I’m impressed. He said the right things and some things that surprised me, coming from a politician. Most notably, he said we need to discuss the problems of racism everywhere, not just in centers of African American population.
He was still vague about how he and Kerry will change some things, but I’d keep my speech short, too, if I were in his situation. Kalamazoo was his last stop today, and Michigan is the third state he’s been in today.
Of course, he was preaching to the choir, but I’m happy I went.
I saw him speak when he was running for the democratic nomination. He impressed me when he remarked that he didn’t think an 80% tax rate was excessive. :eek:
Not that I’d likely fall into the 80% bracket, but if he wants to stick the high-rollers with 80%, he probably wouldn’t balk at hitting me with a 40 or 50% rate. :eek: again.
You have any idea what Kerry and Teresa paid in taxes last year? It came to 12%, so you think he’s going to pay out another 68% when he’s president? No he checked and made sure the loop holes wouldn’t be effected and then proposed an increase.
This guy Edwards made his money by sueing doctors. A side result of his activities are that medical malpractice insurance in NC is among the highest in the nation! This guy is going to solve the health care problem? Yeah, and I have a bridge to sell you.
How can a guy this phoney pose as a populist?He’s no different from most of the ambulance-chasers that you see pushing their ads on TV. :rolleyes:
Well, if JCoM makes in excess of $285,000 per year, isn’t he taxed at a total rate of 39%, which I would call 40% in general conversation? Not that I’m opposed to that; I’m a soon-to-be teacher, and think taxing people more might solve some of the problems I’m preparing to face (dilapidated buildings, ancient textbooks, and lack of computers to name three; my own salary isn’t as important to me).
Of course, this is speculation, and I’m using him as an example, not really trying to figure out what he makes per year.
First, highest tax rate is 35%; second, it is on income over $311K; third, that would be a *marginal tax rate * of 35%; i.e., each additional dollar of income is taxed at that rate. Very different from a total rate. Cite
Ok, I was going off what my Poli-Sci prof told me (that’s probably the total for MI, with state taxes and federal taxes combined). He definately said $285k, though, so he was wrong there.
I’m an English major/PSCI minor, so I don’t know a whole lot about tax rates, just what my profs mention.
Have you seen him preach, though? This guy is unbelievable! He got my entire famiily to want to attend church again even though we were fed up with those strict old rules! Crazy or not, he is one hell of a theoligan!
No I do not have a cite. I saw him with my own two eyes and heard him with my own two ears. On Faux news, no less, in an interview with Bill O’:
O’: “Would a 60% tax rate be too high?”
Edwards: “No.”
O’: “70%?”
Edwards: “No.”
O’: “Would 80% be too high?”
Edwards: “Not for the highest tax bracket.”
I never have. I’ll quote my own statement for you, with a little bolding added:
By wmulax93: “Well, if JCoM makes in excess of $285,000 per year,…”
I saw him speak on the Maryland campus about a year and a half ago, before there were really even whispers of a Democratic prez or VP chance. He was just this politician guy that I and my fiance both wanted to see, since he would be on our campus on a night we had no other plans. She was interested in his ideas about education, I was more interested in his presentation, his speaking and politicking skills. We were both very impressed. I’d love to see him get some more strong, irrefutable political experience and a more serious run for the presidential ticket in 2012 or so.
…you’ve managed to obscure a clear issue with a mountain of rubbish…perhap syou confuse quantity with quality? The plain facts are these:
John Edwards collected approximately $55 million as his share of medical malpractice awards in N. Carolina. If we assume that he gets the standard landshark/er lawyer’s rate (33%), the toatl awarded was about $165 million dollars.
Who paid this amount? It was paid by the medical insurers for the physicians involved. This is NOT a trivial amount of money. Let us assume (for the sake of arguement) that Edards target group involved OB/GYN specialists, of whome there are perhaps 2000 practicing in North Carolina. This amounts to $82,500 per physician.
Where do THEY get the money? From their patients.
Yes, it is fun to bring in all kinds of irrelevant crap…but the fact is, John Edwards DID cost his constituents a considerable amount of money!