All hell broke loose last night at a town hall meeting in East Point that was supposed to be a civil discussion about East Point Mayor Earnestine Pittman’s proposed property tax increase to offset a rollback in utility rates. Apparently both subjects were heated topics for the angry crowd who showed up for the event. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that within two hours, police had ejected four attendees, and an elderly man had challenged a middle-age man to a fist fight. One man angrily charged towards Mayor Pittman and had to be forcefully restrained by East Point police after initially breaking free of their grasp. Mayor Pittman was forced to end the meeting early. Watch video of the chaotic town hall meeting below. Read more at the AJC.com. RELATED: Hot 107.9′s Bullying Is Not Hot Tour Featured On Good Day Atlanta [VIDEO] Jim Jones Caught In A Fight & Maced In Casino! [VIDEO] CM Punk Explains Chris Brown Wrestling Challenge: “He Hasn’t Changed” [VIDEO] Maria More’s Midday Motivation | Your Anger Will Burn You
Rocsi learned the hard way that it is important to do a little research before interviewing guests. During a live interview, Rocsi asked NY Giants Wide Receiver, Victor Cruz if his father would be present to watch him play in the Super Bowl, only problem is, Victor’s dad has been dead for 5 years… In her defense, it was probably an honest mistake. Being in this business, I know how fast things can move. Sometimes we get thrown into situations and make assumptions that we shouldn’t. I give VC props for being so polite when he responded to her question. Rocsi also had a good comeback when she said “He’ll be with you in spirit…” Check out the video:
You’re between the ages of 18-24, life feels like its moving 100 miles a minute and you may feel like you have no place in the political system. But you do. As a matter of fact, the people you elect to public offices can have a HUGE impact on your life. Here are some things every young American should consider when voting Does the person I’m voting for have a plan? Most members of Congress and candidates talk a lot about the need to reduce our deficit and control the national debt, but few have a realistic plan. Before you head to the voting booth find out which candidates have a plan and see if it makes since. Are they telling you that we can balance the budget by just cutting spending or raising taxes? If so they probably don’t have a realistic plan or a clear understanding of the problem. Does my candidate have a plan to create jobs for the future? We all know that jobs are the number one issue with voters this year, but as young Americans you need to think of more than just jobs in the near term. The world we will face is much different than that of our parents. It will be one of increased competition and decreasing resources. Does your candidate have a plan not only to create jobs but the high skilled ones we will need to be competitive with the rest of the world? What are they going to do about education? Read More HERE
Mitt Romney’s tax return was finally released today as his campaign bowed to political pressure and released hundreds of pages of tax documents. What did we learn? That he’s really rich and pays a really low rate on capital gains. Basically, while the Republican presidential candidate’s tax returns offers glimpses into his sprawling investments, both in the U.S. and abroad, they don’t tell voters much we didn’t already know or assume was true about the former Bain Capital CEO. Romney had an effective federal income tax rate in 2010 of 13.9 percent, paying about $3 million in taxes on an adjusted gross income of $21.6 million. The vast majority came from stocks, mutual funds and other investments, typically taxed a rate of 15 percent – significantly lower than normal income. Of course, this is the case because the money Romney invested was, theoretically, earned via his success and already taxed at higher rates once before. Rather than making that defense, however, Romney has been evasive about his taxes for weeks, potentially reflected in Saturday’s S.C. primary results . Both rates are much lower than the rates paid by either President Obama or Newt Gingrich, Romney’s GOP rival who released his tax returns last week. The President earned $1,728,096 in 2010 and paid $453,770 (26.3%) in taxes. Newt earned $3,142,066 that year and was taxed $994,708 (31.7%). The figures certainly won’t help Romney make the case that he understands and fights for the issues of ordinary Americans – not his strong suit as it is. Nevertheless, he’s better off being transparent going forward and trying to use his wealth as a positive, rather than a hindrance due to his own shiftiness. That is, if he can answer anything without focus grouping it.
Paula Patton has a mission that’s apparently impossible: paying taxes… What’s owed: The IRS filed a $492,583 tax lien against Paula Patton and Robin Thicke on Dec. 28 with the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds. The address on the tax lien is a Post Office box in Santa Monica, Calif. Here’s their home in Los Angeles. Buuuuuut it doesn’t seem that they were avoiding the tax man. Their rep said this weekend: “They were just made aware of the issue and it is being taken care of immediately.” Paula has been in tons of movies and Robin just released a new album, we’re just the stacks are there to pay these bills. We hope. Source
Nas is seriously worried about a concert promoter abducted in Angola. The Queensbridge rapper has said he will cut a nice sized check to bring the promoter back to the United States safely. TMZ first broke the story of concert promoter, Patrick Allocco , claiming to have been abducted by a local Angolan “concert impressario” because he was enraged after Nas failed to appear at a much hyped New Year’s Eve show. Nas did agree to perform, but backed out of the deal when travel plans couldn’t be ironed out in a timely manner. Allocco was eventually freed from his captives with the assistance of the U.S. Embassy , but he hasn’t returned to the States yet. He’s holed up in an Angolan hotel until monies can be paid to the “concert impressario.” The bill is said to be 315 thousand dollars. Is Nas responsible for the man’s abduction? Would you pay a $315,000 ransom for someone you barely knew? RELATED POSTS: Nas Promo Video For Illmatic Nas Owes $6.5 Million In Taxes Judge Reduces Nas’ Spousal & Child Support Payments
Comedian Chris Tucker is taking his financial woes in stride. During a recent show at the Fillmore in Miami Beach his $11 Million debt to the IRS was a recurring source of material. “That’s the last time I let Wesley Snipes help me out with my taxes,” said the Decatur native, taking a jab at his fellow actor, who is serving three years in prison for failing to pay taxes. He then added that bill collectors have been getting especially gangsta with him. “They calling you acting like you owe them the money personally! ‘We need the money,’” he joked. “I don’t owe you shit! This is between me and the company!” For a complete recap of his show READ MORE AT THE MIAMI NEW TIMES RELATED POSTS: Chris Tucker Owes $11 Million In Back Taxes Chris Tucker Ready To Return To Movies Wesley Snipes Gets 3 Years For Tax Evasion
‘I think it’s important that Bernard Freeman be here as a citizen of the world,’ the Trill O.G. tells MTV News of lending support. By Maurice Bobb Bun B Photo: MTV News HOUSTON — Bun B assumed his role as the unofficial Mayor of Houston when he joined Occupy Houston at City Hall on Tuesday. The protest is an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement that began about a month ago in New York. And as rap fans know, hip-hop has a long tradition of serving as an outlet for activism. So, like Talib Kweli and Kanye West did in NYC’s Zuccotti Park , the legendary Professor of Trill turned up in his home city to show support for the demonstrators. MTV News caught up with Bun B at the protest and he opened up about why he decided to come through. “I think it’s important that Bernard Freeman be here as a citizen of the world,” he told us, mentioning his birth name. “And I think it’s important that Bun B be here as a person of influence who has a voice that can bring attention to a cause. It’s very important that someone from the hip-hop community is out here supporting Occupy Houston , simply because of the fact of how hip-hop is represented in the world,” he added. The Trill O.G. M.C. said it was also important to show that rappers are about more than their money. “I think a lot of people look at us as being these flashy, fly types of people who are just concerned with spending money, but that’s not all of us,” he said. “That’s not what hip-hop is here to do. We have individuals that represent that, and I represented that from time to time, but that doesn’t make me who I am. I understand how real this world is and how real things can get and that’s what Occupy Houston is about. It’s not about what we do on the clock — it’s about being off the clock and supporting people who can’t even get on the clock right now.” While Houston is a long way from Wall Street, the city knows corporate corruption all too well. The Enron debacle , for example, is still a sore spot with many Houstonians. “The effects of the Enron collapse in Houston are still felt today,” Bun said. “Not everyone who had strong jobs in that sector were able to find replacements for those jobs. A lot of people had to take positions in companies to do things that they didn’t necessarily train for in order to support their families and that’s kinda what we’re standing for at Occupy Houston. “The misconception about Occupy Houston is that it’s a bunch of jobless people who don’t wanna work and just want the rich to give them their money. Well, that’s not true. The majority of these people are educated — not just high school, but they’re college graduates, they have degrees, they’ve done what it takes to get into the workforce. Unfortunately, corporate America is not affording enough opportunities for people to go out get jobs and support their families. Instead of hiring more people, they’re firing more people just to keep the numbers up. A company that makes $3 billion a year, it’s still gonna function if they only make $2.8 billion a year in order to keep a couple people employed. Bun explained that protesters’ frustration was due in large part to feeling underrepresented at the government level, where decisions affecting their lives are being made. “So that’s what we’re here fighting against, you know, corporate irresponsibility,” he continued. “The fact that we in Houston and America — even though we’re the people that vote, we’re the people that pay our taxes — we don’t have the voice that we should have in our local state and federal governments, and that’s another stance that we’re taking.” On Tuesday, demonstrators looked like most of those at Occupy rallies across the nation, brandishing homemade placards and signs with varying messages such as, “I am the 99 percent” and “Heal America, Tax Wall Street.” Bun rolled up his sleeves and pitched in with assigning posters and announcing general assembly guidelines , which included the proper way to agree (both hands held aloft), block proposals (both arms crossed like an X) and to ask a question (one fist in the air). Police were on hand, but no arrests were made on Tuesday. “Anybody that wants to understand clearly what the Occupy movement here in Houston, across the country, as well as the world, a little better can go to any of the Occupy sites and find all the real information, not the misinformation,” Bun said. Share your thoughts on the ongoing Wall Street protests in the comments below. Related Videos Inside Occupy Wall Street Related Artists Bun B
Rich, liberal, retired Googler coos to Obama, “Would you please raise my taxes’” What are the odds that Obama would pick this guy at random to ask a question at a public townhall meeting? About one in 300,000, the 300,000 being the number of dollars he’s donated to the Democrats over the last decade. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : I Hate The Media Discovery Date : 27/09/2011 21:23 Number of articles : 2
GOP must stand for GREED OPERATED POLITICS because the shady Republicans are already crying foul over Obama’s plans to increase taxes on the super-rich . Leading Republicans on Sunday spurned as “class warfare” an administration proposal dubbed “the Buffett rule” that would ensure millionaires are taxed at the same rate as the middle class. President Barack Obama was expected to make the proposal on Monday, picking up on a repeated complaint by billionaire investor Warren Buffett that he pays taxes at a lower rate than his secretary, White House officials said. “If he’s feeling guilty about it, I think he should send in a check,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told NBC’s “Meet the Press” of Buffett. “But we don’t want to stagnate this economy by raising taxes. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, dismissed the Buffett rule as “just a political move by the president.” Increasing taxes on millionaires would add “a de minimis amount of money to the Treasury to pay off the debt,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union” talkshow. “The tax code should be reformed for one purpose — generate jobs. When you say we’ll tax one percent of the economy, that’s class warfare,” said Graham, who called for reforms that would eliminate deductions and flatten income tax rates overall. Echoing Graham, Representative Paul Ryan said the administration’s proposal was “going in the wrong direction.” “Class warfare… may make for really good politics but it makes a rotten economics,” the Wisconsin Republican said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We don’t need a system that seeks to divide people. We don’t need a system that seeks to prey on people’s fear, envy and anxiety.” Some millionaires get a big break because investment gains — such as capital gains, dividends and “carried interest” compensation paid to investment managers and hedge fund partners — are taxed at a lower rate than wages. They also only pay the Social Security payroll tax on the first $106,800 of their income, the cut-off point for the tax. Buffett, one of the world’s richest men, has questioned the fairness of the system and suggested that the rich should be willing to pay more. Obama will unveil the tax hike as part of a broader announcement at the White House on a long-term deficit reduction proposal. He will not indicate a specific rate or provide other details such as how much revenue the plan would raise, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story. A special joint congressional committee is working on a bipartisan budget deal due by late November amid a new row between Obama and Republican lawmakers over the president’s jobs bill, after Obama said he would finance the plan by ending tax breaks for oil and gas firms and individuals earning over $200,000. Republicans have rejected the blueprint. The millionaires’ rate would affect just 0.3 percent of taxpayers, or fewer than 450,000 of the some 144 million returns filed for 2010, according to the Times. Don’t believe the hype! If Warren Buffett can admit he’s not paying enough taxes these haters need to step the fizzuck off. Hoes Sit Down… and Quit Yer B*tchin’!!! The rest of us are bleeding over here while y’all feed your pomeranians caviar from golden plates at the damn dinner table. Source
