90% tax rate has got to be unconstitutional

**brennasmom** · 03-20-2009, 12:18 PM

Your right, I did miss that.

Concerns me on where this country is headed. Maybe Obama should be spending more time at work and less time on Jay Leno

**Milly** · 03-20-2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Parksfamily5

I think they shouldn't have recieved the bonus but it is our Goverments fault that they did. I definitely don't agree with retro taxing them. That just opens the door for the goverment to do this to any group that they want.

I'm afraid Congress has left us wide open for a court challenge on this retro-tax, since it's unconstitutional under Article I, Section 9, Clause 3. (Look up 'bills of attainder' in Wikipedia - it's an eye-opener.) If they win in court, it'll cost us more in the long run, what with punative damages and all.

At any rate, in this case the cure is worse than the disease, IMHO. Not only did they retro-tax, they interferred with a lawful contract.

So as much as it pains me to let them have their bonuses, it's still better than the alternative of Congress running riot over the Constitution.

BTW, this bill hasn't reached the Senate yet. Maybe they'll show a little more restraint. (I can dream.)

**butterflygreen** · 03-20-2009, 12:33 PM

I say they should of let them go bankrupted and than picked up the pieces. When I got sick and could not work 5 years ago no one helped us to keep our house or car. And now we are donig just fine. I have a nice house (one in wich I dont have to worry about falling down the stairs) and a better car. Some times you have to hit bottom and start back up the ladder.

**Persimmon Lace** · 03-20-2009, 01:23 PM

I also believe this is a smoke screen to cover the massive amount of pork spending that is in the bill that passed, you know the one no one read? According to the talking heads this is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions going to some really porky things. The percentage is like 1.67 of the whole bill for the bonuses. Not all the bonuses are going to execs either, the rank and file are also getting their bonuses, which I found out, is part of their compensation. The example was that there is base pay and then they recieve a bonus one time a year.

**Gardengal18** · 03-20-2009, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by brennasmom

Your right, I did miss that.

Concerns me on where this country is headed. Maybe Obama should be spending more time at work and less time on Jay Leno

Lately I'm thinking he has more interest in picking the Basket Ball Brackets. Perhaps he would rather be a BasketBall Star or a Hollywood Star. He's probably more qualified for it, cause all I'm seeing the last 60 days is one disaster after the other coming out of him. Can't even pick a cabinet without them being crooks, liars, tax cheats or war criminals. And the hits just keep on coming. I can't decide if its Comedy Hour or Amateur Hour with this bunch.