We all know that money talks and bullshit walks.\u00a0 Nowhere is that more true than in our current political machine.<\/p>\n
The 2012 presidential election cost by itself about two and a half BILLION dollars.\u00a0 The entire 2012 election cycle including presidential and senatorial\/congressional elections ran over six billion.\u00a0 Imagine, a billion dollars just to sit in the most powerful chair on the planet.\u00a0 Well, it was until Obama started leading from behind and pissing away our place as global leader.\u00a0 A billion dollars to sit in the chair of the fifth or sixth most powerful position on the planet.<\/p>\n
Is it any wonder that only the most craven and egocentric among us bother to run for office?\u00a0 I could not imagine announcing my candidacy only to have to grovel to untold thousands of persons known and unknown asking them to fund the mere chance of me taking an elected office.\u00a0 This is how political corruption is born.\u00a0 People rarely just give you money.\u00a0 They want something in return.\u00a0 That something, in politics, is usually access.\u00a0 Access leads to grease or steerage, or favoritism.\u00a0 The person donating wants something tangible in return and they will ask for it when they need it.<\/p>\n
And the money squirts to both sides of the aisle.\u00a0 Businesses will pay a little now for a greater payoff later.\u00a0 Think I\u2019m kidding?\u00a0 Think I do not know what I\u2019m talking about?\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at a few examples.\u00a0 (You can see the rest of them by going to the link included.)<\/p>\n
Verizon Communications<\/strong> Top recipients, 2011-2012<\/strong> General Electric <\/strong> Boeing<\/strong> Verizon took issues stating that they pay a lot in taxes and investments.\u00a0 The last word is key\u2014investments.\u00a0 They get tax breaks on their investments.\u00a0 Why not upgrade your system from 3G to 4G if the government is going to subsidize it?<\/p>\n Another article details 26 large companies that pay no taxes.\u00a0 They include:\u00a0\u00a0 (picture did not import in.\u00a0 Go to the third link to see it.)<\/p>\n PICTURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE.<\/p>\n Notice that many of them\u2014SIXTEEN of them are energy companies. \u00a0Pepco is an energy distribution company, as is NiSource.\u00a0 Apache is a natural gas and oil exploration company.\u00a0 Look at your gas & electric or utilities bill.\u00a0 I personally pay almost $3000 a year to Xcel and IREA combined.\u00a0 Aurora has about 300,000 residents.\u00a0 If we use a modest half figure (150,000) as customers it comes to $439 million annually between these two companies.\u00a0 And they need a tax break sufficient to make their effective tax rate go into negative numbers?<\/p>\n My tax rate last year was about 11%.\u00a0 If I incorporate myself as an energy firm and start giving select politicians money, can I stop paying taxes?\u00a0 Or should I go into politics?<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/2012\/08\/2012-election-will-be-costliest-yet.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/mojo\/2012\/04\/top-tax-dodging-companies-politicians<\/a><\/p>\n
\nProfits: $19.8 billion Effective tax rate: -3.8%<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n
\nPresident Barack Obama: $51,493\u00a0 Nothing needs to be said.<\/strong>
\nSen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.): $24,450\u00a0 He is on the committee for Taxation and IRS Oversight.\u00a0 Convenient.<\/strong>
\nSen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): $23,700 Senate Minority Leader.\u00a0 On the Senate Committee for Appropriations.<\/strong>
\nRep. John Boehner (R-Ohio): $22,500 Speaker of the House.<\/strong>
\nSen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): $15,000<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nProfits: $19.6 billion Effective tax rate: -18.9%<\/strong><\/b>
\nTop recipients, 2011-2012<\/strong>
\nMitt Romney: $53,750\u00a0 Think business leader Romney would have reeled GE in?\u00a0 Think again.<\/strong>
\nPresident Barack Obama (D): $30,493.\u00a0 Again, nothing to be said.<\/strong>
\nSen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.): $23,900.\u00a0 Pompous ass.\u00a0 Left Mass., and now running again in NH.<\/strong>
\nRep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.): $21,860\u00a0 Been in Congress for 30 years\u2014knows who to talk to and who to pay off.<\/strong>
\nRep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.): $19,750\u00a0 Fifth largest donor for someone on the Committee for Joint Economic Development.\u00a0 Remember GE\u2019s moving jobs overseas?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nProfits: $14.8 billion Effective tax rate: -5.5%<\/strong><\/b>
\nTop recipients, 2011-2012<\/strong>
\nRep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.): $31,750 20-year Congressman.\u00a0 Committee on Armed Forces.\u00a0 Boeing is a big military contractor.<\/strong>
\nRep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.): $25,000 15-year Congressman.\u00a0 Committee on Armed Forces. 3 major Boeing facilities in Washington state<\/strong>
\nFormer Sen. George Allen (R-Va.): $23,500\u00a0 Who wants back in to politics?\u00a0 Now you know why.<\/strong>
\nSen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.): $23,125\u00a0 Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation.<\/strong>
\nRep. Ron Paul (R-Texas): $20,986\u00a0 Nobody is innocent.<\/strong><\/p>\n