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Subscribe to RSSU.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue is at the White House meeting with Chief of Staff Jack Lew and other senior administration officials about the so-called "fiscal cliff," a spokesperson at the GOP-leaning Chamber of Commerce told NBC News.
"This meeting is part of the ongoing dialogue on the fiscal cliff. The business community is always interested in being a positive force in addressing the economic challenges facing our country," the Chamber's spokesperson said. "Chamber members have been involved in many meetings with the administration in the past few weeks, and there are more meetings scheduled, as the business community continues to urge Congress and the administration to work together to avert the fiscal cliff."
Meanwhile, NBC News confirms that President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner spoke on the phone on Saturday. Both sides agreed to not characterize the call, only to acknowledge that it happened.
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The mayor of New York has requested $1.9 billion in relief aid from the federal government to help recover from the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy.
I say that we cannot afford this. It must be turned over to the states. Texas has lots of money. They must be required to pay New York's cleanup costs.
J. Willard, Texas needs to pay for a lot of things. You know what the say, "You can always tell a Texan, You just can't tell'em much.
The conversation though, was about the U.S. Chamber of commerce. The "Chamber" is now fully owned by, financed by, and run by the GOP and the Tea Party. The Tea Pary still has a lot of backing from their Super Pacs and are not in retreat. On the contrary they are re-organizing. They are getting their cohorts into every slot avaialble at the state and local level. City Councils, School Boards, State legislatures, Etc. The Congressional elections in 2014 are probably the most important election in any of our lifetimes. This is serious.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce now essentially equals the Tea Party, The Republican Party, and the Fox Nation backed up by the Koch Bros. et.al. The CofC, in league with BIG BUSINESS, conspired to and succeeded at destroying "down town" in most small towns in this country.
When Walmart and Bain Capitol came to town, small local family businesses went away and so did our jobs. We want our jobs back and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could care less. They play for the other team now. People say my rants are angry, heck yea, I'm angry. You really could not make this stuff up.
Texas has lots of money because they are a welfare red state...they rake in far more from the feds than their dumb citizens send...welfare queens welfare queens welfare queens...
where is W? Last I heard, he was writing a book on how to fix the economy. Then I heard he is painting Dog pictures.
Oh, a bunch of corporations (who are people) get together to increase their bargaining power. Kinda sounds like a Union to me. Oh, but that is different. Corporations get capital gains and thus a preferred status.
It turns out the dog painting was paint by number. He got stuck on 3!
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is nothing more than a lobbyist for the 1%. They have been bought and paid for like a two dollar whore.
... and in an effort to increase profits and reduce costs, her wages will be reduced to .25....
If health care/Obamacare is the main issue, just ask the CoC if they have a detailed and ready plan to replace it with as good or better of health care bill, which they don't because they know Romneycare is Obamacare and Romneycare was the best repubs have ever come up with and probably ever will. Yes, maybe many Americans could afford health care insurance if they did not spend a lot of their money on entertainment/movies/music/pro and college sport/booze/eating out at restaurants, etc and other things that are not necessaties of life....but those are now so much a part of our economic machine that forcing Americans to live in austerity with cutting out all the "luxuries" in life for affordable health care to all may cause another recession just by weaning ourselves off things we did not have eating up our budgets 30 years ago (cell phones, ipods, personal computers, modern, skyhigh college costs, etc).
Maybe all our leaders including business/CoC should come together and build a path of getting our country healthier again in many ways businesses can affect as well as really cutting healthcare costs like other countries have done to make it universal there like in Canada, Germany, Japan, etc. etc. That would show the world our leaders really care about all Americans, their finding a multi-dimensional approach that will also lower the bankruptcies and shortened lifespans for many folks. We spend so much more than other countries on our regular living costs, but can't find enough money left over to provide affordable health care to all - that makes the USA look dumb/inhumane/illogical with all our high college educated folks.
They have a plan...don't get sick and when you do die quickly and quietly please...there now you have the COC and Romney plan all rolled into one...
Big
The CoC would disagree with your statement above, they want people to spend spend spend a lot, that helps them but if you can't afford health care that is their tough luck, we don't want to contribute....me me me.
"The business community is always interested in being a positive force in addressing the economic challenges facing our country," the Chamber's spokesperson said. "
He went on to say just as long as they don't expect our members to kick in more of our billions that we were sitting on in hopes that Mittens would get elected.
If it is anything like our local Chamber of Commerce, I bet it involves free food!
The Chamber of Commerce is the LARGEST welfare recipient organization on the planet!
Business write off buildings, labor, lunches, dinners alchohol, travel, golf outings, electric, gas, water, machinery, office supplies, they write off everything! Why should I, Joe taxpayer, subsidize ANY business in our "Free Market Capitalist Society? Corporate welfare is ruining this country. Dispose of ALL corporate welfare and the scum sucking business' who dont survive.... shouldn't! Its time to take our country vack from the Corporate welfare thieves! During WWII taxes were 93%, we are in the most expensive and longest war right now. Why can't they pay 50%? Its called Corporate Patriotism, is there any left or are they all welfare dependent leeches?
Yep, when I had my business I refused to join that criminal group, just another corporate, wealthy welfare bunch.
Why do you refer to your business in the past tense? Did you fail?
The COC is nothing but a flack organization for the reichwing ding a lings...I refuse to belong to it or the NFIB because they are the tar babies for all that is wrong in todays business environment...
The GOP chamber of commerce is not a gov. agency. It was created by the GOP like a super pac. Nothing but confussing but legit sounding NAMES set up to decieve unknowing voters. All super pacs and political party orginizations should be identified in their TITLE!!!!! (GOP) Chamber of Commerce, ect. More deception from the Republicans instead of listening to the public and going straight and above board. The Dems. do it too but not quite as blatently. We need political protection Laws ,and reform NOW!!! Did you vote for any of the fat cat LOBIEST in the US Chamber of Commerce??? I did not and they have no right expressing our (US) desires. Which are their own lobiest concerns. They should be in Jail with Scooter Libby , oh yeah , Bush pardoned Scooter. FREEDOM!!!!!
The US Chamber of Commerce has been opposed to every single piece of social welfare legislation passed or proposed in this century. Why the Obama administration is willing to talk with them is beyond me. Hopefully it's to tell the Chamber there was just an election (as well as in 1932, 1936, and so forth) and the results are in and they need to get with the program or get lost.
Yes, there was just an election. Republicans won a comfortable margin in the House of Representatives. Obama won just 50% of the popular vote. I suggest you read the Constitution. Presidents have no power to write legislation. That power is given to Congress. All, repeat ALL revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives. It seems that voters want Republicans writing that legislation.
"Republicans won a comfortable margin in the House of Representatives."
That was largely due to Gerrymandering. The Republicans lost two Senate seats and 9 in the House, most notably two of the most vile loudmouth teabaggers (West and Walsh).
As to the 50%, that was the same margin for Bush II the second time, and the first time he came in second in the popular vote.
Whoop de do.
COC, the most anti-middle class bunch there ever was now in damage control mode. There are not there to help avoid the cliff as much as to try and get more of the pie. In NY they and the Association Of Realtors have opposed every legislation put forward to directly help the middle class. Why the Obama administration is even talking to them is beyond me. Hope they brought alone their anti-bacterial cleaner to wipe the brown stuff off their faces.
Look at the bright side. With the Powerball at $425 million, there is bound to be a big new job creator crowned on Wednesday.
Here is why the first and biggest round of tax increases must be on the top 1 - 2%.
The poor have zero disposable income, to raise taxes on them would be to literally take food out of their mouths. The same holds true for the lower middle class. The rest of the middle class has very little disposable income as their wages have remained flat over the last decades while those at the top have increased almost 3 fold*. To raise taxes on the middle class would take consumer spending out of the economy, of which 70% of comes from.
Then we have the top. To ask them to pay 4 pennies on the Dollar more only on income they receive above $250,000 would not make a dent in their standard of living whatsoever.
*The following is a report on the INCREASE in AFTER TAX INCOME, NOT tax paid.
Increase in after-tax income by group, 1979-2007;
Top 1% 281%
Top 5% 160%
Top 10% 125%
Top 20% 95%
Forth 20% 35%
Middle 20% 25%
second 20% 23%
Bottom 20% 16%
Figures are adjusted for inflation.
Source; Congressional Budget Office "Average After-Tax Household Income"
Why do you keep posting old data when the CBO has posted revised numbers just a few months ago??
The source for this data is the Congressional Budget Office and was posted by the Tax Policy Center on 24 October 2012 from a July 2012 CBO report. It lists the "Share of After-Tax Income" by various income groups. The data shows that there has not been a shift in the distribution of after-tax income over the past 25 years (1984-2008), contrary to what many believe. Included is data from 2009 that shows the drop in incomes during recessions due to the falloff in capital gains income for high income earners. 2000 shows the impact of more capital gains income for high income earners during economic bubbles.
Share of After Tax Income:
Income Group...2009.......2008…...2000........1990….....1984
1st 20%...........6.2%.......6.0%.........5.5%........6.0%.......6.3%
2nd 20%..........11.1%......10.6%......10.2%.......11.2%.....11.2%
Mid 20%.........15.8%......15.0%.......14.6%......15.7%.....15.9%
4th 20%...........21.6%......20.7%......20.0%......21.7%.....22.1%
Top 20%.........47.2%.......49.1%......50.5%......46.5%.....45.3%
Top 1%...........11.5%......14.1%.......15.2%......10.8%......9.7%
Apples and oranges. The data I posted is INCREASE in AFTER TAX INCOME since 1979.
The data you posted is not the same, nor is it's time frame.
No matter because the first and biggest round of tax increases MUST come with those that have the most disposable income. To raise taxes on a couple with two kids that make $20,000 per year is immoral. Asking millionaires and billionaires to pay 4 pennies on the Dollar more from what they make in excess of $250,000 is not a hardship on them at all.
P.S. Do you really expect people to believe that the data from 1979 changed between 2010 and 2012?
We need to abolish the Chamber of Commerce. It has a big, important sounding name but all it is, is a panel of some of the worst lobbyists in this country.
Now those greedy bigots have to go to the same president that they maligned for the past 4 years. Hope that enjoy that crow.
If I were President Obama, I would tell both Tom Donahue and his US Chamber of Commerce to:
1. Go directly to Hell;
2. Do not pass go;
3. Do not collect $200,000,000;
4. And bring your own handbasket (you can pay for that, too).
These goofballs spent untold millions on some of the most revolting election ads not only against President Obama but our own Sen. Sherrod Brown, whom they particularly love to hate. Almost all of their candidates lost. I'm so glad that they wasted their money. But the true tragedy is the thought of how many people that they could have fed with that money instead.
Have a good cry in your Lipton, fellas!
lol
More calls to the Obama Whore House?
For the umteenth time, President Obama. The GOP is a spiteful group incapable of acting in good faith. Let the Bush tax cuts expire.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ain't your local Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber of Commerce? And all this time I thought is was the Billionaires Boys Club.