OPINION: Corporate Freeloaders Act

Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced their own “American Jobs Act” – even though a more apt name for their bill would be the “Corporate Freeloaders Act.” 

Congressman Louie Gohmert – famous for his fear mongering over “terror babies” and bestiality – introduced the Republican version of President Obama’s jobs plan – and it includes only one provision.  No infrastructure spending – no payroll tax cuts – no assistance to states to hire more teachers and police officers – nothing – except for…reducing the corporate tax rate down to zero.

That’s right – the Republicans’ idea for job creation is letting multi-billion dollar transnational corporations – many of which already pay no American taxes – off the hook from paying any American taxes.  They use our roads, our bridges, our schools, our police forces, our courts – but Congressman Gohmert thinks they don’t need to pay for any of that stuff – instead, he wants you and me to pay it all. Republicans think if these corporations just had a little more cash – then they’d turn into job creating fairies and save our economy.

But as we know – they’re already sitting on $2 trillion worth of cash and not hiring anyone – at least not in America.  This isn’t a jobs bill – it’s a classic Republican handout to Gohmert’s top corporate donors.

Comments

[Spitting Madd]

Who pays corporate taxes? Consumers of the products or services. A regulated utility is allowed to add Taxes to its cost to set rates. Consumer Products like paper towels and soap has the taxes included in the base. I do not mind having to indirectly pay the taxes, but at least be honest. Corporations do not earn wages, they produce a product. If wages go up their cost and prices go up, the same with raw materials, technology and taxes. As for your point about money overseas, yes some of it should be spent here, but if Pepsi wants to sell it's product in some countries it has to have currency in their banking system in case of liability or breach of contract, so do not talk about the money as if it all can come back to create jobs, if it all came back, most foreign workers and some domestic workers would be laid off.

I know you are trying to capture attention by hitting the "major points" but an educated coonsumer has a better chance to make better decisions. If we produced all tee-shirts here in the US more jobs, but undershiorts would cost a mutiple of what they do now, rais taxes by 10%, prices of undershirts go up 2.4%.

[SpeedyRacer]

Neither party seems to get it. The Dems have for many years tried to take from anyone who works and saves to those who either don't work or squander (moral hazard - rewards for bad behavior). The GOP has in the last decade shifted to a what's good for corporate America is good for America approach. Mmm maybe sounds good, but it is taking money away from labor (i.e. consumers) and giving it to the corporate top honchos. This has the end game effect of killing the goose that laid the golden egg as labor (consumers) can no longer afford the goods the corporations they work for produce. We do not have anyone standing up for the middle class and it is dying as a consequence. It is time for both parties to see this reality and try to fix it.