Jon Stewart To Romney: How Do You Justify Making $57,000 A Day?

[kpete]

"How in the world do you, Mitt Romney, justify making more in one day than the median American family makes in a year -- while paying the same tax rate as the guy who scans shoes at the airport?"

VIDEO & MORE:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/jon-stewart-takes-on-mitt-romney-tax-return-video_n_1230530.html

[unblock]

1. hey, his money works hard for the money!

it's not easy hanging out in the caymans all the time!

[Canuckistanian]

3. As Rachel Maddow says

His money likes the warm tropical breezes of the Caymans. It's not there for the tax shelter!

[They_Live]

2. Actually

The guy scanning shoes at the airport probably has a much higher tax rate.

[Sparkly]

4. The more zeros at the end of his portfolio numbers, the more jobs he's creating.

Doesn't everybody know that? Numbers in rich people's account statements make jobs spring up out of nowhere. It's magic.

[shireen]

6. i've heard of that, it's called the tinkle-down economy! nt

[deacon]

5. K + R

[arely staircase]

7. important men in quiet rooms need to be compensated nt

[Initech]

8. This is the *LAST* guy we want fixing the economy!

[sarcasmo]

9. More in a day than we make in a year,

he has no soul.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. More in a day then we collect (SSDI) in 2+ years. My son makes around 21k, so almost three yrs for

him.

[Kellerfeller]

10. It's hard for me to get excited about this meme considering

Stewart makes as much in a day as the median family makes in a month and Letterman makes more than Romney did.

http://nymag.com/guides/salary/14497/index1.html

[EOTE]

11. Uhhh, but they pay far more in taxes than Romney does.

NOBODY is saying that you can't make obscene amounts of money, they're just saying that you should pay an appropriate tax rate on it. Romney paying a smaller percentage in taxes than I do is utterly sickening to me.

[TBF]

13. "NOBODY is saying that you can't make obscene amounts of money" -

and that is one thing that is very wrong with this country.

[Kellerfeller]

14. Two questions

A) Do you even know Letterman or Stewart's effective tax rate? If not, how can you make that claim?

B) Since you brought it up, what is your effective tax rate? With the kids, mortgage, and education tax credit, I'm sure I'm below 10% (I haven't done my taxes yet this year)

[ieoeja]

19. Stewart is not trying to change the tax code so he pays roughly 0%. Romney is.

Republicans have advocated 0% capital gains tax, 0% inheritance tax and 0% dividend tax. They only want to tax people who have to work for a living.

Romney favors that. He would then only pay taxes on his speaking fees bringing his effective tax rate on all income down to approximately 0%.

Stewart does not favor that. So that is the difference.


And with one small business, a full-time job, a house and no children, I paid 19% effective tax on my income last year.

[Kellerfeller]

20. Not true

I didn't know his position on it. So I looked it up.

http://www.issues2000.org/2012/Mitt_Romney_Tax_Reform.htm

This says he wants to remove the capital gains tax for those making less than $200K. That is neither him nor Stewart.

[EOTE]

22. I can't imagine either of their tax rates are less than 15%.

If they are, I'm sure Stewart will be in a world of hurt because of it.

As to my effective tax rate, I'd imagine it's around 16%, but that's just an educated guess.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. No body is saying that you can't make obscene amounts of money. Well some body SHOULD! Obscene

amounts of money from shuffling money around and other useless non productive 'jobs' is what is wrong with this counrty and the World in general.

[EOTE]

23. I would agree with that.

But I don't think that's an issue that this country is quite ready to take up as of now.

[Kellerfeller]

24. I would argue that actors, entertainers

sports figures, etc also make far more than they should. I mean seriously, $30M for Letterman?

[TBF]

12. And that makes it all better?

FWIW though I don't blame Romney, Stewart or Letterman - they are just doing what is expected under our economic system. It is time for capitalism to go.

[Uncle Joe]

17. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[Bandit]

18. Your title is out of context..

It isn't making $57,000 a day that Stewart was contesting it was the tax rate he paid on that money...

[sabrina 1]

21. Does anyone know what he spends all that money on? Does he give to any charities eg?

It IS obscene especially when you consider how he made the money.

So long as the labor that makes it possible for people to actually survive, that provides for the basic needs, his included, that people have, is not regarded as valuable, but people betting on the stock market are highly regarded this is what we g?et.

What is more valuable to a society, a teacher, a nurse, a construction worker, a mechanic, eg, or a stock broker? Which one could we do without and still survive? And how many like Romney could take care of themselves if they suddenly lost all their money?

It is a totally out-of-balance system, but then hasn't it always been that way throughout history?