Joe the Plumber: Official Thread

[Bucklion]

Originally Posted by Steve19

Just have to say that if this guy thinks that his 15 minutes of fame is going to qualify him for Congress, then I have an important vacation home opportunity to discuss with him...

Of course not, his 15 minutes more qualify him for the Senate, you know, like Al Franken...

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

to head back to the corp tax issue

IIRC, there are a number of other regulatory issues that make places like Bermuda a more preferable insurance company domicile than the U.S.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by Steve19

Just have to say that if this guy thinks that his 15 minutes of fame is going to qualify him for Congress, then I have an important vacation home opportunity to discuss with him...

i didnt know you had to be qualified to end up in congress...

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

IIRC, there are a number of other regulatory issues that make places like Bermuda a more preferable insurance company domicile than the U.S.

like a corp tax rate well into the single digits overall... vs 36% (current) or 39% under the obama plan

Bermuda Domestic Corporate Taxation

In Bermuda there are no taxes on profits, dividends or income; there is no capital gains tax, no withholding tax and no sales tax. The main tax impinging on companies is payroll tax. See Types of Company for details of annual fees payable depending on status.

kpmg worldwide survey (no bermuda)
http://www.kpmg.com/SiteCollectionDo...vey-2008v2.pdf

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

like a corp tax rate well into the single digits overall...

And other regulatory issues, like I said... if it were just about corporate taxes, wouldn't every type of company relocate to Bermuda? Why do you think that it's an insurance haven?

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

And other regulatory issues, like I said... if it were just about corporate taxes, wouldn't every type of company relocate to Bermuda? Why do you think that it's an insurance haven?

cash is king.

if i had the choice to pay 2% or 39.6% on my profits were would i put my business? well 2%. insurance is very cyclical in nature much like farming. bumper crops some years and droughts others. us state regulation keeps most regular insurers in the us, or makes them run us based subisdaries. with the high profit margins and correlating loss exposure in reinsurance markets this is an even larger issues.

if i can teach you one thing-cash is king.

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

cash is king.

if i had the choice to pay 2% or 39.6% on my profits were would i put my business? well 2%. insurance is very cyclical in nature much like farming. bumper crops some years and droughts others. us state regulation keeps most regular insurers in the us, or makes them run us based subisdaries. with the high profit margins and correlating loss exposure in reinsurance markets this is an even larger issues.

if i can teach you one thing-cash is king.

Why is this so difficult? Yes, the taxes are lower.

OTHER. REGULATORY. ISSUES. Insurance companies, for obvious fiduciary reasons, are among the most regulated in the U.S. Not so much in Bermuda.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

Why is this so difficult? Yes, the taxes are lower.

OTHER. REGULATORY. ISSUES. Insurance companies, for obvious fiduciary reasons, are among the most regulated in the U.S. Not so much in Bermuda.

insurance is not regulated by the federal government...

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

insurance is not regulated by the federal government...

Who said anything about the Federal Government?

JO, I'm not arguing that taxes aren't part of the equation. Look at my first post - I said OTHER regulatory issues were also part of the reason so many insurance companies are domiciled in places like Bermuda...

[jimotis4heisman]

bus send me a pm if you want to discuss this...

The Columbus Dispatch : Records searches anger Joe the Plumber

Records searches anger Joe the Plumber

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:15 PM
Updated: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 04:54 PM
By Randy Ludlow


The Columbus Dispatch
"Joe the Plumber" has contacted a lawyer, but is uncertain if he will pull the trigger on lawsuits over government workers rummaging through his records on state computer systems. "When I first found out, I was pretty angry and I still am," Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher said today in Columbus during his first campaign appearance on behalf of Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
The Toledo-area man, who was elevated to fame after he challenged Democrat Barack Obama over his tax policies during a street-side chat, formally endorsed McCain at The Flag Lady's Flag Store in Beechwold.
Authorities in Toledo and Cleveland confirmed today that workers accessed Wurzelbacher's driving record and vehicle information through state computer systems in checks uncovered by The Dispatch.
"It bothers me greatly," Wurzelbacher said as he joined former Republican Congressman Rob Portman and small-business owners on a bus tour to back McCain and attack Obama's tax policies.
"I'd like to see justice done. That's just for other people who dare ask their elected officials a question. They shouldn't have to go through the scrutiny that I've gone through," he said.
The Toledo Police Department announced today that a civilian employee improperly pulled Wurzelbacher's information on behalf of a reporter for a Toledo television station shortly after the Oct. 15 presidential debate.
The employee has been charged with gross misconduct and faces a disciplinary hearing, said Chief Michael Navarre. He declined to identify the TV station, but said the reporter confirmed asking for a check on Wurzelbacher's address.
The Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency also said an employee's computer was used to improperly access Bureau of Motor Vehicles records on "Joe the Plumber." The employee denies involvement.
Another access of Wurzelbacher's information, by an outside contractor who had access to an attorney general's office test account, is being investigated by the State Highway Patrol.
Inspector General Thomas P. Charles is investigating why the director of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services approved a check on Wurzelbacher through the state's child-support computer system.
Director Helen Jones-Kelley said that after a "team meeting," she OK'd the check because the department often runs inquiries to check for unpaid child support when people are thrust into "the public spotlight."
Wuzelbacher said he has custody of his 13-year-old son and neither pays or receives child support, leaving him puzzled why he would be run through such a check.
Jones-Kelly said there were no political motivations behind the check. The Democrat appointee has contributed the maximum $2,500 to the Obama campaign this year, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Ohio Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland wrote Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland today, saying he was disturbed by Jones-Kelley's actions and statements. He asked for records and an explanation.
"Ohioans are once again questioning the stewardship of their information," Harris wrote. He also said he did not share Strickland's confidence that there were no political overtones to the Wurzelbacher check.
Calling her reason for checking on Wurzelbacher meritless, State Rep. William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, today called on Strickland to place Jones-Kelley on leave until the investigation is complete.
"No Ohioan should be subject to a 'witch hunt' on the whim of a public official," said Batchelder . He said that by Jones-Kelley's standard, "the mere appearance of one's name in the newspaper would warrant 'taking a look.' "
"I believe that Ohioans need to be reassured that their personal information is safe from frivolous and perhaps politically motivated investigation," he wrote.

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

bus send me a pm if you want to discuss this...

Really no need because I agree with you on taxes vis-a-vis insurance companies & bermuda - I was adding to your initial post, not disputing it.

[ORD_Buckeye]

Joe the Plumber is now weighing in on national security issues and the Middle East at his "press conference" at the Flag Lady's store.


Does this guy have any concept of what a national punchline he's become. And yes, he deserves it. No one forced him to go on talk shows, comment on a possible run for Congress or hold press conferences to talk about the Middle East. He has chosen to take his 15 minutes and attempt to maximize them when he could have done the honorable thing and slunk into oblivion like Bartman.

Hey Joe, when I want an intelligent analysis of the middle east, I'll listen to the guys down High Street at the Mershon Center. When I want someone to unclog my toilet after taco night, I'll call you.

[Flocka]

Originally Posted by ORD_Buckeye

Joe the Plumber is now weighing in on national security issues and the Middle East at his "press conference" at the Flag Lady's store.


Does this guy have any concept of what a national punchline he's become. And yes, he deserves it. No one forced him to go on talk shows, comment on a possible run for Congress or hold press conferences to talk about the Middle East. He has chosen to take his 15 minutes and attempt to maximize them when he could have done the honorable thing and slunk into oblivion like Bartman.

Hey Joe, when I want an intelligent analysis of the middle east, I'll listen to the guys down High Street at the Mershon Center. When I want someone to unclog my toilet after taco night, I'll call you.

You should be a mod.

[DaytonBuck]

Originally Posted by ORD_Buckeye

Joe the Plumber is now weighing in on national security issues and the Middle East at his "press conference" at the Flag Lady's store.


Does this guy have any concept of what a national punchline he's become. And yes, he deserves it. No one forced him to go on talk shows, comment on a possible run for Congress or hold press conferences to talk about the Middle East. He has chosen to take his 15 minutes and attempt to maximize them when he could have done the honorable thing and slunk into oblivion like Bartman.

Hey Joe, when I want an intelligent analysis of the middle east, I'll listen to the guys down High Street at the Mershon Center. When I want someone to unclog my toilet after taco night, I'll call you.

It's possible unlike Joe Biden that he knows Hezbollah is still in Lebanon.

The Mershon Center is the A league affiliate of JFK School of Government

[jimotis4heisman]

The Columbus Dispatch : Agency head defends 'Joe' searches

Agency head defends 'Joe' searches

Thursday, October 30, 2008 3:30 AM
By Randy Ludlow


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Helen Jones-Kelley said that the searches the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services ran on Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher were routine.






A state agency has revealed that its checks of computer systems for potential information on "Joe the Plumber" were more extensive than it first acknowledged.

Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, disclosed yesterday that computer inquiries on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher were not restricted to a child-support system.
The agency also checked Wurzelbacher in its computer systems to determine whether he was receiving welfare assistance or owed unemployment compensation taxes, she wrote.


...

The checks were run after the news media reported that Wurzelbacher was considering buying a plumbing business with more than $250,000 in annual income, Jones-Kelley wrote.
"Given our understanding that Mr. Wurzelbacher had publicly indicated that he had the means to purchase a substantial business enterprise, ODJFS, consistent with past departmental practice, checked confidential databases …," she wrote.
"Not surprisingly, when a person behind in child-support payments or receiving public assistance is receiving significant media attention which suggests that the person appears to have available financial resources, the Department risks justifiable criticism if it fails to take note and respond," Jones-Kelley wrote.
The results of the searches were not publicly released and remain confidential, she wrote. Wurzelbacher has said he is not involved in a child-support case and has not purchased any business.
Jones-Kelley wrote the checks were "well-meaning," but misinterpreted amid the heated final weeks of a presidential election.