Updated: Ex-Google Employee At LinkedIn Town Hall: Mr. President, Please Raise My Taxes
Click here to view this media At President Obama’s town hall in Mountain View today, Doug Edwards , former Consumer Marketing Head for Google, stood and asked the President to raise his taxes to preserve Pell Grants, education funding and disaster relief, among other things. This was, of course, a riff on Warren Buffett’s column a couple of weeks ago where he called on Congress to make his tax rate equitable with that of his secretary, who actually pays more in taxes than Buffett does. The near-instantaneous reaction on Twitter and elsewhere has been fascinating. Mark Knoller tweeted this : The US Govt accepts contributions. Online at pay.gov or by mail: Bureau of Public Debt, Dept G, P.O Box 2188, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188. The right-wingers are nearly apoplectic, with Michelle Malkin ready to vomit while they furiously spread speculation that the guy was a plant. Because surely an ex-Googler who made a fortune via stock options and the like couldn’t possibly be sincere about wanting to pay more in taxes to make sure kids get decent educations and things? So the counter from the right is either, “Sure, go ahead and pay whatever you want, here’s the address to send it to!” or “You lie!” Why is it so difficult to believe that some wealthy people also have a sense of social responsibility? Meanwhile, just for perspective, the Koch brothers have slid up the Forbes “Richest” List to number four from number 44, nipping at the heels of Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Larry Ellison. How’s that for “failed policy,” tea party? What should make us all sick about their explosive gain in net worth is that it was largely the result of speculative activity in markets they game , especially energy markets. Update : Oh, the assumptions they make. Check out these tweets from Brendan Buck (John Boehner’s spokesman) and Brad Dayspring (Eric Cantor’s spokesman), and their stupid assumptions. [h/t ThinkProgress ] enlarge enlarge
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Updated: Ex-Google Employee At LinkedIn Town Hall: Mr. President, Please Raise My Taxes
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on September 27, 2011. Filed under