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Ballmer Says Tax Would Move Microsoft Jobs Offshore
Financial Post ^ | 06/4/2009 | Ryan J. Donmoyer

Posted on 06/04/2009 12:36:39 PM PDT by safetysign

Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steven Ballmer said the world's largest software company would move some employees offshore if Congress enacts President Barack Obama's plans to impose higher taxes on U.S. companies' foreign profits.

"It makes U.S. jobs more expensive," Mr. Ballmer said in an interview. "We're better off taking lots of people and moving them out of the U.S. as opposed to keeping them inside the U.S."

(Excerpt) Read more at financialpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agenda; bho44; bhotaxincrease; economy; microsoft; msn; obama; offshoring; taxes
More of the change Obama has promised. American companies leaving in droves.
1 posted on 06/04/2009 12:36:39 PM PDT by safetysign
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To: safetysign

Higher taxes push jobs overseas?

Ya think?

Paging Captain Obvious... again....


2 posted on 06/04/2009 12:39:30 PM PDT by Principled (Get the capital back! NRST!)
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To: safetysign

How much did Ballmer donate to Obama and the Democrats?


3 posted on 06/04/2009 12:39:55 PM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: GeronL
"How much did Ballmer donate to Obama and the Democrats?"

His donations are all over the map.

Ballmer Donations

4 posted on 06/04/2009 12:41:40 PM PDT by avacado
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To: GeronL

Loosing Microsoft is sort of like loosing a vacuum tube manufacturer. Technology has long since passed these clowns.


5 posted on 06/04/2009 12:42:05 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: safetysign

He donates to both parties.

shmuck


6 posted on 06/04/2009 12:43:35 PM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Principled

Stampede will be more like it.


7 posted on 06/04/2009 12:46:02 PM PDT by Tarpon (You abolish your responsibilities, you surrender your rights.)
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To: Da Coyote

Well I disagree. it would hurt Seattle and anywhere they have offices.

We don’t need to lose more jobs.


8 posted on 06/04/2009 12:47:40 PM PDT by Aria ( "The US republic will endure until Congress discovers it can bribe the public with the people's $.")
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To: Da Coyote
Loosing Microsoft is sort of like loosing a vacuum tube manufacturer. Technology has long since passed these clowns.

As a US distributor of very high end audio equipment, many believe vacuum tube products continue to provide the highest level of sonic excellence.

9 posted on 06/04/2009 12:51:05 PM PDT by newfreep ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." - P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: safetysign

Bill Gates buddy Warren Buffett loves Obama.


10 posted on 06/04/2009 12:52:14 PM PDT by Frantzie
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To: Da Coyote

How do you figure that?


11 posted on 06/04/2009 12:52:15 PM PDT by PjhCPA (FUBO)
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To: Da Coyote

“Technology has long since passed these clowns.”

What technology?


12 posted on 06/04/2009 12:53:03 PM PDT by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: safetysign

“Let the Galting begin”


13 posted on 06/04/2009 12:53:25 PM PDT by Poser (Typed on my Woot-off $169 Asus Web Book (Linux of course))
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To: All
Even if you do not like Microsoft (I own one paulty Share). Or if you Love Microsoft...

This should be giving EVERYONE a message.. Obama is going to ruin the American Economy if he goes through with the taxation plans, dictating economic practices to companies.

Even if a company took government money.. It dose not give the office of the Presidency the power to do what this man is doing.

“Change you can believe in”, My arse!

14 posted on 06/04/2009 12:59:59 PM PDT by Kitanis
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To: safetysign

Damn right. I wonder who Ballmer voted for. I have a good idea who Gates voted for.


15 posted on 06/04/2009 1:03:17 PM PDT by trtdenver
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To: safetysign
Ballmer, the largest lying sack of fecal matter, responds in a way similar to someone who tells the electric company that they can't raise their rates or else he won't be able to afford HBO.

As if the elimination of this particular tax loophole will directly require them to eliminate jobs or move them overseas.

More crony capitalist lobbying lies.

The best of worlds is that there is either no corporate income tax, or it is just a flat one with no government subsidies or breaks for anything.

But since we have the convoluted system we currently have, then why not tax money made overseas the same as money made here?

Did I mention that Ballmer is a scumbag?

16 posted on 06/04/2009 1:08:00 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (The cosmos is about the smallest hole a man can stick his head in. - Chesterton)
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To: Da Coyote
Loosing Microsoft is sort of like loosing a vacuum tube manufacturer. Technology has long since passed these clowns.

Making a billion dollars a month in profit - a 22% net profit margin - even when you have an economic downturn says that they are still quite relevant...

Good thing the Obamassiah wants to drive that $12 billion in annual profits, and $50 billion in annual wages, offshore!

17 posted on 06/04/2009 1:12:59 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: GeronL
"He donates to both parties. shmuck".

Don't forget that after the Clinton Administration extorted Microsoft, they hired lobbyists for the first time. Ballmer's donations look like someone who is simply paying his dues (extortion) to the powers that be, in order to avoid anti-trust suits. That's the Chicago-style politics that have become national for a few decades.

18 posted on 06/04/2009 1:16:28 PM PDT by neocon1984
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To: who_would_fardels_bear
As if the elimination of this particular tax loophole will directly require them to eliminate jobs or move them overseas.

You do realize that Microsoft has massive facilities all over the world; you can bet it's quite easy to simply stop hiring here, and increase hiring over there... There's zero start-up costs since they already have the facilities.

The best of worlds is that there is either no corporate income tax, or it is just a flat one with no government subsidies or breaks for anything.

I would fully agree, and would much rather see the former versus the latter!

But since we have the convoluted system we currently have, then why not tax money made overseas the same as money made here?

They do that now, but the Federal Government still demands it's "fair share", and the Obamassiah wants to make sure that EVERY penny - whether taxed overseas or not - is also taxed here in the US. Regardless of where the economic activity took place.

I'd say we should implement a foreign activity tax law much like Hong Kong - zero taxes for any activity outside of the US. It seems to keep HK humming right along!

19 posted on 06/04/2009 1:16:56 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: neocon1984

true


20 posted on 06/04/2009 1:18:01 PM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Da Coyote
Loosing Microsoft is sort of like loosing a vacuum tube manufacturer. Technology has long since passed these clowns.

My tube stereo gear still sounds better than solid state. MS still makes great products that work, and I would hate to see more jobs leave the US because of taxes.

The new socialist democrat party has the real clowns.

21 posted on 06/04/2009 1:35:32 PM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is an EVIL like no other, and must be ERADICATED. Barack OBORTION is a close second.)
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To: Da Coyote
Really?

Hum, seems like still holding 90% + of all desktop distributions makes them a player, not to mention their penetration into the server market the past decade.

Love them or hate them, losing them is a problem.

22 posted on 06/04/2009 1:46:41 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (Mitt Romney is a more subtle version of Arlen Specter with better hair...)
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To: neocon1984

Bingo.

I was very nearby that crisis when it happened. The memorable quote, “Two 21 year old kids started this company, and we helped build a new economy in the world, and this is how our government treats us?”

Gates threw a US Senator out of his office once. He was there to explain how things worked in DC. Gates’ take, “So, this is essentially legalized bribery, right?”

It’s a big reason why Ballmer had to take the job. They went from having a single lobbyist in Olympia, to having one of the largest lobbying presences in DC. For a company the size of Microsoft, you have to start paying the bribes.


23 posted on 06/04/2009 1:52:59 PM PDT by RinaseaofDs
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To: avacado; GeronL; safetysign
His donations are all over the map.

BALLMER, STEVEN BELLEVUE,WA 98004 MICROSOFT/CEO 3/31/08 $10,000 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte (D)

BALLMER, STEVEN REDMOND,WA 98052 MICROSOFT/CEO 3/31/08 $2,000 Senate Majority Fund (R)

BALLMER, STEVEN BELLEVUE,WA 98004 MICROSOFT CORPORATION/CEO 11/13/07 $1,000 Every Republican is Crucial PAC (R)

He mostly gives to Republicans, but gives to Washington state incumbents of both parties. He also gives to DemocRAT incumbents who are likely to win anyway.

24 posted on 06/04/2009 1:57:43 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: safetysign

Microsoft jobs have already gone overseas. Anyone take a look at the photograph of the IE7 development team?


25 posted on 06/04/2009 1:58:13 PM PDT by Terpfen (Ain't over yet, folks. Those 2004 Senate gains are up for grabs in 2 years.)
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To: safetysign

Didn’t Microsoft get a “stimulus” bump to build a highway from one end of the Redmond campus to the other. That “stimulus” money comes by way of taxes. Didn’t anyone tell Ballmer that? Isn’t he smart enough to figure it out for himself? Or, is he just your typical liberal assuming that he’s special enough to have everyone else pay his way?


26 posted on 06/04/2009 2:06:24 PM PDT by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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To: so_real

Prolly payback for the bribes he paid....


27 posted on 06/04/2009 2:58:14 PM PDT by goodnesswins (WE have a REPUBLIC.....IF we can KEEP IT!!!)
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To: safetysign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjHJ_snG3RI


28 posted on 06/04/2009 3:09:02 PM PDT by Gator113 (Weak-coward-racist-white hating-lying-traitor= Surrender Monkey in Chief-B. Hussein Obama...)
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To: safetysign
Watch for layoffs at MSFT this fall..
29 posted on 06/04/2009 5:18:07 PM PDT by Kid Shelleen (Barack the Messiah: Never in the field of US politics have so many waited so long for so little.)
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To: RinaseaofDs
Was that Senator Geary of Nevada? Gates should have watched Godfather II a few more times. He might have learned something from Michael Corleone.
30 posted on 06/05/2009 7:02:48 AM PDT by neocon1984
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To: Da Coyote
Technology has long since passed these clowns.

Really, and just what are using? Microsoft literally built the PC industry and provides thousands of jobs. It continues to be THE platform that most people use.

No matter what you think, you can't deny it.

31 posted on 06/05/2009 8:32:17 AM PDT by unixfox (The 13th Amendment Abolished Slavery, The 16th Amendment Reinstated It !)
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To: unixfox

India is going to be booming !!!


32 posted on 06/05/2009 9:20:19 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: Da Coyote
Loosing Microsoft is sort of like loosing a vacuum tube manufacturer. Technology has long since passed these clowns.

Quite incorrect -- we may not like Microsoft, but they are a large, pretty innovative Tech company -- like IBM, they will be there for a long time.
33 posted on 12/07/2009 2:57:04 AM PST by Cronos (Nuke Mecca NOW!!!<img src="http://shiitehappens.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bomb_mecca450.jpg" />)
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