Ok, help me out here re: the tax bill

[Texacon]

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210009753

Thu Dec 21, 2017, 06:45 AM
Orrex (57,909 posts)


Ok, help me out here re: the tax bill

AT&T, Comcast say GOP tax bill will mean $1,000 bonuses for employees

AT&T said Wednesday that it plans to invest an additional $1 billion into its U.S. networks in 2018 and give hundreds of thousands of employees a one-time bonus after the passage of the Republican-led tax bill in Congress.

From WAPO and elsewhere.

So what the **** are we supposed to do about this? I've seen this story used as a bludgeon in half a dozen online discussions already, and those idiot racist ****heads see it as proof positive that Trump is God incarnate come to save us from the Obama legacy.

Faced with the cold fact of this immediate benefit of the tax bill, what can we possibly say that will convince those stupid ****ing cultists that this bill is a disaster?

Frankly they're not going to care that billionaires are profiting hugely, as long as they can point to this story and say "see? it's working?" They also won't care about future disasters resulting from this ****ery, because they'll just blame it on Democrats as they've always done in the past.

One suspects, in fact, that this "bonus" gimmick is specifically calculated to undermine criticism of the bill. So where does that leave us?

on edit: AT&T and Comcast are only two so far. I've seen several others following suit, such as Wells Fargo and Fifth Third.

 

First up, someone who didn't read the article;

JHB (24,100 posts)

2. Well since the corporate tax cut is permanent, why not a raise?

That was the selling point, wasn't it? That the tax cut will allow companies to pay their employees more? So why a one-time bonus?

Why not $1000 raises, so the employees will get the money every year, just like the company gets its tax break every year?

Use that as a counterpoint, for all the good it will do with the elephant people.

A one-shot is a PR stunt. And, one has to wonder, if this isn't like so many other Trump "benefits": things the company was planning to do anyway, but are spinning it as due to Trump, for PR and because Prima Donnie needs his head patted for being a good boy, and can throw tantrums when he doesn't get it.

Second up ... someone who didn't read the article.

DeminPennswoods (2,029 posts)

5. Tell them to look at Comcast's fees going up again in Jan

Comcast decided a least 2-3 (or more) years ago to starting competing in the wireless market. That's when they changed their brand name to "Xfinity". They made that business decision while Obama was still president.

Also, I read somewhere that the bonuses ATT is handing out are part of their negotiated union contract.

Further, the reason companies give bonuses is because they don't count toward any future employee benefits like social security or pension calculations. And a lot of companies are, and have been, sitting on piles of cash for years now.

Hey Orrex, why don't you just admit that the idiot racist ****heads are smarter than you are?   

KC

[fatboy]

In other news, looking ahead in 2018, generic polls show that democrats are up 50% in the polls!!!

 

[BadCat]

Hmmm...doesn't Comcast own the propaganda wing of the Democrat Party...NBC?

[SVPete]

Orrex (57,909 posts)

Ok, help me out here re: the tax bill

AT&T, Comcast say GOP tax bill will mean $1,000 bonuses for employees

AT&T said Wednesday that it plans to invest an additional $1 billion into its U.S. networks in 2018 and give hundreds of thousands of employees a one-time bonus after the passage of the Republican-led tax bill in Congress.

From WAPO and elsewhere.

So what the **** are we supposed to do about this? I've seen this story used as a bludgeon in half a dozen online discussions already, and those idiot racist ****heads see it as proof positive that Trump is God incarnate come to save us from the Obama legacy.

Faced with the cold fact of this immediate benefit of the tax bill, what can we possibly say that will convince those stupid ****ing cultists that this bill is a disaster?

Maybe DU-folk can get jobs hosing down the wall of reality they just bloodied!

[BlueStateSaint]

Again, AT&T, Wells Fargo, Fifth Third, and Comcast are "trickling down" their tax cut . . .

[thundley4]

Also, I read somewhere that the bonuses ATT is handing out are part of their negotiated union contract.

Sort of true. 20K union members would have gotten bonuses. However 180,000 more workers will now see a bonus.

[Texacon]

The funniest part of this whole thing to me is how they're all bouncing ideas off of each other trying to figure out how to 'spin' the American people getting to keep more of their check as a BAD thing.  They just cannot stand the fact that Trump and the republicans have done something good that is going to be very popular once it gets started.

The MSM have convinced everyone that this is going to be horrible and the only people who will see a cut are those in the $1MM+/year category.  It is going to be glorious to see people posting about how much larger their paycheck is.  Let them spin that.

 

KC

[Old n Grumpy]

It is all FAKE!!! rachael mad cow will explain it all tonight. 

[FlaGator]

I've never understood the fascination that liberals have with how much other people make. My main focus is on what I make and how I might help those who might need some charity. I couldn't care less what Bill Gates or the Koch brothers earn. Their income in no way affects me.

[Texacon]

I've never understood the fascination that liberals have with how much other people make. My main focus is on what I make and how I might help those who might need some charity. I couldn't care less what Bill Gates or the Koch brothers earn. Their income in no way affects me.

It's because they believe money is finite.  If you have more then they can't have as much.  Those who have the most simply got to the big pile of cash first and were therefore the 'winners' in the lottery of life.

They simply cannot comprehend how to get more money if it is stuffed into someone elses pocket.

KC

[SVPete]

It's because they believe money is finite.  If you have more then they can't have as much.  Those who have the most simply got to the big pile of cash first and were therefore the 'winners' in the lottery of life.

They simply cannot comprehend how to get more money if it is stuffed into someone elses pocket.

KC

DU-grade Progs really do think "rich" people being "allowed" to keep the money they earned diminishes what others can get.

[DLR Pyro]

So what the **** are we supposed to do about this?

I don't know what you DUmmies are going to do, but people on my side of the fence are celebrating.