A Hollywood Icon Speaks Out

[hrvestuff]

The writer of this essay is Jerry Molen.
Jerry is an Academy Award winning Hollywood Producer.
He did JurassicPark, Hook, Rainman, and many more classic movies.
He won the Academy Award for Schindler's List.

Jerry Molen wrote:

'Election woes defined by prose.....'

We just experienced an over-hyped, positively outrageous primary
election season that has left me cold and wondering where the heads of
our citizens are hiding out. Must be someplace where the sun doesn't get
to very often.

At one time in my life I was a determined, dedicated and ever
loyal registered Democrat. Then something happened
that turned my life around and gave me much pause as to the
veracity of a party that dwelt on and fed off of the most unfortunate
among us. Some of those unfortunates were in their positions in life by
way of their own choosing and others were there by circumstance. But
always, always with a door open to them to reach for new heights,
achieve new goals, change their lives for the better. And also, always
ever pr esent were the bottom feeders doing everything they could to
take advantage of those who had not or have not seen the light of better
days and times nor realizing they were in fact the masters of their own
destiny. They had come to believe that they were dependent on those in
power in Washington and that they would look out for them and take care
of their every need. They are still waiting and expecting al those
promised freebies.

Most people aren't even aware that the Democrats ruled
Washington for over 40 years. It wasn't until 1994 when the so called
Gingrich Revolution changed that for a short period of time. Nor do
people realize that it was the Dem's that created the failed policies of
the many entitlement programs that are falling apart right before our
eyes. Please do not think I find the Republicans blameless in all this.
They too, suffer from ego inflation and greed motivators built into the
system. It's just that the past few months I've listened to the rantings and
railings of the left in America calling for more giveaways
and better ways to obtain the proverbial 'free lunch'.

I think that to sum up my f eelings and why I am so set apart
from those within the circles of political power and influence can be
illustrated best by a quote by noted basketball legend and talk show
co-host Charles Barkley:

'Poor people have been voting for Democrats for the last fifty
years....and they are still poor'.

And now with the election results comes the promises of
'change'. 'Change we can believe in.' 'Change for the future'. When in
fact if you really, I mean REALLY listen to what the new messiah is
asking for is not 'change of policy' or 'change for the better'. He is
warning all of us that he wants our change all right, 'loose change',
pocket change', social change and political change......So people wake
up. For if you don't the change you get may not be the change you were expecting or the change you wanted.

To close my screed, I want to leave you with some JM predictions
in the event the junior Senator from Illinois becomes President and
especially if the House and Senate are veto proof.

1). Strict new gun laws will be enacted even though he promised
he would not.
2). The phrase 'In God We Trust' will be removed from all
currency.
3). He will back away from his pledge to Israel and leave them
to the wolves of Islam.
4). Hillary Clinton will be named to the Supreme Court.
5). Tax rates will return to their highest levels in 30 years.
6). The capital gains tax will be at least double current
levels.
7). Retired Army General Wesley Clark will be named Secretary of
Defense.
. The borders will be 'basically open' to all comers.
Especially those from the Middle East and South America.
9). Amnesty will be granted to all illegals now in the U.S
regardless of status or even gang members (MS-13). and
10). The war in Iraq will be brought to an abrupt end and the
results will be tragic and the consequences to our military will be
devastating.

I realize that my predictions may not sit too well with some
people and the best we could all hope for is that I am totally wrong.
Any bets?

Jerry Molen

[Jeff C.]

Cmon Harvey, why don't you admit the real reason you don't like Obama?

Your racist joke of a few days ago said it all.

[Greg_Cornish]

1). Strict new gun laws will be enacted even though he promised he would not.

hopefully he'll just see that the "gun shows" follow the same laws as other dealers have to follow.

2). The phrase 'In God We Trust' will be removed from all currency.

And that will somehow bring this nation to its knees? That will somehow affect me?

3). He will back away from his pledge to Israel and leave them to the wolves of Islam.

?

4). Hillary Clinton will be named to the Supreme Court.

Very cool.

5). Tax rates will return to their highest levels in 30 years.

They were lowered by the Cheney administration to improve our economy.

6). The capital gains tax will be at least double current
levels.

Probably why people like Warren Buffet are so terrified.

7). Retired Army General Wesley Clark will be named Secretary of Defense.

Very cool too. Read this <--

8. The borders will be 'basically open' to all comers. Especially those from the Middle East and South America.

You mean like now under the present administration? A big fence might help.

9). Amnesty will be granted to all illegals now in the U.S regardless of status or even gang members (MS-13). and

Ah sure it will. People don't even apply for it now when its offered.

10). The war in Iraq will be brought to an abrupt end and the results will be tragic and the consequences to our military will be devastating.

What consequences will happen to the military?

I realize that my predictions may not sit too well with some people and the best we could all hope for is that I am totally wrong.
Any bets?

Jerry Molen

I'll take that bet. 10 bux, one on each prediction.

[ash]

I would much rather hear what this hollywood icon has to say

[Ringer]

Pelosi wants to create a new tax on withdrawals from 401k and IRA funds and Obama wants to raise capital gains from 15% to 28% and eliminate the one time home sale exemption. How can anyone that owns a business or has equity in a home vote to give away 13% of your hard earned cash to the government so they can piss it away? Can one Obama supporter that actually is not sucking off the government tell me why you would willingly do this? Screw Iraq and screw the economy and tell me why you would give up that much of YOUR money? Thanks.

[CharlieS.]

Obama/Pelosi Tax form... 1) Gross Income_______ 2) Number of dependents________ 3) Total of owned vehicles _______ 4) Total amount of problems needing government assistence- must enter 0______ 5) Totals of 1 thru 4 _______ enter in line 6 also 6) Total due IRS____

[Greg_Cornish]

I would much rather hear what this hollywood icon has to say

I talked to him on June 22nd. He came to my party at my parent's farm in Southern Minnesota. In his younger days he's carried me and my wheelchair up many steps. I've know him from before Pro Wrestling.

[Greg_Cornish]

How can anyone that owns a business or has equity in a home vote to give away 13% of your hard earned cash to the government so they can piss it away?

For the same reason they voted for Bush who's pissing their money away in Iraq - are there any good choices here? After "we" voted Bush in I lost all confidence in our political system.

EDIT: By "We" I mean the Majority of our citizenry in the way its set up. I didn't vote for Bush. But I do believe in Majority Rule, but I don't believe (believe its the proper thing to do) in the electoral college.

[Ringer]

I am with you on Bush being a moron and wasting plenty of money but that is a national debt issue. How can anyone actually vote to give away 13% of their life's savings that is now their own money? I just don't get the logic in that one. "gee, I think I will vote for the person who I know for a fact is going to hurt me".

[Dan McKenzie]

not sure where you derived your information. I have watched this pretty closely, in every interview I have seen him give where this subject has come up, he has stated that the proposal to raise capitol gains would affect only the "well off" his definition of weel off is

"OBAMA: So the general principle of raising taxes on higher-income Americans like myself, and providing relief to those who haven't benefited as much from this new global economy, I think, is a sound one. And keep in mind on all of these proposals, what I have said is, let's make sure that we define the well-off so that we're not hitting the middle class. I generally define well-off as people who are making $250,000 a year or more, and that means, for example, if we raise the capital gains tax, I would exempt people who are essentially small investors, and really capture the -- those who have done very, very well over the last two decades.

personally I believe raising certain taxes on the wealthiest is not a deal breaker for me, however my definition of well off is those making incomes above $1M per year. Better yet a flat tax would solve most of the problems and put everyone on a level field.

[Greg_Cornish]

Better yet a flat tax would solve most of the problems and put everyone on a level field.

With you all the way here. Jerry Brown proposed this the last time he ran in 1992.

[Ringer]

Just google Obama capital gains and you can read his actual words. He said "maybe the 28% under Bill Clinton is a bit high but somewhere around 25 to 28% is about right. Now, do you think the capital gains tax can legally dicriminate between citizens? It is not a windfall profits tax or a sin tax like cigarettes. It is the same for all taxpaying citizens. Also read up on all of Obama's statements on the $250000 and above. His latest statements have indicated he thinks $75000 may be the right number for his plan. Please just read what you can and make an informed decision. He will no doubt cost the average American some serious cash.

[Greg_Cornish]

Wasn't Walter Mondale the last candidate to promise to raise taxes and George H. Bush who said, "Read my lips?" Oh by the way, there is a definite lacking in the usage of smilies in the Political forum.

[CharlieS.]

Wasn't Walter Mondale the last candidate to promise to raise taxes and George H. Bush who said, "Read my lips?" Oh by the way, there is a definite lacking in the usage of smilies in the Political forum.

Lack of smilies...never thought about it ,but you are correct...funny...one prob with a "flat" tax...wouldnt that also get rid of the tax breaks on home loans? Seems to me..when ever I heard/or read about it..that was a stumbling block .

[Dan McKenzie]

I already have, you can find multiple articles and interviews which he clearly states he would only raise taxes on the "well off" he has clearly defined he believes that to be those with incomes higher than 250K. I am not backing him, just stating what I have heard him say with my own ears, and saw in print with my own eyes.

Since we're spending on average 12 billion dollars a month just in war costs alone under Bush, I don't know that Obama would/could do worse than that.



"Barack Obama has proposed establishing a new tax bracket for capital gains and dividends for families making over $250,000. This bracket would be somewhere between 20 and 28 percent, although Obama has said that he believes that he will be able to propose something at or close to 20 percent. Not only would 98 percent of the population see their tax rates unchanged by this proposals, but Obama is also proposing to entirely eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-ups. And to put the impact of the proposal on the top 2 percent of households in perspective, at a 20 percent rate for capital gains and dividends:

–The dividend rate would be 39 percent below what President Bush proposed in his 2001 tax cut and lower than all but 5 of the last 92 years;

–The capital gains rate would be the same as what President Bush proposed in his 2001 tax cut, 29 percent below what Ronald Reagan raised it too, and 22 percent below the post-war average

–Taken together with Obama’s other proposals, 100 percent of households would pay lower taxes than they did in the 1990s.

These rates are perfectly compatible with strong economic growth and strong asset market growth. The stock market rose 270 percent in the decade following Ronald Reagan’s increase of the rate to 28 percent (which exceeds the rate that Obama would likely propose). The economy created 23 million jobs in the 1990s, a period when capital gains and dividend taxes were well above the levels that Senator Obama proposes.

Not only are they compatible with strong economic growth, they are part of an overall economic plan that would contribute to growth. The money from the increase in these rates for the top 2 percent of the population is used to help fund an ambitious plan to ensure that every American has a savings account, that the defaults on these accounts are set to encourage wealth accumulation, and that the government will provide more generous matches for savings by low and moderate income families. This combination of smart institutional changes that draw on the latest behavioral economics research and bipartisan proposals by Brookings and the Heritage Foundation together with new tax incentives would increase savings and wealth creation for families while helping businesses small and large get access to capital, ultimately contributing to jobs and economic growth. Finally, these proposals are all part of a fiscally responsible plan to pay for all proposals and cut the deficit – a major change relative to the economic policy of recent years."

Jason Furman is the economic policy director to the Obama campaign.

[Ringer]

The problem with Senator Obama isn't that he is going to raise a specific tax - is that he is going to raise ALL of them at once.


Income tax (per his statements and the most recent Democratic budget resolution) - marginal rates jumping for all brackets, with the highest brackets going to 36/39.6%


FICA - eliminating FICA cap for high earners, leading to an additional 12.4% tax on incomes above $102k or (if he used a doughnut hole approach), $200k. This is for a SOCIAL INSURANCE program - those people will be paying in enormous amounts but getting no additional benefit. Social Security will become a form of senior citizen welfare


Cap Gains - jumping from 15% to mid 20's


Dividend Income - jumping from 15% to, for higher earners, 39.6%


and


Corporate Taxes - the rate, at 25%, is already too high compared to other countries that win out over us in new industry, factories, etc. Economist say we should lower it. Obama will likely close exemptions and find ways to subtley increase it..


Are some of these probably merited - yes, we have a big debt to pay down - but ALL of them? Say Hello to the reincarnation of Herbert Hoover..


That was all a part of an article and the rest stated that the econmy only grew after the capital gains tax cut of 1997.

[Greg_Cornish]

McCain won't make it through the 1st 4 years though So I'll be watching who he chooses to run the country after he dies of old age.

[Ringer]

If that's you in your avatar you won't have to worry about it anyway you old coot. You look older than I am and I am old.

[Greg_Cornish]

If that's you in your avatar you won't have to worry about it anyway you old coot. You look older than I am and I am old.

I'm getting up there. Vietnam era veteran too. I remember stories about Reagan napping during cabinet meetings then getting Alzheimers shortly after leaving office. Chances are it began in office. However I think McCains got nearly 20 years on me.

[Ringer]

Maybe 15 on me.

[FishaHallic]

[quote="Ringer"]I am with you on Bush being a moron and wasting plenty of money but that is a national debt issue. quote]


I don't know about you but there is more to a presidential candidate than how much money he will put in my pocket. Do you really think that people would vote for a democrat knowing that he would most likely raise taxes if they did not think it was the right thing for the country? Some people actually believe that we should not be running this country on borrowed money. If you don't think you are paying alot of extra money on certain things because of the deficit spending (borrowing money) you are wrong.

Higher fuel prices in part are caused by deficit spending (borrowing massive amounts of money), the slumping economy is happening in part due to deficit spending (borrowing massive amounts of money), the housing crisis.....and the list goes on.

Sure the republicans will and have cut taxes but then when you go to public boat ramps you will pay higher launch fees (user fees) you go to national parks you pay entry fees......and this list goes on and on. Anything you do involving the gov't you will be paying a fee of some type and these fees are nothing more than taxes that were not collected in traditional ways.

Like I said before when I pick my candidate it won't be based soley on how much money I am going to benifit from that president. My choice will be based on his stand on the war, abortion, taxes, health care, the economy and yes even his statemanship (if this is a word?)ability. I will also weigh in his outlook on the environment, global warming and this energy crisis we are now in.

Will I agree with everything that my candidate says.......NO I will not but I will balance these things against the other and see where it falls.

As far as Obama goes, I do not agree on his (or the dems) position on drilling for more oil. I think we should be drilling off shore, in Alaska, using oil shale and so on. But I also believe that this oil mess was caused by Bush and some of his poor and idiotic decisions.

What I won't be doing though is voting for someone that basically is running on the same platform that our current president is using. 8 years of Bush is 7 year and 364 days too much and this country can't take 4 more years of his policies.

[FishaHallic]

Wasn't Walter Mondale the last candidate to promise to raise taxes and George H. Bush who said, "Read my lips?" Oh by the way, there is a definite lacking in the usage of smilies in the Political forum.

I use them some times but I have to fight myself to keep from using ones like this........ so sometimes it's best to leave them out all together

[Greg_Cornish]

Oh, how cute. I filed him. lol

[Ringer]

Fish-I was talking about him taking away money I already earned and not some new tax scheme. I don't take squat from the goobermint so maybe that's why I am not an Obama kool-aid drinker.

[FishaHallic]

Ok, so I guess the xtra money you pay for these extra taxes.....oops I mean user fees is money you did not earn? Sounds like you are taking money from the gov't since you have money you did not earn. Let's also try to be a little more original, I think I heard that maggot Hannity say that kool aide line the other day and it did not make since then and it does not make since now.

[getalife]

I think I heard that maggot Hannity say that kool aide line the other day and it did not make since then and it does not make since now.

Thats because you were not born in the late 70's when that saying was hatched.

Ok, so I guess the xtra money you pay for these extra taxes.....oops I mean user fees is money you did not earn? Sounds like you are taking money from the gov't since you have money you did not earn.

This makes no sense at all.

[Greg_Cornish]

Yesterday was the first I've heard of the Kool Aid drinking line and I was born in 47. Please explain. I have no idea what it means.

[FishaHallic]

I think I heard that maggot Hannity say that kool aide line the other day and it did not make since then and it does not make since now.

Thats because you were not born in the late 70's when that saying was hatched.

Ok, so I guess the xtra money you pay for these extra taxes.....oops I mean user fees is money you did not earn? Sounds like you are taking money from the gov't since you have money you did not earn.

This makes no sense at all.

I don't know how to talk slower so you will understand but I will try. R i n g e r s a i d t h a t h e w a s t a l k i n g a b o u t t a k i n g a w a y m o n e y h e a l r e a d y e a r n e d a n d I s a i d h e m u s t b e p a y i n g t h e s e u s e r f e e s w i t h m o n e y he d i d n o t e a r n l i k e f r o m g o v ' t h a n d o u t s.

A n d y o u a r e r i g h t a b o u t n o t b e i n g b o r n i n t h e 7 0 s b e c a u s e I w a s b o r n i n 1 9 6 0 .

[Greg_Cornish]

What are the qualifications of being called an icon?

[Ringer]

I was born in '49 but anyone who was alive during the Jonestown punch drinking party where Rev. Jim Jones murdered the congressman and had several hundred followers drink kool-aid laced with arsenic should be familiar with that saying. As for the money I have now that I have earned it was under the 15% rule for capital gains so why can't you understand that if one candidate raises it to 28% and the other keeps it at 15% I will be able to keep 13% more of MY money with the 15% guy. Put that bottle away Fish.

[getalife]

Thank you Ringer

[getalife]

Fish, soon your voice will start to change, and you will get hair in strange places...

[Greg_Cornish]

I was born in '49 but anyone who was alive during the Jonestown punch drinking party where Rev. Jim Jones murdered the congressman and had several hundred followers drink kool-aid laced with arsenic should be familiar with that saying.......

Oh, well there were some kool-aid parties in the 60's that were pretty popular too, but thanks for the clarification. Never to old to learn. So this Kool-Aid reference... is that used to illustrate everyone jumping on the Let's go to Irag bandwagon?

[Ringer]

You could use it that way as well.

[getalife]

I think, in this case, the kool-aid reference is referring to the blind faith some people have in our candidates. Jim Jones convinced hundreds of people to drink the kool-aid and they did, almost without question, because they had blind faith in him and his "religious" organization. Most of the lib's are, right now, drinking Obama's Kool-aid. They know very little about him, they know nothing of his policies or his real intentions, they just go along because they know no better. We'll see how that turns out.

I hate kool-aid, the real stuff and the political stuff. Im not drinking Gores global warming crap either. Think for yourself!

[FishaHallic]

I hate to break it to our republican following here but I totally understood your Kool-aide remark but I wanted you to tell us about it so I could make a point. A conservative republican is far more likely to drink the punch since we are talking religion here. To follow something, a believe in blind faith with no scientific basis or proof, you as republicans are more likely to drink the kool aide then dems.

[Ringer]

Pretty bold statement from a guy who's candidate is pure vapor. Other than all the speech rhetoric can you list a few real accomplishments other than dumping his own church after 20 years of attendance because it was harming his goal? Real man of character.

[FishaHallic]

I hope your not saying McCain is full of character are you?

[Ringer]

Nope. I know he has had his share of weak moments and no normal person runs for POTUS. Have to be egomaniacs and willing to bend over like Ned Beatty. Looks like old Edwards is out of contention with his new love child. Bunch of trashy people and sad for our country.

[FishaHallic]

Hey, POTUS, I learned something new today, had to look that one up.

[Guy Kelley]

I have always believed in paying Cesar what Cesar is Due.

So why don't they get busy with raising taxes to a flat 30% to every body who gets a paycheck or has some sort of Gov assistance straight across board.

Do away capital gains on mid income say 150 K a year or 1st house sale.

and quite flapping about it.

Obama or McCain neather one are worth a the time of day.