US Politics Mega-thread - Page 9535

On December 15 2017 07:12 Simberto wrote:
Does that have an effect on people outside the US, or are you just fucking your own internet up?

On December 15 2017 06:49 Trainrunnef wrote:


Apologies if i wasn't clear. I dont believe he would get a second term, I was just musing that if the 2018 midterms shifts majority to dems (highly unlikely imo) Trump might adopt democratic ideals just to be on the winning team. As doodsmack mentioned though that would require him surviving impeachment and investigations.

On December 15 2017 07:17 Sermokala wrote:

Maybe? I'm pretty sure that the rest of the world uses the same pipes as the people in the US do and the other nations ISP's will be subject to the same shenanigans to interact with the US internet.

As Congress races to finalize a landmark $1.4 trillion tax bill, key Republicans legislators directly overseeing the initiative could reap a personal windfall from provisions designed to reduce levies on so-called “pass-through” income, according to federal records reviewed by International Business Times. Those lawmakers — including U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan — together have tens of millions of dollars invested in scores of real-estate related pass-through corporations and partnerships, collectively earning them millions of dollars of annual income that could be partially exempted from taxes, depending on how the final legislation is structured.

IBT reviewed the most recent personal financial disclosure records of 44 Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate leadership, as well as on the chambers’ committees that have overseen the tax bill. In all, 13 of those lawmakers have between $36 million and $163 million worth of ownership stakes in 40 real-estate or property-related partnerships, corporations and investment trusts. In 2016, those 13 legislators earned between $2.6 million and $16 million of annual income from those investments. Those kind of “pass-through” earnings — which experts say disproportionately flow to high-income households — could get new exemptions under the legislation that Congress is now finalizing.

The original House and Senate bills both aimed to reduce levies on income generated by partnerships that pass their income through to their investors. Both bills, though, included some limits on the tax breaks for pass-through income -- and the final legislation now being worked out in Washington could still eliminate, reduce or cap those tax cuts. Congressional negotiators are reportedly close to agreeing to a 20 percent deduction for pass-through income, with Republicans arguing the deductions would help small businesses.

If the GOP ends up applying a 20 percent deduction to all such passive real-estate income, those 13 legislators who have overseen the tax bill could be permitted to deduct a total of between $520,000 and $3.2 million from their taxable income each year, based on their 2016 filings.

"Congress is not just rigging the system for the idle rich in return for campaign contributions, but is made up in no small part of the type of rich people who want the system rigged,” Jeff Hauser, director of the Revolving Door Project, told IBT. “Too many things which sound like legally problematic conflicts of interest are often legal. The data illustrate why this rushed process is so corrupt. Before passing this bill, there should be time for constituents to force their representatives to justify why their conflicts of interest do not invalidate the broader tax cut bill."

For example, Tennessee Republican Rep. Diane Black serves on the conference committee as well as on the House Ways and Means Committee that oversaw the original House version of the tax bill. Black and her husband, the CEO of forensic science company Aegis Sciences Corp., co-own Ebon Falcon LLC, a real estate company that owns 12 properties including the Aegis building and several nearby properties, according to Rep. Black’s 2016 financial disclosure.

The properties, mostly in Nashville, appear to be commercial, and together they represent between $21.7 and $108 million in value and between $1.7 and $10.5 million in annual rental income. Black, who is Congress’ 11th-richest member, has a current net worth of $46 million, according to Roll Call.

Recently, IBT reported that Black’s former chief of staff has been lobbying the House on real estate issues this year on behalf of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Florida Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan is also on the Ways and Means Committee. Earlier this year, he sponsored standalone legislation to reduce the tax on pass-through entities, saying “it’s clearly time that Washington stopped punishing small businesses and started helping them.” Buchanan’s most recent financial disclosure forms show that he owns between $7 million and $32 million of investments in real-estate related partnerships. In 2016, he earned up to $2 million in annual income from those investments.

Family connections are also at play. For instance, Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) — who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee that wrote the lower chamber’s version of the tax bill — is married to a partner at a real estate LLC, R&R Properties, LLC, from which he and his wife receive income of between $15,000 and $50,000 per year. Reed’s wife is also a partner at R&R Resource Recovery, LLC, the Reeds’ debt collection family business, which specializes in recovering medical debt. The business provides the Reeds with between $15,000 and $50,000 a year in income.

On December 15 2017 09:04 Plansix wrote:
I sort of wonder how much of this will be on the back end, with the IPS forcing Google, Twitch and other services to pay for fast access and fast upload to different regions. Just be like credit and debit cards, push all the fees onto the services, rather than the consumers. Because that system is super effective, for the IPSs, but fucks over anyone small trying to make a living on the internet.

On December 15 2017 03:21 Leporello wrote:
Giving billionaire children their full Royal-status and removing internet from public-domain. The last legacies of the shameless crap-pile known as the GOP. If you're going to sell-out America to Russia and a rapist, racist traitor, you might as well go out blazing. Big-ups to the Never Hillary Socialists, too.

In collusion, I mean conclusion... sorry, Freudian slip, my bad. Many people are still shell-shocked that I'm up here tonight [as chairman]. They ask themselves, "How on Earth did this happen?" Well, moments before tonight's dinner, somebody leaked a 14-year-old video that helps answer that question, and in all candor I can no longer hide from the truth.

The video then rolled. Here's a transcript:

Verizon executive: "As you know, the FCC is captured by industry. But we think it's not captured enough. We want to brainwash and groom a Verizon puppet to install as FCC chairman. Think Manchurian Candidate."

Ajit Pai: "That sounds awesome."

Verizon executive: "I know, right? There are only two problems. First, this is going to take 14 years to incubate. We need to find someone smart, young, ambitious, but dorky enough to throw the scent off."

Ajit Pai: "Hello."

Verizon executive: "So you will do it?"

Ajit Pai: "Absolutely. But you said there was another issue?"

Verizon executive: We need to find a Republican who can win the presidency in 2016 to appoint you FCC chairman. I think our best bet is an outsider, but I have no idea who that would be. If only somebody can give us a sign.

On December 15 2017 10:15 GreenHorizons wrote:


Just a couple things.

I know everyone wants to blame Republicans for losing net neutrality, but who is it that put that shit bag former lawyer for Verizon on the FCC in the first place?

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/190857-obama-nominates-ajit-pai-to-fcc

If you don't already hate him enough...



Source

Oh and you shouldn't be blaming the left that rejected Hillary for a several reasons, but one would be what would she have done differently regarding this?