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'Patriotic Millionaires' Ask to Be Taxed More
National Journal ^ | 04/13/2011 | Ben Terris

Posted on 04/13/2011 9:46:06 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

If President Obama's deficit-reduction speech today includes a call to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, there will surely be pushback; Republicans have already begun a preemptive attack on raising taxes. One group of millionaires, however, is saying that they are more than willing to pay more for the good of their country.

The “Patriotic Millionaires” penned a letter to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker John Boehner, urging them to “increase taxes on incomes over $1,000,000.”

The Millionaires—a group that includes producer and director Doug Liman, actress Edie Falco, the founder of Ask.com, and top Google engineers—wrote that the United States has helped them succeed financially, and they are willing to help the country do the same.

“Our country has been good to us. It provided a foundation through which we could succeed,” the group wrote. “Now, we want to do our part to keep that foundation strong so that others can succeed as we have.”

According to Alison Goldberg of the group Wealth for the Common Good, raising tax rates on millionaires could raise $60 billion to $80 billion a year in revenue.

"This small monetary sacrifice is both an ethical and patriotic decision, made in the hopes of allowing the United States of America to continue to be a leader economically, politically, and morally," said Garrett Gruener, founder of Ask.com.

But while these millionaires may be willing to pay more taxes, that doesn’t mean everyone in the country necessarily thinks it’s a good idea.

“I am not in favor of raising taxes right now, period,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Wednesday on MSNBC. “The question is raising revenues.... And how are you going raise revenues? Are you just going to raise taxes through a magic wand

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: millionaires; tax; taxes; wealthy
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1 posted on 04/13/2011 9:46:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Idiots.

They can always pay more, if they want to. But what they really want is a license to steal from others who do not feel as they do.

2 posted on 04/13/2011 9:47:26 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: SeekAndFind
It is no longer taxation the new word is Revenue Enhancement!
3 posted on 04/13/2011 9:47:49 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Idiots


4 posted on 04/13/2011 9:48:04 AM PDT by wastedyears (It has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with control.)
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To: SeekAndFind

If the lefties want to voluntarily pay more taxes, that’s great.


5 posted on 04/13/2011 9:48:11 AM PDT by CobraJet
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To: SeekAndFind

They don’t care that their taxes aren’t higher. They just hate that other people’s taxes aren’t higher.


6 posted on 04/13/2011 9:49:40 AM PDT by Nickname
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To: ClearCase_guy

You can find a list of these millionaires in this website:

http://wealthforcommongood.org/about-us/our-signers/

Initial group of signers who would pay the tax:

• Chuck Denny, Jr., retired CEO, ADC Communications, MN
• Arul Menezes, principal architect at Microsoft, WA
• Bernard Rapoport, Chairman Emeritus, American Income Life Insurance Co., TX
• William Collins, former mayor of Norwalk, Conn. & CEO of Minuteman Media, CT
• Todd Achilles, managing member at Balius Ventures LLC, WA
• Jody Wiser, Tax Fairness Oregon, OR
• John Steel, former mayor of Telluride, Colo. & attorney, CO
• Eric Schoenberg, private investor and professor at Columbia University, NJ
• Albert Francke, independent director of companies, NY
• David Krakow, school teacher, DC
• Stan Storscher, legislative director, SPEEA, IFPTE Local 2001, WA
• John Burbank, director, Economic Opportunity Initiative, WA
• Susan Estep, financial advisor, MT
• Kris Alman, former physician and activist, OR
• Jonathan C. Lewis, CEO of Opportunity Collaboration and Microcredit Enterprises, CA
• John Harrington, Harrington Investments, Inc., CA
• Drummond Pike, CEO, Tides Inc, CA
• Roy Ulrich, Attorney and radio Hostels.com, CA
• Michael Sherraden, Center for Social Development, MO
• Paul Grundy, IBM Corporation’s Global Director, IBM Healthcare Transformation, NY
• Sandee Stewart, Sandee Stewart Television, CA
• Rene Balcer, writer and producer, CA

What the signers are saying

“Taxes are the price we pay to be part of a society that can take collective action that benefits everyone.”
- Arul Menezes, Principal Architect, Microsoft

“That something so important to every American as their taxes should fall lightly on those most able to afford proportionately higher taxes and penalize those least able, is not only a disgrace, but it is surely not American.”
-John Steel, Attorney and former Mayor, Telluride, Colorado

“The parameters of this petition support the importance of taxation as a critical tool to maintain our country’s infrastructure and improve the quality of life for the entire spectrum of U.S. citizens, regardless of income level.”
-Julie Johnson, Managing Director, Fresh Pond Capital

“It is fundamental to our American values that we have a strong meritocracy which provides equality of opportunity to all Americans. Our current tax structure is regressive and unfairly burdens those in the middle and bottom tiers. Ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to be successful and pursue their dreams means ensuring that each and every American contributes appropriately to the nation’s well-being.”
- Todd B. Achilles, Managing Member, Balius Ventures LLC

“My view is that in hard times it is important for Americans to come together and unite over the idea that medical care ought to be a basic right of citizenship. It’s only fair for those of us who have benefited the most from this system to contribute the most.”
– Eric Schoenberg, private investor and Professor at Columbia University

“ I signed the petition because I want to share what I have so that others may also enjoy good health and well-being. It’s a matter of basic caring and fairness for all Americans.”
-Arwen Bird, Anti-violence Advocate

“Our democracy is undermined by the polarization of wealth and income and opportunity. To realize equal opportunity and equality, we need to lessen the disparities of income, and increase the universality of opportunity.”
-John Burbank, Economic Opportunity Institute

“I am motivated to work with Wealth for the Common Good, as one way to make a better world for my children and our families.”
-Stan Storscher, Legislative Director, SPEEA, IFPTE Local 2001


7 posted on 04/13/2011 9:49:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
wrote that the United States has helped them succeed financially, and they are willing to help the country do the same.

If they really want to help the country, then they can put more of their resources into defeating Obama.

8 posted on 04/13/2011 9:49:47 AM PDT by tbpiper
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To: SeekAndFind

They never seem to voluntarily pay more. They preach it , and if the taxes are increased ,they’ ll have accountants who will protect them so that the upper middle gets screwed.


9 posted on 04/13/2011 9:50:58 AM PDT by hecht (TAKE BACK OUR NATION AND OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why bother asking? Aside from seeking attention, I see no point. They can give as much extra as they want to the government.


10 posted on 04/13/2011 9:51:26 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: SeekAndFind

Patriotic Americans will keep their money in the productive economy and out of the destructive government sector.


11 posted on 04/13/2011 9:52:33 AM PDT by all the best
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To: ClearCase_guy

If these “patriots” cared so much, they’d donate.

Gift Contributions to Reduce Debt Held by the Public

The Bureau of the Public Debt may accept gifts donated to the United States Government to reduce debt held by the public. Acting for the Secretary of the Treasury, Public Debt may accept a gift of:

•Money, made only on the condition that it be used to reduce debt held by the public.
•An outstanding government obligation, made only on the condition that the obligation be retired and the redemption proceeds used to reduce debt held by the public.
•Other intangible personal property made only on the condition that the property is sold and the proceeds from the sale used to reduce the public debt.
Gifts to reduce debt held by the public may be inter vivos gifts or testamentary bequests.

The fiscal year to date information includes total gifts received for the months of October through September. For the years 1996 and 1997, monthly data is not available.

Read about how to make a contribution to reduce the debt. http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtFinance


12 posted on 04/13/2011 9:52:44 AM PDT by flowerplough (Thomas Sowell: Those who look only at Obama's deeds tend to become Obama's critics.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

It gives a whole new dimension to the term ‘useful idiots’


13 posted on 04/13/2011 9:53:53 AM PDT by SMARTY (Conforming to non-conformity is conforming just the same.)
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To: Red_Devil 232
It is no longer taxation the new word is Revenue Enhancement!

Right. And there is no 'spending' anymore...it's now called "investment."

14 posted on 04/13/2011 9:53:56 AM PDT by subterfuge (BUILD MORE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS NOW!!!)
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To: SeekAndFind

It is not patriotic to contribute to a Marxist regime.


15 posted on 04/13/2011 9:54:18 AM PDT by grumpygresh (Democrats delenda est)
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To: SeekAndFind

Somebody needs to pull a Michael Moore or James O’Keefe on these liberals.

Put a camera in their face and force them to sign over their checks to the federal government.

They have the power to pay more money to the government anytime they want.


16 posted on 04/13/2011 9:54:55 AM PDT by radpolis (Liberals: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy)
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To: SeekAndFind

They can just mail in an extra $100,000 with their taxes each year. Believe me - these people all have good CPAs and tax attorneys so they are paying less taxes than you are.


17 posted on 04/13/2011 9:55:49 AM PDT by Frantzie (HD TV - Total Brain-washing now in High Def. 3-D Coming soon)
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To: wastedyears
Idiots

Not a strong enough term.

18 posted on 04/13/2011 9:56:23 AM PDT by JaguarXKE
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To: SeekAndFind

How much did obozo voluntarily overpay?

Pray for Amermica


19 posted on 04/13/2011 9:56:58 AM PDT by bray (The Recovery begins when Obama is unemployed!)
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To: SeekAndFind

It is still a free country - though we might argue that point - but, thus far, nothing stopping these folks from paying more to Government. What frauds here! Really; they pretend too much. . .


20 posted on 04/13/2011 9:57:06 AM PDT by cricket (Osama - NOT made in the USA. . . .and Obama, not made i)n the USA either.. .)
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