Hey y'all, help me respond to this RW e-mail...

[Jeebo]

I could respond to it myself, but I know from past experience that if I post it here I'll get something from my fellow DUers that will BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER. And that's what I really want. There's one part that makes absolutely no sense at all. It's the part that says, "He wants to raise income taxes on the rich, well, guess what? He won't pay those taxes because he is already rich!" Well if he's rich and he raises taxes on the rich, he WILL pay those taxes, won't he? So what does this person mean when s/he says that the fact that he IS rich means he WON'T pay higher taxes? Can y'all figure out what the hell this person is trying to say here? Maybe it's supposed to NOT make sense, because "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit." Oh, well, here it is...

<<< Subject: John Kerry, man of the common folk.... he understands your pain, really... trust him - lol, yeah - right

The many homes of Democrat Presidential candiate, John F. Kerry.
Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania (Assessed value: $3.7 million)

Ketchum, Idaho ski getaway/vacation home (Assessed value: $4.916 million)

Washington, D.C - Georgetown area (assessment: $4.7 million)

Nantucket, Massachusetts waterfront retreat on Brant Point (Assessed

value: $9.18 million)

Boston, Massachusetts - Beacon Hill home (Assessed value: $6.9)

oh, and he sold this estate in Italy to activist actor George Clooney, just before announcing his running for president. I guess he thought it might not sit well with the common man. ($7.8 million)

other foreign property ownership by John Kerry is unknown... because he denied repeated requests for this information.

Please e-mail this information to all your friends, family and contacts.

Class warfare is not right, but neither is being a hypocrite. This man wants to be our president, while claiming that he relates to Joe-6-pack and the common man. He wants to raise income taxes on the rich, well, guess what? He won't pay those taxes because he is already rich! He wants to make it harder for you to get rich by raising taxes on your income! Talk about snobbery and protecting his "class." >>>

[Kukesa]

1. Another Internet Legend

I received this one, twice. Help me -- I'm surrounded by Repugs!

It's another Internet legend. Here's the link that explains it, but don't expect them to READ it; thinking is too difficult for them.

www.snopes.com/politics/kerry

Newbie Kukesa

[SnohoDem]

9. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Kukesa]

11. Thanx!

Thank you for the nice Welcome, SnohoDem.

I've been a guest at the DU since September and decided it's time to get involved.

The DU comes highly recommended; it's the best!

Kukesa

[newyawker99]

14. Hi Kukesa!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JeffChristie]

2. Already rich...

Since JFK is "already rich" he won't be affected because the US has an income tax, not a wealth tax.

[sadiesworld]

6. Huh?

[ret5hd]

7. Hi, Rush...glad to see ya! How's that addiction thing workin' out for ya?

[sadiesworld]

3. First, Kerry will only raise taxes on those making over $200K

per year, and may even implement further cuts for low and middle income folks. Of course the tax increases will affect Kerry. I'm not sure how this makes him a hypocrite--your e-mailer may want to look the word up. It DOES mean that he believes that the rich (including himself) should pay their fair share. As it stands now, more and more of the tax burden is falling on the middle class. Does your e-mailer understand that his SS tax is being used to run the government? Have his state income taxes increased? What about his property taxes? Health care costs? Tuition?

[BOSSHOG]

4. Well let's just give it a shot jeebo

Relating to joe sixpack - What, Senator Kerry does not have a fake ranch like the one bush has in crawford, the goal of which is to attract joe sixpack without having to do anything, or touch any commoner like joe sixpack?

Raise income taxes on the rich - Gosh, the one's who benefit the most from living in this country, shame on him.

He wants to make it harder for you to "get rich" by raising your taxes - But your post says he is only going to raise taxes on those already rich, and you are absolutely right, right wing dumbass.

He won't pay those taxes because he is already rich? Que pasa bucko? Splain this nonsense amigo, yo lo no comprendo.

Protecting his "class"? By raising their taxes? Sounds to me you've been spending too much time with right wing radio and faux news. Have fun jeebo, dealing with these cretins takes a sense of humor.

[NewJeffCT]

8. don't forget

Don't forget that cowboy Bush's feet can't touch the dirt, either

(see the article by Jimmy Breslin from a month or so ago...)

[July]

5. After you point out the errors, don't forget to mention

Bush and Cheney's wealth.

Cheney's INTEREST income last year was $627,000. That's INTEREST.

[ComerPerro]

13. also mention that Bush and Cheny only paid about 20% in taxes

Because, hell, its good to see that at least Bush's tax cuts for the rich are helping someone. That may piss a few people off.

The only person Bush is working to help is himself.

[K8-EEE]

10. I Though the GOP Liked Rich Guys? Like Bush & Cheney

"He won't pay those taxes because he is already rich?"

Know what? We have a choice between two rich guys, get over it. Don't understand one side calling the other rich!

These RW nut emails are always so pointless as to make me wonder why anybody would respond to it. Anybody who votes for the impoverished Bush Clan after reading this (especially giving the fortune they've made of of government scams like Neil & the S&L bailout etc.) is an idiot and so, they are voting for Bush anyhow.

[mulethree]

12. 20pct

So he buys a house for 5mm and hangs on to it for years then sells it for 7mm. 2mm income.

If he raised his own income tax from 37% to 41%, how much would it change the amount of tax he pays on that 2mm$? Zero, the 2mm will still be taxed at 20% because it's capital gain, not regular income. If he knows ahead of time which house he will be selling, then he makes that house into his primary residence ahead of time, Now he pays 20% on 1.5mm of that 2mm.

If he has a house he's not going to use for a while, then he puts it up for rent and calls it an income-generating investment property. But you make the rent so high that nobody will pay it - say $1mm per year. Now the $1mm you couldn't collect in rent becomes a business loss to offset profits you made in other businesses. So if you have wealth, you can arrange it so you only have enough "regular income" as you need to pay your bills and shift all the rest to be capital gains taxes.

If he bought a business, improved it, sold it and made $2mm on the sale, thats also capital gains. He pays $400K in taxes and has 1.6mm left to invest in another business.

If instead he invested it in a private equity company like Carlyle, or a conglomerate corporation, then they would shift the 2mm gain into another business without calling it a gain, so the $400K, that would have been taxes, stays in play and they get to use the whole $2mm for the second business investment.

So basically, raising the income tax rate for the rich has a minimal effect on their overall taxes because much of their taxes are capital gains and not subject to the normal income tax rates.


Oops, I guess I didn't help much with your rebuttal.

[yardwork]

15. How is this different for Bush?

If I understand the right-wing rant here, it is that Kerry is wealthy. Ok, I can understand people being jealous of Kerry's wealth. But what about Bush's wealth?

The Bush-Walker family has been wealthy for more than a hundred years. Kerry's grandfather was an immigrant who started with nothing. Which is more admirable? Does it matter at all? So what?

If you hate all rich people, you're going to have trouble finding somebody to support for president.

[mulethree]

17. It's not any different

I never said it was, or anything about hating the rich.

I'm just pointing out that changes to the income tax rates are insignificant to the truely rich.

[SoCalDem]

16. Here's how you "refute" them

and then you ask your "friend" to quit sending you TRASH..:)