Who Pays Taxes in America? America’s tax system as a whole is just barely progressive.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

We'll always have corporate crime - people will always try to get away with it while they can. The best way to address dishonesty is to continuously tweak the rules and regulations to minimize it as much as possible. However, the damage done by a woman who receives $130 a month in food stamps, while her boyfriend (who she doesn't list on the household), provides her with a nice car, is miniscule in comparison to the cost of abuse from white collar crime. The Right Wingers like to focus their outrage toward the powerless and poor, while cheering for white collar criminals because, afterall, they're just trying to make a buck. Who cares if they dumped toxic waste on public land?

More regulation causes more white collar crime. If you understood anything about Washington you'd know this.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

More regulation causes more white collar crime. If you understood anything about Washington you'd know this.

You're wrong. It's loopholes and lack of adequate rules or regulations that corporations will exploit. They have a full time staff of lawyers who find those loopholes to exploit, not to mention the amount of lobbying they do in Washington to eliminate regulations that get in their way.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

That's a fair point. There's a lively debate currently going on in my county around a multimillion dollar incentive package a big box sporting good retailer is set to receive for building a store. They talk about job creation and all but nobody talks about the mom and pop sporting good stores in the vicinity that will end up closing and letting people go because they cannot compete with the national chain store. The net effect of jobs in the county is going to be minimal but the corporate retailer will still get tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds. It's just a gift we as taxpayers get to make to the chain's shareholders and executives, I guess.

Yep. And you won't hear so much as whimper from those who typically get all worked up over a single mother receiving $130 a month in foodstamps. And for the record, when DES determines eligibility, they look at your assets. If you're sitting on a $40,000 Benz, you'll be disqualified. If you see someone driving a Benz and using foodstamps, report 'em. If someone is caught lying, they can be forever banned from receiving welfare again. Rules and regulations can and do work, but there will always be a few who will break the rules until they are caught.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

You're wrong. It's loopholes and lack of adequate rules or regulations that corporations will exploit. They have a full time staff of lawyers who find those loopholes to exploit, not to mention the amount of lobbying they do in Washington to eliminate regulations that get in their way.

Everything piece of legislation that has anything to do with "regulations" 99% of the time has a corporate sponsor or several. Why? Because they are getting laws that favor them and their industry to "clear out" the competition.

Regulations cause white collar crime because the influence that created the regulations didn't come from you and me, it came from people buying their own set of rules.

Do you think seat belt laws, safety feature laws, etc.. are all about protecting you and me? Hell no. They're about big insurance dictating to Washington what THEY want to protect THEIR interests.

Some regulations we may agree with for the time being, but they only ever go so far or they go to far except for those who built it. Follow the money and look who benefits. That's where you'll find your real white collar criminals and their influence.

[mawilson 2,133]

Yep. And you won't hear so much as whimper from those who typically get all worked up over a single mother receiving $130 a month in foodstamps. And for the record, when DES determines eligibility, they look at your assets.

Do they? Well that's disappointing. There goes my idea of funneling millions to the Caymans while collecting food stamps.

[mawilson 2,133]

In New York State, the Food Stamp Program now allows you to have more money in a checking or savings account, or even a retirement account or college savings account, without affecting your eligibility for food stamp benefits. Most households applying for food stamp benefits no longer have to pass a savings/resource test in order to get food stamp benefits. This means that the household’s assets (stocks, savings and retirement accounts, etc.) are not considered when determining eligibility. Please note that if you apply for food stamp benefits, you may still be asked to provide information regarding such resources.

My link

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

In New York State, the Food Stamp Program now allows you to have more money in a checking or savings account, or even a retirement account or college savings account, without affecting your eligibility for food stamp benefits. Most households applying for food stamp benefits no longer have to pass a savings/resource test in order to get food stamp benefits. This means that the household’s assets (stocks, savings and retirement accounts, etc.) are not considered when determining eligibility. Please note that if you apply for food stamp benefits, you may still be asked to provide information regarding such resources.

My link

That's insane. So I can park money in savings and retirement and brokerage accounts and still get food stamps? #######?

Edited April 11, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[mawilson 2,133]

That's insane. So I can park money in savings and retirement and brokerage accounts and still get food stamps? #######?

You won't get a lot though - all those stamps barely cover one visit to Whole Foods.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You won't get a lot though - all those stamps barely cover one visit to Whole Foods.

Still. If you have assets, then you ought to use those assets to support yourself. Come back and apply when you run out.