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hepakrese t1_iuriwz3 wrote

This is insane! We have energy companies posting record profits - why is our government bailing them out by proxy?! This is a corporate grift.

Our government should stop providing tax incentives to such companies, and create regulation that prevents utilities from unnecessarily boosting prices to consumers (as it only lines their own pockets).

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zzyul t1_ius7rzw wrote

Because we have separation of powers. The White House is just the Executive Branch, controlled by Democrats. Removing tax incentives or adding a windfall tax requires changing or creating new laws, that is handled by the Legislative Branch, so the House and Senate. Currently Democrats don’t have enough votes in the Senate to pass any laws that will increase corporate taxes on energy producing companies.

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Elcor05 t1_iutcpwm wrote

Dems would need to have like 70 seats to pass anything like this anyway.

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Logtastic t1_iutn4d0 wrote

If only there were an upcoming election where the Dems could use the results of votes to show that Republican are actively working against public interest.

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usrevenge t1_iutu715 wrote

Too bad that is unlikely.

If Democrats kept the house and won 10 seats in the Senate the country would be transformed very quickly due to no filibuster.

We would see

  1. Codified roe v Wade

  2. Enshrined into law the right to birth control

  3. More taxes on the rich

  4. Forgiven student loans

  5. Likely massive changes to medicare or even Medicare for all.

All probably in 2023 alone.

But Republicans rather vote against their own interest

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OseanFederation t1_iuu3k5p wrote

As a Christian Conservative with no student debt, I think I’d rather vote against all of that as none of that is in my interest.

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tcmart14 t1_iuu6e5v wrote

As an atheist engineer with no student loan debt, I think I would vote for all of that because the well being of those around me is in my personal interest.

I guess you could say, I try to love my neighbor like I love myself.

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OseanFederation t1_iuu8grh wrote

I give 10% of my income to charity as I believe charities will always be more effective than the government. Murdering unborn children is hardly an act of love to thy neighbor. I personally am against birth control, but I don't think it should be banned. More taxes have never solved anything as it only leads to more government spending. People took their loans, they should pay them back. It is not greedy of me to want to keep the money I worked for but it definitely is greedy for people to expect me to bail them out of their shitty life choices. Blame the government for getting involved in the first place.

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Conscious_Figure_554 t1_iuuknq8 wrote

You are entitled to your opinion. I do suggest look up the word empathy because claiming to be a CHRISTIAN is antithetical to what you believe in. “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). in case you were wondering what the Bible says

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OseanFederation t1_iuuqf8w wrote

I mourn the loss of each and every one of Gods children murdered by abortion. I am troubled by the people that are crippled by student debt. I am empathetic towards the plight of others. Tell me how the government taking my money that I worked for will fix the problem.

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tearsaresweat t1_iuw9rod wrote

A self-serving Christian that goes against the teachings of the Bible and Jesus. Call me shocked.

Mark 10:21

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

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lvlint67 t1_iuuq7og wrote

This is the general difference between conservatives and progressives..

One will selfishly vote in self interest. The other will vote in the interest of everyone....

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OseanFederation t1_iuut63p wrote

Ah yes. I’m so selfish for giving away 10% of my income to the less fortunate and impoverished. I’m so selfish for volunteering my time to help others.

The difference between a conservative and a progressive. One will go out and help those in need. The other demands the government take it from others and do it for them.

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lvlint67 t1_iuvvjgv wrote

> I’d rather vote against all of that as none of that is in my interest

If you won't vote outside of self-interest, you are voting selfishly. You can give to a church or some other shit and still do selfish things...

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OseanFederation t1_iuw21du wrote

So selfish of me not to support the wholesome murder of unborn children. How selfish of me to want to keep the fruits of my labor even after donating a considerable sum to charity.

I’m not selfish or greedy. You are for feeling entitled to my money via the government taking it from me.

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Spritely_lad t1_iuyut6a wrote

>So selfish of me not to support the wholesome murder of unborn children.

Are you willing (to pay higher taxes) to care for pregnant women and (children after they are born)?

If so, why not go vote for politicians who support expanding government assistance to pregnant women and needy families, since children are already going hungry and facing education access issues across the country?

>How selfish of me to want to keep the fruits of my labor even after donating a considerable sum to charity

Very introspective, not many people can honestly admit their own shortcomings like that. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) agrees that this is selfish, saying:

>Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Also in Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)

>As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Now to address this: >I’m not selfish or greedy. You are for feeling entitled to my money via the government taking it from me

Jesus instructed to both give to God what is God's (i.e., a 10% tithe if possible) in addition to giving to the government what is theirs, which explicitly included taxes.

From Mark 12:14-17 (NIV) >They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

> But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

> “Caesar’s,” they replied.

> Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

> And they were amazed at him.

So, just to clarify, are you aware you are going directly against what Jesus instructed?

Edit: minor grammar edit and a link

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[deleted] t1_iut9vzm wrote

[removed]

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Corgi_Koala t1_iutgx03 wrote

They have 50 seats plus the tiebreaker from the vice president. But the current filibuster rules mean they essentially can't do anything of substance even if they have all 50 Democrat senators on board. I mean you sit here and nitpick but you ignore the political realities that their extremely small majority is not powerful enough to do things like major tax reform. It sucks but that's just the truth.

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hazelnut_coffay t1_iutebam wrote

this is part of the problem. just because you’ve got a (D) next to your name doesn’t mean you agree with every single thing the party does, nor should you. as representatives, they should vote for what their constituents want (ie Manchin)

edit: same for (R)

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AngelComa t1_iusl8rv wrote

This has been going on forever. It's the two party system that doesn't work anymore. We are fucked sadly.

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cote112 t1_iusj24v wrote

The utility companies treat it like insurance claims to try and get rebates too.

Delays and run around.

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felldestroyed t1_ius2zzc wrote

"LOL, no" --American Petroleum Institute lobbyists controlling more than half of our congress and a lot of conservative media.

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Synensys t1_iusu63w wrote

Absolutely. We need a broad windfall profits tax. Not just for energy companies, but for all companies.

The American government, in an attempt to stave off a slow recovery during COVID poured way too much money into the economy, particularly to middle class and rich people who didn't need it. You can argue about the wisdom of this (I think it was probably a good idea, after we underspent post-2008 to be less cautious and its helped - we have super low unemployment and relatively fast rising wages, but even at the time lots of people were saying it was too much or too indiscriminate).

Those people couldn't spend it right away because of the pandemic but are now spending it like crazy. The increase in demand in turn allows companies to raise their profits without having to increase production costs - i.e. they get huge profits.

Unfortunately this is really hurting poor Americans, who while they too got extra money in the pandemic, probably spent it on necessities long ago. So it does make sense for the government to give them some assistance.

But eventually that extra money has to be taken out of the system. When it does, inflation will calm down.

But ultimately rather than letting the profits accrue in the accounts of corporate stock holders and executives, propping up the luxury markets and equities (essentially taking it out of the normal economy), they should tax windfall profits and essentially take back the excess money they doled out in 2020-21.

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TheBadGuyBelow t1_iusu1mn wrote

Well if they do that, then where do they turn to for campaign donations? The gouging could be stopped so easily if they were not afraid of where the money is going to come from come election time.

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[deleted] t1_iuuqop3 wrote

Last-ditch effort to hold the Senate during midterms would be my guess.

Democrats have been losing ground for weeks. Inflation and increased cost of living are the major Republican talking points. This makes it look like Dems are doing something to address it as people go to the polls.

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SexyOldHobo t1_iurvzpg wrote

Literally all our government does is reap the profits from stolen land and siphon it off to the wealthy.

Edit: Sorry, we also try to bomb poor people to pieces, sometimes that doesn’t work though

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