Weekly Comments Archive
Archived Issue
Sunday, December 6, 2009
ISSUE #580
#580 Dec. 6, 2009

Zero death tax puts old rich folks at risk

COLUMBUS: The Global Warming conference in Copenhagen made it’s first big decision: no Christmas trees will be allowed on the premises. See, Christmas is a Christian holiday, and the United Nations can’t risk being influenced by Christian principles.

Besides, Christmas decorations and colorful lights might get the delegates in a cheerful mood. That just won’t do when eighty percent are supposed to be sour and cranky and downright mad about warm temperatures and rising oceans.

These small island nations are worried their beachfront property is about to be flooded. But you don’t see them putting any of it up for sale. They plan to ask rich nations for $10 Billion a year, I suppose to build dikes around their islands. A better use of the $10 Billion is to put in a bid on these sandy beaches. If they accept, you’ve at least got a few years to walk on the land. If they say no, you’ve still got the $10 Billion.

Back home, old rich folks are getting worried as 2010 gets closer. On January 1, the federal estate tax drops to zero, and it will only stay at zero for a year unless Congress votes it back in. Since a bunch of those “old rich folks” run Congress, they are rushing to pass a bill that will stave off a rash of “assisted suicides” and “accidental deaths” among those with money-hungry offspring.

Congress says the new proposed estate tax will affect less than one percent, only the richest among us. But a lot of people are against it. See, in this country even the common man thinks that he might accumulate great wealth, and doesn’t want the government taking three-fourths of it when he’s gone. In these other countries, a common man with nothing figures he will always have nothing so why not let the wealthy pay all the bills. No wonder they’re cranky.

Historic quotes from Will Rogers:
“I don’t see why a man shouldn’t pay an inheritance tax. If a Country is good enough to pay taxes to while you are living, it’s good enough to pay in after you die. By the time you die you should be so used to paying taxes that it would just be almost second nature to you.” WA#168, Feb. 28, 1926

“Now they got such a high inheritance tax on ‘em that you won’t catch these old rich boys dying promiscuously like they did. This bill makes patriots out of everybody. You sure do die for your country if you die from now on.” DT#1767, March 23, 1932

“They passed the big inheritance tax, and that gets you when you’re gone. You used to could die and be able to beat taxes, but not now. The undertaker don’t go over your body as carefully as the assessor does your accumulated assets, and he gets his before the undertaker. They have it on these big fortunes now where they pay as high as 60 to 70 percent of what they leave. That’s mighty expensive dying when it runs into money like that, and you won’t see ’em dropping off as casually as they have been.” WA #594, May 13, 1934

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