News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by gaius on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @01:13PM (#1694974)
Famously Warren Buffett's secretary pays more tax than he does...
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by shasta on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @01:34PM (#1695080)
I'm pretty sure it's that she pays a higher rate than he does. He pays more taxes every year than she'll earn in her lifetime.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by jakarta on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @01:19PM (#1695006)
Exactly, which he says is stupid. That's why Buffett and Gates have been pushing so hard to get other billionaires to pledge to donate as much as them. Larry Ellison is one of the more recent tech execs to take the pledge.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by calloc on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @03:48PM (#1695601)
Last I read Larry makes 1.6 BILLION US DOLLARS a year. I don't think you can ever spend that much money.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by blakeweb on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @06:05PM (#1696034)
For what it's worth, Larry Ellison also personally started and funds the Ellison Medical Foundation, which distributes on the order of 100 million dollars (cite: wikipedia: Larry Ellison) per year to leading academic biologists for research into the diseases of the elderly and how to stop them. Grant recipients are selected by a panel of scientists.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by raganwald on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @04:29PM (#1695732)
Larry seems to take this as a challenge.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by gaius on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @04:27PM (#1695727)
Larry's taste includes fighter jets...
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by mgkimsal on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @04:33PM (#1695749)
pretty easy to spend that buying a few private jets and yachts. 1.6 billion ain't what it used to be.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by krishna2 on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @04:22PM (#1695714)
Not more in taxes but more as a percentage of total earnings. The tax bracket was higher for the secretary whereas for Buffett it was around 18% (iirc).
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by Bricejm on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @04:59PM (#1695814)
The capital gains/dividend tax breaks basically benefit the rich. Cap gains/dividend taxes should be on a marginal basis just like ordinary income.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by 2arrs2ells on Thursday September 16, 2010 @01:16AM (#1696877)
The idea behind lower cap gains/dividend taxes is to incentivize investment (over consumption or savings). I'm no expert with the economics literature here, but I would worry about making changes that make it harder for businesses to access capital.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by loewenskind on Thursday September 16, 2010 @09:08AM (#1697674)
You don't have to throw the dice and hope, you can go look at most of the other 1st world countries that don't have this and how they're doing. Hint: just fine.
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by d2viant on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @03:48PM (#1695606)
So why isn't he campaigning for lower taxes for her instead of higher taxes for others?
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by mikeklaas on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @05:23PM (#1695906)
Because you will need to raise taxes for them to pay for lower taxes for her
Re:Bill Gates, Hero by d2viant on Wednesday September 15, 2010 @08:59PM (#1696451)
Not necessarily, you can reduce government spending.