The Campaign of the Super Wealthy to Kill the Estate Tax

[Lasher]

I'm tired of hearing all the well-financed lies about the family farms being sold because of the Estate Tax, etc, etc. It's time to put a face on puppeteers and their puppets. Hit the link for the full article, which names the super-wealthy families and provides insight on their secret campaign.

Members of a handful of super-wealthy families have quietly helped finance and coordinate a
massive campaign to repeal the estate tax.

These families – the members of which own the first and third largest privately held companies
in the United States and hold about a 40 percent share in the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart –
stand to save a whopping $71.6 billion if their bid succeeds.

They have relied on their fortunes, the resources of their companies and their business
connections to marshal a massive anti-estate tax juggernaut that has reported nearly a half-billion
dollars in lobbying expenditures ($490.3 million) since 1998.

The families also have helped finance outside groups that have spent millions on fear-mongering
ad campaigns intended to sway public opinion against the estate tax. These ads have shamelessly
retailed myths that the estate tax is responsible for wrecking small businesses and family farms,
and that regular Americans should fear a crushing tax bill when their loved ones die.

In fact, only about one-quarter of one percent of all estates will owe any estate taxes in 2006.
And the American Farm Bureau, a member of the anti-estate tax coalition, was unable in 2001 to
cite a single example of a family being forced to sell its farm because of estate tax liability – and
that was back when the exemption level was only a fraction of what it is today.

http://www.citizen.org/documents/EstateTaxFinal.pdf

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, try this link:

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:SR1vlniQY6AJ:www.citizen.org/documents/EstateTaxFinal.pdf+Spending+Millions+to+Save+Billions&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

[wakeme2008]

1. kick and nom

[TheFarseer]

2. kick

more repuke disinformation.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. A perfect example of "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention"

And I think the Dems in the Senate need to just turn back the house bill that contained the poison pill of this BULLSHIT CLASS WAR manifesto.

They need to call it the "Fuck You, You Losers" bill.

[w4rma]

5. Sen. Reid said the bill would be toast in the senate. (nt)

[Lasher]

8. I've been thinking about this article, Husb2Sparkly

Not all the richest Americans are guilty of supporting this conspiracy - some like Bill Gates are unselfishly opposed to giving the wealthy elite tax exempt status. But you've gotta figure that this same bunch has been making sure we hear often about the virtues of trickle down, faith-based economics. And look at the payoff: Junior's tax cuts in general have been clearly designed to benefit them.

This goes much further than just the Estate Tax. Supply side economics is such an obvious scam, even that idiot Reagan should have known better. From now on, every time I hear a pundit claiming that tax cuts for rich people are good for the rest of us, I'll figure they are owned by this cartel, and/or swayed by their propaganda.

[knitter4democracy]

4. And Numero Uno is DeVos--running for governor of Michigan

He's such a slime. He and his crazy wife are in that elect group of nineteen families financing the whole thing.

He wants to be another Bush--buy the governor's office and use it as a springboard for the presidency. *shudder*

[Lasher]

6. Wow, I didn't notice that

And it looks like he might succeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_gubernatorial_election%2C_2006#Polling

[knitter4democracy]

9. Granholm's ahead in the polls for now.

She finally started her ad campaign, and we're seeing some results. She doesn't have nine million dollars to spend on one ad campaign (which he outsourced to Maryland, btw), though. She needs more money and more volunteers.

[Lasher]

10. Good luck to you and to her.

I'll be watching.

Lasher

[a kennedy]

7. kick

:grr:

[Quantess]

11. This is important stuff.

:kick:

[Lasher]

12. I think so too.

Rest assured, I have it bookmarked. From now on, every time I hear someone use the term "death tax" instead of "Estate Tax" I'll figure that person has sold out to these creeps.

[radfringe]

13. extending condolences....