The Romney taxes released last week are revealing of his true love - wealth and money. Mitt Romney made money at the expense of America. He bet against America and was cashing in on that bet. Would you bet on this guy to put any one or any thing above his desire to create personal wealth? That would be a losing bet.
His 2011 taxes reveal he bet against the American dollar. The Romney Trust profited if the American dollar fell in value versus foreign currencies. That means Romney was hoping the American dollar would decrease in value. Meaning he wished for America's economy to keep declining. The farther down the hole America went, the richer Mitt Romney became!
The Romney Trust also owned stock in a Chinese-state-owned oil company, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). CNOOC recently purchased Nexen Inc. in Calgary, Canada. So, Mitt Romney owned shares of a Chinese company that has its hands in the Keystone pipeline deal. Makes perfect sense why Romney would support the Keystone pipeline deal doesn't it? And the Republicans in Congress that are pressing for that pipeline should have their investments analyzed to see if they just happen to own stock in CNOOC or any other company that would profit from such a deal.
CNOOC is also be under fire for human rights violations too. Not surprising that Romney would invest in physically hurting people as well; after all, if they don't make at least a million dollars a year, what good are they?
Very conveniently, Romney sold off shares of foreign investments the day before a Republican primary debate in Iowa last year. On August 10, 2011 the Romney Trust sold off shares of a Swiss Bank, a Luxembourg steel company, and Danish and Japanese machinery companies. Right about the time Romney became highly critical of the Obama administration's policies toward China. Kinda brings to mind the convenient sale of Wachovia and Citigroup shares made by Paul Ryan the same day Bernanke and Paulson came to the Hill to discuss the banking crisis. There is certainly an awful lot of coincidental profiting happening around the Republicans. Lucky people, those Republicans.
The Romney taxes released in the future, if there are any more, will only further show the true Mitt Romney. He does everything for selfish reasons. For example, he personally benefited from the Olympics by selling Dominos pizza and other products by companies Bain Capital owned. The Salt Lake Olympics made Romney more money in the long run because his profits at Bain Capital are taxed at a lower rate than his salary would have been, and he donated that so that's another write-off. He appears to be doing something 'good' and 'selfless' to his mentally challenged supporters. Mitt Romney doesn't know the meaning of the word selfless.
Anyone that bets against America is not qualified to be President of the United States of America.
Image Source: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
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Comments: 180 ( 3 removed by Lora Covrett )
Anti-gay groups. http://www.affirmation.org/news_2012/2012_013.shtml
Plus, you know he's going to just file an amended return as soon as he can, and get more of that money back, and bring his taxes down to about 10%.
Mitt! Be a Man! IF you've got nothing to hide, show the returns! Be half he man your father was!
You're probably right about that. He's not going to release any returns that were filed in preparation for running for President...except maybe the weekend before the election. It will be his last-ditch effort to again, look like a good guy when he's really being shady.
By investing in CNOOC (whose purchase of Nexen must still win approval from the Canadian government, who nixed a hostile takeover of a Canadian firm by China just a year or two ago, though the CNOOC-Nexen deal is not a hostile takeover) Romney is kind of hedging his bets on the Keystone pipeline going through. If CNOOC does win approval from Ottawa of its takeover of Nexen, and if it can get approval from British Columbia for a pipeline to go from Alberta's tar sands to the B.C. coast, then the oil that would have gone to the US through the Keystone will go to the coast for shipment to China via the other pipeline. Either way, Romney would win financially.
The fact that CNOOC has human rights violations under investigation could hardly be expected to be a factor in Romney's investments. Does he look like someone concerned about ethical investment practices to you?
As for the release of tax returns prior to 2010, it is hard to imagine that there is nothing with a questionable odor contained in those filings. Given the kerfuffle over his non-disclosure, the political downside of disclosure must be even greater than the drag on his campaign that non-disclosure has been, otherwise a good cost-benefit analysis would say reveal them. Romney is pretty savvy about the cost-benefit effect of things on his own self-interest.
So the natural conclusion to draw from continued non-disclosure must be that there is something unsavory, though likely not illegal, being kept from voters.
As to Romney's loyalties as revealed by his business and investment practices, it is fairly clear that his own personal profit is his main guiding ideology. Nothing wrong with that, any private investor will be guided by their own personal profit if they are wise with their money. But the fact that he has never invested in manufactuing jobs in the US nor started businesses that employed Americans at good wages certainly suggests that these are not personal priorities for the man. His business and political careers overlap in many ways. His governorship of Massachusetts and his 2008 political campaign show that his private investment priorities are unaffected by his sense of responsibility as an elected public servant nor as someone seeking public office.
What reason do voters have to expect any change in those priorities?
Thanks for the additional information.
Lora
Thanks for a good article.
This whole debate makes me just sick to my stomach. Trying to justify his behavior by paying a little more than necessary out of excessive profits gained through corporate shenanigans, or offering a portion to charity, doesn't negate the fact that Romney continually, consistently chooses to do the wrong thing, no matter how many riches he amasses at the expense of the American citizens he claims to love. It's wrong, period. He stands behind his religious convictions & "charitable works", using them like a shield to deflect the selfish, greedy truth. How many people who genuinely believe in practicing what they preach would kill to be in a position to offer limitless help to those in need in the form of jobs...honest pay for honest work?
BTW, the man who dropped the wallet offered no thanks, & no reward. I can't imagine why anyone who will clearly never be good enough to be welcomed into Romney's inner circle, & will never reap benefits equal to those that he & his buddies will if he's elected, would willingly support him...seriously, he's obviously out for himself, where's the benefit in backing someone who will care less about you after he's gotten what he wanted?
I feel the exact same way. I would think that even the gay-hating, pro-life, Muslim-hating, women-hating, Jew-hating, gun-loving Republicans are torn in this election between voting for a complete imbecile and voting for a competent man whose policies they disagree with.
When you routinely deny science and characterize intellectuals as "pointy headed" don't expect to attract a lot of braniacs to your cause. When most of your party is thrilled with the raving promotion of selfishness as a virtue by a warped sociopath like Ayn Rand, don't expect those with critical thinking skills to join you.
Obama has proven he has a love of free money at the Expense everyone.
The other guy works for his money. Not Obama. He would rather be a thief and liar.
Obama can get away with it catering to the uneducated and the lazy. That's like 50% of their voter pool maybe.
Not so with the right. We are the non lazy hard working folks.
We don't lay around trying to think of ways to get other people's money. I guess we have to much class.
What's not smart is to run for President saying you "know how to get this country back on track" or that you "have a plan to create jobs" etc. when all you've done is send jobs to China....and then try to hide it.
Romney hasn't broken any laws....that we know of. So, yes, he's "smartly" managed his wealth and done every possible thing to avoid paying taxes to hold on to his millions.
The problem is that someone who loves America and really wants to help the country wouldn't do that. They would pay their taxes but they wouldn't go to the lengths that Romney has gone to to save a buck.
His beliefs are clear. He thinks rich people are better than everybody else. He thinks he's better, smarter, and more capable in every situation than a guy that picks up garbage for a living.
You cannot get people to follow you or support you with an attitude like that. You know Romney is an elitist. You're lying if you say he isn't.
How can Mitt Romney help a guy on unemployment with three kids and a wife who only has a high school education and lost his factory job because Bain Capital sent it to China? Let's be realistic here. How does that guy relate to Mitt Romney and where in Romney's plan is there one thing to help that family?
Congress passes tax laws. If you had money, you would use what is in the tax laws to keep as much of your money as you could.
"He thinks he's better, smarter, and more capable in every situation than a guy that picks up garbage for a living."
...I know you were somehow trying to make a point there, but really...
2 outta 3 ain't bad.
If Romney is an elitist, Obama is an elitist. My elitist creates jobs, yours destroys jobs. The evidence is in the unemployment numbers. The day after Romney wins, companies will start hiring.
HELLOOooo BAIN DID NOT DESTROY COMPANIES. Romney/Bain went in to already F A I L I N G businesses. Romney had nothing to do with the fact that those businesses were failing. Business is business. Businesses aren't in the charity field. Why don't you go out and start a business that makes no profit, yet you keep the doors open just to be a wonderful person. Hey, the guy who looses that job that somehow he thought was a lifetime money source, goes out and gets another job when Romney gets elected. Who gives a damn if that guy can relate to Romney. Why should he "relate" to Romney and why should Romney "relate" to him? Maybe that "only a high school education" or "factory job" has something to do with that. Really, is that some status there? It's not a put down, but that's really not much of an accomplishment either. How are they supposed to "relate"?
Sort of like Carpet Baggers showed up in the South in droves after the civil war, & banks hired mills to crank out illegal foreclosures for properties they couldn't verify they owned after the economy crashed.
Seriously, why do you think the Republicans keep talking about minimizing government influence, & deregulation, trying to convince everyone it's a good thing. HELLOOooo they want to be free to move on our already failing country to continue with blatantly raping it for their own selfish gain. No, they don't need to relate, they just need to give a damn about the destruction they've already caused, & come up with a ceiling for how much personal wealth at the expense of others is enough.
And many of them went from failing to dead. Get it? Vultures eat dead things. "Vulture Capital".
Wow. Well, it's completely understood as to WHY you support Romney now. Nothing further need be said.
And if you're mad about jobs going overseas, why do you give Obama a pass? He's been instrumental in many jobs leaving the country, including companies that got our tax dollars for stimulus.
You may wish to review my thought's regarding the same topic at: 12 Million Higher Paying Jobs vs pioneers in outsourcing U.S. jobs to low-wage countries
In the comment section, you may find some interesting news regarding the topic you mentioned regarding: "China National Offshore Oil Corporation".
The Keystone Pipeline extension is not the only investment Willard Mitt Romney made with the Chinese.
It's kinda funny...if "Obamacare" were being called a success in the media, Romney would be running as "Governor Mitt Romney" and probably doing much better. However, he's running as "CEO of Bain Capital Mitt Romney" and the average American worker simply cannot relate to a Wallstreet millionaire. And he cannot relate to them either!
He wasn't born into a working class family. He knows nothing of daily struggles to pay the bills. His wife has even started complaining about how "hard this is" on the campaign trail and say that "this poor guy" is being attacked. If she thinks it's so "hard" to campaign, imagine what it's going to be like actually running a country! (God forbid Mitt Romney be put in charge of this great nation.) I would feel more comfortable with Honey Boo Boo running things than the Romneys.
And, Obama? Oh yeah, he was a community agitator. And a senator who, if he showed up, voted "present." And a president who misses briefings, but sure knows how to vacation and play golf.
But he got paid. Dominos pizza sold during lunch meetings at the Olympics. He said in an interview the Olympic committee would pay $5 for a pizza and sell the slices for $2 a slice, making a profit of $15....Bain Capital owns Dominos. Who do you think got that profit? Ah, yes...Mitt Romney got paid on his dividend check. And that's just one example of Bain companies at the Olympics making Mitt Romney money while he was supposedly "working for free."
He does nothing for free.
And when the Olympics paid him a salary anyway, he donated to charity. Again, a write off on his taxes. Again, he benefits.
Be real.
...so THAT is all the spin you could get out of the "fishing expedition"? I thought he cheated. I thought he was a crook. Could it be that he is actually a smart business man?
It didn't matter what Romney's taxes showed, it was all about how to translate what those tax returns showed. For socialist/communists, making money is only bad if you are a smart Republican.
Ah, "living up to Daddy's standards" is a load of crap. Today is a totally different world than the world Daddy Romney lived in. That whole Romney's Dad's standards thing is supposed to make Romney jump at the liberals commands. It's crap. His Dad would know it's crap, and Romney's Dad would be proud of his son. His Dad would puke at the sight of what the democommiRATS have turned our country into. His Dad would puke at the sight of a communist president. His Dad would puke at how far down our great country has gone.
Did Obama live up to his daddy's standard?
I think his Dad would be quite proud of Barack.
Obama Sr. married Dunham in Wailuku on the Hawaiian island of Maui on 2 February 1961. He eventually told Dunham about his previous marriage in Kenya, but said he was divorced—which she found out years later was a lie.
"President Barack Obama's father was forced to leave Harvard University before completing his Ph.D. in economics because the school was concerned about his personal life and finances, according to newly public immigration records."
"Obama's (Sr.) worsening drinking binges strained his career and marriage. "He would pass out on the doorstep," said Leo Odera Omolo, a former drinking buddy and friend of the family.
Obama Sr speaks of his socialism, communism and nationalization in his "Long-lost article" "Problems Facing Our Socialism"
Gallup~Obama by 3
Political~Obama up by 5
Rasmussen~virtual tie
Reuters~Obama up by 7
Anybody that can add or subtract knows the numbers on Fox News are completely fictitious.
The Beirut Barracks Bombing (October 23, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon) occurred. In the attack on the American Marines barracks, the death toll was 241. How soon do we forget. The right wing knows nothing.
:) Ah, yes, Reagan. The "conservative God." No conservative likes to hear the truth about Reagan....especially regarding Iran and illegal arms deals. It's shocking to me how Ronny didn't get impeached for that.
Not half, only 47%
I thought of you as I typed my original comment -- but left it worded as is because, as always, I assume readers will understand the comments are about Republican LAWMAKERS, CONGRESS, SENATE, PRESIDENTS, etc.
You don't send anybody to war. Nor do I.
Republican legislators do.
It is my fear that within two years of a Romney presidency, we will be fully engaged again in the middle east in a full war -- this time with Iran and probably Syria. Romney has as much as said so already. So, anyone voting for Romney is essentially voting for a war with Iran.
I mean, can you honestly envision a conversation between Romney and Ahmadinejad???? Really?????? And if not, what's the alternative? War.
Two months, more like...with either candidate. Ahmanjihad has no power, a lame duck with a mouth.
Iran Contra was wrong, a skirmish in a larger war. FDR behaved similarly, circumventing Congress to arm allies. He had Marshall to lie under oath instead of North, though. Both won great victories.
Given that,... we don't simply view the democrats as socialist or communist, they are. I'm not simply saying that, there is a list of 70 members of the socialist party who are democrats in the House of Representatives. But, there isn't a single member of the Congress or Senate who is a Republican and a member of the Democratic Socialist Party. If there is, I want to know about it. And, as Lenin said himself "The goal of Socialism is Communism."
Of course the DOW continues to climb, when you measure it with a rubber yardstick (the dollar). Spend another trillion fake dollars and the DOW will climb some more. Spend more and it will climb some more. Keep spending fake money and the DOW eventually will be at 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. But then a loaf of bread will cost $3,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. And what will you have gained? NOTHING.
Measure the DOW using any hard asset that cannot be created by a flip of a lever and the DOW is either flat or falling. For example, try measuring the DOW using a loaves of bread as the basis.
the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and
men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with
one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who
claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible
only by the men who produce.
Is this what you consider evil?
....
"Let me give you a tip on a clue to men's characters: the man who damns money has obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it has earned it.
"Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil.
That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. So long as men live together on earth and need
means to deal with one another—their only substitute, if they abandon money, is the muzzle of a gun.
"But money demands of you the highest virtues, if you wish to make it or to keep it. Men who have no
courage, pride or self-esteem, men who have no moral sense of their right to their money and are not
willing to defend it as they defend their life, men who apologize for being rich—will not remain rich for
long. They are the natural bait for the swarms of looters that stay under rocks for centuries, but come
crawling out at the first smell of a man who begs to be forgiven for the guilt of owning wealth. They will
hasten to relieve him of the guilt—and of his life, as he deserves.
"Then you will see the rise of the men of the double standard—the men who live by force, yet count on
those who live by trade to create the value of their looted money—the men who are the hitchhikers of
virtue. In a moral society, these are the criminals, and the statutes are written to protect you against them.
Francisco D'Anconia's "Money Speech" from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, 1957/
There's a reason it's called "Vulture Capital".
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
― Edward Abbey, The Journey Home: Some Words in Defense of the American West
I would rather follow the philosophy of the Judeo-Christian heritage which has inspired billions, informed our legal systems and democratic political structures, informed our arts, created such orders as the Franciscan and the Jesuit than follow the 'philosophy' of a sociopathic admirer of a sadistic child killer whose lack of empathy for other human beings marked him in her warped mind as a superior being.
You cannot serve God and mammon. You cannot follow Christ and Rand.
I presume you mean to say that I am not a millionaire. That is true. Listen, I complain about my tax rate now. If I had as many millions as Romney, I'd be trying to cut my tax bill too. The difference between me and Romney is, I would not in a million years run for President saying the things he's said while I was investing in China at the same time.
What I have in great abundance compared to Mitt Romney is morals.
It's not a competition between me and Mitt though.
You don't need to think up reasons why we don't like Romney. We've written them in plain English.
...OK
"What I have in great abundance compared to Mitt Romney is morals."
...now really, I think only a liberal would try to find a way to call Romney "immoral".
I think that what it boils down to, is that you are on the anti-Capitalist bandwagon as a cheerleader.
."
...now really, I think only a liberal would try to find a way to call Romney "immoral".
Yes, as conservatives these days think selfishness is a virtue.
What has Obama ever done that's unselfish?
It wasn’t until two years after opening its doors that Bain Capital made its first investment — a delay that many recall had the previously unflappable Romney sweating, literally and figuratively. The first Staples store was was their first venture and it then opened in Brighton, MA through a $650,000 Bain investment.
Over Romney’s 15 year career with Bain Capital, he helped turned $37 million and seven employees into 115 employees and $4 billion. For his efforts, he amassed a personal wealth of up to $250 million. He is a smart businessman and has been well respected throughout the business community.
According to The Los Angeles times " Bain Capital’s internal rate of return averaged 88% per year for every year that Romney headed the firm. Hypothetically, if an investor could have put in the required minimum of $1 million when Romney and bill Bain started Bain in 1984, and left it there for reinvestment in successive Bain funds until Romney departed in 1999, the investment would have grown to over $12 billion. its demonstrated belief that a combination of strong management, sound fundamental business analysis, focused strategy, and aggressive action substantially improves a business’s profits and value.”
Steel Dynamics: In 1994 Bain injected $18.2 million into the steel manufacturing company. Four years later the company went public, and it now pulls in $6.3 billion in revenue and employs 6,000 workers.
Today, what was once a seven man startup sent to test the waters of what Bill Bain felt to be a market opportunity in private equity, manages $66 billion in assets.
This is what happens when brain power is used in a productive manner.
Rory, you hate Christians in general - you have no credibility judging anyone.
If you must lie please do not lie about me. We have had this conversation.
Oh wait....they're not running for President, are they?
Dade International -1700
Holson Burnes Group -294
Physio-Control -50
GS Industries -750
Wesley Jessen VisionCare -600
American Pad & Paper (Ampad) - 385
Auto Palace/ADAP -20
Handbag Holdings -206
Transtar - 1000
That's a total of 5,005 jobs lost.
Bain made a profit on these lost jobs totaling $2.07 BILLION
Gather is such a nicer place without that garbage.
Lora, do you have a list of companies that did well with Bain, or are those of little importance to you?
Actually, I don't think that was the "plan", Sometimes people would need to be cut - but that would have to take place - as these were struggling companies that sought Bain out so that they would not go bankrupt.
The "goal" was to help the companies to succeed - which was in the best interest of Bain (consisting of private money, by the way - and folks who invest in private equity include democrats, believe or not - even unions) and the assisted companies themselves.
At least Bain would have private investors to answer to if they made a bad investment - quite different than gambling with tax-payer money (public equity) and not only sending a huge chunk of it overseas - and losing a staggering amount of companies in a ridiculously short period of time.
Consider:
Bain's Companies were struggling (ie, less chance of success)
Obama's Companies still went under quickly.
By the way, speaking of outsourcing, But Immelt's success is only partially built on American jobs. Obama's Job Czar Jeff Immelt:
"Half his workforce is overseas and he is unapologetic for it, as you'll see in Lesley Stahl's "60 Minutes" piece this week, "The Jobs Czar."
Unemployment would probably be under 7 percent if Republicans would pass Obama's jobs bill. Are you referring to the 450 billion dollar stimulus program that seeks to create a national bank and take sovereignty away from the states?
Obama's policies create jobs. Well, his policies create a welfare state...but close!
;-)
I don't see jobs created with Bain. I see happy, wealthy investors. I see happy, wealthy business owners. Staples and the Sports Authority do not employ people? Without Bain, those companies may not exist. The investors should be happy - many of them donate to Obama - and Obama takes their money happily.
One of the most glaring examples of this hypocrisy is the recent Obama fundraiser, hosted at the New York home of Hamilton James, president of the private equity firm Blackstone. Many hedge fund and investment executives paid $38,500 a plate on the very day that President Obama released an attack ad against Mitt Romney and Bain Capital. Hamilton James later told friends, "Campaigns do what campaigns have to do."
Evergreen Solar
SpectraWatt
Solyndra (received $535 million)
Beacon Power (received $43 million)
AES’ subsidiary Eastern Energy
Nevada Geothermal (received $98.5 million)
SunPower (received $1.5 billion)
First Solar (received $1.46 billion)
Babcock & Brown (an Australian company which received $178 million)
Ener1 (subsidiary EnerDel received $118.5 million)
Amonix (received 5.9 million)
The National Renewable Energy Lab
Fisker Automotive
Abound Solar (received $400 million, only borrowed $70 million of that)
Chevy Volt (taxpayers basically own GM)
Solar Trust of America
A123 Systems (received $279 million)
Willard & Kelsey Solar Group (received $6 million)
Johnson Controls (received $299 million)
Schneider Electric (received $86 million)
Brightsource (received $1.6 billion)
ECOtality (received $126.2 million)
Raser Technologies (received $33 million)
Energy Conversion Devices
Mountain Plaza, Inc.
Olsen’s Crop Service and Olsens Mills Acquisition Co.
Range Fuels
Thompson River Power LLC
* Sports Authority
* Guitar Center
* Hospital Corporation of America
* Gymboree
* Clear Channel Communications
* Houghton Mifflin
* Staples, Inc.
* D&M Holdings
* Domino's Pizza
* The Weather Channel
* Burger King
* Sealy Corporation
* Brookstone
* Burlington Coat Factory
* Dunkin' Donuts
* Steel Dynamics
Does Obama have ANY successful Green Companies?
Romney set up the Trust, he does not run it.
He does not profit from it.
100% of the proceeds of that trust go to others.
100% of the decisions of what to invest in, are made by others (the INvestment firm in charge of it).
He is not even legally allowed to 'hint' what they should invest in.
And why would he? It makes no difference to him - the money belongs to SOMEONE ELSE!
UN believeable.
OK -and there is more3 - he gave away almost 30% of his income ... HIS income ....... he earned it ......... he gave it away - it is no longer his money. So the 9MM he had left paid 2MM in taxes - thats about 22% effective rate.
How much do YOU pay?
If you are in the MIddle Income bracket of 25%, you pay an effective rate of between 7 and 8.5%.
Look at your own tax returns - dividee the amount of total federal income taxes by your GROSS income!
If it is higher than even the 14%, let alone the 22% - I will appear and kiss your arse.
e.g. 75K, married 2 kids, standard deduction, tax liability is 6440 (roughly) - 8.5%.
NOw - you want to say he loves money?
Divide what YOU gave to Charity, by your gross income .... I betcha it is between 1%, and .001% - a far cry from 30%.
Yea - he loves it OH so much, he gives it away!?!?!?!?!?!?
A bit of a coincidence that the "blind" trust dumped stock the day before a political debate, wouldn't you say?
Just How Blind Are Blind Trusts?
Were they the only one to do it?
DIdnt many many trusts and nvestment firms dump stockls at about the same time?
You think Romney controls every Trust Investment firm and Mutual fund in the world?
So he has NOT lied qabout his taxes, and "not paid a penny" as Reid said, He has had certified summaries, plus the required full returns released, that show he gives away a HUGE chunk of his income instead of keeping it, and now you want to asssume that just because somme PEOPLE BREAK THE bLIND tRUST LAWS, THAT HE DOES????
Give me a break -= if you dont like him, that is fine - but there isw no need to be dishonestly critical.
Just like with Bush - there were plenty of reasons that he was a horrible president - no reason to make up ones that dont exist.
Now look at the questions I asked, and ask them of yourself!
Then ask yourself honestly this - does a man that is that giving of his time, and his money the immoral jerk that would jepordize it al;l for more money, that he clearly doesnt need, or want?
Look at the trust he had set up with 100% of all funds going to Charity (the one I was referring to above) - 100% of all his inheritance went into it, and he will never get a penny from it.
Does THAT sound like a greedy person to you?
Come on - you are smarter than that.
I'll never forget a guy I worked with, claiming he gave at the office, because they deducted 30% of his paycheck for taxes - to him that was the same as giving to charities................ People like taht are always in favor of giving as long as it is someone ELSES money!
And then listen to the literally hundreds of stories, of families, that he did not even know, saying how he showed up at their homes, and rolled up his sleeves, to clear brush and tree stumps left from a fire catastrophe - or the Catholic Vets home, that suddenly started getting double the milk delivered, pre-paid for 2 year - they go on and on.
It sounds like a person trying to save money on their tax bill. Do you think Madonna opens schools in Africa because she really wants to help African children? Or does she need the tax break?
I have an idea. How about nobody pay taxes and we'll run the government on charitable donations. If everyone is so willing to give to charity but not willing to pay taxes, let's just change the terminology and make it voluntary. Think Mitt will still pay? Thank anybody will?
That's how you know if the person is truly a generous person or making "charitable donations" for personal gain.
I know had trouble figuring out my finances when I was younger.
Another thing I've learned is that rich people watch their money a hell of a lot closer than poor people. A wealthy person can tell you how much money they have at any given time. This is why I do not believe for one second that Mitt Romney simply puts money ANYWHERE blindly and without a selfish reason.
Rich people hang onto their money. Poor people spend their money.
This is why Obama's plan for growing the economy will work whereas Romney's plan will not. Why give more money to the people that will hoard it? That stagnates the economy. That's why we're not growing at a faster rate now.
Wow ............. you surely have to know more about US taxes than that?
OK - so he deducts 3 MM in charitable contributions - that doest save him 3MM in taxes! - it saves him less than 1MM - SO HE IS STILL OUT AT LEAST 2MM!!!!!!!!!!!
And in his case, since most of his income is from capital gains - the 3MM in donations would actually only save him 450M in taxes.....
NO one spends money, just to save money on taxes unless they are a complete moron.
Why are you so sure that all rich people MUST be selfish?
I have done business with hundreds of very wealthy people - and the richer they were, the more generous they were - it was their own unselfish nature that caused people to want to do business with them, and make them wealthy.
Do you want to try to tell me they were unselfish, to get the business because they were selfish?
Good Gawd, we will have to get into Maslow, Niche, Schopenhauer, and several other dis-agreeing philosophers for that!
You are being blinded by your own pre-disposed hatred of anything that is not Democrat - which is a shame, because you are actually a very intelligent person.
Obamas plan is pure Keynesian in design, and has those theories have never worked, at anytime, anywhere.
They didnt Work when Bush did it - they didnt work when Obama did it before, and they wont work in the future!
It has been proven time and time again, that lowering taxes, especially for the wealthy, expands the economy, increases the Tax revenue because of the higher investments, and creates many more wealthy to pay taxes, from what were middle class people.
Wealthy people do NOT hoard money for the sake of having it - they want it to grow. How will it gro2w? By taking risks and investing it in businesses that hire people, produce products; create competition for other manufacturers (which drives down prices). and on and on again.
We are not growing, because people that have money are afraid to invest in any business - the fear of costs due to Cap and Trade, ACA, and possible tax increases are all a dis-incentive.
Not true. Actually, and causing some head-scratching from my liberal friends, I do like some Republicans. Namely, Chris Christie. I don't like his rude attitude (ie. calling a reporter stupid over and over is asinine) but I think he's a breath of fresh air on the political front.
Not sure if he could ever be President though because of his attitude.
There's a lot more than charitable donations and tax records that goes into being President. Mitt Romney could have a place in Obama's cabinet, but Obama needs to be the one sitting in the White House.
Mitt Romney hasn't swayed me one tiny bit. And I've watched SEVERAL interviews lately (60 minutes, a special on CNN, Meet the Press). He's not saying anything that adds up to me. I program computers. I don't work in accounting or the stock market, but he's not making sense to me.
I heard someone say he should use a powerpoint presentation. Maybe that would help. But, it certainly seems like flip-flopping Mitt doesn't want to do that because then we could hold his feet to the fire on what he just said. He's just too wishy-washy.
Even George W. Bush was a better leader.
Not me. I want a country of Mitt Romneys not a country of Barack Obamas.
It was the only one you brought up on this post.
If you want to diverge to other subjects we can do that - but you have not truly stood up to the scrutiny of your comments on this subject yet.
"I do like some Republicans
Wow - switch the word Repub;ican with the word Blacks, or Gays, or Italians ............. that is some comment Ms Covrett.
He has successful experience, and education, in Financial matters, Business, Running a large Government entity, and is kind, charitable, and doesd not 'ruffle' easily. He has strong family values.
Do I think he will be the right man for the job? Dont know.
Was not against Obama until he had been in office for a while.
But Obama has proven repeatedly, that he is incompetant,, for one by doing the same things over and over, that fail each time.
Guess not. Tibet still smothered, outsourcing still unhindered, foreign influence unparalleled suggests more of the same to come with an Obama victory. Choose a Prez with lousy policy or someone who can make money off of it anyways. Pretty unattractive options. With Romney, you need to believe he'd do for America what he's done for himself and others. Massachusetts gives the best idea of his approach.
I'd be a great deal more comfortable if, when China announced its intention to undermine the US dollars' position as the world reserve currency during the Democrat convention, someone there had indicated that they noticed or cared.
The Nexen deal will go through in all likelihood, it may have to if Canada has to hedge against a Keystone block, they'll delay the decision til November 7. They have no issue making money off China, even if the oil most likely ends up in US ports. And they'll take their payment in cold hard yuans. That's already sure, and bad news for the greenback.
Yep.
No, there is no corruption in Washington…
Let’s bail out the banks, but first, let’s invest in them… As for financial firms, look at how many current congressmen are invested in banks… Bank of American and Goldman Sachs are joined by Wells Fargo (45), JPMorgan Chase (38) and Citigroup (24).
Let’s pass a health care plan, but let’s invest in the industry, first… Among health care-related companies, at least 20 current lawmakers reported owning stakes in Pfizer (49), Johnson & Johnson (39), Merck (27), Abbott Laboratories (25), CVS/Caremark (23), Bristol-Myers Squibb (22) and Amgen (20).
As for possible global warming legislation, let’s make sure we invest in one of the largest investors in Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management which is located in London… With 82 current members of Congress invested, General Electric tops this list…Many more of the companies involved in GIM are also common investments for those members of congress…
If the guy getting smacked for bad behavior admits that he needed the smacking, who is Romney to say he doesn't?
Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.â€
...sure, we are all sinners, we are human, we are flawed. BUT...
English Standard Version (©2001)
Ecclesiastes 10:2
"A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left."
Asbury: The thoughts of the wise will lead to the beneficial, while the thoughts of the fool will lead to the detrimental.
Another commentary reminds us that Jesus is on the right hand of God, and that when there were celebrations the person on the right of the host had the position of honor. This writer suggests that those who rely on God are the wise ones and those who rely on themselves are fools.
At the jewishvirtuallibrary.org there is a great discussion about the meanings of right and left at that time. About this verse: Related to the opposition strength/weakness is the opposition good luck-bad luck, which seems to be represented in Ecclesiastes 10:2; as interpreted in the (Hebrew) commentary of H.L. Ginsberg: "The wise man's mind (tends) to his right (i.e., to what brings him good luck), and the fool's to his left." The belief that omens that appear on the right side are lucky and such as appear on the left unlucky is implied by Ezekiel 21:27. Parallels from other cultures are very numerous. In Arabic, for example, šimāl means both "left hand" and "bad omen" (see also the Arabic dictionary on the verbs šaʿama and yamana and their derivatives).
Interesting that progressives are on the left and conservatives on the right, huh?