- Joe the Plumber Speaks:
After being the star of last night's debate, mentioned conservatively a dozen times, "Joe the Plumber" has come forward. His name is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man who wants to buy a plumbing business. He had spoken with Obama in Toledo this week, and told him his tax plan would prevent him from buying the business. He said of being the example of the night, "It's pretty surreal, man, my name being mentioned in a presidential campaign." He won't say who he's voting for — if he's registered — "That's for me and a button to know." - Social Security Benefits to Rise:
Social Security benefits will go up 5.8 percent for 50 million people next year. It's the largest pay rise in more than a quarter of a century. The increase will begin in January and will mean $63 extra per month for the average retiree. The raise is double increase from January this year. - EU Firm on Climate Goals:
European Union leaders are resolved to meet their targets and timetable for addressing climate change, despite objections from some countries. Worries that given the global economic situation cutting greenhouse gas emissions will be too costly has caused some countries to threaten to block the plan. French President Sarkozy says, "The climate package is so important that we cannot simply drop it, under the pretext of a financial crisis."
Coggles.com
Mishumo
2two
This story is ridiculous! It is a total hypothetical situation. The guy does not make anywhere near $250,000 and who is to say that he makes that once he buys the business? Can we please focus on the real issues.
1Personally I thought the story of Joe was a low point that kept dragging on in the debate. I think I heard McCain mentioned Joe something like 20 times and Obama 4. And can we stop with the Joe's...jeez...Joe SixPack, Joe the Plumber, Joe Schmoe...blech...
2I think is an attempt by McCain to appeal to the "Joe six Pack's" out there. It is a pretty lame attempt IMO.
3Most people in the focus groups did not enjoy the "Joe the Plumber" portion of the debate. It was kind of transparent.
4Wow! I really respect Joe in saying that his vote is only for him and the button to know!
i wish more people were like that!
5Interesting piece of Social Security.
6..... interesting piece ON social security...
7Except that he might not even be registered to vote. Interesting comments on the politico article too. If there really is footage out there of Joe the Plumber making racist remarks about Obama, plus his non voter status, that is going to reflect quite badly on McCain.
8I think it is pretty obvious who he is voting for.
9Good grief. People are tearing apart this man now? Yet the other side are the hateful ones. This man had camera's forced in his face and he said his piece. Sheesh.
10I am not tearing him apart GS. It is a Shame that the McCain camp is using this as ammo against Barack and it really has no merritt at all.
11Why does this mans opinion have no merit?
12Is Joe the Plumber to replace Joe Six Pack? I wonder how Joe Six Pack feels about having his fame taken away?
13I dont even know my own plumbers name or face all i ever see is
14when i was watching joe the plumber during his press conference(im mean come on a news conference!) what struck me was how on message he was for the mccain campaign. i wouldnt be surprised if he was contacted this morning with talking points before his big news conference. i agree with who said it was low point in the debate, it was like mccain had joe the plumber diarrhea of the mouth.
15or, he is an informed voter who is a McCain supporter and Obama picked the wrong door to do pr/campaign talking.
16I admire Obama for doing this and for answering Joe's questions honestly. Yes, if his business was in the minority 5% of small businesses that make a net income of 250K his effective tax rate would be higher under Obama's plan.
McCain's very controlled image would never allow himself to be in the situation Obama did by going door to door and talking to real people whether they be republican, dem, or independent.
17Mydia, McCain talks to "real people" all the time off camera, and On, just because he isnt manufacturing a special moment on camera doesnt mean the situation isnt happening.
18mydia, that 5% stat is so completely bogus. In actuality, only a small number make under that.
19You know when Social Security goes up, so does the cost of most prescriptions for the elderly, often the cost of secondary insurance goes up then too. It was nice of the government to give companies a head's up so they can start changing their price lists.
I'm sorry Joe the Plumber can't buy his company - but he's had thirty years of economic and business climates that favored people like him - sorry the gravy train is slowing down, but all these people who wanted health care and jobs deserve a bone now and then too.
20yes damn those small business owners! stop the gravy train for them! who needs innovation or entrepenuership when gov't checks are just so much easier?
21I just realized this campaign has turned into that Kevin Costner Movie Swing Vote. I never saw it, but I wonder if the main character's name was Joe... and maybe he was a plumber.
22Martin Eisenstadt, who has been working alongside the McCain campaign, is asserting Joe the pooper scooper is related to Charles Keating. Other bloggers both conservative and progressive are going to further by saying the man is not even a plumber and is not even registered to vote.
http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/2008/10/15/joe-the-plumber-wurzelbacher-r...
It will be interesting to see how this story evolves....
23GS- what do you say that number is bogus? And the 250k is on individuals and their reported income, if these entrepreneurs or business owners make more than that number they would be affected. However, most small businesses file taxes as a business and wouldn't be affected.
24Maybe Joe absentee votes somewhere else.
25I'm confused about the small-business-$250k-thing.
It seems to me that more than 5% of small businesses make a net income greater than 250K. I would love to see the report or some sources that contain these figures.
I guess what I am confused about is if we're talking the business as a whole, before or after taxes, or if we're talking about business owners? I assume the first, in which case, $250,00 seems low to me.
26My concern is what are they taking out before they call it a "net"? In my case, I gross $500,000/yr. Of that, I spend $150,000 on "office expenses", and I've heard that part be called the net. But I also have payroll to take out, and inventory costs to take out of there as well. That $250,000 mark is really low.
27My head is undergoing some major scratching over this!
28The issue is are you filing taxes as a business or an individual? I know many small business owners and they file taxes on their business (and pay those rates) and then file personal income taxes (their income would be profit or payroll from their business). Obama's rate increase on 250k would only be on the former and not the latter.
29My issue is with the business. Every dollar I have to spen on taxes, before I issue my payroll will affect how many people I can afford to hire, or keep employed.
30I'm not a tax accountant, but wouldn't payroll be an above the line expense and taxes are only on below the line profit?
31Poor Joe...the media is vetting him right now and things are coming out about him: He's not registered to vote. He's not a licensed plumber in Ohio...and on. Personally, I could care less, Joe aint getting my vote.
McCain should have let Joe be a one off explanation, but he kept going on and on and on and on. It got annoying, so no surprise that people are bringing Joe into the spotlight now.
32Joe isnt licensed because like he said, he doesnt own his business. He works for someone else, so you don't need to be licensed to do that.
And he may not be registered in Ohio, maybe he's voting absentee? I'm not registered where I live, but I'd def. go to a rally if I could!
33Adrenalyn- It's looking more like Joe Dirt instead of Joe the Plumber. Rumors are swirling that he owes back taxes to the State of Ohio. I guess he is committed to his cause of tax aversion. LOL!
Personally, I dislike it when any candidate (on either side)elevates a particular person they have run across at their events. It comes across as extremely contrived and disingenious.
34This is not based on anything that I've read anywhere, but I would think the 95% figure that Obama cites and any contradictory figure that McCain cites can be attributed to how we are defining "small business". There are small businesses that employ a certain number of people and bring in a certain amount of money that would put them above the $250k cut off, like Joe the Plumber. But there are also plenty of people who represent themselves as small businesses, especially given the culture of the internet, who would likely fall below the $250k line. There are plenty of artists, dog walkers, web developers etc who are self-employed but who are a far cry from Joe the Plumber and his seemingly more developed business.
Personally, I think this Joe the Plumber example is so irrelevant to what the majority of the country is facing. It's too niche. And I too was under the impression that payroll expenses were above the line and were taken out pre-taxes.
35There's no question about the large number of Americans who don't have adequate health insurance or who have lost their jobs or who can't afford to send their kids to college - so we need to focus on getting them up and functioning before we worry about advancing the top of the economic ladder.
36I think his/Joe's opinion matters.
Just like the opinion of someone who's a nurse, a teacher, a homemaker, a truck driver, a democrat, a republican, an independent etc.
I just don't like the implication that his opinion shouldn't matter or shouldn't be put as an example just because it doesn't reflect one opinion or the other.
37"There's no question about the large number of Americans who don't have adequate health insurance or who have lost their jobs or who can't afford to send their kids to college - so we need to focus on getting them up and functioning before we worry about advancing the top of the economic ladder."
This, ladies and gentlemen, is socialism. And it scares the sh!t out of me. Competition breeds excellence. Take it away and we will be Russia.
38And the way this man who Obama chose to talk to is being ripped apart by the MSM just shows how pathetic this media is. I am sickened.
39Conversely, McCain chose to capitalize on this chap, 21 times. More theatrics. Joe isn't worse for the wear, he is scheduled to appear on Fox's Huckabee show with son and father in tow. Positive attention. Negative atttention. Some people take whatever they can get. I would imagine this is a nice distraction from his problems and stagnant plumbing career. He is one of those voters who aspires to become wealthy and for whom it is unlikely to come to fruition. Joe forgets that the middle class person aspiring to wealth, gets no help from the government and no edge from preexisting wealth.
As far as the tax issue at hand, the wealthy are masters at self-preservation. I would be highly surprised if anything changes if either candidate were to win. Though a fair, open, and equitable tax system makes for a nice reverie.
40"Joe the Plumber" was an attendee at Obama's rally. As it is, he qualifies and would benefit for Obama's tax cuts. He stated that he was considering buying the plumbing co. which has potential to make $250K per year. It was a hypothetical question that ended up getting completely skewed, like playing the game "telephone" as a child. The focal point of McCain's campaign was in Obama's answer, "...spread the wealth" but was quickly taken to another level. All of the excessive presumptions are ridiculous.
41http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27221645/
This article states that "Joe the Plumber" made $40,000 last year. It would be difficult for most to forget the middle class while living in it.
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