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[Karakand]

Don't people selling illegal drugs have to pay taxes already? I always remember being told stories about how the IRS had this whole system set up to collect taxes from drug dealers while looking the other way.

I can see that enforcement/compliance with that would be pretty low (compared to a brick-and-mortar business), though.

Certain legal industries (especially cash ones) have atrocious compliance--the restaurant industry for example--so I doubt compliance in illegal ones exists in any meaningful capacity, but yes they have been subject to certain taxes during criminalization. The IRS is prohibited from sharing tax information with some agencies, but I don't know if that's in totality or certain situations. (I do know that they can't share taxpayer information to report on a taxpayer's immigration status, for example.)

There are also new kinds of taxes that can be levied on a recently legalized product, namely excise taxes. (IANAL so I don't know if current sales tax laws apply to sales of illegal products.)

 

[WayneMorse]

This Could Be the Start of Scott Walker’s Bridgegate

As I've said before Walker is teflon but let's hope this sticks.

If Burke wins in November hopefully she'll take out the true believers in the legislature as well.

 

[Sibylus]

So the XL Pipeline just got crushed in Nebraska...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...aw-that-allowed-keystone-pipeline-to-proceed/

Wonder how much of a delay we're talking here, months? Years?

 

[smokeandmirrors]

http://imgur.com/a/GVrcl

I love this.

 

[Armoured Priest]

This Could Be the Start of Scott Walker’s Bridgegate

As I've said before Walker is teflon but let's hope this sticks.

If Burke wins in November hopefully she'll take out the true believers in the legislature as well.

Had a feeling that if anything was going to come out of the John Doe on Walker, it would probably hit about now.

 

[Chumly]

Did liberals re-name "global warming" as "climate change" to avoid the embarrassment of the coldest winter ever debunking their heat assertions?

I've seen this question many times on facebook lol

Besides the general nonsense about how temperatures fluctuate......... The ironic part is how this winter has actually not been that cold for the United States. Some areas yes but its largely offset by other areas have record warmth.

LINK
A slightly cooler than average January for the U.S.

January of 2014 saw the most severe cold in twenty years over much of the Eastern half of the U.S., but no states had their coldest January on record, said NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in their latest State of the Climate report. A persistent trough of low pressure over the East brought a top-ten coldest January on record to eight states, but an equally strong ridge of high pressure over the West Coast brought a top-ten warmest January on record to California, Arizona, and Nevada. As a result, the January temperature over the entire contiguous U.S. was only slightly cooler than average, ranking as the 53rd coolest January in the past 120 years. According to the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, January snow cover extent across the contiguous U.S. was the 16th smallest in the 48-year period of record. Above-average snow cover was observed across the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast where numerous winter storms brought heavy snowfall during the month, but below-average snow cover was observed for most of the West and Southern Rockies.

 

[Fenderputty]

Yeah the whole only paying attention to the east coast while the west coast is having record warmth is stupid to the umpteenth degree. I had to listen to this on sport talk radio the other day. The guy bring up the east coast lives in Cali too. People see what hey want to see ....

 

[RustyNails]

Whats going on with Republican governors? McDonnell and Christie's rise and fall (and politically dead), now Walker facing probe and NC governor McRory's administration facing 20 subpoenas over coal spill?

 

[Wilsongt]

Good job, Arizon:

http://www.kvoa.com/news/arizona-senate-oks-bill-that-allows-refusal-of-service-to-gays/

The Arizona Senate has passed a Republican-backed bill that expands the rights of people to assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays and others.

Democrats and civil rights groups opposed the bill being pushed by social conservatives, saying it would allow discriminatory actions by businesses.

But GOP Sen. Steve Yarbrough of Chandler says his push was prompted by a New Mexico case where the state Supreme Court allowed a gay couple to sue a photographer who refused to take pictures of their wedding. He says he's protecting religious rights.

Democrats sponsored eight hostile amendments during Wednesday's debate that were rejected by Republicans who control the Senate.

A similar bill is making its way through the House.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck these people.

Whats going on with Republican governors? McDonnell and Christie's rise and fall (and politically dead), now Walker facing probe and NC governor McRory's administration facing 20 subpoenas over coal spill?

Their goal was just to get elected. There was nothing in their speeches and such that said they'd actually do a good and legal job.

 

[Mario]

Good job, Arizon:

http://www.kvoa.com/news/arizona-senate-oks-bill-that-allows-refusal-of-service-to-gays/

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck these people.

Their goal was just to get elected. There was nothing in their speeches and such that said they'd actually do a good and legal job.

How long until an Arizona business puts up a "Straight whites only" sign over their water fountain I wonder.

 

[WayneMorse]

Joe Scarborough says he hasn't ruled out running in 2016 and is planning a trip to New Hampshire.

I guess he's depressed that his precious Chris Christie's political career is over.

 

[Dram]

Won't the first question people ask him be about the girl, who died in his office?

 

[Avon Barksdale]

Holy shit at that Russia piece on The Daily Show. They're more conservative than the U.S. now.

 

[Chichikov]

Matt Taibbi is joining First Look Media to head a digital magazine about financial and political corruption.

I'm excited, and not only because concern trolls can now bitch about both Greenwald motives and Taibbi use of swear words.

 

[fallagin]

This Could Be the Start of Scott Walker’s Bridgegate

As I've said before Walker is teflon but let's hope this sticks.

If Burke wins in November hopefully she'll take out the true believers in the legislature as well.

Hopefully it puts him behind bars or something, because otherwise this probably wont affect him too much.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Joe Scarborough says he hasn't ruled out running in 2016 and is planning a trip to New Hampshire.

I guess he's depressed that his precious Chris Christie's political career is over.

What would he run as? Independent?

 

[Black Mamba]

What would he run as? Independent?

The Benghazian Party.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

The Benghazian Party.

Campaign Slogan?

I can't come up with any witty ones

 

[Lafiel]

Since I'm lazy as fuck.. can anyone give me some good arguments on why this picture is full of shit and incredibly misleading?

Been dealing with a lot of annoying right-wingers posting this on FB lately.;p

 

[Chichikov]

Since I'm lazy as fuck.. can anyone give me some good arguments on why this picture is full of shit and incredibly misleading?

Been dealing with a lot of annoying right-wingers posting this on FB lately.;p

Poor whitey, can't catch break, and yet somehow, black people are still severely underrepresented in med-school admittance. You have two options - come up with an alternative or shut the fuck up (you can also try to argue that black people are somehow genetically less qualified to be doctors, but you know, you're not going to cure someone's racism in a facebook comments section).

 

[Avon Barksdale]

What would he run as? Independent?

The Starbucks Party.

 

[Lafiel]

Poor whitey, can't catch break, and yet somehow, black people are still severely underrepresented in med-school admittance. You have two options - come up with an alternative or shut the fuck up (you can also try to argue that black people are somehow genetically less qualified to be doctors, but you know, you're not going to cure someone's racism in a facebook comments section).

At the same amusing little political discussion group I hang out at that picture came from - someone was seriously trying to argue that whites were being institutionally discriminated against because of affirmative action.. kind of reminds me of racists who like to downplay the systematic oppression of aboriginals in Australia over here because they get more welfare and shit.. just fuck.

 

[Sibylus]

Poor whitey, can't catch break, and yet somehow, black people are still severely underrepresented in med-school admittance. You have two options - come up with an alternative or shut the fuck up (you can also try to argue that black people are somehow genetically less qualified to be doctors, but you know, you're not going to cure someone's racism in a facebook comments section).

You and your damned socializt pragmatism.

 

[sc0la]

From Twitter:

Circa 2003: 500 Americans renounced citizenship/year. In 2013: 2,999 renounced. @arishapiro
reports many avoiding IRS. @MorningEdition

 

[Rhomega Beta]

EDIT: Never mind.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Since I'm lazy as fuck.. can anyone give me some good arguments on why this picture is full of shit and incredibly misleading?

Been dealing with a lot of annoying right-wingers posting this on FB lately.;p

America is a diverse country. Having a diverse range of medical professionals is a good thing.

Having a high acceptance rate of blacks, hispanics, etc. is still likely to yield whites to be the most prevalent race in the classroom. But that isn't going to be good enough for some.
Certain people will be uncomfortable unless the classroom has the lone random black and asian student.

At the same amusing little political discussion group I hang out at that picture came from - someone was seriously trying to argue that whites were being institutionally discriminated against because of affirmative action.. kind of reminds me of racists who like to downplay the systematic oppression of aboriginals in Australia over here because they get more welfare and shit.. just fuck.

If whites weren't so disproportionately successful to other groups, there might be a better argument.

But ultimately, affirmative action doesn't tell us to hire minorities even if they are less qualified.

Diversity in the medical field is a good thing. If your whitey friends prefer to see a white doctor for whatever reason, I promise you'll be able to find one.
However, if hispanics, blacks, or asians want to find a doctor of the same race, that's probably going to be harder.

To explain this in terms your conservative or laiez faire friends might understand, "The market demands diversity in the medical field."

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Edit: Dbl post

 

[dramatis]

Since I'm lazy as fuck.. can anyone give me some good arguments on why this picture is full of shit and incredibly misleading?

Been dealing with a lot of annoying right-wingers posting this on FB lately.;p

Shouldn't the main question be where the data from the bottom chart comes from? The number in the upper left is sourced to the Department of Education, but I don't see a source for the chart.

 

[WayneMorse]

What would he run as? Independent?

The Party for Very Very Very Serious People who think the American people are fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

In reality he speaking at a Republican Party organized dinner so he'll probs run as a Republican.

 

[explodet]

From Twitter:

Circa 2003: 500 Americans renounced citizenship/year. In 2013: 2,999 renounced. @arishapiro
reports many avoiding IRS. @MorningEdition

Yeah, this is pretty much people avoiding FATCA.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fatca...-need-to-know-about-new-u-s-tax-law-1.2493882

There were scattered stories of people coming to Canada from the US and starting a family, but because the parents were US citizens the kids were automatically considered citizens as well, and because of this law Uncle Sam wanted his cut even if they never worked in the US.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...mocrats_risk_of_losing_the_senate_121640.html

The twists and turns the right goes through to 'prove' with math they'll win are amazing. They literal use only models that will fit their desired outcome. Unskewing anyone?

This author uses a model which

focused on the relationship between the president’s job approval, the fate of Senate Democrats during the 2010 and 2012 elections, and what that would mean if this relationship continues through 2014.

Yes lets create a model based exclusively on two years in which relatively the GOP did pretty well. Of course shows the dems have a slim chance of holding the senate (because state peculiarities don't count?). Of course he ends with the usual caveat of those who know their gaming the numbers stating that models which don't selectivity choose their years give them a much better shot than his selective model.

One other possibility is that the relationship we’ve seen between job approval and Democratic outcomes won’t hold for this cycle. It’s been relatively strong over the past couple of elections, but that doesn’t mean it will continue. In fact, models that go back further in time give Democrats a much stronger chance of holding the Senate. My own sense is that, due to polarization, it now takes extremely unusual circumstances for a Democrat to win a state like Arkansas under a Democratic president (just as Lincoln Chafee couldn’t hold on in Rhode Island under a Republican president, despite being a very liberal Republican). But this might not hold true this year.

I can't wait for Nate Silver to shut all this idiots up

BTW this is by the same guy who thinks the GOP can keep winning by appealing exclusively to whites saying that despite a 30 year trend the white vote won't decrease as a percentage of the vote.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...phics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538.html

 

[Tamanon]

From Twitter:

The truest show of patriotism.

 

[Stinkles]

Is Scott Walker sweating over this email stuff?

 

[Aaron Strife]

BTW this is by the same guy who thinks the GOP can keep winning by appealing exclusively to whites saying that despite a 30 year trend the white vote won't decrease as a percentage of the vote.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...phics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538.html

I like how Obama's unique appeal to minorities (he's black!) will disappear with the next Democratic candidate yet his unique weakness with white voters (he's black!) will not. That's what his entire argument is predicated on.

Also Democrats have more than a four point lead on the generic ballot. The only reason the GOP has some position of strength is because so many incumbent Democratic senators are from red states, but even then it doesn't look like it'll be enough to actually win.

 

[pigeon]

Since I'm lazy as fuck.. can anyone give me some good arguments on why this picture is full of shit and incredibly misleading?

Been dealing with a lot of annoying right-wingers posting this on FB lately.;p

This is actually pretty funny. The first chart talks about the likelihood of getting a bachelor's degree and how that varies based on race. The second talks about admission to medical school.

Guess what you need in order to be admitted to medical school?

The charts are about totally different topics! Indeed, the first one makes the second one more likely -- given that fewer people of color get through college, a higher percentage of those that do overcome discrimination are likely to be high achievers, which means it's quite possible they'd be disproportionately more succssful at pursuing further education.

This is an apples and oranges comparison of a very impressive caliber.

 

[rocketknight]

Matt Taibbi is leaving Rolling Stone for First Look Media to start his own magazine about corruption.

 

[WayneMorse]

VW workers may block southern U.S. deals if no unions: labor chief

Volkswagen's top labor representative threatened on Wednesday to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the southern United States if its workers there are not unionized.

Workers at VW's factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last Friday voted against representation by the United Auto Workers union (UAW), rejecting efforts by VW representatives to set up a German-style works council at the plant.

German workers enjoy considerable influence over company decisions under the legally enshrined "co-determination" principle which is anathema to many politicians in the U.S. who see organized labor as a threat to profits and job growth.

Chattanooga is VW's only factory in the U.S. and one of the company's few in the world without a works council.

"I can imagine fairly well that another VW factory in the United States, provided that one more should still be set up there, does not necessarily have to be assigned to the south again," said Bernd Osterloh, head of VW's works council.

"If co-determination isn't guaranteed in the first place, we as workers will hardly be able to vote in favor" of potentially building another plant in the U.S. south, Osterloh, who is also on VW's supervisory board, said.

Wait but didn't Bob Corker say that unionizing was going to hinder VW from building more plants in the South?

 

[gcubed]

VW workers may block southern U.S. deals if no unions: labor chief



Wait but didn't Bob Corker say that unionizing was going to hinder VW from building more plants in the South?

I'm still not sure how what Bob Corker did was legal and the NLRB isn't tearing his ass up right now

 

[Aaron Strife]

Gallup Obama Approval

46% approve
50% disapprove

Rasmussen Obama Approval

50% approve
49% disapprove

HISTORIC LOWS

I wouldn't be surprised if the next round of major monthly polls have Obama breaking even or positive.

 

[TacticalFox88]

Volkswagen’s top labor representative threatened today to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the U.S. South if its workers there are not unionized, Reuters reported today.

“I can imagine fairly well that another VW factory in the United States, provided that one more should still be set up there, does not necessarily have to be assigned to the South again,” said Bernd Osterloh, a member of VW’s powerful supervisory board and head of VW’s works council.

“If co-determination isn’t guaranteed in the first place, we as workers will hardly be able to vote in favor” of potentially building another plant in the U.S. South, said Osterloh, who was quoted in the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Workers at VW’s factory in Chattanooga last Friday voted against representation by the United Auto Workers, rejecting efforts by VW representatives to set up a works council labor board at the plant.

Osterloh complained that “the conservatives stirred up massive antiunion sentiments.”

A corporation in favor of unions? In the US?

Welp. Now we've truly seen it all.

 

[BLACKLAC]

A corporation in favor of unions? In the US?

Welp. Now we've truly seen it all.

Volkswagen's a German company tho.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

A corporation in favor of unions? In the US?

Welp. Now we've truly seen it all.

It's awesome how Corker lied and said the exact opposite. When will the learn the GOP doesn't stand for workers.

I do think its pretty cool foreign corporations are standing up for US workers rights

 

[empty vessel]

It's awesome how Corker lied and said the exact opposite. When will the learn the GOP doesn't stand for workers.

I do think its pretty cool foreign corporations are standing up for US workers rights

It does reflect what an outlier the US is in the industrialized world in terms of its anti-worker sentiment and in terms of how little political power labor has.

 

[Fenderputty]

I'm still not sure how what Bob Corker did was legal and the NLRB isn't tearing his ass up right now

I liked the daily show segment on this guy. Keep goverment intervention out of the free market unless it means destroying worker bargaining power.

 

[Aaron]

It's awesome how Corker lied and said the exact opposite. When will the learn the GOP doesn't stand for workers.

I do think its pretty cool foreign corporations are standing up for US workers rights

What's worse was the workers bought his bullshit, and the initial vote on unions was defeated. Even though Volkswagen made it clear they wanted a union.

People, stop listening to Republicans. How many lies does it take, how many times must they screw you over, before you learn this simple lesson?

 

[PhoenixDark]

It does reflect what an outlier the US is in the industrialized world in terms of its anti-worker sentiment and in terms of how little political power labor has.

While I won't deny some unions have been run poorly, overall their decline is largely due to systematic sabatage/elimination, often by both political parties, for the last four decades.

 

[gcubed]

While I won't deny some unions have been run poorly, overall their decline is largely due to systematic sabatage/elimination, often by both political parties, for the last four decades.

people have short memories. Hey, no slave labor conditions anymore, unions aren't needed!

 

[Aaron Strife]

Sam Brownback only has a 46% approval rating...with Republicans

If there were a gubernatorial race in an otherwise safely red state that the Democrats had a chance in, it's Kansas, not Texas.

 

[WayneMorse]

If there were a gubernatorial race in an otherwise safely red state that the Democrats had a chance in, it's Kansas, not Texas.

Considering Kansas had a popular Dem governor only 5 years ago it's not entirely impossible for one to win.

The only problem is like Wisconsin that even if the Dems win the governors race they still have to deal with the true believers in the legislature. One of the signature legislative achievements of Brownback is his push to purge the legislature of the traditional pro-business conservatives and replacing them with true believers.

While I won't deny some unions have been run poorly, overall their decline is largely due to systematic sabatage/elimination, often by both political parties, for the last four decades.

Remember that it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA, and it was a Democrat, Blanche Lincoln, who killed off the Employer Free Choice Act in 2009.

Also a ton of New Deal Democrats crossed party line and supported Taft-Hartley.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Considering Kansas had a popular Dem governor only 5 years ago it's not entirely impossible for one to win.

The only problem is like Wisconsin that even if the Dems win the governors race they still have to deal with the true believers in the legislature. One of the signature legislative achievements of Brownback is his push to purge the legislature of the traditional pro-business conservatives and replacing them with true believers.

Given their politics it wouldn't be hard to envision a coalition of sorts between moderate Republicans and Democrats.