Quintus

Citizens United does not ban lobbying. It also includes a detailed explanation as to how this should be regulated, which I don’t completely agree with.

It must be nice to be so satisfied with the status quo.

I will not respond to any more of your posts

I don’t mind the pushback on the Amazon statement, it was off the top of my head. There are plenty of businesses that rely on subsidies, especially in their infancy. To claim there aren’t any is stupid.

Basically every renewable energy company falls into this category.

Amazon’s effective tax rate in 2020 was 12.5%. Mine was twice that.

Yes. I think there should be laws against that.

quote:

---

Are you under the impression that most companies have enough margin to simply absorb tax increases?

---

This is a fair point for small businesses, but there are many corps large and small that wouldn’t exist without federal subsidized programs, and they should be taxed accordingly.

Amazon comes to mind. Why is my tax dollar subsidizing the US postal service so Amazon can exist and not pay income tax?

Are you asking if unions lobbying efforts should be limited financially?

Yes. I think so.

quote:

---

And how exactly would you ban corporations from communicating with Congressional members? How would that be implemented?

---

Reverse Citizens United.

quote:

---

Most REVENUE in country’s history

---

You could say this every year in US history and it would be true 98% of the time whether taxes were raised or lowered. The only consecutive years where this would be false is during the entire W Bush presidency. If you look at the year over year increase in tax revenue, the Trump years are not impressive from that standpoint.

You are brainwashed because you hear someone say this, and believe it justifies your whack economic theory. There is nothing to suggest it is the result of a minuscule effective corporate tax rate, or that the increase in revenue is even significant. As if Trump was the first politician to lower corporate taxes. He has cracked the economic code, and now the government has no revenue concerns. That’s brainwashed.

National debt just before Trump took office 21 trillion. National debt just before discovery of Coronavirus 27 trillion. If Trump had the government swimming in revenue, didn’t support any social programs (not that I do), and drained the swamp, where did all the money go?

quote:

---

Companies generally pass that cost through as a part of their cost, then add margins to make profit.

---

Somewhat. Corporations are generally not able to pass along all of the increased costs. Typically they will either eat the cost, or export to another market.

quote:

---

Thus customers pay that increased cost yet the company makes the same margin.

---

So YOU would rather be taxed more, than pay higher prices for goods you buy? Prices of goods are limited by the market, not by fixed corporate profit. If a corporation could charge more for their good, and the same number of people would buy it, then they would, independent of the tax structure.

Prices are set based on perceived customer value.

quote:

---

..when is the last time you saw a corporation thrown in jail for price fixing. If the govt was serious all of Pharma would be in prison decades ago, along with all the energy companies and half the consumer product companies.

---

This is a fair point. But are you suggesting that we should tax people who work for corporations instead of corporations themselves because corporations will just price fix and therefore there will be no tax revenue? That is not a solution.

quote:

---

Corps don't sit around and be like gee whizz uncle Joe raised taxes we are just going to make less money this year.

---

This opinion comes from a misunderstanding of the way things are priced. Goods are priced to value. Corporations don’t decide how much money they will make. It is decided by the market (in the absence of regulation).

What you say is true for inelastic goods (necessities), but not for other goods. Taxing corporations will not significantly increase the price of luxury items, but it will reduce corporate profit on those items.

Tax revenue has to come from somewhere. Corporate tax breaks result in workers paying more. This is detrimental to the middle class. If you think the benefit to the economy is worth taxing the workers, then you are either brainwashed or not middle class.

Or, we can just keeping adding to the national debt, which is what will really destroy America.

FWIW, I am a single issue voter at all levels of government. I vote for whichever candidate I think will balance the budget. It is something neither party seems to care about anymore.