don't chose to revere some ultra wealthy individual simply based on their
wealth. It does not make them smarter, more motivated, a better person,
harder working, or otherwise worthy of my reverence. Mostly they have
reached their pinnacle by taking advantage of the system, creating monopolies,
suppressing fair competition, and using their increasing wealth to game things
in their favor. All of which most of us do not have the ability to do.

Look at Mr. Trump, for instance, the prime example of using his pseudo-wealth,
and position to take advantage.

[wryter2000]

29. Welcome to DU

[Saviolo]

19. I think Bill Gates is the only one who sounds like he's whining.

He has more money than he could ever spend in several lifetimes. He's done a great deal of charitable work and philanthropic giving, but extremely wealthy people on the level of Bill Gates do that to (guess what!) avoid paying taxes. He's given a great deal to some great causes, maybe more than anyone else...

... but his joke (if this was a joke) was incredibly tone-deaf when more and more families are having to decide between gas for the car to get to their two jobs, or insulin to treat their diabetes. Gates isn't 1 medical emergency away from bankruptcy like so many people. He practically defined a new level of American wealth.

[Leith]

23. Most of us have stories of how we had to rough it in our youth

Mine include rationing food so I could afford the bus to work. I glued the soles of my work shoes back on twice before I had to finally give up on them. I lived for 3 years on the $10,000 I saved up on my salary of $6.95 per hour when I went back and finished college - and I had $3,000 left over.

I'm not whining. Actually, I'm proud of how far I can stretch my pennies.

The one who is whining is Bill Gates and he is the one who is looking small. He didn't write DOS, he bought it with a loan from his father. Then he got lucky because IBM chose his OS over many others.

Don't be so quick to demonize us, either. He did not create a single Microsoft product on his own. He had help every step of the way.

[Voltaire2]

26. criticizing crybaby billionaires is not demonizing them

it is pointing out the astounding tone-deaf idiocy of BillG and the other crybaby billionaires all upset that their 40 year run of the country might be at risk.

Plus Bill can't do the math. He might have paid 100B in wealth taxes over 30 years, but his wealth would still have increased over the same time, so it isn't 115-100, it is 115-100 + (billions in growth).

Last year Billy's net worth rose by 16B, which included spending 35B on charity. So under Warren's plan he would have paid something like 8B in wealth taxes. His billions would have only increased by 8B instead of 16B, Cry me a forking river.

[nini]

31. it's people like Gates who help the rest of us have to wear shoes until the fall apart.

No need to play nice with them anymore.

[tenderfoot]

33. Bill Gates never had to worry about not having nice shoes or going hungry.

Why everyone thinks he pulled himself up by his own bootstraps is beyond me...

His father was a prominent lawyer, and his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way of America.

Spare me your concern.

[amuse bouche]

36. Are you Bill Gates' unclephil?

Odd mantle to take up for first posts.

[woundedkarma]

37. I agree we shouldn't be attacking Gates

He did some crappy stuff in his lifetime.

But his foundation actually tries to do some good in the world and he's given quite a chunk of change to it.

There are plenty of other billionaires who hoard their money and do nothing useful with it. Lets get on them instead

[LisaM]

44. He's not the worst billionaire, but he could stand up for income tax in Washington state.

It's killing us. We have the most regressive tax system in the country. Voters just vetoed a much-needed transit bill, and it was mostly because the previous transit bill was essentially a blank check to one of the transit agencies and was charging pretty high fees on car tabs and high property taxes.

[treefarmers]

69. eliminate diseases, solve the poop issue, produce clean sustainable energy - let's attack this guy!

Agree. The dude is trying to eliminate diseases, solve the sanitation (poop) problem, and produce a sustainable energy for the planet. Why attack him?

[KG]

39. I LOL'd

[Celerity]

49. wow! that story was squigerific

Welcome to DU and next time try to use the word 'small' more

[maxrandb]

55. Holy Turd Blossom Batman!

The only reason...and I mean the ONLY reason the Retrumplicans have been able to win a political majority is by demonizing teachers, automotive factory workers, anyone else that had the "gall" to belong to a Union, and poor, disabled and broke Americans

It's way past time that people fight back.

This is a battle for the economic soul of America.

Your post comes right out of the Saint Ronnie Ray-Gun epistle.

How about we agree to stop demonizing billionaires as soon as the Retrumplicans stop demonizing my middle class and poor neighbors.

[LanternWaste]

58. Of course you thing an accurate contrast is 'demonizing...' Your concern is palpable.

[RichardRay]

67. Illegitimi non carborundum

It’s a lot of fun here, eh?

[Hortensis]

11. Well, that is the idea and the beginning.

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."

Nancy Pelosi to the nation, January 20, 2019, quoting a justice who lived during similarly perilous times a century ago.

[2naSalit]

15. +1

[bucolic_frolic]

14. How many copies of Windows have each of us purchased? /nt

[pfeiffer]

24. I know!

Right?!?

[Imperialism Inc.]

18. What's funny about Bill Gates in particular whining about this is

almost all of his wealth comes from the fact we have copyright and patent monopolies.

Don't get me wrong, I understand they provide incentives to creators and all, but they don't exist in free markets. The government and court system agree to create artificial scarcity so the owner of the monopolies can make big bucks. Well, maybe we jut decided it was too much, Bill!

[Hav]

20. I don't get why people concentrate on Gates

He doesn't seem to be enemy number 1. He's already given away much to charity and he said he has no problem with doubling his taxes. There may be only a handful of other billionaires who agree with him but it's understandable he wouldn't want it to be excessive.
The ones we should be more concerned about are the ones fighting in the background tooth and nail not only to not pay a tiny bit more but they want the opposite, another tax cut. And they get corrupt Repubs elected in the process.

[pfeiffer]

27. I agree...

I remember Mr. Gates speaking on the subject of doubling his taxes while Mr. Obama was President. Of course Mr. Obama had a gift for bringing people together in order to tackle the issues.

[Voltaire2]

28. Because he publicly whined about having a wealth tax on his astronomical pile of loot.

[wryter2000]

32. Agreed

I'd much rather go after Bezos.

But, seriously, we're going after Gates because he was the one whining.

[Bettie]

47. In this case, he drew attention to himself

by saying what he did.

Most of the very wealthy pay a lot lower percentage of their income in taxes than us peons.

[rpannier]

57. Because he's an anti-Union, pro privatization, charter school loving douche

That's why he deserves as much scorn as possible heaped upon him
Just because there are some worse doesn't entitle the creep to a pass

[58Sunliner]

60. +1000.

[meadowlander]

22. Millions of American women economise on feminine hygiene products

And still pay more in taxes than some corporations.

Let’s sort out that situation and then I’ll have some sympathy for Microsoft.

[colorado_ufo]

34. Boy howdy!

The things we women have had to do to keep our families together! Even if husband is employed, and you are working, also. Thank God things are better now that we are much older, but I can remember on more than one occasion going from pet store to pet store to get enough dog food samples to feed the dog!

[Loki Liesmith]

30. You do realize he was joking here right?

Show the whole quote. This looks dishonest otherwise.

[Doreen]

65. That is what I thought when I saw him talking.

I just saw sarcasm. Dark sarcasm but that was all. I think he was poking fun at when trump said that.

[AkFemDem]

35. Who do *we* insist on just jumping on tweets and running with them...

Truth and discussion is about so much more than can fit into a tweet, and I’m not sure how we as humans, or Americans, or democrats... can be expected to think critically when we just run with the short bullet point and partial quote?

https://cnsnews.com/article/national/kharen-martinez-murcia/bill-gates-criticizes-sen-warrens-tax-plan-tax-too-much-you

[shadowmayor]

40. Demonizing

That's exactly what we should do to these pirates. I have zero respect for Gates and his products are shit.

[NCLefty]

42. "I'm starting to do a little math about what I have left over. ... I'm just kidding." -Are you?

It's a strange way to kid.

‘I’ve paid over $10 billion in taxes. … I’ve paid more than anyone in taxes, but I’m glad to — if I’d had to pay $20 billion, it’s fine. But when you say I should pay $100 billion, then I’m starting to do a little math about what I have left over. … I’m just kidding.’

[maxrandb]

56. I'll do a little math for you Bill

If I started saving $100 a day from the day I was born, it would take me 3,000 years to accumulate one-tenth of your net worth.

Cry me a fucking river.

[grantcart]

43. He wasn't winning, he was joking. The whole clip was quite clear

[BlancheSplanchnik]

46. I like Rep. Katie Porter!

😄👍🏾

[jcgoldie]

50. Your penguin made my night!

I think I'm having a similar day as her!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

51. Happy to have raised your spirits!

[roamer65]

52. Americans made you wealthy, Bill.

You owe it back in taxes, so STFU.

[C Moon]

53. What an asshole. Go to hell you overpaid sociopath bastard.

[pecosbob]

54. Then move to China or Russia Billy

and see how much they respect your 'intellectual property rights'. See which is more...your taxes here or your bribes and payoffs there.

[malthaussen]

62. "8 billion, you'd have 8 billion left over"

Another response I saw to this sad plaint.

-- Mal

[Hotler]

63. If I was you Bill, I would keep my mouth shut. nt

[Dream Girl]

64. He was KIDDING

Katie is getting kind of silly with her single mom schtick

[geardaddy]

68. Excellent!