Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
--Margaret Mead
Fascinating to see this famous quote in action:
Public Citizen has released a report [...] detailing how "18 families worth a total of $185.5 billion have financed and coordinated a 10-year effort to repeal the estate tax, a move that would collectively net them a windfall of $71.6 billion."
I note that the Anne Cox Chambers daughter of the 1920 Democratic Presidential nominee, James Cox and owner of the Atlanta Journal Constitution is part of this cabal along with the Waltons (WalMart), the owners of the Seattle Times, the Nordstroms (owners of the department store), Ernest and Joseph Gallo (E & J Gallo Winery), the owners of Campbell Soup Co., The Mars family (candy) and Kock Industries to name a few of the miscreants.
If eighteen families can change the "death tax" in the United States, what could we all do if we worked together? Heh. Money is the great leveler, isn't it? (Now that sentence should be in the Collected Quotes of Snake Goddesses one day.)
It's a bit of a disgrace, the whole thing (if true). That a handful of people can have this much impact is a disgrace, but not as big a one as the fact we all allowed this travesty to go through, because it's wrong to tax "death", even of billionaires. And even if the resulting tax revenue loss means that either we have to cut services to the poor or that the little guys and gals must cough up a bigger chunk of tax payments. That's how kind and egalitarian we are. To those with money, in any case.