Benefiting from things not paid for

Robert Borosage of Campaign for America's Future is not pleased with Obama's recently announced corporate tax reform framework. He lists these reasons:

Obama declared the framework would be "revenue neutral," no doubt because of the GOP house. Borosage says this is unfair. The poor and elderly are being asked to do more without while corporations are sitting on trillions in profits. Besides, corporations are the largest users of infrastructure (roads and such) and these things are crumbling. The corporations also benefit from public education, government research, the legal framework of government laws, the military to protect sea lanes and overseas investments, and government contracts.

Obama says the tax rate should be lowered and loopholes closed. Reagan (of all people) tried that. Doesn't work. Corporations have armies of lobbyists who are very good at getting loopholes put back in. And somehow tax rates don't go up to compensate. Yes, close loopholes, but don't lower the overall rate.

The tax on overseas profits might work if set high enough. But it probably won't be.

It appears our choices for prez. are between GOP candidates who want to lower the corporate tax rate and Obama who doesn't want to raise it.



Dave Johnson, also of Campaign for America's Future notes how politicians have changed their speeches as the money flows in to their Super PACs. He also notes that corporate wealth also means personal wealth because the 1% owns just over half of all stocks, bonds, and mutual funds and the top 10% owns 90% of the same. Another couple statistics worth noting: five people donated one quarter of all Super PAC dollars and 23 people donated $54 million. Yup, politicians are going to dance with the one who brung 'em.



A variety of progressive organizations (including MoveOn.org) and labor unions are sponsoring the 99% Spring. They hope to train 100K people in non-violent protest during the week of April 9. I've signed up, but don't know any more than that.



I watched the Oscars last night. My favorite for Best Live Action Short did not win. My favorite for Best Animated Short did.



Yeah, I should have posted this a couple weeks ago. Alas, when I first played the video it would go for only 90 seconds before stopping. This time I played it after Adobe Flash crashed. This 5 minute video is of Washington state Representative Maureen Walsh, Republican from Walla Walla, giving her testimony before passage of the marriage equality bill in that state. Her goal: throw a wedding for her lesbian daughter. The linked page includes a transcript of the speech.