Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Some Millionaires Say, 'Tax Me, Please!'

While Republicans are trading high-fives in Washington over a deal that would preserve tax cuts for even the very wealthiest Americans, not all the nation's millionaires and billionaires are cheering.

Certainly plenty of upscale earners on Wall Street and elsewhere are quietly celebrating the promised extension of Bush-era income tax cuts along with a planned reduction in estate taxes, compared with pre-Bush levels. In Greenwich and Palo Alto there might even be a few extra baubles under the Christmas tree this year.

But there are also more than a few outliers -- millionaires who are saying, in effect, "Tax me!"
A new group called Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength has released a list of hundreds of high earners who say they want to see tax cuts for the wealthy expire as scheduled Dec. 31.

"My view is that in hard times it is important for Americans to come together and unite over the idea that medical care ought to be a basic right of citizenship," said Eric Schoenberg, identified as a "private investor" who also teaches at Columbia Business School. "It’s only fair for those of us who have benefited the most from this system to contribute the most.”

GO HERE to read more.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!! I think this is the greatest thing I have heard in the last two years. It's nice to know there are some out there with a great sense of what it is to be American. We help our own, when we can. It makes me feel good to be able to help others. If you've never been down and out, you don't know what it feels like to have to choose Insurance for your kids, or food on the table. Or to eat dinner with your kids, or wait until they are done, and eat what little bit of left overs there are. It's a shame we as Americans have become so greedy that we can not see beyond our selves!!
Spelling and writing critics...have at it ;)

Anonymous said...

What ?

Anonymous said...

Well this is nice. Those on this list can surely pay the tax next year if they choose. I doubt if the IRS will mind.

Anonymous said...

No one is stopping them from paying more.

lmclain said...

To these people who clamor to be taxed more, they don't have to wait for any law to be instituted, they can always just send in an extra million or two. But then, THAT would be putting your money where your mouth is. That ain't gonna happen.. It just SOUNDS really "patriotic' to say "tax us rich people more!". So, put up or shut up. Your entreaties will carry much more weight.

Orsonwells said...

Yeah, right. Like they just sent a donation towards the national debt and had their check returned to them.

I'm laughing my arse off!

REALLY? Are you kidding me? you REALLY wish we would BELIEVE THIS??????

Anonymous said...

Is it the governments money or does it belong to those who earned it?

Orsonwells said...

Another reason to enact the flat tax on sales only. Period. www.flattax.com

Anonymous said...

So what's stopping them??? Write the check and send it in. What a crock!!! It is so insulting that they think we are that stupid.

Anonymous said...

7:00- I don't choose to pay the tax and don't call me Shirley! LOL

Anonymous said...

6:52, I agree wholeheartedly with your letter (and by the way, your spelling is just fine!) I also would not object to letting the tax cuts expire on the upper levels (some years it affects me, others it doesn't.) This year it would. I am thankful for what we have earned and give what we can to those who need help. But our country needs more help to get out of this financial quagmire - help from those who can most afford it when so many can barely feed their families. It's called compassion and something we as a whole are sorely lacking.

Scoremore said...

If the concern is that a lot of the wealthy may cut or prevent job hires then why not provide a tax incentive for the business they are in charge of rather than boost their income? How many of those making 250K+ are directly responsible for hiring employees? I’d guess (I know I shouldn’t) that some proportion of these wealthy either inherited it, or or are responsible for a minimum (and not negotiable) number of jobs like doctors, lawyers, actors and sports players (the latter of course to a possibly negligible degree. It seems like a crude way to ensure job growth to just give them all tax reductions. I know there are already business incentives but proposing more to compromise would be much more helpful than flat out giving money to the wealthy. Of course there’s nothing wrong w/ giving money to anyone, except when there are people trying to make ends meet, with no purchasing power on their own to afford necessities like food and health care, which are by the way much more efficient for productivity than luxury cars and 4-star dinners. Something’s off here. Is it just that democrats are completely inept at explaining things or am I not understanding the message?

Anonymous said...

You who are stating then "they should just go ahead and pay more" don't get it do you!?
If you OVERPAY your taxes, it's automatically processed as a REFUND!
You're really showing your ignorance with those posts!
The bottom line is Washington is STILL not listening to We the People!
WE didn't want to extend the tax credits to the rich. WE didn't want this President to cave in and insure that the next President in 2012 will be Republican.
Guess what?! It will be AND those tax credits that WE didn't want extended? They'll become PERMANENT in 2012 with Republicans in total power AND the middle class will see taxes go up as well because SOMEBODY has to pay for the tax cuts the rich have been getting!
Washington doesn't listen to We the People. It's all about MONEY and whoever has it, wins! Period!