Obama avoids taxes by using loopholes and deductions

[JJ Husker]

On top of that, he gives a lot less of his money to charity than Romney does. And he uses taxpayer funds for travel, security, and living expenses. Obama is scamming the American people.

[HuskerShark]

And he uses taxpayer funds for travel, security, and living expenses.

 

Every President in the history of the U.S. has done this...

[sd'sker]

On top of that, he gives a lot less of his money to charity than Romney does. And he uses taxpayer funds for travel, security, and living expenses. Obama is scamming the American people.

it might just have been a glitch in my computer, but i did not notice any sources? of course he gives less than romney. is that a serious point? show me the percentage of their aggregate wealth that goes to charities. that might be interesting.

[JJ Husker]

Guys don't take this too seriously. Although I believe what I posted is factually correct, that was not the point of this thread. It was only meant to be the flip side of the thread knapp started with a similar title using listing Romney instead of Obama. I realize all Presidents use tax funds for travel, security, and living expenses. But, I also realize that all people (Romney & Obama included) will take every deduction and will take advantage of every loophole legally available to help reduce their tax bill. Anyone who isn't doing that is just plain stupid or doesn't have the resources to figure out how to do it. I see no sense in lambasting Romney for reducing his tax bill using all measures available. The fault for this situation (if there is fault) lies in the US tax code and with members of Congress, not with the people that take advantage of the situation. It is not Romney's fault that he pays a lower percentage tax rate than people making a fraction of what he makes.

[sd'sker]

Guys don't take this too seriously. Although I believe what I posted is factually correct, that was not the point of this thread. It was only meant to be the flip side of the thread knapp started with a similar title using listing Romney instead of Obama. I realize all Presidents use tax funds for travel, security, and living expenses. But, I also realize that all people (Romney & Obama included) will take every deduction and will take advantage of every loophole legally available to help reduce their tax bill. Anyone who isn't doing that is just plain stupid or doesn't have the resources to figure out how to do it. I see no sense in lambasting Romney for reducing his tax bill using all measures available. The fault for this situation (if there is fault) lies in the US tax code and with members of Congress, not with the people that take advantage of the situation. It is not Romney's fault that he pays a lower percentage tax rate than people making a fraction of what he makes.

i guess i took it too seriously. i agree with the bold. that is why it is an issue. if you believe there needs to be a change in the tax code, why would you trust someone who benefits the most from it and would only be harmed by its reformation?

[knapplc]

Guys don't take this too seriously. Although I believe what I posted is factually correct, that was not the point of this thread. It was only meant to be the flip side of the thread knapp started with a similar title using listing Romney instead of Obama. I realize all Presidents use tax funds for travel, security, and living expenses. But, I also realize that all people (Romney & Obama included) will take every deduction and will take advantage of every loophole legally available to help reduce their tax bill. Anyone who isn't doing that is just plain stupid or doesn't have the resources to figure out how to do it. I see no sense in lambasting Romney for reducing his tax bill using all measures available. The fault for this situation (if there is fault) lies in the US tax code and with members of Congress, not with the people that take advantage of the situation. It is not Romney's fault that he pays a lower percentage tax rate than people making a fraction of what he makes.

 

I knew exactly what you were doing, and while I hate cluttering up the forum with the same thread, I appreciate the attempt.

 

And I agree that the problem lies with the tax code, moreso than with Romney or Obama. And if it were me, I'd be taking advantage of those tax breaks, too. The issue is when the people who have the money spend the money to influence the legislators, get the laws passed that favor them, then influence the legislators to keep the imbalance between tax breaks available to me and to you different than those available to the wealthy. That is the very definition of class warfare that the Right is so fond of complaining about.

[Comish]

Guys don't take this too seriously. Although I believe what I posted is factually correct, that was not the point of this thread. It was only meant to be the flip side of the thread knapp started with a similar title using listing Romney instead of Obama. I realize all Presidents use tax funds for travel, security, and living expenses. But, I also realize that all people (Romney & Obama included) will take every deduction and will take advantage of every loophole legally available to help reduce their tax bill. Anyone who isn't doing that is just plain stupid or doesn't have the resources to figure out how to do it. I see no sense in lambasting Romney for reducing his tax bill using all measures available. The fault for this situation (if there is fault) lies in the US tax code and with members of Congress, not with the people that take advantage of the situation. It is not Romney's fault that he pays a lower percentage tax rate than people making a fraction of what he makes.

i guess i took it too seriously. i agree with the bold. that is why it is an issue. if you believe there needs to be a change in the tax code, why would you trust someone who benefits the most from it and would only be harmed by its reformation?

The fault for this situation (if there is fault) lies in the US tax code and with members of Congress, not with the people that take advantage of the situation.

 

This is truly the fault of Congress. The unbelievably arrogance of Congress to continually exempt themselves from everything from harassment laws to health care plans to the most basic laws the rest of us labor under is a national embarrassment. Those are the people who write the laws, not the administration branch from either party.

[JJ Husker]

Knapp, I agree that is also a form of class warfare being waged on middle and lower class citizens. Where we might start to differ is I attribute all of it to the tax code and Congress, republicans and democrats included. If money is buying influence, which it is, then the whole situation falls on Congress. And since we all elect Congress, it comes full circle and falls on us. This is why I feel at some point we are going to have to do something about allowing Congress to create a special elite class for themselves and the rich who enable them. There is some saying about renewing the tree of liberty or something to that effect. Our method of elections ain't gettin it done anymore. I'm afraid it is going to take more dire action. Hope I'm wrong but I don't see it getting fixed nonviolently via the status quo.

[knapplc]

Knapp, I agree that is also a form of class warfare being waged on middle and lower class citizens. Where we might start to differ is I attribute all of it to the tax code and Congress, republicans and democrats included. If money is buying influence, which it is, then the whole situation falls on Congress. And since we all elect Congress, it comes full circle and falls on us. This is why I feel at some point we are going to have to do something about allowing Congress to create a special elite class for themselves and the rich who enable them. There is some saying about renewing the tree of liberty or something to that effect. Our method of elections ain't gettin it done anymore. I'm afraid it is going to take more dire action. Hope I'm wrong but I don't see it getting fixed nonviolently via the status quo.

 

No, go read my post up there. I am completely with you that it's the fault of congress, both parties, nobody innocent. I agree that it also falls on us, and have said as much in the very recent past here on HuskerBoard. Apathy in the electorate is the root of all of this - but those who take advantage of that apathy, who help breed that apathy, cannot be exonerated.

 

We tend to spend a lot of time talking about the things on which we disagree. I believe there are far more things on which we likely agree than disagree (and that goes for most everyone here). It's just that those conversations tend to be brief, while the disagreements are long. The disagreements get a disproportionate level of "publicity" here because we wrangle about them.