Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 15 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 4/15/09

Teabag protesters should ask if Rupert Murdoch has paid his fair share of taxes

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   5 comments
Message Mary MacElveen
Become a Fan
  (1 fan)

Just before logging onto my computer this morning, I saw my garbage truck come to pick-up my paper recycling as it does every other week.  How is service paid for?  Through my taxes.  Like it or not we do need it picked up.

 

My children are receiving a first-rate education through our public school where teachers and guidance councilors are doing a first-rate job.  How are my children; our children provided this education?  Through our taxes.

 

We all gripe when our cars hit a pot-hole on the street which is natural. We want them fixed and those who do fix it are paid through our taxes. They are providing a service so that cars do not break their axels should they hit a pot hole.

 

How many of us have had to call 911 in times of emergency?  Well those police officers along with the dispatchers that direct them to the location are paid through our taxes.

 

I can almost guarantee that some of these ‘teabag protesters’ who are protesting today support our troops.  Don’t they realize our collective taxes pay to keep all of us safe?  Yes, in this dangerous world we still need standing armies.  If they do support our troops, shouldn’t they also provide for them when they come home to insure they have quality healthcare?  One only has to remember the Walter Reed scandal. 

 

I can almost guarantee you that many of these ‘teabag protesters’ were a part of the patriotic wave that swept this country after the attacks that befell us all on 9/11.  As we all witnessed brave fire fighters fight those fires down at Ground Zero for days on end and where so many lost their lives, that service was paid for by our tax dollars.  Even everyday fires are fought by firefighters that do come to our aid are funded by our tax dollars.

 

We all want safe water to drink and that also requires taxes paid to build and maintain water treatment plants.  We all want to eat food that is safe for us and that requires adequate funding for the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as we have witnessed the contamination of peanuts and now pistachios.  Well to keep all of us safe, it does require taxes collected to insure our safety.

 

Are these ‘teabag protesters’ stating to all of us that they do not want to pay any taxes?  That is exactly the feeling I get from witnessing them.  Oh and as they pour those tea bags in large numbers into any body of water; that is pollution and for that, they should be ashamed of themselves.  How many sea creatures can die by ingesting these tea bags and in one case I saw a woman fling a plastic bag filled with them into the sea.  If I were a local EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) official, I would slap anyone dumping these teabags into our water ways with a hefty fine.

 

I do not think this protest is truly about the paying of taxes, but Fox News undermining the presidency of President Barack Obama.  I have witnessed through feeds those attending prior ones question the citizenship of our president.  Is Fox News trying to stir up a conspiracy theory that took hold when then Senator Obama entered the race?  Is this the premise of these protests?  Well, if Fox News were to go to FactCheck.org, they will see proof of his citizenship.  Let us remember that many credible news sources use this site when fact checking any speech made by a political official.  Oh then again, Fox News isn’t one.

 

If I were these protesters, I would be going after tax-haven sites which provide services to their clients to shelter them from paying their fair share of the tax burden.  In fact this one site states, “We offer fast professional offshore company incorporation services online in several offshore tax havens at low costs including offshore bank accounts in well established banks in Europe, USA and the Caribbean. All this is reinforced with great customer service - a combination that can't be beat!”

 

Or how about this site, Never Pay U.S. Taxes Again - Legally, which cites that through expatriation, “It’s been called “the ultimate estate plan” and it’s a legal, step-by-step process that can lead to the legal right for you to stop paying U.S. or other national income taxes—forever.” It goes onto state, "for U.S. citizens, this unusual plan requires, as a final step toward tax freedom, the formal relinquishment of citizenship." Nice huh?

 

Get angry with those who do not pay their fair share of the tax burden who would rather have you pay for vital services instead of contributing their share.

 

I would like to bring to your attention this lovely article I just found titled, No Accounting for Tax Havens first published in 2002, and how it applies to Rupert Murdoch who owns Fox News. Within this one published article, you will clearly read, “Consider the case of News Corporation, the corporate empire of Rupert Murdoch. For the four years to 30th June 1998, it generated pre-tax profits of $5.4 billion but paid tax of only A$325 million, an effective tax rate of only

6%”

 

As people like Rupert Murdoch hide these vast amounts of money in places such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the Netherlands Antilles as well as the British Virgin Islands, there is nothing illegal about it.  In fact this one report states so. 

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Must Read 1   Well Said 1   News 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Mary MacElveen Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

I am a writer who currently writes pieces for my own blog http://www.mary-macelveen.blogspot.com I have been published by Buzzflash.com, TheLiberalPatriot.org and MikeHersh.com. I was a guest on the Jay Diamond Radio Show on WRKO in Boston and have (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Sarah Palin and the prank call: The GOP's self-inflicted November surprise

The $780 billion stimulus bill can be paid down if we legalized marijuana

Are Rod Blagojevich's sixth amendment constitutional rights being violated?

Nadya Suleman is a one woman mini-bailout: Taxpayers may bear the cost

Is John McCain's quest for the presidency effectively over?

Glenn Marcus: When a sexual predator is set free on a technicality

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend