Coincidence? Lobby more, pay less in taxes!

[Seawytch]

Lobby more, pay less in taxes

If you think you wound up paying too much in taxes this year, maybe you ought to hire a lobbyist. Or two. Or 20. After all, it’s a strategy that seems to be working well for some of the nation’s biggest corporations.

As Americans prepare for tax day 2012, a new Sunlight analysis of lobbying and corporate tax rates finds that among 200 of the largest U.S. companies, the companies that spent the most on lobbying most effectively reduced their reported tax rates between 2007 and 2010.

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When do we throw the money changers from the temples of our government? How do we get our representatives to represent us and not the lobbyists handing them checks (and probably chicks)?

 

[Mr. H.]

I've done a fair amount of lobbying... it's about educating legislators on factual business practices. All I ever asked was to keep my own money, and to not be taxed for spending it.

If I spend my money in order to make more money, why should government take away that ability?
You see, when I turn right around and spend revenue then I employ people and I buy... more stuff.

Buying stuff employs more people.

Lobbying is about acccess and education. It happens on many levels.

 

[konradv]

I've done a fair amount of lobbying... it's about educating legislators on factual business practices. All I ever asked was to keep my own money, and to not be taxed for spending it.

If I spend my money in order to make more money, why should government take away that ability?
You see, when I turn right around and spend revenue then I employ people and I buy... more stuff.

Buying stuff employs more people.

Lobbying is about acccess and education. It happens on many levels.

There's nothing wrong with lobbying. There is a problem, if promises of campaign cash are made. I think it would cost less in the long run, if we took away temptation. Let the lobbyists' arguments win out, NOT their cash.

 

[zeke]

Lobbying is great. NOT.

Lets say I am a manufacturer and I want to get a nice tax break for sending jobs to other countries. So I lobby and get er done. Who benefitted?

Lets say I am a hedge fund manager and I don't want to pay nothing but a capital gains tax rate on my income. So I find me a lobbyist that will spend enough money to get er done. Who benefits?

Yea I saw the post on how beneficial this person thought lobbying was. But really it is just a way for those with money to influence those with power to make decisions that only benefit the petitioners.

And the middle class has the most piss poor lobbyists going. Except for the poor people. Their lobbyists really suck.

 

[konradv]

Lobbying is great. NOT.

Lets say I am a manufacturer and I want to get a nice tax break for sending jobs to other countries. So I lobby and get er done. Who benefitted?

Lets say I am a hedge fund manager and I don't want to pay nothing but a capital gains tax rate on my income. So I find me a lobbyist that will spend enough money to get er done. Who benefits?

Yea I saw the post on how beneficial this person thought lobbying was. But really it is just a way for those with money to influence those with power to make decisions that only benefit the petitioners.

And the middle class has the most piss poor lobbyists going. Except for the poor people. Their lobbyists really suck.

It's not the talking(real lobbying), but the money(legal bribery) that's the problem. When we force politicians to raise lots of cash, a tit-for-tat will naturally accrue. Get rid of the need and we get rid a big source of temptation.