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GernBlanston
unintended sideeffect
Registered: 05/28/03
Posts: 842
Loc: OR
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Now THIS pisses me off...
#2758831 - 06/02/04 10:02 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Bush Gives Contract to Tax Traitor/Campaign Donor
President Bush has said he wants to "make sure that the system is fair for those of us who do pay taxes" and that "we want everybody paying their fair share."(1) But yesterday, the president went out of his way to lavish a massive government contract on a major campaign contributor,(2) even though it specifically moved operations offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes.
According to news reports, the Bush administration yesterday gave a $10 billion contract(3) for the Department of Homeland Security to Accenture (formerly Arthur Andersen), despite the company having recently moved its official headquarters to Bermuda to avoid U.S. taxes.(4) The contract was awarded less than two years after the White House and its allies in Congress gutted a House-passed provision that would have banned awarding homeland security contracts to corporations who exploit tax loopholes, move offshore, and avoid U.S. taxes.(5) At the time, Accenture lobbied to eliminate the provision,(6) hiring GOP political consultant "and Bush family confidant" Charlie Black to lobby on its behalf.(7) Accenture executives have given President Bush more than $68,000 in campaign contributions(8) since 2000.
Of course, the president has made a practice of paying lip service to the problem of corporate tax evasion, while actively opposing solutions behind the scenes. ABC News reported that when Congress was considering bills to curb the practice in 2002, Bush "said the Bermuda loophole should be closed" but refused to support "any of the bills that would do so"(9) and then allowed his allies to kill the legislation.
Sources:
1. Presidential Speech, WhiteHouse.gov, 04/15/04. 2. "Donors to George W. Bush between 2000-2004 who work for Accenture," Opensecrets.org. 3. "Homeland Security awards $10 billion border security contract," WVEC-TV, 6/02/04. 4. "GAO concludes Accenture, others, use tax havens," Washington Technology, 10/3/02. 5. Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 12/6/02. 6. Baltimore Sun, 6/9/02. 7. "The Taxonomist: Standing up Against America," The American Prospect, 11/4/02. 8. "Donors to George W. Bush between 2000-2004 who work for Accenture," Opensecrets.org. 9. ABC News, 07/12/02.
-------------------- There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. -- Howard Zinn
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BleaK
paradox
Registered: 06/23/02
Posts: 1,583
Last seen: 10 years, 3 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2758859 - 06/02/04 10:09 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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he kills thousands of people and this pisses u off?
-------------------- "You cannot trust in law, unless you can trust in people. If you can trust in people, you don't need law." -J. Mumma
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GernBlanston
unintended sideeffect
Registered: 05/28/03
Posts: 842
Loc: OR
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: BleaK]
#2758886 - 06/02/04 10:16 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Oh.. now don't get me wrong. I'm pissed about pretty much everything he does. But goddamn it...
Well, the rich are better people than you and I and I suppose they do deserve to continue getting richer.
:growl:
-------------------- There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. -- Howard Zinn
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BleaK
paradox
Registered: 06/23/02
Posts: 1,583
Last seen: 10 years, 3 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2758900 - 06/02/04 10:20 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
GernBlanston said: Oh.. now don't get me wrong. I'm pissed about pretty much everything he does. But goddamn it...
Well, the rich are better people than you and I and I suppose they do deserve to continue getting richer.
:growl:
i dont want money. i want health and happiness the dollar isnt really compatible with either.
-------------------- "You cannot trust in law, unless you can trust in people. If you can trust in people, you don't need law." -J. Mumma
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sir tripsalot
Administrator
Registered: 07/09/99
Posts: 6,487
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2758953 - 06/02/04 10:34 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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I heard Accenture threw out their mission statement and changed it to "Cocomo" by the Beach boys.
-------------------- "Little racoons and old possums 'n' stuff all live up in here. They've got to have a little place to sit." Bob Ross.
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Vvellum
Stranger
Registered: 05/24/04
Posts: 10,920
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2759063 - 06/02/04 10:59 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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I wonder how those who plan on voting for Bush can defend this.
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JesusChrist
Son Of God
Registered: 02/19/04
Posts: 1,459
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2759128 - 06/02/04 11:19 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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I think that if you eliminate all corporate taxes you can eliminate these loopholes. You would also encourage more companies to move their headquarters to the United States, because we would be considered a "tax haven". It would probably bring some jobs from offshore. The non taxed profits would eventually be taxed on personal returns anyway. Another thing that you could do is refuse companies that aren't headquartered here from being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. That would restrict their access to capital and give them an incentive to operate like a fair player.
I am a conservative, and I think that everyone should hate these gimmicks. If one company doesn't pay taxes, their competitors are put at a disadvantage for playing by the rules. In this global economy, these types of games are too easy to play, and Anderson Consulting or whatever they want to be called now is just playing by the book that they and their friends have written and recommended for many American companies. I also don't care for when cities give tax breaks to their "favorite sons". Some cities have homegrown corporations that threaten to relocate, and they lavish them with tens of millions of dollars. If I owned a company that competed with them, I wouldn't know how to react. You shouldn't have to go up against the government to retain marketshare.
I think the fair thing to do is to stop taxing corporations in the first place. Let them use the money to invest in this country and create jobs. Taking money away from them or driving them offshore is killing the goose that laid the golden egg. The untaxed profits will still flow through and they will still be taxed on a personal level. Just the money that companies could save in compliance with these taxes could create a number of jobs. Companies shouldn't be structured for tax purposes, they should be structured to be most effective in the marketplace.
-------------------- Tastes just like chicken
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Learyfan
It's the psychedelic movement!
Registered: 04/20/01
Posts: 34,184
Loc: High pride!
Last seen: 8 hours, 14 minutes
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Quote:
sir tripsalot said: I heard Accenture threw out their mission statement and changed it to "Cocomo" by the Beach boys.
That's true.
-------------------- -------------------------------- Mp3 of the month: Sons Of Adam - Feathered Fish
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Redo
CTA
Registered: 04/13/04
Posts: 1,296
Last seen: 18 years, 7 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: JesusChrist]
#2759279 - 06/03/04 12:13 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Accenture broke off from Arthur Anderson years and years before Anderson went down the toilet with Enron. Accenture used to be Anderson Consulting, almost a seperate division that was tired of Arthur Anderson bringing their division down more then they could have done independantly.
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grib
Registered: 03/01/03
Posts: 550
Loc: Here and there
Last seen: 9 years, 9 months
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Re: Now THIS pisses me off... [Re: GernBlanston]
#2760168 - 06/03/04 09:30 AM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
(2) even though it specifically moved operations offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes.
A better statement would be, '(2) even though it specifically moved operations offshore to avoid paying higher U.S. taxes.'
I'm not rich. I do invest. I applaud any company who attempts to protect their shareholders, who for the most part are individuals and large funds that maintain 401K accounts, pensions, etc., by doing what they can to increase shareholder equity. Lowering the tax burden on a company increases corporate financial health and increases shareholder equity.
-------------------- <~>Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake <~>
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