Trump

[swake]

Second, Trump may have been more right than wrong when he mentioned no profit Amazon. They haven't exactly been raking in profits lately. Revenue yes, profits no. The last four years have yielded net income of (241M), 274M, (39M), and 631M (most recent listed first). That is a combined profit ratio of 0.23%. Ouch.

Amazon has always had low profits, if any at all. At it's heart and as evidenced in Amazon's margins it isn't a traditional tech company. Amazon also always pumps so much money back into growing the company in new ways.

Don't forget Jeff Bezos' most famous quote: "Your margin is my opportunity."

[cannon_fodder]

Bezos, through his partnership, unloads thousands of shares a year. In one particular transaction alone this year, he unloaded over $500 million. So yes, he could mitigate his tax bill by owning a dud company.

Let me try once more...

First, any transaction would have NOTHING TO DO WITH AMAZON. Nothing. Period. End of story. Nothing Bezos does with the Washington Post will have any affect on Amazon taxes. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. The assertion that buying the Washington Post saves Amazon taxes is categorically false. Not sure how to be more clear on that.

Second, he sold $500mil of AMAZON STOCK, presumably for a near 100% gain on his basis. His tax liability to Uncle Sam is 20% Cap gains and 3.8% for investment tax. Or ~ $119mil.  He purchased the Washington Post for $250mil. So, if tomorrow he gave away his entire holding in the Washington Post (realized a total loss) he could reduce his tax liability to $59.5mil.

SO--- by losing $250mil, he could save $59.6 mil. For a net loss to his personal fortune of $190mil. Losing net $190mil is a really, REALLY stupid tax strategy. Which is why I assume The Donald thought of it.

Trump may have been more right than wrong when he mentioned no profit Amazon

Amazon is not a very profitable company (given the investment required to generate the return). Low margins and high investment into R&D. The low profitability is best reflecting in their ridiculous PE ratio. The valuation is based on dominance in the marketplace and a presumed ability to leverage that for growth or profitability in the future, fair or not... who can say. But I don't hold Amazon stock and never will if the PE and dividend stay level.

BUT --- that is actually counter to Trumps argument. If Amazon isn't terribly profitable, why would it be willing to go to great lengths and take large risks for a tax avoidance strategy?  Obviously, this ignores the fact that Bezos owning the Washington Post HAS NO EFFECT AT ALL ON AMAZONS TAXES.

Trump can make fun of Amazon's business model all he wants. But he is bashing a staple of ecommerce and the man who started a business, maybe even an industry from scratch. Meanwhile, he inherited a fortune and a real estate company and leveraged that into a fortune and a real estate company - the combined value of which are purportedly less than the value of his inheritance if he had just bought an S&P mutual fund. Trump claims he is worth $10bil (he also claims he is worth around a billion, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 billion. Depending on who he is talking to and what time of day it is). Bezos started a company in his garage and is worth nearly $60,000,000,000.00 (it should be noted that Bezos grew up in a wealthy Texas ranching family and went to Princeton, but still...).

Hence - the Donald can give advice on how to sell oneself as a brand, but should shut his mouth when the grown ups are talking about business.


(on the newspaper thing, you are correct. Buffet is going after regional papers where local news matters. Way better margins and more opportunity for revenue. Odds are Bezos purchased the paper as a way to park money, play newsman, and/or as some sort of nostalgic/philanthropic gesture. Though, I admit, I'm not certain on if his asset purchase will turn out to be a solid investment or not)

[AquaMan]

I can't help but notice the similarity of Trumps appearance to Mussolini's in the late 30's. Mocking, smirking and adolescent. It seems he taps into something we all endured in middle school as hormones exploded but learned through social pressure to modify. He hasn't modified.

[patric]

I can't help but notice the similarity of Trumps appearance to Mussolini's in the late 30's. Mocking, smirking and adolescent. It seems he taps into something we all endured in middle school as hormones exploded but learned through social pressure to modify. He hasn't modified.

A man seeking to prove he was worthy of joining the Islamic State group planned to carry out a New Year's Eve attack at an upstate New York bar using a machete and knives provided by the FBI.

Any distinguishing hair features?   

[cannon_fodder]

Some conservatives are actually starting to ask what Trump's platform is.

Get rid of taxes on the wealthy - yay!
Get rid of government regulations that effect the wealthy - yay!
Pro choice - well, we can give up one of our strong points.
Waive magic wand to make foreign governments do what we want - yay!
Pro Universal Healthcare - wait, what?

lol. The guy has been running for MONTHS and been blathering on and on for decades, and some people are acting like this is news.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I can't help but notice the similarity of Trumps appearance to Mussolini's in the late 30's. Mocking, smirking and adolescent. It seems he taps into something we all endured in middle school as hormones exploded but learned through social pressure to modify. He hasn't modified.

Nor have 30% of Republicans.... all those hormonal adolescents that adore him so much.

[patric]

Trump in Tulsa Rally    --ish

https://www.facebook.com/events/427458830777473/

[Townsend]

Trump has been endorsed by Palin.

This is going to be great.  I'm excited by it.

[Hoss]

Trump has been endorsed by Palin.

This is going to be great.  I'm excited by it.

I'm sure all comedians are thrilled by this!  Non stop material through November.  Or whenever.

[Townsend]

I'm sure all comedians are thrilled by this!  Non stop material through November.  Or whenever.

This must be what it felt like when Reagan was gunning for nomination.

I'm sure he and Palin will do great.

[Tulsa Zephyr]

She looked 3 sheets to the wind and I expect she's angling for VP...

[swake]

Trump in Tulsa Rally    --ish

https://www.facebook.com/events/427458830777473/

A now with Palin! I may have to go to just experience the cray cray.

[cannon_fodder]

Of course she is going to endorse Trump. She's irrelevant, if she didn't do something big soon people would forget who she is. Trump gets the most attention, so Palin gets the most attention. Plus, Cruz couldn't have her as a VP candidate and still be seen as the grown up in the room.

Heck, even God doesn't want Sarah Palin involved in government, at least, according to her...

because I'm going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I'm not discouraged at all.

And she lost. Ergo, God didnt think she was the right thing for America. Sarah Palin believes God wanted Obama in the White House. Or, at least, she said she believed that before he won instead of her. She certainly hasn't treated him as if he were endorsed by God. I wonder what changed her mind - I win, it means I'm endorsed by God. I lose... nah, it doesn't mean anything!

Of course, this level of denial is par for the course:

Well, I'm very, very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing ... any hint of any kind of unethical activity there

Said Sarah Palin after a 263 page investigative report found that she abuse her power as governor and violated multiple ethics laws. When in doubt, just smile and lie. 

Teen pregnancies while espousing the virtues of no sex education, bloody family brawls, wife beating, shooting animals from your front porch, pride in ignorance, and explaining a speeding ticket by saying you weren't seeding, you were "qualifying..."  It's white trash TV! Seriously, you couldn't make up a better SNL candidate. Too funny.

Read all of these in your best mocking SNL character voice:

It may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: 'Sit down and shut up,' but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out.

Go back to what our founders and our founding documents meant -- they're quite clear -- that we would create law based on the God of the bible and the Ten Commandments.

We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn't that ironic?

That's status quo, and GOP leaders, by the way, y'know the man can only ride ya when your back is bent.

we going to kick in the plan that will get this economy back on the right track and really shore up the strategies that we need over in Iraq and Iran to win these wars

He who warned, uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.

[Paul Revere] did warn the British. And in a shout-out, gotcha-type of question that was asked of me, I answered candidly.
And I know my American history.

But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies.

I think on a national level your Department of Law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've been charged with and automatically throw them out.

Katie Couric: "What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?"
Sarah Palin: "Well, let's see. There's --of course --in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, there's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are -- those issues, again, like Roe v Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know -- going through the history of America, there would be others but--"
Couric: "Can you think of any?"
Palin: "Well, I could think of -- of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with.

I think it's appalling and a violation of our freedom of the press.

for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media

'Refudiate,' 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.' English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!

Should have accepted the assistance of. . . The Dutch and the Norwegians, they are known for dikes and for cleaning up water and for dealing with spills.

All of 'em, any of 'em that have been in front of me over all these years.

Damn she's great.

[AquaMan]

Of course, by snagging the Palin endorsement he not only keeps Cruz from getting her but also secures his credibility as tea party worthy. Remember he is a "businessman". Find your enemy's strength and take it away.

I can't help but think that Trump made some kind of gentlemen's bet with his other wealthy cronies that he could jump party, say outrageous things, destroy his detractors....and still get the nomination. If he gets elected he'll be impeached within a year.

[Conan71]

How can any candidate see the value in a Palin endorsement?  Her 15 minutes were over last decade.  She's a dim-witted rolling train wreck that is only capable of spouting platitudes which are fed to her.