Bernie Sanders: Walmart family’s ‘obscene’ wealth subsidized by taxpayers

[kpete]

“One of the reasons that the Walton family, the owners of Walmart, are so wealthy is that they receive huge subsidies from the taxpayers of this country,” he said. “When you pay, at Walmart, starvation wages, you don’t provide benefits to your workers, who picks up the difference? The answer is that many of the workers in Walmart end up getting Medicaid, they get food stamps, they get affordable housing paid for by the taxpayers of this country while the Walton family remains the wealthiest family in America.”

“If that is not obscene, I don’t know what is,” Sanders concluded.


VIDEO & MORE
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/03/bernie-sanders-walmart-familys-obscene-wealth-subsidized-by-taxpayers/

[Squinch]

1. Kick. Why does the GOP world not understand this???

I think because they are too busy going after some single mother's $150 a month in food stamps.

[Lebam in LA]

2. They really dont care n/t

[Squinch]

3. The 1%ers don't, but I can't figure out the underpaid Walmart workers who vote GOP.

It's like saying, "abuse me, I love it."

Takes all kinds.

[Heather MC]

5. They are convinced that one day they too will be able to get wealthy

you know the American Dream.

They refuse to wake up

[whttevrr]

42. This

If you think one day you will be a mega gazillionaire, you don't want the rules to change for gazillionaires.

[Thinkingabout]

18. I don't think they realize this is corporate welfare. We are subdizing Walmart poor payment of

their employees. In fact a few years ago the employees was instructed to go and apply for medical care for their children and food stamps. Walmart has been shamed in the last few years to offer some medical insurance to their employees. I don't understand why their workers continue to vote for GOP's when the GOP platform sure does not have the best interest of those workers included in their platform.

[Heather MC]

44. Well

Walmart tends to setup shop in rural areas, these people don't see it as "working for corporate America" they consider that to be a big city issue.

I remember years ago walmart would have three four hour shifts. Their full timers never worked 8 hours a day. I dated a manager of Walmart, he told me they did this so they wouldn't have to pay for medical insurance.

this was in 1993

[gtar100]

57. Sam was such an innovative guy.

He ended up creating a monster that eats away at the very communities he was so fond of. His family heirs are the perfect example of why an inheritance tax is essential to keep a culture from caving in on itself for being too top-heavy. They, I'm sure, pride themselves at being self-sufficient but they are nothing more than a bunch of moochers stealing from those they so fondly call "associates" and depending heavily on the government to pick up their slack.

Sam, you fucked up big time. This is your legacy in reality.

[mick063]

7. There are the money lords and their lemming followers

You are right. They really don't care.


Like people that believe faith will heal their cancer stricken child instead of medicine, the lemmings know our nation is very sick, but they choose their faith to heal as opposed to the medicine. If 300 million people attended Christian church, the collective prayer would solve our nations ills. You see it all of the time. After Newtown. After Katrina. After Sandy.

This is about God and Guns. God to heal our nation. Guns to protect us until the healing has come.

You cannot debate this mindset. You cannot reason with this mindset. We attempted to impose American style Democracy on a nation that dictated policy through mosques instead of statehouses. While we were preoccupied, our local churches became inspired to do the same. The money lords collected these easily led sheep and gently herded them with the promise of more God and more Guns. The piece of candy offered by the abductor of the innocent child.

Intelligent debate is impossible with these people. They live in an alternate universe and in this alternate universe, harsh reality is the price for lack of faith. They simply didn't try hard enough. God is mad at them, so they are mad at the world. Logic does not work with witch burners.

[Squinch]

8. You are right in all of this. Which I sadly know from experience with relatives.

[maddiemom]

54. Look at the uproar Ombama caused when he unwisely (though mildly)

brought up the "guns and religion" thing . A fairly large and very vocal percentage of our population will never want to hear that they are being played for suckers, and will be highly offended if it's even suggested. Another reason education is constantly under fire. Europe and,especially Scandinavia, think we're a nation of fools these days, The bright progress that was ours for the first few centuries in this country has always taken flak from religious fundamentalists. Who could have imagined they would gain even more ground after the promise of the space age?

[Purveyor]

6. They understand it and they 'bank' on it but history shows this will only last for so long. eom

[AgingAmerican]

9. They steal money

They are a money and wealth worship cult.

[Enthusiast]

28. They are steeped in ignorance.

They actually celebrate their ignorance.

Listen to this. It has nothing to with the discussion but it will make you feel better.

[Squinch]

35. That is GREAT! It DID make me feel better. Thank you!

[valerief]

52. False advertising. It didn't make me feel better. Whiny noise to me. But to each his own! nt

[Enthusiast]

56. I'm sorry you feel that way........nt

[valerief]

60. Hey, I feel the same for you, but que sera sera.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Recommended. (nt)

[RobertEarl]

10. Union jobs are real jobs

A walmart job is just a job. Years back it was a good job, but the pay is now lower and the hours longer. Real jobs are those that you can sustain you as you trade 40 hours a week of your life. A real job pays you enough to take care of you in the rest of your precious hours.

Get a real job! Go union!

[Squinch]

12. .

[hfojvt]

11. I know something that is more obscene

Alice Walton got $515,000,000 in dividend income last year

http://www.forbes.com/profile/alice-walton/

Thanks to ATRA she will get $101,000,000 in tax cuts on those dividends - permanent tax cuts for one of America's richest.

Sanders voted FOR ATRA.

That's pretty darn obscene.

[mick063]

13. Walmart's abuse of the taxpayer is well documented

Bernie being Bernie. Why I adore him as a true representative of the people.

I refuse to spend a nickel at Walmart. I have convinced at least two others to do likewise.

[L0oniX]

14. Subsidizing Walmart with community health services and food stamps ...standard operations. n/t

[colbertforpresident]

16. Ebenezer Walton

The Scrooge family.

[LongTomH]

17. Don't compare these people to Scrooge......

....the whole idea of A Christmas Carol was that Scrooge was redeemed at the end. I don't hold out much hope for the redemption of the Waltons, or the Kochs, or Murdoch, or Adelson, or Paul Ryan, or Mitt Romney.

[indepat]

15. An obscenity times infinity: shame on government for letting Wal-Mart heirs profit

beyond their wildest dreams through paying starvation wages far below what the Federal minimum wage should be. Another win for big bidness at the expense of the general welfare and we the people.

[Electric Monk]

19. “If that is not obscene, I don’t know what is.” - K&R

[Dustin DeWinde]

20. the coservative entertainment complex uses racial anxiety

To get rural whites (Wal-Mart's core consumers) to vote against their own interests.
Limbaugh Hannity et al convinces these poor saps even though they owe allegiance to the waltons the kochs etc because of racial solidarity. Never mind that the one percenters don't feel any allegiance to you, or that your black and Hispanic coworkers and neighbors have more in common with you. Even though the waltons pay you minimum wage, you and them are in it against THOSE people.
And the rubes eagerly lap that nonsense up.

[mstinamotorcity2]

21. You know how

the good old boys do. Cotton barons got to have its people. Why what on earth would an indentured worker need $12.00 an hour. that's just too much money. What do they want ?? Groceries?? they have the nerve to want to eat??

[bearssoapbox]

22. I have relatives that work at Wal-Mart.

They bitch about low pay, needing food stamps, medicaid and low hours.

Go to their house and the tv is on faux news 24/7.

So naturally they blame President Obama and the commie liberals.

When I was up and around and if I visited them or vice versa after 5 minutes I wanted to do serious bodily harm to them. Instead I'd just leave. Whether at their house or mine. (I never let them in my house, that way I just walk away and go inside. I can't stand them that much.) They still call and ask to borrow money, my car, tools,etc.

Bet you can't guess what the answer always is.

I don't shop there either.

[steve2470]

23. Profits are more important than people. Those employees knew upfront, fk em

in case I need to add this. One of the best examples of how capitalism fails is Wal-Mart.

[arely staircase]

24. This is the best reframing (to reflect reality) of an issue ever

people like to bitch about "deadbeats on welfare" when in fact most people receiving government assistance work their asses off for millionairs who don't want to pay a decent way for a hard day's work.

Time to make them be responsible to their workers and stop asking for a handout.

[kpete]

37. clear and simple

Bernie Sauders at his best...


peace, kp

[Chaco Dundee]

25. big news

That is only possible since you numb nuts keep to buy their trash.mom and pop around the corner sell you quality and their help is treated like human beings.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

26. "you numb nuts"

Who are you talking to?

[Enthusiast]

27. Bernie is exactly right on..........nt

[ceonupe]

29. execpt

he hims self votes for policies that continue to grant the 1% more and more freedom from paying their fair share.

last year alone the walton family saved about 400 million in taxes because of his votes.

[Enthusiast]

32. You full Buffalo

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[cali]

34. what votes are those? list them please.

[ceonupe]

39. ok

did he not vote for extending the bush tax cuts pretty much forever? Yes he did.

and with that the reduced rates on capital gains and dividends.

yeah the whole line worker pays higher tax rate than the CEO/founder. because most of there compensation is in the form of Stocks and stock options. This is how the ultra rich get even richer at very low tax rates.

Some say that investment money helps create jobs and yes that is true in many cases but it also is a great way to grow great wealth into mega crazy wealth with a low tax rate.

[cali]

40. fuck no, he didn't. Do you just make up shit for the fun of it, honey?

not only did he not vote for it, he filibustered it with a real talking filibuster


http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/12/13/why-bernie-sanders-filibustered-the-tax-cut-deal.html

http://www.ontheissues.org/economic/Bernie_Sanders_Tax_Reform.htm

Do you really think that people here don't know this and if they don't know it, why would anyone take YOUR word for with no links to the facts?

[whttevrr]

43. he he he

[ceonupe]

50. but .......

Sanders voted for ATRA. look it up

[cali]

53. but, but, but. YOU haven't a clue what you're talking about.

ATRA raised taxes on the wealthy, dearie. And it was a complex piece of legislation that addressed far more than taxes. duh.

It was part of the fiscal cliff deal. Guess who opposed it? lots of repukes, particularly teabaggers in the House. Shouldn't that tell you something.


please see my sig line and grab a clue.

[ceonupe]

38. lets see

did he not vote for extending the bush tax cuts pretty much forever.

and with that the reduced rates on capital gains and dividends.


yeah the whole line worker pays higher tax rate than the CEO/founder. because most of there compensation is in the form of Stocks and stock options.

[whttevrr]

45. I am not as keen with the links

But didn't the lower end of the Bush tax cuts get permanized* with the upper bracket being raised to 1996 levels?





*permanized (just go with it)

[joshcryer]

30. Not "subsidized by taxpayers" but rather, stolen from taxpayers.

Taxpayers don't willingly want a corporation doing what Wal-Mart does.

[HiPointDem]

31. kr. and it's not just the waltons.

[AzDar]

33. Bernie!

[qualitybeatsquantity]

36. Shopping at WalMart is nothing more than supporting the GOP and thier policies

Oh ya say ya don't like the GOP agenda and policies?

OK stop shopping at WalMart, YOUR continued shopping at WalMart directly supports the GOP.

People here say they don't support the GOP but still shop at WalMart. You might as well give your money to Cruz or Bonner or McTurtle because that is what you are do when you shop Walmart


Stores existed before WalMart it took WalMart shoppers to run the other stores out of business not WalMart blame yourself.

[Octafish]

41. It was all legal.

Per the late Jackson Stephens. OK, ask Hillary Clinton, then of the Rose Law Firm.

[hunter]

46. ALL obscene wealth is subsidized and protected by the society that allows it.

I think any society that allows and celebrates "obscene wealth" is broken.

Individuals and corporations should never be large enough or wealthy enough to influence the political system. In our current system the one vote/one share we all have in this society has been short circuited by big money. The congressman pays more attention to the big money lobbyist and little or no attention to the interests of the people he is supposed to be serving.

At some point taxation has to approach 100% to prevent the accumulation of individual wealth at the expense of those who have little or nothing, and corporations that become more powerful than those democratically elected governments that charter them. Huge corporations ought to be majority owned by their workers, broken up into smaller corporations, or simply nationalized.

In a fair and just society corporations like giant banks, oil companies, and Wal-Mart would not exist. Heirs of highly successful businesses might be comfortably wealthy, but there would be no family dynasties of billionaires, no royal families of the obscenely wealthy.

[BobbyBoring]

47. I love the new Wal Mart ads

Showing happy employees enjoying their "Careers". Upward mobility at Wally World RIGHT!

[DirkGently]

48. Can't be pointed out enough. Rich "moochers." N/t

[forestpath]

49. K&R

[ceonupe]

51. where does Hillary stand on this

Given her role on the board during the time many of these shifts in the company were made.

You know back when she was a lawyer and board memeber

[perdita9]

55. You go, Bernie!

Bernie -- the people's hero

[awoke_in_2003]

58. And some want an ex-member of their board...

to be the next president.

[fascisthunter]

59. americans want kings and queens

they want the wealthy to rule... they don't want a democracy.