The more interesting question is why these guys allow corporations to incorporate in tax friendly states like Delaware, or banks to locate in states like South Dakota with no usury laws. Where's the outrage at the state level?
The purpose of the hearing is to highlight a problem with the tax laws because Senators like Rand Paul filibuster every time Congress tries to close the so called tax loop holes he says are antiquated.
Yeah because they want to close loopholes without lowering rates. Basically just want to cram a massive tax increase on the public but have the public's outrage aimed at corporations (when they naturally raise their prices) not the government.
Joining him in criticizing Apple was U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said the company has avoided paying taxes on some $44 billion in income in the last 4 years alone.
"It's unacceptable that corporations like Apple are able to exploit tax loopholes to avoid paying billions in taxes," McCain said.
I guess his this helps to show why he performed as he did on his stumble run for the White House.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970
...The problem is the government. The politicians and the voting patterns are the symptoms.
The disease is the lobbyists and career politicians that are more concerned about keeping their jobs than solving problems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6ryph3n
Rand Paul 2016. The only senator there with an ounce of sense.
At least somebody can see clearly -- unfortunately I believe he is in the minority. Kudos for Mr. Paul.
The disease is the lobbyists and career politicians that are more concerned about keeping their jobs than solving problems.
No. Those are symptoms. The diseases is the massive concentration of power, control, etc. into a single entity with the "right" to use force to achieve its ends. The result is that you have any number of people vying to get controls of the levers, buttons and dials of that Leviathan.
right. they should just laugh at the clueless idiots who keep voting them into office.
You do have a valid point. The problem though is that each election comes down to the lesser of two evils rather than choosing a candidate with strong moral character who won't become greedy and corrupt once in office. If you make the wrong choice then you are stuck for a few years, or more in the case of senators. If you want to see things shake up, there needs to be a cap on the number of terms politicians can run. One term for senators should be it. Two for members of the house. They spend half of their terms attending fund raisers for their re-election campaigns and have way too many recesses. Add this type of useless grandstanding to the mix and it is no wonder they get nothing done. Most of them are old, worthless blowhards that are ineffectual at best.
Screw Congress... how about my IT job that was just outsourced to India... They are all whores. They created the loopholes... now they are complaining.... what tards.... Ed
You do have a valid point. The problem though is that each election comes down to the lesser of two evils rather than choosing a candidate with strong moral character who won't become greedy and corrupt once in office. If you make the wrong choice then you are stuck for a few years, or more in the case of senators.
It's even worse than that. Because you're often forced to vote for (and stuck with) a package of policies and positions, all of which you likely don't agree with, but you kinda have no choice but to pick the package that you mostly sort of agree with (or disagree with the least). And that doesn't even factor in the idea that this package might all be a lie to just get elected.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
If you want to see things shake up, there needs to be a cap on the number of terms politicians can run. One term for senators should be it. Two for members of the house. They spend half of their terms attending fund raisers for their re-election campaigns and have way too many recesses.
This would likely create more problems than it solves.
the problem is _not_ the government. the problem _is_ the voters who keep voting in Republicans and Democrats.
Realistically we have a 2 party system. It is unfortunate but as it currently stands you can't always have an effective say in the outcome of the election (if you vote outside the 2 main parties) because the Republicans and Democrats control the game. A vote for someone in another party (at least in the presidential race) does not allow you to choose from the viable candidates. Maybe it will change. So far it hasn't. I don't think there has been a time in our country where the election was truly close between more than 2 candidates. (I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.)
What's absurd is that these corrupt jackasses are allowed to have power over americans.
Apple makes money outside the USA and doesn't pay taxes on it.... that's only absurd to people who think that we all should be their slaves and should have to pay them everything we earn, even if we earned it outside the country.
The only thing Apple's at fault for here, is not putting money behind serious political reform in this country.
Throw out the socialist republicans and democrats, throw out and politicians who doesn't support property rights.
If ONLY Corporations would use their influence to the degree that leftist idiots claim they do, we'd have a much better country.
It's time to shut down the IRS. Obviously the federal government can't be trusted with this kind of power without abusing it. Hell, they can't be trusted with any power without abusing it, so we might as well get rid of income and corporate taxes as well.
Reduce the federal budget by %90 and then force them to cut all the corrupt burocrats they employ to shake people down.
Suddenly the economy will start getting better. Oh what a miracle people will exclaim.
The reality is, government can't help people. It can only steal. When we get the government monkey off of our back ,the economy will start to improve by leaps and bounds.
No, we have a system that currently has two major parties.
I don't think there has been a time in our country where the election was truly close between more than 2 candidates. (I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.)
So, stop bitching about Apple, and fix the tax code. The problem is the Govt. not the companies they're trying to vilify. Any company who isn't using every legal means to avoid paying tax isn't acting with due diligence.
I feel like we almost need one of those White House petitions. Demanding Obama put an end to the witch hunt and tell Congress that they need to either charge Apple with a provable crime (like falsifying how much money they made in the US) or change the damn laws that created this mess. Trouble is when they change all those loopholes, some of them will have to pay more.
I could not agree more with the comments from Rand Paul. This is a disgusting sideshow, political grandstanding at its worst. It is heartening to see so many here supporting a great American company to do what it does best, make money. I have serious doubts that if the story was about Google or Microsoft, some would be acting the same way. Please pay attention to the true story here, that corporate taxes need reform, most people know it, yet nobody in Washington can make it happen. Lower the rates to at or below OECD average, establish reasonable repatriation taxes, or bring back a repatriation holiday at the least. Eliminate tax expenditures. Oh wait that is exactly what the Ryan plan on tax reform calls for, Apple calls for it as well. Basically anybody with a mind for economic growth rather than government growth calls for this.
I'm curious what changed then. What events or circumstances prompted this "consolidation?" Or was really no different from now in which we have "two" parties that are only superficially and marginally different from one another?
Comments
10 U.S. companies paying the least—or no—taxes (marketwatch.com)
TL;DR:
General Motors (Automotive)
Bank of America (Banking/Finance)
Caesars ("Gaming")
Ameren Corp (Energy)
DR Horton (Builder)
Verizon (Communication)
Lear (Automotive)
American Airlines (Transportation)
JC Penney (Retail)
Alpha (Mining)
The more interesting question is why these guys allow corporations to incorporate in tax friendly states like Delaware, or banks to locate in states like South Dakota with no usury laws. Where's the outrage at the state level?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6ryph3n
Rand Paul 2016. The only senator there with an ounce of sense.
That's unfair, there are any number of Senators with as little sense as Rand Paul.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bullhead
the problem is _not_ the government. the problem _is_ the voters who keep voting in Republicans and Democrats.
What else should they vote then?
Tea pots?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Joining him in criticizing Apple was U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said the company has avoided paying taxes on some $44 billion in income in the last 4 years alone.
"It's unacceptable that corporations like Apple are able to exploit tax loopholes to avoid paying billions in taxes," McCain said.
I guess his this helps to show why he performed as he did on his stumble run for the White House.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970
...The problem is the government. The politicians and the voting patterns are the symptoms.
The disease is the lobbyists and career politicians that are more concerned about keeping their jobs than solving problems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6ryph3n
Rand Paul 2016. The only senator there with an ounce of sense.
At least somebody can see clearly -- unfortunately I believe he is in the minority. Kudos for Mr. Paul.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damn_Its_Hot
The disease is the lobbyists and career politicians that are more concerned about keeping their jobs than solving problems.
No. Those are symptoms. The diseases is the massive concentration of power, control, etc. into a single entity with the "right" to use force to achieve its ends. The result is that you have any number of people vying to get controls of the levers, buttons and dials of that Leviathan.
You do have a valid point. The problem though is that each election comes down to the lesser of two evils rather than choosing a candidate with strong moral character who won't become greedy and corrupt once in office. If you make the wrong choice then you are stuck for a few years, or more in the case of senators. If you want to see things shake up, there needs to be a cap on the number of terms politicians can run. One term for senators should be it. Two for members of the house. They spend half of their terms attending fund raisers for their re-election campaigns and have way too many recesses. Add this type of useless grandstanding to the mix and it is no wonder they get nothing done. Most of them are old, worthless blowhards that are ineffectual at best.
Screw Congress... how about my IT job that was just outsourced to India... They are all whores. They created the loopholes... now they are complaining.... what tards.... Ed
Which is why he will never win.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
You do have a valid point. The problem though is that each election comes down to the lesser of two evils rather than choosing a candidate with strong moral character who won't become greedy and corrupt once in office. If you make the wrong choice then you are stuck for a few years, or more in the case of senators.
It's even worse than that. Because you're often forced to vote for (and stuck with) a package of policies and positions, all of which you likely don't agree with, but you kinda have no choice but to pick the package that you mostly sort of agree with (or disagree with the least). And that doesn't even factor in the idea that this package might all be a lie to just get elected.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
If you want to see things shake up, there needs to be a cap on the number of terms politicians can run. One term for senators should be it. Two for members of the house. They spend half of their terms attending fund raisers for their re-election campaigns and have way too many recesses.
This would likely create more problems than it solves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bullhead
the problem is _not_ the government. the problem _is_ the voters who keep voting in Republicans and Democrats.
Realistically we have a 2 party system. It is unfortunate but as it currently stands you can't always have an effective say in the outcome of the election (if you vote outside the 2 main parties) because the Republicans and Democrats control the game. A vote for someone in another party (at least in the presidential race) does not allow you to choose from the viable candidates. Maybe it will change. So far it hasn't. I don't think there has been a time in our country where the election was truly close between more than 2 candidates. (I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.)
What's absurd is that these corrupt jackasses are allowed to have power over americans.
Apple makes money outside the USA and doesn't pay taxes on it.... that's only absurd to people who think that we all should be their slaves and should have to pay them everything we earn, even if we earned it outside the country.
The only thing Apple's at fault for here, is not putting money behind serious political reform in this country.
Throw out the socialist republicans and democrats, throw out and politicians who doesn't support property rights.
If ONLY Corporations would use their influence to the degree that leftist idiots claim they do, we'd have a much better country.
It's time to shut down the IRS. Obviously the federal government can't be trusted with this kind of power without abusing it. Hell, they can't be trusted with any power without abusing it, so we might as well get rid of income and corporate taxes as well.
Reduce the federal budget by %90 and then force them to cut all the corrupt burocrats they employ to shake people down.
Suddenly the economy will start getting better. Oh what a miracle people will exclaim.
The reality is, government can't help people. It can only steal. When we get the government monkey off of our back ,the economy will start to improve by leaps and bounds.
That would REALLY help people.
Originally Posted by Damn_Its_Hot
Realistically we have a 2 party system.
No, we have a system that currently has two major parties.
I don't think there has been a time in our country where the election was truly close between more than 2 candidates. (I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.)
Most of the elections of the early 1800s.
I feel like we almost need one of those White House petitions. Demanding Obama put an end to the witch hunt and tell Congress that they need to either charge Apple with a provable crime (like falsifying how much money they made in the US) or change the damn laws that created this mess. Trouble is when they change all those loopholes, some of them will have to pay more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Most of the elections of the early 1800s.
I'm curious what changed then. What events or circumstances prompted this "consolidation?" Or was really no different from now in which we have "two" parties that are only superficially and marginally different from one another?