Sports and Politics it effects our local teams!

One of my hobbies is politics and I follow it pretty closely. And much to TB's dismay I would fall squarely into the conservative side of the spectrum. Thats my disclaimer for all to know where my take on the following comes from.

The State of California just passed a retroactive tax hike that is a poison pill for any athlete looking at Cally as a destination! A 13.5% bump retroactive to last year is a steep nut. Proathletes will see over 60% of their income go to taxes. The list of proathletes that have bailed on California is more impressive than I hought and will be getting longer.

States like Florida and Texas have no State Income Tax and that mean the athetes keep more of their money.  Oklahoma, Louisana, and NC are all looking at ending state income taxes as well. This puts states with high income taxes at a disadvantage when trying to bring in businesses and local sports teams when they try sign FAs. 

The arguement will always be made that the top earners need to pay their fair share but I am being realistic that people do not get rich and stay rich by finding ways to give away their cash. And I really can't blame them they earned it and they pay a huge amount as it is. But if a guy like Reggie Bush can sign for a million less in Florida he is better off than signing with Detroit or a California team. The onlyreal bump will be playing time and a shot at the playoffs.

As states look for ways to grab cash athletes are going to look for ways to dodge that bite. As Phil Mickelson (probably moving) and Tiger Woods already know it's better to be in Florida than California. Cities like Detroit already collect a local tax on anyone working in the city of Detroit and that cuts into a guys salary too.

IMO this will end up making teams like the Cowboys and the Bucs a more appealing FA destination than they already are. 

One of my hobbies is politics and I follow it pretty closely.

what a ya think about religion?

Never really thought about it like that before. Quite interesting!

Don't quote me here, but pretty sure it's where you claim residence and can prove it....Owning a house in Florida is plenty for Tiger to claim Florida as his home of residence.....He probably spends 2 months of the year there. If I'm right it doesn't matter what team signs you as long as you can prove residence in another state.


The same way the military works.....Just cause im stationed in California doenst mean jack, I would never pay thier taxes because I'm a resident of Tennessee...Pretty sure this would apply to athletes as well and I'm sure their agents know this and make them buy a dive or rent a crap house in another state just to avoid those taxes...

Much like John Kerry avoided boat tax while in Masscussettes by docking his boat in Conneticut or Rhode Island or wherever it was, Every other tax payer in Massachuessettes (owning and docking their boat there) were paying but he wasn't...Same thing.

OT I read that michigan's sales tax might go up to 8% ,that sucks.

I'd be fine with a 10% sales tax if income tax went down. Tennessee has a similar system. And we have a much more lucrative tourism industry. Take money from those Illinios fuck****s while they're here in the summer. And stop punishing the non-welfare segment of the population for having a J.O.B. The Raptors already have felt the tax pinch when attempting to sign FA and their own players. Free health care isn't so great when you're a multimillionaire. (Florida property tax is also a huge benefit for Snowbirds, athletes, and other season residents)

Don't quote me here, but pretty sure it's where you claim residence and can prove it

I remember hearing something on a 30 for 30 about players going broke and one of the biggest reasons players always seemed to owe on back taxes was because they actually DO get taxed whenever they play away from their home state.  They have to claim it on their taxes having played there and many guys, or their accountants for that matter, don't claim it.  hence why they end up having to owe a ton back.

I remember hearing something on a 30 for 30 about players going broke and one of the biggest reasons players always seemed to owe on back taxes was because they actually DO get taxed whenever they play away from their home state.  They have to claim it on their taxes having played there and many guys, or their accountants for that matter, don't claim it.  hence why they end up having to owe a ton back.

Ok 16 games in a season.....8 at home and if you claim Florida, TX Tennessee or a multidude of states without the tax, that leaves a possible 8 games on the road you could possibly be taxed on......Let's say half are states that tax......Still doesn't even come close to being a moron making that kind of money and going bankruput.....

Serioulsy.....What's the league minimum for one year in the NFL? If you go bankrupt from making 750, 000 in one year your a flippin idiot.....Don't defend these guys....That insults every High School educated person on the boards.

"No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they got to get up out of here if they do," Culliver said. "

I'll take a quote from a current 49er today.... It was about gays, but that's not the point.....That's not even a double negative. That's a triple negative. This guy is probably paying taxes in California because he's too stupid to figure out what most High School grads should know. He' doesn't know much. So I predict he makes alot of money and will be bankrupt soon enough.


He will pay taxes in Cali and then cry later, should be looking for help later with lawsuits against the NFL for concussions etc etc.....


Can't fix stupid, Funny how white OL men never fall into this trap...Wonder why? Maybe no one cares about inner city kids education and more about what they can make the coach, team, and owner.

Yeah, JDW, it hurts my heart that these guys are going to have to survive on less millions.  I have a spare room for them if they can't pay their rent.  Seriously though, it will make it hard for the Lions (Tigers, Wings, Pistons) to land greedy players who are simply playing for money and aren't as concerned with winning.  Florida lives off of tourism and no one wants to visit Detroit so they have to get their money a different way.  with the country in the shape we are in, florida may want to think about a small state tax or local taxes also.  People aren't spending their money here as much over the past few years and we are hurting pretty bad too.  It will help though that greedy rich athletes want to bring their money here. Hopefully they will invest in their local areas, create jobs and help the local economies instead of just buying new foreign made cars and boats. 

Don't defend these guys

How was I defending them?  Calm down a little killer.

I'm hungry for rabbit stew. I don't know why.

Don't quote me here, but pretty sure it's where you claim residence and can prove it....Owning a house in Florida is plenty for Tiger to claim Florida as his home of residence.....


Thats correct but the problem is guys that live in NY or California, or Mass. when they look to find a lower tax rate they will look to relocate to a tax friendlier state and it's easier to work and play in a state like Florida.

Interesting TB it's easy to be for higher taxes when living in a state that doesn't have a state income tax, but an athlete or person making top dollar should not be afforded the same opportunity as the rest of the population? The point isn't that athletes are not paying taxes but they want to keep more of their cash. The same feeling 99.9% of all people have. The funny thing is the more money you make the more Bills you have.  I can say I think most athletes are fair and reasonable but if they are getting 60% of their income taken I can't blame them for looking to find a way to lower that nut.

Team in Northern cities have to face a climate obstacle as well as a tax obsticle in trying to lure FAs.

Michigan passed  law that allows them to start taxing retirement pensions why would I want to stay in Michigan when a State like North Carolina won't? I will end up doing the same thing as Tiger Woods and Tori Hunter, Shaq, Grant Hill, ect. 

It's a hot button topic just look at the critisism Phil Mickelson receive but he was being honest and the rhetoric between the differing points of view.
 

And by no means is it just the greedy athletes....

 Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is docking his family's new $7 million yacht in neighboring Rhode Island, allowing him to avoid paying roughly $500,000 in taxes to his cash-strapped home state.

If the Isabel were kept at the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee's summer vacation home on Nantucket or in Boston Harbor near his city residence, he would be liable for $437,500 in one-time sales tax. He would also have to pay $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

Rhode Island repealed those taxes in 1993. That has made the state something of a nautical tax haven.

Not to get into a democratic vs Rebublican issue but the great liberal Head of state has done some things very similiar.

So maybe Phil Mickelson has a point? 

It's a hot button topic just look at the critisism Phil Mickelson receive but he was being honest and the rhetoric between the differing points of view.

Have to agree with JDW on this one.

Why punish success?
Whether its a pro athelete, some one who has worked to climb the ladder in the business world, or some one that had a brilliant idea for a product or service (entrapenuer) and took the risks of borrowing money and finding investors to start a business, they all have something in common. Hard work.
Athelete's have to stay physically sharp and mentally on thier game. They have to study and work out many hours a day. Sure they have a talent that maybe others dont, but talent alone doesnt assure success, using that talent and combinng it with hard work ethic maximizes their earning potential. Climbers in the business world have to have viable ideas and strategies for success, these dont come easy, you must constantly be in work mode and thinking outside the box. Entrapenuers must do the same and they have personal risk inviolved in becoming successful. They succeed base on the combination of the idea and hard work. Many fail because they lack in one of these areas.

I understand taxes and the need for funding the Federal, State, and local governments. But they all are way out of control spending wise. (remember the old jokes about $500 toilet seats? Well now thats not so far fetched).

Mickelson is a good example. He pays the highest rate of Federal tax. He pays alot in property taxes, which is his choice since he gets to decide where he lives and what kind of home he provides for his family. Now his State taxes rise to 13.5%. So its reported he will pay around 63% of his income in taxes. I don't even think that takes into acocunt hidden taxes on phone, energy (gas, heating oil, electricity), hidden production taxes and of course the ever popular gas tax that is levied on every gallon you buy, by both the Federal Government and the State you reside in (double whammy).

Whether earned (and thats the key word many politicians do not use....EARNED) by a combination of hard work and talent, ideas and strategies, etc etc..... its still personally earned. A lot of talk goes into "Fair Share" nonsense. Political buzz words for "we want more of your earned money that we didnt earn."

So 63% (and counting) is a fair share for anybody? When did the American dream switch from "the land of opportunity" for its citizens and thier families and become "the land of working for the government"? Giving 63% of our EARNINGS to a wasteful, spend happy government that doesnt pay half attention to where its goes and what is being done with it is grossly irresponsible.

I applaud Phil and any athelete or person that has earned their way to the top of thier earning potential that decides to move based on being over-taxed. Its thier Constitutional right to do what is best for themselves and their families. Why is it seen as greed to want more for your family and your children?

We have a top heavy tax system. According to Forbes Magazine the top marginal rate for anyone earning over $398,350 is 39.6% and it goes down to 10% for low income earners, as low as $8,950 for single filers. We also have the highest marginal tax rate on business in the world. By having a system based on taking away money before its becomes purchasing power for the individual or company we are effectively destroying our ability to grow ecomonically, expand, hire and prosper.

I am a proponent of "The Fair Tax". This would be a Tax system based on purchasing and investing power for individuals and companies. It has multiple levels or "pockets" that would be for exclusive governmental use but only in the area designated.

Example of a Individual or Corporate Fair Tax: The person (worker) would keep 100% of their earnings. This increases the individuals purchasing power immensely. Instead of now earning say $1,000 per week for 52 weeks (currently taxed at 25% rate thereby reducing their purchasing power to 75% or earnings) would keep all $52,000 (not the $39,000 in the current system).
You then place a flat tax rate on all purchases of goods, services or investments. Say 10% for sake of argument and ease of math. What you have effectively done now is provide people with 15% more purchasing power (25% back in the pockets and 10% removed during purchase). Out of that 10% are percentages that go automatically for specific governmental services. Military 4%, Social programs 4%, debt 2%.... etc. The exact particulars would be worked out.

The tax on gasoline orginally was supposed to be for state and federal infrastructure. Unfortunately, that never really happened the the funds just filtered into the general fund to be used for what ever cockamammy idea came along. Once again put the gas tax in place for state and federal infrastructure ONLY. base it as a percentage on the exact amount of profit the oil companies can generate. In others words if the oil companies make 10% profit per gallon sold on the dollar (they currently make 8% on the dollar) then the Federal government also gets 10% and the individual states get 10% based on their sales within the state. So then when someone comes out and says that Exxon made 90 billion last year.... well so did the government and the states off of Exxons sales. Currently the combined State and Federal Taxes on gas can range state by state as high as 43 cents per dollar or 43% on the dollar.

Bottom line. There are ways to change the poor system of taxation we have that would bring in more revenue to the government based on success and economic growth and reward all earners with more purchasing power and thus creating the need for more goods and services and therefore the jobs follow. It would be a system that was proactive, not detrimental.

Then we wouldnt have conversations about athelete's moving due to taxes, since all woul dbe taxed based on what they spent or invested and not what they worked for to begin with.

And this would work easily and bring in more revenue.... no loopholes, no dodges available. And we all know that the richer the person or athelete the more bling or toys they buy.

I am a proponent of "The Fair Tax". This would be a Tax system based on purchasing and investing power for individuals and companies. It has multiple levels or "pockets" that would be for exclusive governmental use but only in the area designated.

Example of a Individual or Corporate Fair Tax: The person (worker) would keep 100% of their earnings. This increases the individuals purchasing power immensely. Instead of now earning say $1,000 per week for 52 weeks (currently taxed at 25% rate thereby reducing their purchasing power to 75% or earnings) would keep all $52,000 (not the $39,000 in the current system).
You then place a flat tax rate on all purchases of goods, services or investments. Say 10% for sake of argument and ease of math. What you have effectively done now is provide people with 15% more purchasing power (25% back in the pockets and 10% removed during purchase). Out of that 10% are percentages that go automatically for specific governmental services. Military 4%, Social programs 4%, debt 2%.... etc. The exact particulars would be worked out.

I know this isn't a political board. But this has turned into a political thread so why not?

I completely agree with what Pride just wrote. I've been a proponent of the Fair Tax as well. I will go to my grave knowing that the greatest politician to ever grace America with his presence was Ron Paul. He is also the most unappreciated. The role of government should be to govern, not to control. Somewhere along the way this county has lost its way. But I digress.

Income tax should be done away with. Of course the Internal Revenue Service is way to powerful to ever let that happen. Same with tax attorneys. But that doesn't change what the right thing to do is, and what we should fight for.

Property tax is literally stealing. The government should not be able to tax something that WE OWN.

Taxes should come out of purchases. And it should be done "fairly." A high sales tax without income & property tax would not only be the most fair way to run a country, but the most efficient and prosperous all across the board. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Everyone would pay taxes. Rich people would no longer be able to avoid paying their fair share of taxes by hiring attorneys to find loopholes.

2. Everyone would pay taxes. Drug dealers, mobsters, every type of criminal, under the table workers, illegal immigrants, off the radar anti-government people hiding in a bunker somewhere, etc, EVERYONE, would pay taxes. Why? Everyone makes purchases.

3. Did I mention....everyone would pay taxes!!!

4. Financial control would be completely left to the individual. We are a consumer nation. That's never going to stop. There would be PLENTY of tax money coming in to fund government programs. But it would be up to the individual and their personal lifestyle choices how elaborate they want to live. If it is worth it to them to pay more taxes they will make more purchases. If they want to live more frugal, they have that choice. It's ALL up to the individual to decide what to do and how to live with the money they earn. And that's because 100% of the money they earn will go to them FIRST. And then some of it will go to the government depending on how many purchases are made. But the money would go to the individual first, the way it should be.

There are so many other benefits but I don't have time to outline them. It's a shame we are letting government get bigger and bigger with more power. Government run entities are incompetent and corrupt. Always will be. So, now that they are running everything, it's no wonder everything is a mess.

Interesting TB it's easy to be for higher taxes when living in a state that doesn't have a state income tax, but an athlete or person making top dollar should not be afforded the same opportunity as the rest of the population?


An athlete in florida is afforded the same opportunity. 

The point isn't that athletes are not paying taxes but they want to keep more of their cash. The same feeling 99.9% of all people have.


Of course we all want to keep more of our cash.  I just believe that we all have to pay our share for our country and state to be run.  Yes, there is overspending, it needs to be reigned in, but taxes are just a fact of life that we all have to deal with. 



    The funny thing is the more money you make the more Bills you have.
     

That depends on who you are.  It was just last year right that Carson Palmer said he hadn't spent hardly any of the money he earned playing and if he needed to retire rather than play for the Bungles then he would just walk away and never have to work again.  You live within your means whether it's 40,000 a year or 40 mil.  If your 40 mil become 35 mil then you live on the 35 mil.  If you can't live on 35 mil I can't feel sorry for you. 


   It's a hot button topic just look at the critisism Phil Mickelson receive but he was being honest and the rhetoric between the differing points of view.


The people spending a good chunk of their money to go watch Phil play doesn't want to hear about a few million being taken from him by the government.  I could be wrong about the number but I want to say I heard that Phil made 70 million dollars last year.  So he walked away with, what, 25 mil?  I get that he's upset that they took so much from him but it's not a conversation to be had with a struggling public.    

And by no means is it just the greedy athletes....

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is docking his family's new $7 million yacht in neighboring Rhode Island, allowing him to avoid paying roughly $500,000 in taxes to his cash-strapped home state.

If the Isabel were kept at the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee's summer vacation home on Nantucket or in Boston Harbor near his city residence, he would be liable for $437,500 in one-time sales tax. He would also have to pay $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

Rhode Island repealed those taxes in 1993. That has made the state something of a nautical tax haven.

Not to get into a democratic vs Rebublican issue but the great liberal Head of state has done some things very similiar.

So maybe Phil Mickelson has a point?


I'm not saying Mickelson doesn't have a point.  I'm saying that I don't want to hear it.  I wish they would charge Kerry that tax anyway.  I said that when I first heard what he did and I'll say it again now. 

I love when people throw around fantasy tax rates. Not one post mentions effective tax rate. Only a complete moron would be paying a top rate on a state or federal level. How many people making over 500k don't have accountants. My effective tax rate last year was 7% higher than Romney and 9% lower than Obama.....on 80K. Cry me a river.....

Raburn and Inge still suck....So do liberal state taxes.....NY, California, Illinois, The big three.....Where all the media comes from....NYC, LA and Chicago.....Tie in where media comes from and the state they come from then you have the libearl party......All three states are a huge train wreck when it comes to fiscal respobsiblities....Why does the media live there?


Everytime you elect a lawyer as a president your in trouble......How many lawyers have done you guys right? Obama was nothing but a lawyer hence policy in Illinois and now the U.S. are chaging horribly.


Community oraganizer my butt....He graduated from Harvard as a Lawyer, He had one thing in mind. Be the the biggest Lawyer on earth. He got that and anyone that voted for him, have fun when your 60......Cracks me up, I'll live in Canada or Mexico when I'm 60 before living in this country. I served and protected this country for over a decade. It's a shame that one man could have ruined it so fast.

That's past tense fellas, the country is wrecked. There's no coming back.  He still has 4 more years to turn us into Greece and Western Europe. If you think taxes are bad now, you got a rude awakening.......Eurpoean countries spend 2/3 of their paycheck on taxes.....For some reason they like it....Maybe it's because they don't have to fund a military anymore now that we pay and take care of it, much like Canada......That's right Canada....I'm saying it.....Life is good because you put a dime a year in your military.....Must be nice then laugh at our health care......

Fun is over America is broke and it can't be fixed without complete bankruptcy....Much like the USSR in the late 80s. That country still isnt back and it's been over 20 years. Welcome to your future young bucks. Might want to find some Russian friends online to talk to and find out how they did it living in that world....Because that is your world America.

I will just take my old butt to the grave and let the next generation realize you have a long road ahead of you, I gave it my best, but your generation just thought free stuff was more important.