Kansas Giveaway

Report on NPR this morning about Governor Sam Brownback eliminating all corporate taxes in Kansas as an experiment "to attract more businesses." He's also substantially lowering taxes on high-net-worth individuals. The loss of revenue will be made up with massive increases in the sales tax that citizens pay.

Guess who is headquartered in Wichita? Koch Industries.

Guess who Brownback's major campaign contributor was?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how shocked are you?
Why?
Please respond. We need to talk this through.

I'm shocked at 3 out of ten.

Not surprised that Koch Brothers don't feel obligated to pay any taxes, they've made that clear.

Shocked that they (& Brownback) have the audacity to actually propose this when he's not in a lame duck term/

That's just mean. That directly impacts families and lower income working people.
I'm not at all shocked though. Why would I be? Nothing is going to happen to him for doing it. Everyone just sits back and takes this shit. We need a revolution to remind the rich they are very much in the minority.

NoCoPilot wrote:

I'm shocked at 3 out of ten.

Not surprised that Koch Brothers don't feel obligated to pay any taxes, they've made that clear.

Okay, this is what I'm getting at.
Obviously you've been inured to (political things like) this.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Shocked that they (& Brownback) have the audacity to actually propose this when he's not in a lame duck term/

Here comes the 'talking through' part.
I have to know why the audacity shocked you. And why the timing (lame duckness) would have any bearing... considering what's come before.

If you poke the bear enough times, he WILL wake up.

Jenni wrote:

That's just mean. That directly impacts families and lower income working people.
I'm not at all shocked though. Why would I be? Nothing is going to happen to him for doing it. Everyone just sits back and takes this shit.

How come?
I think before I finish asking all my questions, everyone will be missing andkon. Big time.

NoCoPilot wrote:

If you poke the bear enough times, he WILL wake up.

That's not really an answer.

Lisa wrote:

Jenni wrote:

That's just mean. That directly impacts families and lower income working people.
I'm not at all shocked though. Why would I be? Nothing is going to happen to him for doing it. Everyone just sits back and takes this shit.

How come?
I think before I finish asking all my questions, everyone will be missing andkon. Big time.

How come what? How come I think it's mean or how come I'm not shocked or what?

How come nothing is going to happen to him?
How come everyone takes his shit?

Don't you think it's kind of funny you already eliminated in your mind these two 'how comes'?

Lisa wrote:

How come nothing is going to happen to him?
How come everyone takes his shit?

Don't you think it's kind of funny you already eliminated in your mind these two 'how comes'?

Not really. I think it's pretty obvious people in general do not share my idea of justice. Men like him ought to be strung up on the courthouse steps and given a quick and merciful death. I think accepting the reality that money and power will prevent that outcome is the only adult thing to do.

Now, I do hold out hope that the lower class will one day take back their power and their land. I'm not convinced it's realistic I hold on to that out of a need for uplifting thoughts not because I really think it will happen.

Heh, you're spot on.

And I'm not missing andkon yet.

NoCoPilot wrote:

And I'm not missing andkon yet.

Nope. At least when I argue with Lisa I know she's coming from a place where she is aware of the realities of life. Death, taxes, kids, making it day to day- Andkon on the other hand I get the feeling has never had a hard day in his life. In fact, I think Andkon would do well if someone did him like Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places. I think if someone knocked him out of his comfortable life for just a minute I think he'd learn things he will never learn otherwise. I recognize he's from Hungary but I don't think he ever had to survive on his own in that system, I think he has no clue.

Woe to him (or her) who tries to point that out.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Woe to him (or her) who tries to point that out.

Yup. Denial is a nice place to be this time of year.

Except for the Nile cocodiles.

Jenni wrote:

In fact, I think Andkon would do well if someone did him like Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places.

I love that movie. The message that any bum off the street could trade commodities was right on, that the rich & privileged would be lost on the street (but for the self-serving charity of a wise hooker). People at the top tend to forget or ignore that life at the bottom involves a lot more smarts, quick wits and risk taking than their lifestyle.

One part of "American Beauty" (another fav film) that always bugged me is that Kevin Spacey walked right into a job in fast food when he wanted "no responsibility." There is ENORMOUS responsibility in the food industry.

Quick personal anecdote. My late sister, the PhD cancer researcher, got tired of the bullshit politics in government-funded cancer research and dropped out to become a manager at PetSmart. She said she never worked so hard in her life.

Cutting corporate taxes and raising working-class taxes while slashing services has been a widespread activity of the Republicans since they took over so many state governments in 2010.

Why people continue to vote for these assholes is unfathomable.