Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Tax I Could Almost Be in Favor Of

Stefan Karlsson proposes:
The big Hollywood stars are all really rich, often earning tens of millions of dollars per year, and with only a few rare exceptions, like Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis (and as my three examples illustrate, most of these exceptions are aging "has-beens" who aren't likely to do many more movies anyway) they are all liberals who advocate higher taxes. So why not let them pay higher taxes with an excise tax on the entertainment industry? 
It's not like it would be unprecedented with excise taxes on specific industries as such already exist for alcohol, tobacco, gasoline and (because of Obamacare) tanning salons. And since the people in the entertainment industry support politicians who say America needs higher taxes on rich people and since this would accomplish this, why shouldn't this be done?
Note: Stefan writes from Sweden so please forgive him for lumping Schwarzenegger in with the good guys. He obviously doesn't follow California government or he would no Schwarzenegger did nothing but get his maid pregnant and advance the interests of California's crony capitalists and assorted other interventionists during the period he was governor.

9 comments:

  1. "He obviously doesn't follow California government or he would no Schwarzenegger did nothing but get his maid pregnant and advance the interests of California's crony capitalists and assorted other interventionists."

    Untrue: Schwarzenegger also commuted the sentence of the murderer Esteban Nunez. Esteban is the son of Fabian Nunez, the former speaker of the California Assembly.

    For anyone reading this who does not live in California or understand California -- Yes, California is a banana republic.

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  2. Many in California are so dumbed-down they probably think they were suffering under a free-market when Ahhnold was governor.

    Certainly we all need Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore telling us how to live. Only the politically rich can afford to drive their electric lawn-mowers around town on discriminating days. Other days they choose to drive what they claim to hate, arriving at their ocean-front properties that are mysteriously endangered by a rising sea level that still, despite all their clamoring, has not swallowed up areas that are below sea level.

    Then they give you brilliant gems like "Vote or Die." That's a precious one. Imagine the fear and disgust on DiCaprio's face when his guy doesn't get into office and what simply happens is that some different criminals get to implement their form of pillaging and raping.

    Apparently, Ted Turner owns most of the old movies too. So (facetiously)you can't even choose to avoid Maatt Daaamon without lining that idiot's pockets.

    Nonetheless, I can't help but love films. Off the top of my head, if anyone reading hasn't seen L.A. Confidential, I think many readers would appreciate it. Great thriller for the adults, even around Christmas.

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  3. The sad thing about him knocking up his maid(aside from the betrayal of his wife/family) is that she looked like a troll.

    He didnt even betray them with someone hot.

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  4. Hollywood actors are just that. They are role players as a profession. That doesn't give them have one iota of knowledge about economics or leadership. However, neither do our elected officials possess those qualities.

    Logically, those actors looking for higher taxes should voluntarily write a bigger check to the US Treasury every year if they feel so strongly about it. Matter of fact, they should make a publicity stunt over it. I owed $x million but I paid $2x million instead, and show us a copy of the check. Lead by example!

    No law is needed. The reality is, they don't do it because they're not altruistic. They have to force others to go along with it too. That's where it all falls apart.

    Given how the state operates, I have yet to see any bill with narrow intentions ever survive intact with its original scope. Once the crony capitalist legislative symbiotic nightmare gets involved, everyone becomes a victim.

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  5. Copyright is theft!
    Projectors cause global warming!

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  6. Ask Arnold, Leo, Bruce or the lot who Mises is...watch their eyes glaze over

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  7. This idea that these guys don't care about paying income taxes is a big farce on their part. If you talked privately with them, I'll bet you that most expect that their high paid tax adviser will find a way for them to avoid the higher taxes (35 years ago they would have been right). Look at how many have federal tax liens. Tax liens happen not from errors in a tax return, but from being assessed unpaid taxes and then not paying them.

    Most of them have managers that manage their money. Money comes in, bills, payroll and taxes are paid and what is left over goes into their bank account for spending. So they never really see how much in taxes they are paying, since their only concern is cash in the bank. So long as there is plenty of cash to support their lavish and often times financially erratic lifestyle, they could care less where the rest of it goes, until of course it runs low or completely out.

    My guess is that they support the higher taxes only because they think it makes them more likeable to their fans and let's face it, they need to be also liked by the big money Democrats that run most of Hollywood. You wait and see how many tax liens federal and state get filed on many of them over the next few years. Most have no idea how hard they are about to be hit, but they will when they can't support their lifestyle anymore.

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  8. Like all of the other taxes listed, the people this tax is ultimately designed to target will use it to prevent competition while finding loopholes so that they don't have to pay.

    Why does Wenzel hate the small-time, upstart entertainers?

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  9. Now this is the sort of thing I am looking for. Something more than taxes are theft, and spending has to be cut. Both true but ideas like this give us something to offer in the present era of rising taxes. If someone can figure out a way to stick Buffet with more taxes then we are cooking.

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