Taxes

I used to be that way myself nitro. But mom needed a place to live without steps to climb and I just about have to have a reliable 4WD vehicle. Otherwise I pay cash for everything.

The government never has thanked me for giving mom a home and keeping her out of the retirement home even though I'm saving them a few thousand a month. Instead they say she has to pay me rent to avoid losing her benefits and I get penalized with them calling it self employment income on my taxes.

Maybe I don't have perfect answers to taxes but the government sure has it all wrong.

I've just realized why there is an argument here. I keep being told that what I'm proposing is not how business works, and that is exactly the point. Business would have to change and some seem to think business laws and practices are written in stone and nothing different could possibly work or even be allowed.

The value added tax where each seller sticks on an extra charge to the next guy so essentially he won't be paying a tax is horseshit. But so is sitting atop a golden mountain trying to find a way to avoid paying every tax possible while someone struggling to make a living has no choice. A tax should be fairly divided among all of us.

I understand that there are situations that are tough on the retailers, but that is because they are being screwed from above just like the consumer. That is where putting a stop to predatory selling comes in. If a retailer wants to help a customer out by giving them a bulk price that's fine. But a mom and pop retail store should be able to buy 20 pounds of something at the same rate Walmart buys 200 tons for.

Our politicians have allowed big business to screw everyone in their way and if wanting to correct that makes me a shitty businessman who doesn't know what I'm talking about then I'm damn proud I am.

Ratzilla wrote:

But a mom and pop retail store should be able to buy 20 pounds of something at the same rate Walmart buys 200 tons for.

As much as I hate shopping at Wal-Mart, you can't put that kind of restriction on them, or anyone else for that matter. A better solution would be to repeal NAFTA and GATT, slap tariffs on imports and start manufacturing products in this country again. It's not a cure-all, but it's one piece of a plan to rebuild the economy based on reality, not based on bogus numbers from the government and paper trading on Wall St.

Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart on the "sell more at a lower profit margin" theory. Since his death, it has steadily evolved into the "sell cheap Chinese made garbage at a slightly lower price" theory. Unfortunately for this country, the need to compete with Wal-Mart has driven almost all other competitors to operate on the same theory.

The Other One wrote:

Ratzilla wrote:

But a mom and pop retail store should be able to buy 20 pounds of something at the same rate Walmart buys 200 tons for.

As much as I hate shopping at Wal-Mart, you can't put that kind of restriction on them, or anyone else for that matter. A better solution would be to repeal NAFTA and GATT, slap tariffs on imports and start manufacturing products in this country again. It's not a cure-all, but it's one piece of a plan to rebuild the economy based on reality, not based on bogus numbers from the government and paper trading on Wall St.

Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart on the "sell more at a lower profit margin" theory. Since his death, it has steadily evolved into the "sell cheap Chinese made garbage at a slightly lower price" theory. Unfortunately for this country, the need to compete with Wal-Mart has driven almost all other competitors to operate on the same theory.

But, that's what them rich bastards do. Make a profit. For shame.

I agree about Walmart. Walton was one of the last great American businessmen and I was one of the first to complain about their changes after his death. But just like everyone today, his followers didn't seem to care.

nitro, conversation has gotten civil again. Don't be a dick.

No, my dear Ratz, The conversation has become passive in order to maintain status quo. It's what has become what is wrong with this country and why Dr. Paul will never get elected.

Whatever we might be described as, I don't think you, I , or EP are exactly status quo. We just finally hit on a part we could agree on ( Walmart/China) and things calmed down.

Sadly though you are right in that even alot of the more out of the box thinkers of today have settled into a state of acceptance of things as they are. All too often I hear how both democrat and republican voters will like and even want new ideas, yet fear taking that chance.

For sure both democrat and republican will vote for change if it's change to a more perfect vision of their party. But most who want change don't really mean change. I for one would welcome a complete trashing of the current tax laws and rewriting of some business laws that currently favor one level over another for truly fair ones even if it meant I might feel a crunch until it leveled off.