Republican Congressman says he can barely feed his family with $400K extra

[SouthernKing]

You will not believe how enraged this made me feel. If I said how I feel in words, I would get banned.

Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) appeared on MSNBC Monday morning to express opposition to President Barack Obama's deficit reduction plan, which includes a proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy.

Fleming charged that the plan is a terrible idea which kills jobs provided by wealthy "job creators" who pay personal income taxes. When asked about his business ventures -- including his role in a number of Subway restaurants and UPS stores -- from which he earned $6.3 million last year, Fleming told MSNBC host Chris Jansing that his business expenses left him with little to tax "by the time I feed my family."

Fleming told Jansing that the $6.3 million is "before you pay 500 employees, you pay rent, you pay equipment and food."

"The actual net income of that was a mere fraction of that amount."

“By the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over," Fleming said.

Jansing pointed out that to a person making $40,000 or $50,000 per year, making $400,000 annually is "not exactly a sympathetic position," but Fleming responded by calling his success a "virtue" and noting that “class warfare has never created a job."

"This is all about creating jobs," Fleming said. "This is not about attacking people who make certain incomes."

 

[Cutlass]

Idiot It's people like him that are destroying the middle class.

 

[mythmonster2]

This is an outrage. How dare those no-good lousy Commies try to take away from this poor, practically starving man? $400,000? Why, he can barely afford a Lamborghini! Meanwhile, those mooching low-classers are prancing about with their $40,000 salaries and having the audacity to ask for more! What is America coming to?

 

[Kozmos]

I am cutting myself at his misfortune.

 

[bhsup]

Nothing wrong with $400K a year. Why should he be punished for his success by being at a higher percentage than someone else? He already pays a hell of a lot more just by virtue of making more and having that taxed.

Yeah, woo USA #1, punish success.

 

[Narz]

I could feed my family for twenty years with $400K extra.

 

[Cutlass]

Nothing wrong with $400K a year. Why should he be punished for his success by being at a higher percentage than someone else? He already pays a hell of a lot more just by virtue of making more and having that taxed.

Yeah, woo USA #1, punish success.

No one is punishing success. The whiner just wants a free ride at the expense of working families.

 

[Ajidica]

Disgusting pig.
Given that fewer then 5 million Americans make over a quarter of a million a year and most earn under 100,000 a year, if he can't survive on $400,000, then he deserves to win the Darwin Award.

 

[Leoreth]

What earns this congressman his income, I wonder? And which interests come with it?

 

[bhsup]

No one is punishing success. The whiner just wants a free ride at the expense of working families.

If you are forced to pay a higher percentage on your taxable income(*) than anyone else, then yeah as far as I am concerned you're being punished brutally and unfairly by your government. It's a travesty. The man has been successful in life so why not let him enjoy his wealth?

(*) - Just to keep the whiners at bay, yeah fine I'll make an exemption for the first $20K or whatever of income so that those at or below the poverty line don't pay taxes. Taxable income should be flat across the board though.

 

[SouthernKing]

If you are forced to pay a higher percentage on your taxable income(*) than anyone else, then yeah as far as I am concerned you're being punished brutally and unfairly by your government. It's a travesty. The man has been successful in life so why not let him enjoy his wealth?

(*) - Just to keep the whiners at bay, yeah fine I'll make an exemption for the first $20K or whatever of income so that those at or below the poverty line don't pay taxes. Taxable income should be flat across the board though.

The problem I have is that he is claiming that he can barely feed his family and have 400K left over, and on top of that is just using this already crap excuse to do some more Obama bashing.

This bastard should seriously go <snip> himself. Seriously, consider the 1 in 8 Americans that are actually hungry? 400K could give you a luxury gourmet meal every single day of the year.

Moderator Action: No need for such language. There are better ways to get your point across that don't involve banned words.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Cutlass]

If you are forced to pay a higher percentage on your taxable income(*) than anyone else, then yeah as far as I am concerned you're being punished brutally and unfairly by your government. It's a travesty. The man has been successful in life so why not let him enjoy his wealth?

(*) - Just to keep the whiners at bay, yeah fine I'll make an exemption for the first $20K or whatever of income so that those at or below the poverty line don't pay taxes. Taxable income should be flat across the board though.

With all the deductions a guy like that can take, what makes you think he is paying that much?

 

[Skwink]

I feel for him. It cost me 100k a month to feed my ONE kid.

 

[emzie]

If you are forced to pay a higher percentage on your taxable income(*) than anyone else, then yeah as far as I am concerned you're being punished brutally and unfairly by your government. It's a travesty. The man has been successful in life so why not let him enjoy his wealth?

(*) - Just to keep the whiners at bay, yeah fine I'll make an exemption for the first $20K or whatever of income so that those at or below the poverty line don't pay taxes. Taxable income should be flat across the board though.

This is an overused argument that doesn't stand up when you consider what allows people to earn and protect their wealth. Taken to the extreme, if government disappeared tomorrow, everyone would suffer, but Donald Trump would suffer a hell of a lot more than you would. So yeah, in turn, he should be paying more to support a system that allows him to stay rich than you should be paying into a system that allows you to stay middle class.

 

[amadeus]

So yeah, in turn, he should be paying more to support a system that allows him to stay rich than you should be paying into a system that allows you to stay middle class.

Is it any wonder Rothbard called the state "a gang of theives writ large" when attitudes like this are so prevalent? You make it sound like a form of progressive racketeering.

 

[emzie]

Is it any wonder Rothbard called the state "a gang of theives writ large" when attitudes like this are so prevalent? You make it sound like a form of progressive racketeering.

It's merely an observation that not all people benefit equally for every dollar the government spends. If you'd like to contest that, feel free.

 

[Gooblah]

Is it any wonder Rothbard called the state "a gang of theives writ large" when attitudes like this are so prevalent? You make it sound like a form of progressive racketeering.

Eh, it's just his implication that $400,000 a year after taxes is somehow difficult to feed a family on that is particularly enraging.

“By the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over," Fleming said.

...I mean, really?

 

[classical_hero]

My heart goes out to him. Who here is willing to start a collection to help this poor person?

 

[MjM]

My heart goes out to him. Who here is willing to start a collection to help this poor person?

I will donate to the cause.

 

[warpus]

If you are forced to pay a higher percentage on your taxable income(*) than anyone else, then yeah as far as I am concerned you're being punished brutally and unfairly by your government. It's a travesty. The man has been successful in life so why not let him enjoy his wealth?

(*) - Just to keep the whiners at bay, yeah fine I'll make an exemption for the first $20K or whatever of income so that those at or below the poverty line don't pay taxes. Taxable income should be flat across the board though.

Statistically speaking wealthy business owners pay less in taxes % speaking than someone who makes $50k a year due to all the loopholes

Your rage is unwarranted to say the least