He counts on the low information voters of PG county just like Marion Barry counted on the low information voters of DC. Both pols I mentioned are equals in competentence.

1ke, it's not an issue of me going broke (I'm doing just fine)...it's an issue of having a tax and business environment that encourages growth...you can tax the hell out of people, business, etc. that have money (this can be middle class folks as well, which by the way are taxed unfairly heavily in Baltimore) but some will leave for that reason which will force the city/state/country to tax everyone else who’s left even harder which will lead a death spiral where anyone or any business will not want to invest or even be present because there are other places that are more competitive. When that happens we end up with a society that becomes addicted to various forms of welfare and various degrees of despondency become acceptable and the norm.

I will leave you with a growing concern...For example, If I am looking to relocate my business in close proximity to DC, I may decide to move it to NOVA instead of MD because of the tax savings. If I'm saving money in taxes, this means that there is more money for other things such as expanding my business, hiring extra staff, or lowering the prices of my services/products to be more competitive. It is well understood that high taxes tie the arms of business. Now think about this affect times 10,000. In the bigger picture, this trend leads to entire citys, states, and even countrys not being in a position to grow or maintain their economy.

I despair that the virtue of caring for the poor and, indeed, shaping the future of the community through civic involvement and taxes has shriveled. Reading these various pages, such has become regarded as a weakness or even an insidious evil.

Would you do me the small favor of cataloging which small business taxes are so unfair? I really don't know since my experience is in the non-profit sector.

The mere possibility of still more profit if a particular tax did not exist does not warrant eliminating it.

1ke, I believe that the best social program for caring for the poor is to make sure that there is plenty of work. This is done but having a competitive tax policy and flexible land use policies that encourgage growth and investment. I don't think it's evil for a society to help foster a situation that allows someone to find work...however, I think it is evil for a society to believe that it's just fine to have people not working for their food and shelter (besides being unsustainable to the community as a whole it's a road of self-destruction, low self-esteem, depression, anomie, and dispair). Baltimore has found itself in that place in the past several decades. Any business that would have to pay taxes has completely stayed away. The problem that the governor has is that he does not realize or even care what his policies are doing to businesses in MD and in particular Baltimore City.

By the way 1ke, I work for a non-profit myself and I firmly believe that the current situation is completely unsustainable. Between federal government cutbacks and being in a city that has not done what is necessary to foster large long term for-profit growth, I feel Baltimore is in for a very rude awakening. The non-profit bubble in this town will burst...it's just a matter of when...and there a lack of for-profit businesses to absorb the impact...

Again, what are those business taxes? Seriously, I don't know with any degree of specificity what they are.

Little money and no imagination has been put to the task of educating the populace for employment in the modern job market. One would not be in a totally unfamiliar place if one were zapped back to a 1935 schoolhouse.

Those who have profited from society's goodies--an education, adequate housing, decent health care, non-occupying policing--need to give back and giving is something done these days with a foot on the throat. My views on that entire piece would not be well received, I fear.

Regardless, could you tune me in on the tax thing?

Matt, why do you not complain about all of the "social" programs for the wealthy and large corporations to the detriment of the poor?

Lets cut it all. Corporate welfare and individual welfare. It does not need to be either or.

1ke, business taxes are as follows...5.76% personal property (more than 2x higher than anywhere else in the state), if they own their land 2.268% of the building's value http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxrate.html, business taxes on profits are 8.5% in MD http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxrate.html ; furthermore our state ranks near the bottom for business tax climate http://taxfoundation.org/article/2012-state-business-tax-climate-index

These are just local and state business taxes. This is not including federal taxes, social security and medicare matches, etc.

Oh yeah...I forgot to add licensing, incorporation fees, sales taxes on procurements, communication taxes, etc.

The record setting tax increases may have something to do with that as well. I think his chances are weak even to be a vp pick for HC.

Having said that, even if Clinton doesn't run for president, it will be tough for O'Malley. Maryland isn't what I would consider a power state even though it is probably the most Democratic state in the union (party that is). O'Malley would have a tough time beating Cuomo I would think.

Who you calling a cuomo?

Where is the 'Like' button.

Another wildly insightful comment by Steve.

I think he's right about the racist part and wrong about the gibberish part. Gibberish makes little or no sense. Systematic, recurrent arguments are made that there is nothing that stands between a Black man or woman and riches other than a particular kind of family, a particular kind of education, and strict accountability rooted in a particular set of expectations. Those arguments are patently racist.

Every measure of material success in the American experience has consistently revealed the yawning gap between Black and White. It is irrefutable. If you are so smart, so in tune with the state of America, cite a handful of statistics, studies or analyses.

Do not use a Black Swan kind of argument like the one the Buzzard threw out there. Of course, there are exceptions--exceptional people and exception circumstances. We do not construct social policy based on exceptions however.

Dumped money into education? Of course, money has been spent on education. Any suggestion that there is parity in school funding between predominantly Black school districts and other school districts is ignorant. You either know nothing or choose to ignore it. I suspect the latter. Welcome to being White.

You try to tell some beautiful tale about opportunity in America, as if you have made big or something and are driveling racist garbage onto Patch before you go down to polish the wood on your yacht!

Racist, dog-eat-dog capitalism needs PR guys like you.

1ke...Buzz made a pretty racially insenitive comment but everyone had some level of racial stereotyping including your comments regarding him polishing the wood on his yacht. 1ke, you speak like all white people are rich which is not true. 1ke have you ever been to Curtis Bay, Lansdowne, or West Virginia? ...There are plenty of white people who live in poverty. 1ke, I hate to say it but you sound like an angry black communist.

Where is it racist? Libs love the R word! Guess what it doesn't work anymore. You cried wolf way too many times.

Read and write, Seepy. Do you ever assert anything?

Any form of personal accountability, whether it be educating oneself, or not commiting crimes is considered "racism" by the social justice nation.

“liberals see racism where it doesn’t exist, fabricate it when they can’t find it, and ignore it within their own ranks.”

I'm sure you are referring to the Democratic way and their agenda.

I look at facts not stereotypes.

http://dundalk.patch.com/blog_posts/clintons-reveal-the-hypocrisy-on-the-left-over-hillarys-200000-speaking-fees

Put this in your fact folder: http://bsun.md/Zd1yTS

While you are playing with your facts, maybe this will bring you off http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/usa/life-expectancy-white

We do not need to know about your early cross dressing years.

Ike, steve, and everyone else is not concerned with facts. In their minds social justice is taking everyone that ever maximized their potential to earn money and personal property and give them to those that have not done the same. These are the same people putting those in section 8 housing where rents are 2000 a month, and pay for their utilities, food by ebt card, and give them free phones. What you will not hear from either Ike or Steve is that after 17 trillion dollars in means assisted revenue from the government, the poverty rate is still roughly the same. Ergo, if you provide people with a desirable lifestyle based soley on other's efforts in the form of taxation and government assistance, they will not get off that lifestyle voluntarily.

David, the truth hurts an you have to open your eyes an see it. Detroit is the latest example of - government gone wild!

Ike will explain to you how it is not teacher's unions, but rather lack of funds that is ruining education. After i wave my social justice wand, you will immediately forget that it is Chicago's teachers that make 25% more than the rest of the country, yet have the worst schools. Social justice, it is what's for dinner on a plate of section 8 housing and entitlements, but not school vouchers which achieve your above statements.

You can't fix stupid.

It doesnt make them racist. It makes them fortunate because they made there wealth in spite of their race.

Capitalism isn't racist per se; it just produces wildly unequal outcomes that can exacerbate racial divisions.

RTB ... NO Sir ... the beauty of Capitalism is that anyone can make a success out of themselves drive, determination, and dedication. The only thing that can keep a person from succeeding in life is a lack of desire to live by those three virtues and instead just make excuses for why this or that did not happen for them. Dr. Ben Carson could have just dropped out of school like so many other kids he grew up around but he had the desire to make the best of his opportunities and ignore people like you who say there are "wildly unequal outcomes that can exacerbate racial divisions."

I guess you would be like the idiot on ESPN (who does not even deserve to have his name repeated) that would label a man like Dr. Carson, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, or Robert Griffin III as Uncle Toms or Oreos because they are just not black enough or not "down with the cause." All this time I thought the "cause" was like the NAACP acronym says, "for the advancement of colored people." You have to take your own steps forward to advance.

The sad fact and truth Buzz is that the government is putting up people in homes and apartments that rent from 1000 to 2000 dollars a month. They are now even taking section 8 housing in exclusive housing communities like Rodgers Forge. What follows? Crime has caused Rodgers Forge to hire a security force, and violent crime in Towson has gone up exponentially. Ike and Steve and all his ilk spend 24/7 on this site trying to convince people otherwise. It is rational common sense that if you take someone not earning a living and pay 2000 a month for their rent, pay their utilities, pay their food and groceries, and even give thema free phone that it is unsustainable. Ask people that you know and live with in the neighborhood if their rent or mortgage is 2000 a month. To sustain this level of assistance to those individuals that do not work will require an incredible amount of revenue increases, which is why both Owemalley and Obama are currently asking people to pony up more money. Hey Marylanders, remember that millionaire tax that would force them to pay their "fair share"? It has since gone down to 250k. Soon it will drop to 200k, then 150k, then 100k, then finally 50k.

"Just so I'm not attacked with the R word that the liberals throw around, the couple of the Section 8 home is white."

You know Buzz that since you mentioned race at all, there are those here who will call you a racist.

“liberals see racism where it doesn’t exist, fabricate it when they can’t find it, and ignore it within their own ranks.”

". I would tell the president myself but his price tag of $500,000 is a bit high."

You know damn well Buzz that Carney insisted there is no set price to buy access to Obama. As long as the cash flows form the right people you too can buy access to Obama. At least the Clinton's tried to hide the fact they were renting the Lincoln Bedroom for campaign cash. Obama knows no one in his media empire would dare question his selling access openly and in your face.

Buzz, I'm going to through in my two cents into this discussion. Here is where I believe you and Joe/Sanchez are so sadly mistaken about priorities.

What both of you fail to see, is that you have been manipulated to put your focus on the small amounts. You chase after pennies of our budget while ignoring the dollar bills flying around. Our corporations and the wealthy are the benefactors of Section 8 taxation and subsidies and you ignore them. Why? You have become convinced that the problem with America that the poor who "play" the system are to blame for our troubles. You are sadly mistaken, follow the dollars first, not the pennies.

I am going to dispense with the niceties FIFA. No more of the "assuming too much makes you an ..."
You're an ass!

I can't find anywhere on here where I discuss my thoughts on any of the items you list like
"small amounts" "ignoring the dollar bills flying around" "corporations and the wealthy" "Section 8" and then dissect like an arm chair idiot.
And then to even think you know enough about me to judge such a deep topic as my life being manipulated by some unseen power to think and do as they want is the height of insult. It is an insult to me that someone could make such a claim with so little knowledge.
Is that not profiling that you libs so despise? You are an ass!
If I make a factual error cal me on it. Debate opinions but don;t think you can make a claim that I am manipulated. You have no clue you ass!

"You have become convinced..."
You're an ass FIFA. You have no clue what anyone else has been convinced of do you? Is it not speculation on your part and your opinion?
Stop being a profiling ass.

Joe, we will let others and the moderators decide that.

I see the same things as you did Buzz. Here in Towson I got those cell phone pamphlets advertising free cell phones. Knowing that my income precludes me from qualifying, I always threw them out. One day I got curious, and opened the pamphlet. I almost laughed out loud, until it hit me that the taxpayers were getting fleeced. There were 10 boxes Buzz for a personal to qualify, and all were government assistance programs. Underneath the boxes however was a disclaimer that they would not verify if you answered truthfully. In other words Buzz, they were offering cell phones, which by the way were being made by an Obama bundler, to anyone dishonest enough to take advantage. What people lack an understanding of is that the progressive movement cares next to nothing about personal outcomes of the people they claim to save, rather they care only for a permanent voting block depending on their handouts. That Buzz, I find to be so sad it makes my wizard hat droop with despondency.

Well Fifi, I think we see what others and the mods think. They apparently agree with me.

Merlin did you know the president has not cut one government program since he has been in office, not one.

Pat, I did; one spends and one spends more. You dare not challenge their agenda because you become a racists.

Who cares?

You can always get the real scoop, though at www.heritage.org and www.cato.org and www.jbs.org

But when you're in, you're in. When you're out, see you later.

Your grasp of the mathematics of the 1% is inadequate. You ought to be ashamed and you ought to audit an algebra at CCBC.

I know you like your information in pictures or short newsy formats. Try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM&sns=em

No most people don't have a problem with section 8 residents that are respectful, maintain the aesthetic quality of the home (i.e not throwing their garbage on the ground, street, neighbors yard, etc.), not have people hanging out all day and all night (especially when others in that particular neighborhood do not), have their children attend school (every day), not drink outside during daytime or late night hours, not have residents in the home selling drugs, not starting trouble with others in the neighborhood, respecting their neighbors properties (not sitting on their neighbors steps, staying off their neighbors yards, not having loud music or arguing at night), not having the police show up regularly, actually have adults supervising their children and not letting them out of the house unless they are home, actually introducing themselves to their neighbors when moving in, and having parents that don't get defensive when their neighbors alert them that their children have been infringing on the neighborhood's quality of life..BUT IT'S RARE... I have found that the section 8 houses in my neighborhood have generally been places with fighting, drug dealing, members of the home arguing on the street, children that have run amuck because the parents are never home to supervise them, having members of the household and their friends and family cause property damage to their elderly neighbor's homes, littering, and have lead to a lower quality of life. Therefore I say no sec 8!

Sorry landlords are unable or unwilling to manage the paperwork that it takes to eject tenants who abuse the property.

Unorganized area residents are helpless to do anything to curb anti-social behaviors of Section 8 tenants. These are John Wayne and GI Jane middle-class people who can get things done in the world... at least until the Other moves into the neighborhood.

Talk to any who owned Sec8 homes and ask them what happened to the true market value after they have Sec8 tenants for a handful of years!

Those "sleazy landlords" are not all wealthy by any means and they DO provide housing for the poor and you just seem to hate that. Others here seem to hate the landlords as well. They worked hard to buy some investment property only to have it trashed by the tenants and to see their investment go to hell and their maintenance cost go higher than they ever expected. then many sell at a loss.

These landlords provide housing yet you trash them.

Profit is a good thing and it's the reason why people invest... If it wasn't for potential profit, people wouldn't risk putting their money in investments (including real estate or any other kind of business venture)... there is nothing wrong with making a profit...as long as you are not asking for a bailout if experience a loss and you conduct your business in an ethical manner... BTW 1ke what do you think funds Section 8 or any other government program...a magical cash machine? ...it's taxes, including taxes on profits, incomes, property, personal property, sales, etc.

It's true that many of the section 8 slum lords have properties that are in poor condition with shoddy repairs and have done little deal with problem tenants because their motivations are short sighted. But you can't say that everyone looking to make a profit in real estate is bad. There are many landlords that live in the communities that they have invested in and are providing decent/quality housing.

I wish we would get back to the original argument that I was making that MOM has managed to make MD less competitive by raising already high tax rates which has lead to less job creation in the private for-profit job market which has lead to a lower quality of living for folks in MD and especially residents of Baltimore since it has stifled the job market in the for-profit economy.

It is a damn shame that you or anyone needs to explain to someone the motivations behind someone investing their time and effort and cash to make a profit to feed their families. No wonder we are in such shape financially. Far too many are financially ignorant.

As for bad tenants in Sec8, unless you have had to actually attempted to evict a bad tenant form Sec8 housing, you have no clue what your speak of. It is easier to rob a bank.

I can assure you that many who own houses rented to Sec8 tenants are not making the kinds of profit some here think they are.

I want to point out that many landlords are making very little on the day-to-day. Rents for many landlord, especially the ones that only have a few units, cover the day-to-day expenses (mortgage, property taxes, repair and upkeep, etc) on their properties. Landlord make their real profits, years later, when they go to sell their properties or when the property is paid off.

Not that many years to wait either. As I previously shared, Baltimore Matt, I am not a businessman. How do depreciation schedules on rental properties affect net returns?

Existing tax codes may constitute an inducement to engage in the rental property business. But, again, I don't know.

But 30 billion a year is, according to CP the math genius.

a whole 30 billion. like that will help!

Name 10 programs he has cut and specify if the cut was a true reduction, or simply a reduction in the increase from the previous year.

There were no programs cut. There was no spending cuts. The only cuts were in the proposed increase in spending. The feds us baseline budgets and thus the spending cannot go down. Each and every budget Obama proposed, and now he is in violation for not having one in hand, has increased spending, that is why none even received a Democrat vote. Not one Democrat vote. Obama is the first Pres I can find who for an entire term has not signed a budget. CR's are no way to run a country.

And of course you will name the 10 programs Bush or the Republicans cut?

Anthrax Vaccine Research Program. Cut

Character Education Program Cut

Cotton Storage Payment. Cut

Even Start Program. Cut

Marine 1. Cut

Resource Conservation and Development Program. Cut

Yucca Mt. Repository Program. Cut

DC School Voucher Program. Cut

.........and I can go on and on. It my battery is getting low.

Thank you Steve, I think you left out many veterans programs as well. But we kept the corporate welfare.

You have any supporting facts for your claims, or are you just yapping out your standard lies again, Stanker Steve?

So there is some truth on both sides. On the one hand some programs were eliminated like even start, that was found to not meet objectives, and DC vouchers (big shock there). But the total amount of cuts was less than the increase in the budget.

16 trillion in debt and counting. 30 billion does nothing. BTW no one is getting fed with this money. Use whatever common sense you can muster up. I know that might a lot to ask.

You can't do the math. You can't do the research. Why don't you just out with it? There is no shame in innumeracy. Millions of Americans are innumerate.

I don't think you know a billion from a beanbag, to be honest. How many people does $30 billion feed at the current rate? The current rate (HINT HINT) is $4.30 per day per person.

It is Federal Money. Let's pretend it goes right into somebody's belly. Hunh? Huh?

Shame on you, Seepy.

Help him out, Buzzard.

Yes but vote Democrat because everything is working so well.

47,791,996 Americans on food stamps..everything is working according to the Dems!

Daniel D. Huff, professor emeritus of social work at Boise State University, did an analysis of welfare in 1990:
"More to the point, while more than 170 billion dollars is expended on assorted varieties of corporate welfare the federal government spends 11 billion dollars on Aid for Dependent Children."

Buzz, you think corporate welfare has gone down?

A couple more bucks the corporations are hiding.

http://www.ibtimes.com/ge-pfizer-microsoft-apple-other-major-us-corporations-are-parking-more-cash-abroad-avoid-paying

Why is this subject always avoided by people who bang up on little people without money running their little scams and avoid the big boys running their big scams?

Here we go. If it's not "race" they play the "children" card. Do you guys have a manual?

I am proud to pay my taxes. We roll like that in Baltimore since all of the yuppie investors started moving on down the line.

The yuppie you hate so much is the only thing sustaining that dump!

"Why is this subject always avoided by people who bang up on little people without money"

No one is doing that. Or I hope not. It is the nanny government that keeps them dependent. A job is far more rewarding to most people than not. But to far too many it is not. The more that work at a job, any job, the more taxes they collect. The more on food stamps, now a record, costs those few left working more.
I blame government for the continuing generational dependency. There is no reason or excuse in the world why some of 4 generations are continually dependent on government.

Those "little people without money" have succumbed to the nanny state.

GE PARKS $108 BILLION OVERSEAS

How many people does $30 billion feed at the current rate? The current rate (HINT HINT) is $4.30 per day per person.

$4.30 per day per person.? Does that include the admin and overhead cost or is that just for the food itself?

Can we go swimming too ;-) (sheepish grin)

First ladies spending habits???? She shops at The Gap for Chrissakes!

Torture is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Drone strikes aren't.

Haw haw....spoken like a confirmed bachelor, Buzzard. My ex could outspend the First Lady without leaving the house.

"She shops at The Gap"

I thought it was Target and only for photo ops!

1ke, that is why I'm still a bachelor.

On Steve's topic the drone issue is a little more complicated.

http://www.academia.edu/392756/Legality_of_Targeted_Killings_by_Drone_Attacks_in_Pakistan

On the spending issue. There were a lot more links, just take your pick.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077625/Michelle-Obama-insisted-4m-getaway-Hawaii-husband-wanted-local-holiday.html

A close rival would be Nancy P. and he well stocked government Jet she used like a taxi among other things.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/sep/21/michele-bachmann/michele-bachmann-accuses-nancy-pelosi-spending-100/

How can you argue for entitlements and then turn around and say the "market sets the rates"?

If that were the case that market you speak of would not be anxious at potential tax increases.

Why are some many of those so called market companies bowing out of Obama care?

Are you having a TAI? Stumbling into the middle of conversations flapping your pudgy face. Copypasting "Austrians" and thinking "liberal progressives". Probably sweating like a ditchdigger.

Here you go on the Warfarin again. Ratman.

1ke is stil an ass I see.

Everybody involved at that level with MF Global was a sophisticated investor working the derivatives market. Corzine was a highly successful trader long before he was a politician.

Bad investments, bad judgments. Crime? Greed is not a crime.

Oh, I forgot. You are the people and Federal funds are your money. JoeBlob.

Oh I see, it's only possible to defraud poor people? I guess rich people are "asking for it"

Have you ever read the Safe Harbor statements or the Risk Factors described in minute detail in a Form 10-K?

The possibility of reward exists in direct proportion to risk.

It's hard to make a buck.

And that's why they were under investigation? They mixed customer funds with their operating funds. Then because Corzine is well connected, the investigation slowed. Tell me with a straight face that if there was a firm with republicans controlling it, we would not have been watching a civil trial by now.

I did not know that MF Global was a bank and I haven't noticed anyone being prosecuted for anything. Oh yeah, except for Doug Decinces and Bernie Madoff.

That's the whole bloody point. Thy we're allowed to defraud. As the company was tanking, they moved customer funds (They had a duty to invest) into their operating accounts.

How is that not fraud? Just because Corzine was a Democrat?

And who said they were a bank.

1ke, while that is true a majority of small businesses fail. For most middle class people the stock market is a losing venture.

There is noting in the constitution that provides entitlements for anyone.

This is the way it's funded. It is done by adding on fees to the ones who pay the bills as per this quote from the site that explains how it is done. To make it simple the phone companies pass on the costs to the consumers in the form of added fees.

Her is the quote: "The companies often charge customers to fund their contributions in the form of a universal service fee you might see on your monthly phone bill. The fund is then parceled out to companies, such as América Móvil, that create programs, such as SafeLink, to provide telecommunications service to rural areas and low-income households."

Again the middle class consumers pick up the tab.

Steve, You finally made a factually accurate comment. It is correct that President Bush (43) signed & even supported the free cell phone program in its original format. The intent for the free cell phone program was to provide free refurbished cell phones to women in battered women's shelters, domestic abuse victims, low income single mothers & disaster victims through FEMA. They were set up with a very limited number of minutes of talk time & unlimited 911 service. While it was not initially funded with tax payer dollars through the federal budget, it was funded directly by fees (taxes) added onto cell phone & land line phone bills for every phone in the country & thus completely paid for by tax payers.

The free phone program was expanded by the Obama administration & is an abomination compared to the original program. The phones being given out now are not just refurbished but also new phones including high end smart phones & practically anyone can get one of these phones with very little screening. There are even ads on Craigslist for them by the companies that provide the phones because they get paid $ for each phone they give out. They have unlimited talk time as well as text and internet access on many of the phones & the cost overrun from the massive abuse of this program not covered by the original fees on our bills is now being covered with real tax dollars or just added to the national debt. Either way this is not President Bush's free phone plan anymore.

Funny how you are still an ass.