DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Infrastructure

Dems are trying to bring lots of jobs Throw... but we are bad, so whatever. These packages will create 2 mil jobs a year, and higher paying ones.

Good news.


Billionaire Donates 98% of Private Funds Raised for Texas Border Wall


By Brian Freeman

06 October 2021

Billionaire Timothy Mellon has contributed nearly 98% of the donations to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s $54 million border wall fund, The Texas Tribune reported on Wednesday.

Mellon, who is based in Wyoming and the grandson of banking tycoon and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, donated $53.1 million in stock to Texas in August, according to public records.

Before Mellon’s donation, Abbott’s private fundraising campaign, which started in June, had raised only about $1.25 million in its first two months.

Mellon was a major donor to the reelection campaign of former President Donald Trump and has also in the past contributed money to defend legislation targeting immigrants.

Forbes has estimated that Mellon’s worth is about $1 billion in recent years.

Besides the contribution from Mellon, the fund has received a total of approximately $1.3 million from some 12,100 individuals.

Tax experts said that by donating stock instead of cash, Mellon could receive a significant tax benefit, according to The Texas Tribune.

"It’s common to give stock that’s increased in value because they can get rid of the gains and they can deduct the donations," Notre Dame Law School Prof. Lloyd Mayer explained.

Mellon did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In addition to Abbott’s border wall fund, the Texas Legislature has approved almost $3 billion over the next two-year budget cycle towards security along the border with Mexico.

This includes some $1 billion going to the governor’s office for grants, of which $750 million was dedicated to construction of a border wall.

Texas and Abbott took these steps after President Joe Biden stopped funding for Trump's border fence upon entering the White House and amid the migrant crisis at the border that erupted after the new administration's change in policies toward those seeking to cross the border.

https://www.newsmax.com/us/texas-border-...br=010502ajtl2j

Good. Let the rich fund the speed bump in the desert. Glad it’s not coming out of tax payer money.

Tell me that there isn't widespread support for building the wall. Really just one rich guy and a governor.

I'm a big fan of this.
Better his money than mine/ours.

54 Million should buy them about 10 feet. Trump economics, dollar for the cause and twenty for me...

One for you, one for me.
Two for you, one, two for me
Three for you, one, two, three for me

However, the name Timothy Mellon Doesn't have a Mexican ring to it. But then again neither did American tax payers.

That clip will never not be hilarious.

Trump had the house, senate and the white house.. He accomplished tax cuts for the wealthy and managed to do damage to our environment..

Trumpians have no room to talk

They all loved an infrastructure spending plan not so long ago. But of course it was Trump's idea then. Like I've been saying, it's not about what politicians want to do, it's about which politicians want to do it.

Trump says another coronavirus stimulus should include up to $2 trillion for infrastructure

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/poli...lan/5094399002/

I didn't see them throwing a tantrum then.

People liked infrastructure until people started including welfare handouts with infrastructure.

I am not saying some of the items aren't needed in full, or at least in part, but lets call them what they are, and they aren't infrastructure as has been defined for a long time.

Are we going to start adding school lunch programs to defense bills?

What "welfare handouts" are included with the infrastructure bill?

It's Human infrastructure. And dems MUST pass a big bill to undo 40+ years of trickle-down damage to the working class. It's easy for a boomer that made their money in a financial heyday, compared to the economy now, to point fingers and grumble about spending, yet you never faced the same types of obstacles young adults deal with today. Imagine living with your parents until you are almost 30 because buying a home is out of reach. I think some of you are clueless as to what poor people and young people are facing today. Then the difficulty gets compounded if they ever have or had legal or financial trouble.

And yes, we had it tough in different ways, but I'm not sure they don't also have to deal with the same crap we did while getting started in life.

Maybe we should cut all those SS Check welfare handouts too and start means testing that? I mean it's obvious you don't need those handouts. Medicare for somebody like you seems to me like a handout too. You have the money to pay your own way after all... Maybe if the BOOMERS could figure out how to quit taking for five damn seconds, they could see all the harm their taking has wrought us.

Yes, you paid into that social safety net, so you are "entitled" to SS and Medicare. But those checks are every bit as much a socialist handout as any other assistance program would be (welfare). Only in your case, it's welfare for the rich(?), or at least somebody that says they don't truly need it.

I don't think you republicans ever listen to yourselves before you dump a steamy load of your 'wisdom' on the world to read. Sometimes you guys sound so desperate to keep the status quo it's laughable. Calling aid programs welfare and handouts in effort to degrade anyone who receives them is asinine and wrong. You are a guy that claims to be alright financially, yet anybody that gets help from these aid programs gets slammed by you for trying to get to a life like yours or for wanting more? I know you would encourage the raw ambition to get ahead in a likeminded individual. Well, if it didn't involve what GOPers perceive as their tax dollars being spent. So why do you begrudge others trying to get a life like yours?

The thing is that SS isn't a welfare program. It was earned and paid for by the employee and their employer. The more you and your employer paid in, the more you get.

It isn't their fault the federal government hasn't run the program correctly.

I paid for it, I am going to collect it. It can't be means tested, unless of course you are for robbing people of money they contributed and money that was contributed on their behalf by their employer.

Is that your position?

Matched SS and paid unemployment insurance and workers comp for years Peen, I know. And if you re-read what I said you'll see I used that as an example of our social safety net. As an older citizen you get that check from the "socialist" social security program.

And these "handouts" are targeted to need and help these people become productive citizens like you... are you against that?

OFF topic but still pertinent to SS, boomers did pay in, and they will all draw SS. These young kids will pay into it to make sure Boomers get a check, most knowing (feeling) that there is no way SS will still be viable and in effect when they retire. So, your "I paid in, I'm going to collect" nose thumb to these kids struggling is ironic because their generation will provide you income for many years to come hopefully. And they will never see a return.

BTW, the money you paid in was gone long ago, they borrow against the future to pay you the benefits you were promised every month.

And that's why, as the gov't. uses that money for other things, it's a ponzi scheme.

I know you know.

I don't have a problem with socialist programs if that is what you want to call them. Our country has all sorts...roads bills could be an example. Sharing for the common good has always been a part of the American way. I have never been against that.

I also realize that SS has more or less been run as a Ponzi Scheme from it's inception. The problem was at the beginning when we paid long time benefits to people who didn't pay in to the system, or paid very little. We would have been better handing the program over to a few Wall Street firms or insurance agencies to run the program with some government oversight and backing. The problem with government run programs is there is nobody to watch over that.

Some years ago the average worker contribution to SS was a bit over $3000. That doesn't count the employers 6.2% contribution, though not all of that is directed to the SS "trust". Medicare, etc take up a portion of that.

My point is I am not against a forced savings mechanism on the American worker. Many would just spend the money and not think about saving until they were maybe 50 something, which by then is too late to save enough. Think about how much money you would, I would have if every dollar you contributed as well as those of your employer went in to a IRA type account.

No doubt there would have to be some strict oversight on the types of investments that could be made. You couldn't take the money out. The payout would be made based on equal payments plus COlA to last until age 90. You couldn't pass the account along upon death. The people who die before age 90 would end up funding those who live past age 90.

That is just a broad brush thought. No doubt much more detail would have to be added.

SS worked great when after the war parents were having 3-4-5 kids and a boat load of us were born from around 1946 until 1966...most in the 50's. We could fund our parents and grandparents retirement payments. Now that we are starting to collect, since we only had 1-2-3 kids...gee, it doesn't work all that swell anymore.

Grand ideas with little forethought.

Trust me, I have no problem with a social safety net. We just have to make sure they work and are sustainable over time.

Perhaps you should tell Moscow Mitch that.. Maybe if it comes from someone in his own party, it will sink it..

Let's go a step further, Under what president did the SS fund get raided and never paid back?

Stunning. I fully expected you to call me a commie, not agree. Now I have nothing to do this morning. smh

So I noticed you have so far refused to explain what you think these "welfare handouts" are that you claim are in the bill. It's always been easy to throw out some generalized cliche' with no specifics just to see if it sticks. Reminds me of Fox News. So once again, what are these "welfare handouts" you're talking about that are in the bill?

jc

When it comes to aid, the government needs to get out of the business of throwing money out there with no strings attached. It rarely gets used for what it was intended for. Look at the rental mess for example.

People had been getting free money from the government for 18 months. Some decided not to pay their rent with it. Now they are screaming to cancel rent. They were given money to pay their rent and they choose not to.

Same with corporations, first covid relief bill threw money out there and some businesses went out buying Lamborghinis and other crap.

If the government is going to provide aid, the money they hand out should only be allowed to be used for what it was intended(rent, loans, etc.).


"If unconditional charity is all we know, then we begin to rely upon it─to expect it."

See, I am not a dork. Lot's of thing we do in this county are basically socialist, especially in the area of infrastructure.

No way the Hoover dam could have been built without a combined effort of all the states. There is nothing wrong with doing things for the common good of the nation. I just think we take it too far at times.

Why wouldn't you just tax the sale of new vehicle and trailers?
It would be trivial for NHTSA to classify each vehicle based on its weight and expected lifetime miles. Seems a lot simpler than trying to track every vehicle on a continuous basis.

One, it would make the cost of new vehicles prohibitive. Secondly, how would you base the tax? On owning the car 4 years? 10 years? 25 years?

You could apply the same thinking to total miles driven. A car driven 50 miles a week has less impact on roads and the environment than a car drive 1000 miles a week.

Maybe the government could put a tracking deice on your vehicle so they know where you have been and how many miles you have driven?

Oh wait, you already carry one of those around. They're called cell phones.

I pay property tax on my car every year that I own it. Bundle it with that.

Pretty simple to report your mileage when you renew your tags.

You can lie, but when you sell the vehicle, the mileage at sale can be checked against reported, and they can send a bill if there is a large discrepancy.

States with inspections could record mileage at inspection.

Setup with dealerships, so service records update mileage.

Not to mention most cars have links. I don't pay for any live service, but I still get updates from my Jeep every month with maintenance reports, mileage, oil levels, tire pressure, etc.

It really wouldn't increase the cost of the vehicle by enough to deter sales unless there are a lot of people out buying cars that don't then have enough money left to fill them with gas. If you lease a vehicle with no additional tax and fill it with taxed gasoline, it is going to cost you roughly the same as if you lease a vehicle with an additional road tax, but fill it with tax-free gasoline.

Also, It's not like gasoline consumption or total miles driven correlates perfectly with the costs of building and maintaining roads and each car's representative contribution to those costs. One form of estimate is about as good as another (they are all imperfect) and one that incorporates vehicle class is absolutely essential because vehicle class is the best indicator of the wear and tear put on the road. An 80,000 lb tractor trailer weighs 20X as much as as an average car but causes as much road damage as 9600 individual cars. So you have to have a system that accounts for class of vehicle as the primary factor.

The other problem is ease of implementation and enforcement. There will be a lot of resistance to anything that erodes privacy. A giant infrastructure will have to be implemented to perform annual vehicle inspections and process new types of taxes. Hate waiting in line at the BMV once every five years? Wait till you get to do it once a year a the BMV 2.0. - and then you get consumers who are getting a surprise tax that they maybe weren't budgeting very well for, and lose their car because they didn't save enough to pay the tax. Also, depending on the tracking method there will be a some problems with hacking these vehicles in order to save on taxes or problems with the tracking devices themselves. There are just so many potential pitfalls...

If you just classify the vehicle by type and build this tax in with all the other upfront taxes, then it is a simple solution. I like simple solutions over complicated solutions.

Average Gas Tax is about .25/gallon

Average US car gets 24.9MPG

Average car is driven 14,263 miles a year

14263 / 24.9 = 572.81 gallons year

572.91 x .25 = $143.20/year in taxes

So registration would probably go up by $150/yr, more or less depending on the state. (prolly like $10k a year for you folks in California )

The Fed. tax on gas is 18.5 cents per gallon.

Ohio adds 38.5 cents per gallon, for a total, in Ohio, of 57 cents per gallon.

https://tax.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/tax/business/ohio-business-taxes/excise/motor-fuel/tax-rates

Link to all states gas tax, without the fed. tax included.

https://taxfoundation.org/state-gas-tax-rates-2020/

It's not even just the cell phone. Our new Equinox has tons of bells and whistles.. One of which is OnStar. It can be tracked via that. In fact, I have an app on my phone that will tell me exactly where the car is sitting right now... It tells me how many miles are on the car, what % of Oil I've used and fuel level.

Hell it even tells me the tire pressure in each tire. All on the App.

Site I pulled up must have been old.

You don't have to carry a cell phone. If we taxed it that way. everybody would have a burner phone for their car.

I would imagine you would have to go through a DMV mileage check station in order to get your tags renewed. No doubt that would cost $15-$20.

With people having the ability to charge at home, they will have to come up with something. It's pretty easy being able to tax a gallon of gasoline. It's also easier on the consumer since it is a pay as you drive type deal.

Put chips in their arms and foreheads! Then use googles satellites to track them real time. Make the chips explode if tampered with. lmao

Same here, Colorado has an ownership tax to pay every year when I renew my plates.

Biden and the fauccis and the governors, can shut down the economy and put 100 restaurants out of ability to have sit down customers,

But they want people to make an investment and they need truck drivers to get goods and other goods to move from one place to another.
Then after the deception events and slide of hand used on Nov. 3. 2020, the Biden later said "ehh we have enough money just look at how much private people have." (to mean they can just confiscate it.

So now, there are no truck drivers to move goods around the country?? Why won't the democrat playbook work for moving goods and services around the country by truck.

Can't they just reparations payment the goods from the ships to the port, and then from the port through the trucking route?
Can't they just race card shame the goods and services off the ships into the port and then from the port through the trucking route??

Can't they just yell science denier, and have them recycle the goods off the ships onto the port and then across the country.
Can't they just print money for the goods and services to materialize off the ships onto the port

Can't they just shut down a pipeline to have the goods and services hop off the boat and into the port?
Why won't the democrat playbook work?

Can't the democrats tell the good that are on the boats, that the exit pollsters showed that the goods were already through the port and on their way across the country on trucks?

Can't the democrats shame the goods on the boats about why they hate gender different labled folks or how it benefits women to have the female goods jump off the boats into the ports and across the country in spite of the laws of physics?

Can't the democrats invite other goods and services not on the boats to come in through the southern border of the usa and allow those goods to not only be unvaccinated, un tested for covid, but to not comply with any regulations that people born in America must comply with, in order to get the goods off the boats, through the ports and across the rest of the country.

Why doesn't the democrat playbook work?

Hey THROW you should use the Republican technique of ‘thoughts and prayers’ to unload the ships. Your side seems to think it works to stop school shootings. It’d have to help unload ships right?

Oh… prove your claims of ‘slight of hand’ used on November 3rd…. Prove it… Or shut up.

If you keep making nonsensical rants and acting crazy, they might run you for congress next... as long as you don't mind getting on your knees for Trump.

Oh, his unabashed love for donny is clear. I’m pretty sure he only comes up for air long enough to post.