Comments on: Fact Check: Pastor Rick Warren Tweets ‘HALF of America pays NO taxes’

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:00:10 +0000

Of course Warren said that. He’s worth $14 million. He’s one of the rich who is scared to death of having to pay the same percentage as the middle class. He’s already gone to court because of a tax audit. I’m sure he’ll do whatever he can to defend his wealth.
If Jesus was on Twitter would he have said that?

By: Romeo

Romeo — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 14:16:32 +0000

So the “rich” , that being the “top 20% of wage earners” have all of these accountants to reduce their tax burden? I don’t know about most of us, but I have no such accountant. Through hard work, I have managed to very gradually work up to a 6-figure income over the past 30-years. But I can tell you, that I have never been in a position, even at lower-wages in my earlier years, been in a position that I paid “no taxes” or even the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard; getting more money back than I paid in.
I suppose timing is part of things, being without a generation “label” at right around 50 years old. I have never been in a position where I paid less that 20% in Federal taxes. Now I am right around a 30% bracket, with grown children, no house, and no loopholes. How many others am I paying for now? Perhaps my imaginary accountant can invent some imaginary tax loopholes. There are none.
People right around my age have been screwed for years. I am going to be looking at a 4th increase in retirement age, I will fall just below the age that will be “spared” another increase (those line-in-the-sand date “cliffs” that always seem to be right in front of me), and I am about to be yet another example of people who will have to just start paying my “fair share” of taxes to support people who pay no taxes at all.
So tell me, why would we expect 47% of people to possibly think that they should pay Federal tax, when they either pay nothing or get free money every year? Tell me that this thinking is not going to lead to doom.
Unless EVERYONE is required to contribute something, the system will never work. What do you think is the “real” number of people who should be truly spared from contributing?

By: Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:56:43 +0000

I recently retired and pay COBRA benefits of $1,400 per month for medical insurance. If you take the percentage of those premiums that is funneled into insurance company profits, it is around $4000 per year. That is much more than I pay in property taxes.
What do I get for my property taxes… Police protection, Fire and Life Safety protection, waste management, schools, libraries. The list goes on.
What do I get for my $4000 per year of insurance company PROFIT — the sound of crickets.
There are many ways that we spend money in this country. Tea Partiers have made it a requirement that we all pay exorbitant amounts into insurance companys’ profits to get any health insurance regulation.
The government is generally the cheapest way to provide a social benefit like health care because they eliminate the profit motive. American soldiers used to do the work that private mercenaries are now performing. These private military contractors are making double to quadruple the wages our soldiers are. Kowtowing to the altar of Capitalism to perform public service is generally more expensive than using private means.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:00:02 +0000

… :))

By: Gregory

Gregory — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:27:47 +0000

Why do so many prominent “Christians” hate the poor so much? This is a rhetorical question because I know most christian leaders do not read the bible because its a big wordy book, and they are very lazy not to mention quite stupid. Rick Warren is a modern day pharisee, as are most of his ilk among the right wing.

By: John M

John M — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:09:02 +0000

Guess who else pays no taxes? Churches!!!!!

By: catman

catman — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:51:08 +0000

spydyee…right on.

By: newz4i

newz4i — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:39:30 +0000

No taxes? As has been posted: Pastor Warren’s business/church does not pay any taxes. And those who give money to his business/church lower theirs. What’s this? A sermon to raise pledges? In other words, smoke and mirrors.

By: Spydyee

Spydyee — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:05:04 +0000

“Posted by: angellightr | Jul 29, 2011 8:50:26 AM
My MEGA-church, temple of right wing hate, pays ZERO taxes. That’s why I can afford a mansion, a Rolls Royce, and a private plane (for which I get a tax exemption). Poor Jeezus freaks paying 28% of their pay in taxes, then I guilt them into giving me (oops I mean Jeezus) another 10%, it’s a wonder I’m 400 lbs and they’re not. Girth is a sing of opulence.”
The church pays no taxes because it is a 501c3 charity and every person that gives to it gets to take that gift off of their taxes. Rick Warren does pay taxes. He does not get a salary from Saddleback Church and even repaid 25 years worth of salary to the church after he made tons of money on his books “The Purpose Driven Life” and “The Purpose Driven Church”
Also, anyone that is actually paying 28% of their income in taxes is anything but poor.
28% Bracket
$83,600 – $174,400 Single
$139,350 – $212,300 Married Filing Jointly
$119,400 – $193,350 Head of Household
Now I don’t know where you live but here in North Carolina someone that makes between $83,000 and $212,000 is not considered “poor” and if someone with that level of income wants to give 10% of their income to a church and not buy their kids Nike shoes and Starter jackets then more power to them. I am sure whatever the church does with the money is bound to be better than raising yet another generation of consumerist kids that could do to their parents what the wall street jerks have done to their parents just so they can have their Lamborghini and their Armani Suits. I am not a right wing conservative bible thumper but I will not sit idly by and watch Rick Warren be accused of something that he has not done. It is rare you find a man that would give up his salary at a church but he took it one step further by giving back all the salary the church ever paid him for 25 years. That puts him way up on my list of OK people.

By: Spydyee

Spydyee — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:39:16 +0000

If these Right wing Bible Thumpers really believed what they claim to believe they would have fixed the tax problem long ago. God has told them how to fix it but they don’t get the idea. If God’s kingdom on earth can run on a flat percentage tithe then why can we not run the government on a flat percentage with no deductions for any one for any reason. There is no reason for a family that pays little to no taxes to get back more than they pay in but there is also no reason for there to be so many things that are deductible on a tax form that you can drop two tax brackets from your gross to your taxable income. When a corporate jet is a tax deduction for that company there is a problem. Flat tax-no deductions-no exceptions. TRUE EQUALITY