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BY MICHAEL HAYNE
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
COMMENTARY
Just in case you weren’t quite interested enough in the political viewpoints and sharp, informed analysis of Ted Nugent, the singer behind the ever-so poetic Wang Dang Sweet Poontang, perhaps you’re interested in what Hanukkah Harry has to say.
Jon Lovitz, the SNL alum behind “The Critic” and owner and operator of the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in Los Angeles, slammed President Obama over his tax policies during an episode of his podcast "The ABC's Of SNL." Filmmaker Kevin Smith, who’s relatively liberal but mostly sensible and middle-of-the-road (except for maybe when it comes to airline South West) on most issues, appeared audibly uncomfortable and mostly just played the role of Jon Stewart--sarcastic but polite-- interviewing Fox News’ Bill O’ Reilly.
Lovitz, a self-described democrat and Obama supporter (or at least erstwhile), was mostly exaggerating for humorous effect when he joked that Obama is "a f*cking a**hole" for "saying the rich don't pay their taxes"
"This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don't pay their taxes is f*cking bullsh*t. And I voted for the guy, and I'm a Democrat. What a f*cking a**hole. The rich don't pay their taxes? Let me tell you something, right. First they say to you, you're dead broke, 'the United States of America, you can do anything you want, go for it.' So then you go for it and then you make it, and everyone's like 'f*ck you,'" said Lovitz.
TO HEAR THE AUDIO, CLICK HERE. (WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE)
Lovitz then went on to say Obama "is the perfect example. He's amazing. He had nothing. He had no father. He was, you know, of mixed race which is a burden in the United, don't kid yourself, you know, growing up like that, and no money, and the guy ends up being at Harvard. He's the President of the United States. And now he's like, f*ck me!," according to the Huffington Post
“If I make a dollar and out of every dollar I'm taxed at 50, half, at 50 cents, I have to give, isn't that like enough?" asked Lovitz. He continued, "It's half. HALF?!" (Source: Huff Post)
While it’s not known if Lovitz was being facetious, one can imagine that his remarks are one surefire way of getting a tax audit. Evidently having Adam Sandler put you in all of his movies, looking creepy 95 percent of time, and then using that money to buy a comedy club is real hard work. Yeah, that’s the ticket!
What Hanukkah Harry and so many other Republicans are missing here is that Obama is not punishing success, or expects anyone to give all their hard-earned money away.
While it’s true that many wealthy people do pay a very high tax rate, it’s the loopholes, Corporate Deduction favoritism, and overall complexity of the tax code that causes ire among most Americans. Hence, Obama is simply looking to close all the massive loopholes (see Cayman Islands, Swiss Banks, and tax-motivated expatriation) that every hedge-fund investor uses in order to skirt their civic duty of paying their fair share, in order to have such evil socialist things as functioning highway systems, bridges, schools, and hospitals. The very fact that Presumptive Republican Nominee (just don’t tell Republicans that) Mitt Romney paid an infinitesimal tax rate of 15 percent on his millions of dollars in annual income is on the account of capital gains, which unlike a salary is not considered earned income. So basically the Macy’s “moneybags” mannequin paid a rate lower than that paid by millions of middle class Americans, the economic strata that has shouldered the tax burden for so long that it’s becoming just about as relevant as, well, Jon Lovitz.
Maybe Lovitz is too busy getting shot down at the Playboy Mansion, but our economy is still in a fragile state, and any major disruption to it could result in a double-dip recession and further unemployment. With that in mind, in order to seriously address the grotesque misdistribution of wealth and prosperity in this country and get America back to a mixed market, it’s economic policy 101 to expect the ridiculously wealthy (most of whom obtained it from inheritance, can throw a football or fast ball, or in the case of Mitt Romney have rich benefactors in his daddy’s wealthy friends) to expect those who have had it so good for so long to pay their fair share. Yeah, now that’s the ticket!
Follow Michael Hayne on Twitter, Facebook, and his political comedy show page.
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All of you complaining that the rich are being treated badly should just stop talking. None of you have any real idea of how much money they've got or how much they make in back-end deals to avoid taxes. Me? I'd like to have an Olympic size swimming pool and enough cash on hand to buy a new car or boat or even a new house without worrying about whether or not I can afford it. Right now, if my car breaks down, I'm walking or taking the bus for at least six months. But, hey, at least I'm saving gas money, right?
Believe me, if I made a million or more per year, I'd give half away with a smile. But I'd give it to people who need it, and my government can fight its illegal wars with someone else's money.
budget deficit for 2012 is over a trillion and a half
Look it up for yourself. These squabbles about "the rich need to pay their fair share of pothole repair" are silly at best. You're rearranging deck chairs on the titanic
You add up state and federal income taxes, local and state sales tax, property taxes, and payroll taxes and you don't qualify for most tax deductions you will pay more than half your income to taxes and that doesn't even count the corporate/business taxes that come from an employer before employees get paid. Then there are sin taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and the use sun tanning beds. As a liberal democrat he probably agrees with the DNC on social issues and maintaining the safety net for the poor but he draws the line on class warfare. He's worked hard and after paying millions of dollars in taxes over the decades he is disgusted with a government that is broke and wants more. It looks like the "Taxed Enough Already" rhetoric doesn't just resonate among Tea-Party Republicans.