On Obama's tax breaks for business: didn't we just give away the store to business for last 8 yrs?

[yurbud]

Didn't we just give them a $350 billion blank check? How much of that has trickled down on us?

How many jobs did that create? More importantly, how many jobs that would support a family?

We don't need to give big business more, we need to demand more.

If Obama wants to help small businesses, that's great, but corporate America should be paying reparations to US, not getting more blank.

The only way these breaks for business makes sense is as a bribe to keep the Chamber of Commerce from launching a PR blitz to kill whatever Obama tries to do.

Rather than try to placate a sociopathic monster, Obama should be trying to kill it, or at least castrate it, so it takes up macrame instead of killing the middle class as its hobby.

[babylonsister]

1. They're dancing as fast as they can...

Incoming Treasury Secretary Overhauling Bailout To Aid Cities, Homeowners, Small Businesses
Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010804109.html?hpid=topnews

[mmonk]

2. We keep trying the same things over and over again

hoping for a different outcome. Democrats know this ideology is popular with Republican voters. It's all in keeping with the new party philosophy. It also popular with big business, and the big money support Democrats crave. Sorry for the sarcasm, I'm just a little tired now. I'll be in a better mood tomorrow.

[Autumn]

3. Yes we did

and look at the results.

[yurbud]

8. it made a huge difference to the Cayman Islands economy:

http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2008/12/king-of-cayman-islands-thanks-bush-for.html

[Autumn]

9. LOL

So true so true.

[Democrats_win]

4. What's our economic problem? Ans: Consumers aren't buying.

So giving business a tax break is obviously not the solution to the problem.

Bush did the same thing in 2001 when we had the same problem. Defense spending and home building barely sustained this country for his failed presidency. It also dug a hole that made the bush depression even worse.

[OHdem10]

5. I sincerely hope we do not end up with the same legacy as GWB

Give me a bigger shovel --as I dig deeper.(sarcasm)

[Lorien]

6. Well, considering that there's just over 300 million people in the US

the government could have handed each of us a one million dollar check and it would have been cheaper!

[phleshdef]

7. The proposal to credit business for hiring Americans and cut taxes for small businesses has ALWAYS..

...been part of Obama's plan. He ran on this platform and I have supported these ideas since the beginning. We SHOULD reward companies that hire Americans. We SHOULD give more relief to small ma and pa businesses as they in fact do represent a good part of the middle class backbone.

There is NOTHING in Obama's economic plan that is "placating a sociopathic monster".

Furthermore, for every big corporation that is guilty of corruption, there is another big corporation that has made its money ethically and responsibly. You don't have to be anti-business to be progressive.

Most of the elements of the proposal will create jobs if the businesses in question take advantage of them. If they get a tax credit for hiring an American worker, that creates an American job. If they don't hire an American worker, then they don't get the break. It doesn't hurt a damn thing to allow for the possibility. If they don't take advantage of it, then that is their fault. If they do, the American worker wins. Period.

[Jennicut]

10. Thanks. Obama wants businesses to be rewarded for hiring American workers

You are right, it was his plan from the beginning.

[yurbud]

11. even Milton Friedman said that business is not inherently moral and a business that is

will be at a competitive disadvantage unless their competitors are required to adhere to the same standard.

When you have a structure designed to diffuse and eliminate responsibility, you have made moral action a structural impossibility without outside restraint.

[phleshdef]

13. Where in the plan is there a structure designed to diffuse responsibility?

American businesses are being rewarded for benefiting our society and are being punished when they aren't benefiting us (ie, tax breaks are being taken away from businesses who send jobs overseas).

Most of these proposed benefits are for small businesses anyways, which are not part of the problem. They are just as much a victim of the Walmart's of the world as we average joe middle classers are.

I'm not following you here at all. It seems to me that you are stretching to find a real problem where there isn't one.

[yurbud]

16. When health insurance companies deny care and people die, who goes to prison?

[phleshdef]

17. Ok, I get it, its the Cochran defense. Look at the monkey, look at the silly monkey...

You really aren't making any sense so I'll assume that is what you are going for.

[yurbud]

20. I gave you a very specific, real life example. Why can't you respond to that?

[phleshdef]

22. If you had a point at all, it wasn't articulated in any way that was understandable.

And considering you failed to give a direct answer to my question, I wouldn't feel inclined to respond to anything you said anyway.

You failed to explain how Obama's plan does anything to further enable businesses to avoid responsibility. Offering incentives for catering to the American worker is never a bad thing. Thats mostly what the plan is offering and mostly the part that you seem to be complaining about.

[high density]

12. At least now it seems congressional Democrats have found some balls

I'm not sure why they have now decided to stand up against Obama instead of Bush, but it's nice to see some evidence of critical thinking going on.

The $350 billion was to open up credit, but instead that's still an ice jam and the money is being used to fund acquisitions and dividends to shareholders.

[FrenchieCat]

14. Can you cite the Plan with a link for which are speaking of in your OP?

It's always good to document your claim, in particular when slamming the President Elect for it.

Thank you!

[yurbud]

18. LINK:

I assume the congressmen and senators are criticizing something that actually exist.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_taxes

[FrenchieCat]

21. I'm sorry, but I didn't see a proposed plan at your link.....

Only criticism in reference to a vaguely mentioned $3,000 credit to small businesses who hire employees.

Do you have anything more detailed, since you seem to know what is being offered that is criticized?

My understanding is that this credit would not be available to anyone other than to small businesses....who are hurting, and do not have Caymen Island connections.

So could you please provide further information as to what you and congresscritters are criticizing that has been proposed?

Thank you.

[Thrill]

15. He's proposed giving businesses credits for hiring people

And allowing small businesses to write off some debts

[yurbud]

19. if you have a link to the details, you could make me more optimistic about this

although the article I saw said hire or RETAIN workers, which as stated would mean just about every business.

[FrenchieCat]

23. New Hires of US Workers.......

A New American Jobs Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will provide a new temporary tax credit to companies that add jobs here in the United States. During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired. For example, if a company that currently has 10 U.S. employees increases its domestic full time employment to 20 employees, this company would get a $30,000 tax credit -- enough to offset the entire added payroll tax costs to the company for the first $50,000 of income for the new employees. The tax credit will benefit all companies creating net new jobs, even those struggling to make a profit.
http://change.gov/agenda/economy_agenda/

[FrenchieCat]

24. An incentive to hire would mean more folks with jobs, no?

:shrug:

If companies don't hire, companies don't get the benefit.
I also understand that safeguards will be in place so that companies can't fire current employees,
in order to hire new ones. In otherwords, provisions are being figured in for possible manipulation (Loopholes/Fraud).

[yurbud]

25. I'm looking for it, but since it wasn't in Obama's speech, it's tough to find--do YOU have a link?