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If Republicans are so angry at Lula Mae Washington in New Orleans for trading her food stamps for beer?

and wasting their hard earned tax money, where is the outrage at Exxon Corp. who earned billions of dollars last year and didn't pay any tax at all? I mean really Folks! Can't we afford to buy Lula Mae a six pack and some cigarettes if we can let Exxon off the hook completely? What about corporate executives being able to pay themselves with stock options with carries only a 15% capital gains tax and no Social Security tax when their employees pay regular income tax and Social Security tax as well? Shouldn't they be more concerned about massive theft on the corporate level than Lula Mae buying a package of Kool's? If we would close the tax loopholes for executive compensation and corporate tax, we could buy her a whole case of Colt 45 and have money left over.

Public Comments

1. The sad fact is that there are many people like that adding up to millions of dollars in abuse. We should never excuse that kind of behavior.
2. How about they can both go to hell?
3. Politicians are rich for a reason, and its not because they pick on rich people :) Edit: On a more serious note, you know economically there's no difference between her using those food stamps and someone else using them, or even no one using them and someone getting cash back for them.
4. Excuse me but Exxon does pay taxes. When you buy a gallon of gas the company makes about 3 to 4 cents in profit. About 50 cents is for Federal, State and local taxes. So you are wrong. Oh and the laws telling you what you can buy with food stamps were set by the congress.
5. actually, they are delighted about it
6. Ever get employed by a poor person? I sure hell haven't. Typical Lib point of view, lets kill corporations so EVERYONE can be on food stamps. Good Logic once again from the left.
7. How much did the federal government make off of fuel taxes and surcharges last year then ??
8. It's already been said,but the Federal Govt made plenty of money in Taxes off every gallon of gas.They make a few hundred percent more off each gallon than Exxon does. RWE
9. Where in the world do you get such false information? Look at US News And World reports for April 21: it says Exxon made 45 billion in profits and PAID $116 billions in taxes!! Good grief if we didnt have the taxes from the oil companies we would really be in deep economic trouble. I know you folks who hate corporate America think big business is evil, but face the fact that they not only provide jobs, they pay billions and billions in taxes. Don't get your boxers in a bunch, read a reputable news source, please.
10. I may be wrong, but I do not believe my taxes went to paying Exxon's profits. Bluntly if a person begs money for food they should be buying food. I guess you are not concerned about her malnourished children sitting at home as she sells her GOVERNMENT issued food stamps so she can get drunk.
11. Why do people think that Exxon does not pay tax? Exxon made $34,777,000,000 (34 billion dollars) last year and paid $15,119,000,000 (15 billion dollars) in taxes. Exxon had an effective tax rate of 43.47% which includes all forms of taxes paid and includes tax breaks Stock option incentive plans are taxed as regular income and have been for years. Welfare recipients need to focus on being productive rather than having a good time.
12. smith500- the amount they make is actually in the 8% margin and the tax on your gasoline is regulated by state. In our state, the gas tax is about 24% and the Feds only get about 18.4%. Somebody has been lying to you. Even at 8%, a barrel of crude oil is about 42 gallons and can make various types of fuel, for motor fuel approximately 19 to 20 gallons and the rest for jet fuel and lubricants, which can produce with other chemicals and dilutions about double the product price. So, even at 8% profit of say $78 per barrel of crude and only less than half is used for gasoline is still 6.24 per 19 gallons, but for other petroleum products such as jet fuel at $87/b and is less taxed by fed and state, the money they make is easily 16 billion per production and is sold all over the world. Think about how much you paid for a bottle of motor oil for your car. 1 third went to the refineries. And how many are bought daily?! Gas is not it's only product. Exxon and numerous other oil companies and refineries make B I L L I O N S of dollars each quarter in profit, pay less that 1 fifth of their profits in taxes, payroll, and shareholder dividends. 1 Fourth is paid in CEO salaries, legal fees, and accountants for investments. 1 fourth to 1 third of the remainder is used for maintanence, technology, labs, energy bills and environmental safeguards. The rest is just gravey and some of that is used for a tax write off for "donations" and "community assistance and education". But yet they pay 1/5th in taxes to federal and state governments in the states they are set up in. We don't see any "community" give backs in MY state or any other state that they don't have interests. But politicians and citizens will holler over a person buying beer and some kools with about $12 worth of sold food stamps? Most states have now switched to a standard EBT card, like a visa check card, to use for food stamps, Louisiana must be behind the times. But that kind of thing has been going on for 30 yrs all over the country and they are worried about one person? I am with you man! Let her keep her beer and Kools, but I will be danged if any big corp will use my money for the same thing and call it "justified" and not have to pay tax on it. Let them have their beer, but give us back our champagne, caviar, lobster, butlers, maids, mercedes, personal masseuse, drivers, $50,000 dollar wardrobe, million dollar jewelry, and even the silk undies they are wearing! With one suit, I could feed a family who recently lost both jobs and can't get assistance because even though they are on unemployment for the past 5 months, they made too much LAST year to qualify for assistance with food or medical care. With once of their wives or mistresses rings, I could pay off their mortgage so they don't have to worry about losing their home. With their new 2010 Ford F350 I could buy 4 to 7 good used cars for those that lost theirs due to job loss so they can find a way to look for work or get to work. Give me one months salary from their CEO's and I could pay for medicine for 6 elderly couples for 5 months AND have money left over to buy them food for a month or more! See, our priorities are ALLLLLLL screwed up. Don't get me wrong, if they worked hard for that position and got it on their own merit, then fine, but when they are abusing the system and making rules for others and not including themselves within those limitations as well, then I have a problem. Thanks for your intelligence and ability to "read between the lines".