Bell's new home

[Conan71]

Funny how the Bell family is will to accept tax money that benefits them directly but are anti all other taxes.

Here's a quote from Sally when she was running for County Commissioner:

http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=440

Damn, good job Swake!

[DTowner]

Many Tulsans have a very nostalgic view of Bell's.  Not being a native, I only saw Bell's as a small, dirty and run down collection of a few mismatched rides that looked below fair standards and quality.  Who's fault that was will probably be forever debated.  Nonetheless, I don't see how Bell's could succeed at the old location at the fair grounds - an active amusement park with attractive and updated rides located in the center of a residential area was not compatable. 

However, given the current economic climate in general and the struggles of amusement park companies in particular, securing adequate funding to build a viable park from scratch seems like a very iffy propositon.

[rwarn17588]

I agree that the chance of Wagoner County passing a sales tax is bleak. It's just a terrible environment (weak economy, grumpy voters) for anyone to propose a tax hike.

It seems like Robby Bell is counting his chickens way before they hatch. Passing that tax hike is a gigantic "if," to say the least.

[SXSW]

Funny how the Bell family is will to accept tax money that benefits them directly but are anti all other taxes.

Here's a quote from Sally when she was running for County Commissioner:

http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=440

Republicans are always anti-tax unless it benefits them

Not surprising at all, and what's funny is that so many working class people in the South fall for their BS.

[Conan71]

Republicans are always anti-tax unless it benefits them

Not surprising at all, and what's funny is that so many working class people in the South fall for their BS.

Republicans don't raise taxes, they just, uh "raise fees".

Everyone is on the take these days it's embarrasing.   

[heironymouspasparagus]

Since the richest of the rich already skate by paying 16% total taxes compared to (most of us) 40%, they just want to go ahead a make it unanimous - and pay nothing.

Or like Bells, Whirlpool, Kimberly-Clark, et. al; try and get us to pay them for the privilege of having a facility that will let them charge us for more.  (GM and Clay Bennett in OKC).

[Gaspar]

Since the richest of the rich already skate by paying 16% total taxes compared to (most of us) 40%, they just want to go ahead a make it unanimous - and pay nothing.

Or like Bells, Whirlpool, Kimberly-Clark, et. al; try and get us to pay them for the privilege of having a facility that will let them charge us for more.  (GM and Clay Bennett in OKC).

Absolutely correct but misleading.  Taxes are paid on INCOME.  Most of the wealthy are either retired and using their wealth to live, or are able to claim no income because they do not collect a pay check, therefore they only pay taxes on investments, dividends and any other income. 

We do not tax people simply because they have money (Net Worth).  This is why we use the term AGI when calculating tax liability.

So the reality is that the top 50% of income earners pay 97% of all the taxes.  The lower 50% only pay about 3% of the total tax burden.

If you look at Adjusted Gross Income (the way you should view this statistic)
The breakdown looks like this:

Top 1% pays 40.42% of the tax burden.
Top 5% pays 60.63% of the tax burden.
Top 10% pays 71.22%
Top 25% pays 89.59%
Top 50% pays 97.11%
And the other half of Americans only pay 2.89%

Now if you are a redistribution of wealth Marxist, you may have strong feelings about wealthy people keeping their wealth.  If this is the case than you may wish to levy anger upon the wealthy (based on Net Worth) for not paying the majority of taxes even though they have no liability to do so.  You may seek legislation changes the tax code from one based on income to one based on net worth.  This represents simple Marxist theory.  It would certainly be very transfomative. 

[rwarn17588]

Now if you are a redistribution of wealth Marxist, you may have strong feelings about wealthy people keeping their wealth.  If this is the case than you may wish to levy anger upon the wealthy (based on Net Worth) for not paying the majority of taxes even though they have no liability to do so.  You may seek legislation changes the tax code from one based on income to one based on net worth.  This represents simple Marxist theory.  It would certainly be very transfomative. 

[Gaspar]

I just read that paragraph to myself in a Groucho Marx voice and it was really funny! 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Haven't even gotten to the topic of income on investments. 

Let me clarify; this is same as has been covered before... the top employees in corporate America who can 'vote' themselves a paycheck every time they want. 

Who are paid 10, 20, 50, 200 million per year, mostly in 1 year deferred checks so they can count it as a 'long term capital gain' investment.

The one's who pay 16% on 100 million in income from "work" while we pay 40%+ on income from real work.

Don't disambiguate.

[Oil Capital]

Haven't even gotten to the topic of income on investments. 

Let me clarify; this is same as has been covered before... the top employees in corporate America who can 'vote' themselves a paycheck every time they want. 

Who are paid 10, 20, 50, 200 million per year, mostly in 1 year deferred checks so they can count it as a 'long term capital gain' investment.

The one's who pay 16% on 100 million in income from "work" while we pay 40%+ on income from real work.

Don't disambiguate.

Any chance you have a source for any of that? 

(and why would you want Gaspar, or anyone, to ... not make an ambiguous expression unambiguous... ?  What does that even have to do with the discussion?)

[dbacks fan]

/\/\/\/\ Huge thread drift!

[Townsend]

So while some in Wagoner County say they'd rather not pay new taxes to create a place for Bell's others are popping up with "Then you must not want Bell's here."

That must be it.

[bmuscotty]

Didn't Jenks have an offer on the table to a while back?

[swake]

Bell's wanted to be in Jenks, I don't think the feeling was mutual.

Lynn Mitchell bought the land Bell's wanted, it's the site of the stalled River District.