I need help vs. a ill-informed teabagger

[devilgrrl]

Here's the thread so far:

TB: We should stop calling it "Government Funding". It's "Forced Donations" paid for by American taxpayers!

ME: Corporations don't pay taxes - shouldn't they be referred to as FREE LOADERS? How about Welfare Queens? Leaches? etc... BTW, we pay more than government funded millionaire Carl Paladino.

Me: So when the southern states get federal funding to help with the weather disasters - are those forced donations?

TB: I thought we had one of the highest corporate tax rates there are 28%more then what Obama paid.Federal disaster funding might better be served by the states or have the same theory that everyone else uses it we'll get our share as in many other programs including unemploment

I need help in addressing the last comment.

Thank you in advance.

[LiberalLoner]

1. Although on the books it looks like we have the highest tax rate for

corporations, what happens is every powerful corporation is able to lobby for tax loopholes. Thus huge companies like "GE" pay ZERO in taxes.

[rurallib]

5. 35% nominal rate, 7% effective rate - as noted many pay 0 -OR LESS

Also the Welfare Queen bullshit - Ronald Reagan speechwriter creation.

[emulatorloo]

7. Yes, and Obama is in favor of lowering the corporate tax rate and CLOSING ALL LOOP HOLES

so all corps pay their fair share.


That being said, tea baggers are quite good at Changing the subject when cornered, Red Herrings, and putting words in your mouth (hyperbolically twisting your words to make it seem you are arguing for something else.) I've pretty much given up on them, they are so intellectually dishonest.

[LiberalLoner]

13. Me too. Intellectually dishonest is a great way of putting it. n/t

[wryter2000]

2. Point out

The South gets more from the federal government than they pay in taxes. I'm subsidizing them in California.

[CBGLuthier]

3. If you ever find an informed teabagger

let us know.

[Systematic Chaos]

4. How about GE paying NO taxes on what, $12 BILLION or something in profits?

I don't know the exact numbers but that's a good start. Then you can list some of the other juggernauts who paid nothing while socializing all kinds of environmental damage and suffering.

it's easy to find this stuff with simple Google searches. I'm not trying to give YOU a hard time for not doing so, but it amazes me that seemingly none of THEM are capable of it.

[lob1]

6. Our rates may be highest, but corps never pay it.

What they actually pay makes us one of the lowest tax rates.

[pacalo]

8. Use Texas' governor as an example of how disasters can't possibly be dealt with

using state resources alone. He's been trumpeting the crazy notion that Texas should secede from the nation, but when his state was hit by a cruel firestorm, he wasn't the least bit shy about asking for federal funding or in blaming Obama for "leaving Texas in the dust".

[arcane1]

9. If "Federal disaster funding might better be served by the states"

Then why weren't these states funded well enough to handle the disaster without the fed's help?

And besides, how would those states generate the revenue to handle this disaster without the federal govt's help?

By "forced donations", of course!

[tularetom]

10. For one thing, we actually DO have one of the highest corporate tax RATES

But our tax code contains so many loopholes and weasel clauses that very few, if any, corporations pay those rates. Many corporations in fact pay nothing at all and a few actually realize a net refund of corporate taxes.

As far as the states taking responsibility for disaster funding, many of our most disaster prone states (like the ones on the Gulf) have some of the lowest tax rates and show no inclination to change that situation. They are also net recipients of federal funding already, they get more in government benefits than what they pay in tax dollars.

So you might say that the blue states are subsidizing the ability of red state politicians to talk tough about getting the feds to leave them alone.

[emulatorloo]

11. Warning. Most internet board teabaggers I have had discussion with are INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST

- will change subject if you are winning the argument
- will put words into your mouth to twist what you are saying
- will claim you have lost that argument on a point you didn't argue in the first place
- will make up statistics. Will claim your statistics are "Lies" and "biased"
- will say "I never watch Fox news" after repeating talking points fresh off the grill from Fox News
- will attempt to make you mad so s/he can play the victim of your "personal attack"

I've given up, it really isn't worth the pain

[arcane1]

14. Yep, all emotion, no logic

Their intent is not to have a rational discussion, but to out-argue you.

It's not just on internet boards, it's what every repub politician and tv host does.

[emulatorloo]

16. Yes, win at all costs. And you are right it is everywhere.

[Kurovski]

12. Todd says, give'em fifty lashes with a wet noodle, and you're done.

[Bozita]

15. How many times did you have to read that before deciphering it?

Four here.

Literacy ain't his strong suit.

[pintobean]

23. I'm not sure I did decipher it

but I read it 4 times, too.

[pintobean]

17. I guess you don't see the irony in your post. n/t

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Curmudgeoness]

18. I am not even sure I have figured out what that last comment is.

That sentence is incomprehensible, but I gather the position is that the states should "take care of their own" and "keep their own money in the state". As any insurance actuary will tell you, the larger the poll, the more the risk is spread out. By having the federal government distribute disaster funding, people all over the country can help pay the cost of a hurricane that destroys a Gulf coast state and puts that state's economy in the toilet. There are very few times when all the states are hit hard at the same time. One time, it is a wildfire, another time tornadoes, yet again flooding, or hurricanes.

[Canuckistanian]

19. I''m SICK of this "highest corporate tax" line

It may be high ON PAPER, but any company that ACTUALLY PAYS such a rate is either totally idiotic or they WANT to pay those rates.

American tax rebates, exemptions and grants are without a doubt the HIGHEST in the mammalian world.

[arcane1]

20. Yeah, we have the "highest corporate tax" if you don't have a p.o. box in the Cayman Islands n/t

[Canuckistanian]

22. Exactly

Or do what Halliburton did. Move to a Arab country and pay ZERO taxes while still enjoying those fat Govt contracts.

Nobody will call them on it. They know that.

[Initech]

24. Tell him they're off by a decimal point.

[11 Bravo]

25. "Ill-informed teabagger" is seriously redundant.

[devilgrrl]

26. That's because I'm seriously grammar deficient....

it happens... :shrug:

[devilgrrl]

27. Sorry for the op title folks.

:blush:

Will do better next time. :hide: