'Joe the Plumber' happy to help candidates make point - CNN.com

Candidates referred to Joe Wurzelbacher a collective 26 times during debate

"I was just really surprised that my name was mentioned," he told reporters after the debate. "I think it helped them get their points across, so I was happy about that."...

"Although Wurzelbacher wouldn't say who he is voting for, he did say that Obama's tax plan doesn't sit well with him.

"Redistributing the wealth, as far as my hard work, that upsets me," he said. "That's not right. That's not American."

Obama will bring socialism to the United States.

I hope people actually listened to the interaction between Obama and Joe. Obama says straight out that he will distribute the wealth! WTH!

Why should someone who sits on their butt and does nothing, collects welfare be given some of the hard-earned money that Joe has worked to attain for many years? When these lazy bums are sitting in front of their TV on cold winter days, Joe is out there in all kinds of weather WORKING! There's lots of Joe's in the United States. Why should those who have no ambition get any part of Joe's well-deserved money?

Uh gee. What's the reduction in income taxes for someone who has no income. Hmm nothing.

Yeah, lazy slobs are the people who benefit from a tax break. Not the disabled, not senior citizens, not folks who aren't amoral enough to be a scum-bag CEO. not people of limited intellectual means. Just the big fat lazy slobs out there. Just got back from Iraq as a quadriplegic.? Too freakin' bad you lazy slob. Every man for himself.

Obama cannot bring Socialism here. The move to nationalize the banks is Socialism. It's already here and brought to you by the current President of the United States, George W. Bush, a Republican.

Wealth has been radically redistributed in the last 8 years. It has all gone to the top 1%. So much for the trickle down theory of economics.

With the help of a Democrat controlled Congress.

Things can be worst with a Dem President and a Dem. controlled Congress.

No income= a rebate. . .they still get money back if the file and get EIC.

Senior citizens aren't living off of "income" usually. They start cashing in their investments. . .and get hit hard with capital gains tax.

Besides, it's been shown that Obama's tax plan will hit middle income earners harder when everything is taken into consideration:

The Tax Foundation - Debate Tonight: Will the Real Truth Come Out on Anything?

Sen. McCain's Health Tax Credit

Sen. McCain proposes a new refundable health tax credit for each tax return -- $2,500 for singles, $5,000 for a couple. To pay for part of this major tax cut, he proposes that the current tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance be repealed. For 2009 and many years to come, the new credit would be more valuable to most taxpayers than the current exclusion, which for the typical taxpayer is now worth about $1,800. The Obama campaign has been running advertisements that are far from honest, and the McCain campaign rarely tells voters the whole truth either.

The vice-presidential debate was a font of falsehoods on this topic. Gov. Sarah Palin claimed that the plan was budget neutral when, in fact, the McCain plan would be a large tax cut, roughly $1.3 to $1.4 trillion over ten years. That tax cut figure may surprise people who believed Sen. Joe Biden's statements on the campaign trail that falsely called it the largest tax increase ever on the middle class. In fact, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimates that Sen. McCain's health tax credit would actually be a better deal for the middle-income (as a group) than Sen. Obama's health plan for each of the next ten years.

Obama has also been running ads trying to scare voters into believing they would be left to pay higher wage taxes while their insurance companies collect the tax credit. In fact, a taxpayer's insurance company would only receive the credit as total or partial payment of the insurance premiums that the taxpayer owes for health insurance. It's like the government giving you a voucher for cable television service, yet sending the check directly to the cable company on your behalf. The cable company can only cash the voucher if they provide you with the service. So the voucher is benefiting you, not just the cable company.


I don't even think either tax plans or viable. . . so it's all a bunch of hooey anyway!

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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) sometimes called the Earned Income Credit (EIC), is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income WORKING individuals and families.

From their Web site: The Tax Foundation makes no representation concerning the views expressed, and DOES NOT GUARANTEE the source, originality, ACCURACY, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.

What about poor Joe who doesn't have a license!

Say it ain't so! 'Joe the Plumber' says he has no plumbing license -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

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Say it isn't so!

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Plumbers working for others are usually in an apprenticeship. You have to work several years (x amount of time) to even try for your plumbing license. Then you have to apply for a business license to own a business in plumbing. Also have to have insurance to cover your work ..at different levels (1 million plus depending on the houses you are working on). Of course, different states have different laws concerning the licensing procedure.


But what does that have to do with how Obama answered the question?
The way Obama answered the question is the most important.

Oh you know me....I love to hijack threads!

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It's my understanding that he doesn't "own" the business yet.

But even if he does. . .a lot of guys in construction try to fly under the radar for as long as they can. The amount that you pay, at least here in WA state, is incredible. I'm not saying that it's ok. . .just that I understand it. With the economy the way it is. . .you can't make a living at it anymore. That's kind of the whole point. These guys are worried!

You have to imagine as a small business owner, it's similar to selling on E-bay. I think that some people here do that. Your profit margin is small, and E-bay keeps adding more fees. . .and mandating stuff now about Paypal. . .pretty soon it's not worth all the time and effort you put into it. For small business owners, the government is like E-bay. . .adding more and more taxes and mandating things that you can't pay for anymore. It's easier just to go to work for somebody else. It's really sad.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I'm not sure how that works. I just know that I have a friend that doesn't "work". He's on SSI. . .and he gets a tax refund. I assumed it was due to EIC. . .maybe not.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

But you're funny so it's ok. . .we like you.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

But wouldn't he only be getting taxed on his profit margin?

After all his deductions (paying employees, equipment, home office, ect) he would still have to net 250k before getting a tax increase right?

...or am I understanding this wrong?

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I saw these 2 posts on another board and they are so true.
Everyone is trying to discredit the guy that asked the question instead we need to focus on Obama's answer.

Quotes from another site:
"What I care about is Obama's response about "spreading the wealth". Whether Joe is a plumber, a burger flipper, a UPS deliveryman or a out of work child star, I DON"T CARE. What I do care about is OBAMA'S SOCIALIST RESPONSE. Doesn't matter if Joe is registered to vote, has paid his union dues or is past due on a library card, don't care. BUT I CARE ABOUT OBAMA'S RESPONSE ABOUT SPREADING THE WEALTH."

"So now the media will take on destroying "Joe the plumber" like they did with Sarah Palin, just because he asked the Messiah a tough question when Obama showed up outside his house. "

Amazing what a Democrat controlled Congress can do in one and half years, isn't it?

Methinks the lady doth protest too much........

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Unbelievable! A guy is out playing football with his son in his own neighborhood, along comes a presidential candidate campaigning and he goes over and does what all of us should do,....asks a "what if" question and wants to hear his answers. Next thing he knows he's in the national spotlight and his life has been changed forever.

It's just sad how the media is now trying dig up as much "smut" as they can on ihim. God forbid he might vote for McCain. I'm sure if he said he was voting for Obama, they couldn't find enough good things to say about him.

This election has become a circus and the media is controlling the naive minded.

Yes. . you are taxed on your "income." However, you forget that small business owners also pay self employment taxes. . .another 15% based on your income. Tack that on to their income tax rate and you are looking at darn near 50% of income. Don't forget B&O taxes, excise taxes, business liscences based on income (but those count as expenses for the year in which they're paid), As well as the FICA taxes you are paying for your employees. I know here in WA if an employee's wage is $10/hr. . .you are really paying roughly $20/hr towards that employee once you pay their FICA, etc.

I know that $250,000 sounds like a lot when you are just talking straight income. . .but for a small business owner it's really not. I know the best year we ever had was about $200,000. . . but when all was said and done, are "real" income was only about $80,000.

What I am afraid will happen under Obama's plan is that these guys that are making close to the $250,000 mark will buy "stuff" instead of hiring employees. Or even worse, purposely stay small. Because once you hit a certain mark there is a point of diminishing returns. Why work your ass off for no real gain?

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

This is totally off topic, but, since you mentioned SSI let me tell you a little story. BTW, SSI (to the best of my knowledge) is for people who are not able to work,. Children can receive SSI.

Ok, now..... about 15 years ago, a friend of mine had no health insurance, they were out of work, due to a physical disability. Prior to age 18 this guy received SSI from the state. Upon graduating high school, they got a job, and all was well....no more SSI. Then, the person's disability made it where as they were no longer able to work. No work, no health insurance. For some reason they could not get Medicaid.....it's been a few years, the mind is foggy. Anyway, I called the Social Security office to see what could be done. The basic jest of it was that since they paid into social security they could no longer get SSI (I think they started to collect SSD once they could no longer work), which came with the Medicaid health coverage. I remember telling the woman distinctly......"so, since this person chose to go out and get a job, and not be a burden on society, they are now being penalized?????" Which, IMO, is exactly what happened....they got off of SSI and now once they paid into Social Security, they could not go back onto SSI and get the Medicaid coverage.

The moral of the story: Many programs need to be revamped, no matter who gets into office.

We need to not reward people for not working and not wanting to work, if they are able to.

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Apparently, you saw no problem with your friend getting public assistance.

For what it is worth, I don't either.

What is the line then between supporting someone and socialism?

To me, it is different to say the current system needs to be revamped and the current system is socialism.

Under the view that the system is socialism and should be done away with entirely, your friend is SOL. Under the view that the current system needs to be revamped, we can use your friend as an example to make coverage more comprehenisive.

But apparently that's socialist.

Funny. Gripe about the media "destroying" Joe Not A Plumber while calling Obama "the Messiah." Mirror time.

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Last time I checked Joe isn't running for President.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

Interesting information, but completely irrelevant to my comment. Thanks for letting me know that Joe isn't running for president.

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Reading is Fundamental.

Well, it's too bad Joe didn't get out in front of the cameras sooner...say like before Sept. 4th? Might have been a whole different ticket. He actually did pretty good up against Katie Couric.....

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It is amazing isn't it?
Controlled? Not quite. They have a majority but by no means control much of anything. Besides which, it's going to take a lot more than 1 1/2 years to repair what has been done with all those "innocent" years of Republicans in power.

Should be able to start in January.

You were comparing the treatment of the two. That's apples to oranges. I don't expect to get the same treatment as Paris Hilton. If it's irrelevent why bother to make the comparison at all?

__________________
"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

Silly liberal, don't you know every negative thing that's happened under Bush is actually Clinton's fault?

Maureen

It goes both ways, silly. Don't you know that all the crappy things that Congress has done are all Bush's fault?

__________________
"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm