I have no problem with rich people nor people getting rich. It ain’t that way. But I definitely have a problem with people that take a company, strip its assets, load it up with unsustainable debt, screw down wages and benefits and flick it off, soon into a death spiral. And getting a 15% tax rate on the money they extracted along the way.
Now certainly that does not sound like the operating model of Chouest, and everyone knows they have made a serious shitload of jobs here, there and everywhere. Jobs that pay pretty good one might add. No way, I do not and cannot begrudge them a single dime. They started it, they manage it, they can do with it as they see fit and more to 'em. And a lot of other good hearted American people I have met along the way have done the same, although to lesser extent.
But a Wall St wanker screwing down everything to squeeze the life out of American society by raiding businesses and shipping jobs overseas. Nah, I haven’t the time for them.
No special penalty tax, but just make sure when they reap the harvest of that speculation and stripping, they pay at least the same effective tax rates as a working man. No special 15% “carried interest” tax rates on a billion dollar annual INCOME for them.
Yeah, the rich pay the majority of taxes, No kiddin - they got the majority of the money by a long shot. Like seriously the most, as in a few [I]hundred [/I]people in America have as much money as 80 [I]million[/I] less well off Americans. And if we don’t all know that by now, we haven’t been paying attention.
So I cannot say I feel sorry for the top of the pile. Indeed let them spend their money full speed on yachts, planes, cars, houses, restaurant meals and whatever. Faster. More. We love it both hands. Throw me something Mistah.
Maybe if I’m lucky a dubloon will land on my head. Otherwise, it is back to sweeping up the mess after the parade passes for us.
