Land of the free? indeed

Christian Lopez might end up wishing he kept that baseball after all.
Lopez became more than a footnote to the spectacle of Derek Jeter(notes) getting his 3,000th hit on Saturday at Yankee Stadium by returning the milestone baseball to the New York Yankees shortstop rather than cash it in for a likely six-figure payday. That touched off a debate still raging among fans days later: Would you have given the ball back or sold it to the highest bidder for a payday that was rumored as high as $250,000?
For his gesture, Lopez was rewarded by the Yankees with luxury box tickets for the rest of the season (including postseason), along with signed baseballs, bats and jerseys from Jeter. In addition, Lopez received four premium front-row seats to last Sunday's Yankees-Rays game.
Nice haul, right? Sure, but with those generous gifts comes tax liability. As George Harrison once sang for the Beatles, "Let me tell you how it will be; There's one for you, nineteen for me. 'Cause I'm the Taxman."
The IRS will likely consider Lopez's gratuities from the Yankees as income, and if so, he could end up having to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $13,000 in taxes, according to the New York Daily News. The New York Times, meanwhile, says the face value of the tickets to the remaining 32 regular-season games at Yankee Stadium are worth anywhere between $44,800 and $73,600. The paper's conservative estimate puts Lopez's tax bill at $14,000.
Lopez, however, seems unfazed by these revelations.
If the IRS comes calling, he says he'll pay those taxes:
It's unclear from the quote whether the "they" Lopez refers to means the IRS or the Yankees. The IRS could obviously help him out by considering the items he was rewarded as gifts, rather than income. Then he wouldn't owe as much in taxes.
But could Derek Jeter or the Yankees also step in and pay the taxes for Lopez? One tax expert the Daily News spoke to made that very suggestion.
What a buzzkill. Lopez expressed hope that his parents would help him out with whatever taxes he might owe. But they could rightfully point out that some of that memorabilia — not to mention many of those tickets — could be sold off to cover his expenses. (Lopez might have to do that anyway, telling reporters that he still owes more than $100,000 in student loans.)
Lopez being essentially punished for what so many saw as a good deed and selfless act makes for a troubling epilogue to a nice story.
But maybe there's still a happy ending to come.

Yeah, that's a bunch of crap. The IRS wants their greedy paws in everything.

Reasons like this is why everyone of us needs to vote for Ron Paul. He wants to kill the IRS along with the Federal income tax.

CH3NO2 said:

Reasons like this is why everyone of us needs to vote for Ron Paul. He wants to kill the IRS along with the Federal income tax.

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it's all bullshit, as far as Ron Paul-2 things...

either they will buy him off like all the puppets in office or will make damn sure he doesn't get in-look at Kennedy

and that's the great thing about the system that we live in-fucking an A those are gifts NOT income...

so what's next? I go to the jewelry store and buy my girl whatever, first I have to pay sales tax on it and then at the end of the year they want to say that she received income from me because we're not married?

Ron Paul cannot be bought off.

His voting record of 30 years shows this. As for killing him, let that happen then I break out rifles and start shooting people in the federal government. There are MANY people like me...

I'm not really saying that "they" will kill him, I'm just saying that "they" won't let it happen...

besides there are too many dumb fucks out there who can't think for themselves...they just vote the way the media tells them

look how bad Bush fucked things up, Obama has been in for HOW MANY YEARS? and hasn't done a single thing he said he was going to do

Bush Obama I don't care who's in office they're just puppets for the big 3...

oil companies, insurance companies, drug companies- that's who runs America

and that's who "they" are

CH3NO2 said:

Reasons like this is why everyone of us needs to vote for Ron Paul. He wants to kill the IRS along with the Federal income tax.

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that is a sad fact.

dorian123 said:

I'm not really saying that "they" will kill him, I'm just saying that "they" won't let it happen...

besides there are too many dumb fucks out there who can't think for themselves...they just vote the way the media tells them

look how bad Bush fucked things up, Obama has been in for HOW MANY YEARS? and hasn't done a single thing he said he was going to do

Bush Obama I don't care who's in office they're just puppets for the big 3...

oil companies, insurance companies, drug companies- that's who runs America



and that's who "they" are

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yup not to mention the Treasurey is always ALWAYS run by ex-wall street faggots that never get burned for anything and can literally do whatever they fucking want. Sell shark loans and destroy the country and not 1 person has served any time, I can walk across the road in a wrong spot and be fined, they can burn this country down and nothing happens, its almost amazing to see, like a comet

The entire tax code is jacked! They fight over the tax rates, which are pretty meaningless. Corporations have huge loopholes, that allow them to pay no tax, like GE. Yet, they want to take away the mortgage interest deduction which helps middle class folks like me.

dorian123;54[RIGHT said:

[/RIGHT]9176]I'm not really saying that "they" will kill him,

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You're absolutely correct. Just look at the the ex IMF chief . .Political assassination is so oldskool.

Ox 51 said:

The entire tax code is jacked! They fight over the tax rates, which are pretty meaningless. Corporations have huge loopholes, that allow them to pay no tax, like GE. Yet, they want to take away the mortgage interest deduction which helps middle class folks like me.

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oh now they have to up the taxes on the middle class like you because we are so far in debt it's unreal... and somebody has to pay for the call girls and overpriced scotch that the politicians are spending your money on:wave:

Blame should be solidly placed on all government officials weather Dem or Rep that thinks we should keep deficit spending.

We must ask ourselves what is the origin of debt? What right does the government have to steal our money without our consent? And with this stolen money what right does it have to not live within its means and endebting many further generations of Americans just so people today do not have to live within our means.


All this finger pointing is nonsense. The government takes in plenty of revenue it simply spends too much of our money. Remember it is our money. Saying Corporations need to pay more taxes is not true. Loop holes or not Corporations do not pay taxes. The people that buy products from Corporations pay these taxes in the form of higher priced goods and services. This is an easy concept to understand, but elitist in Govt cannot seem to grasp this. They think that tax money is theirs, and not the individuals.

Currently the Federal Govt takes into the US Treasury just over 2.1 trillion dollars. So we should be spending as a Federal Govt less than 2.1 Trillion dollars. Not the current 3.7 trillion or so that Obama has raised spending levels to. I have to live under a budget, why is it that the Feds dont?

The real tragedy is that the US Senate that is Democratically controlled has not passed a budget in over 800 days. This is criminal to me. The House of Representatives have passed a couple different budgets and the Senate has failed in its Constitutional duty to do so.


Its my opinion that this is the Alamo for the Tax payers and the Republicans in Congress and the Senate are doing 100% the right thing by not raising the Debt ceiling. We must live within our means. There is no better time than now to start real reforms in Fed Govt spending.


As for Obama saying that Social Security checks may not go out, well this is complete bullshit. The govt has MANY MANY options in order to have the money to pay its obligations. First off all NON ESSENTIAL govt jobs can be cut or furloughed. Cut every govt department by 20%. Close national parks. Sell government owned land. The Feds currently own almost 30% of the land mass of the US. This land is an asset and can be sold to pay its obligations. Sell Gold in Ft Knox....There are many many ways the govt can pay its bills without having to go further in debt. Here is a great idea.... STOP ALL MONEY GOING TO ALL FOREIGN COUNTRIES. FUCK THEM ALL. DONT GIVE ONE OTHER COUNTRY ANOTHER DAMN DIME. NOT ONE!!! This includes Israel.

All Obama is doing is trying to scare Seniors into trying to get the Republicans to break on the Debt deal. Its a flat out lie that SSN checks wont go out. We have plenty of revenue and plenty of ways to raise the money needed. We dont need to barrow more money from the Chinese to pay Social Security checks or our soldiers and sailors.

You are right, CH3NO2. The blame game has gone too far. Obama saying that about the Social Security checks was just an outright lie. The federal government take in more than enough in tax revenues to service the debt, pay Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and all government employees (including the military). Then they would have to decide what to pay with what is left. But, that would require not paying on too many of Obama's so-called investments.

But, the blame covers pretty much everyone. Clinton made some bad policies that crashed the housing market. Bush made several bad policies, including the bank bailout. And Obama has been so much worse than anyone thought possible.

OX they dont want a middle class, they have been pushing that out since the 70s and it really is already close to that way, its either poverty, just a little above poverty or rich

Metal85 said:

OX they dont want a middle class, they have been pushing that out since the 70s and it really is already close to that way, its either poverty, just a little above poverty or rich

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you just hit the nail right on the head

The poorer the people and more in debt and dependent on government the people are the more control the govt has over its subjects. This has been the role of the eletist all along. Get the people dependant on govt and keep them that way, much easier to control when you control whether or not you get your next meal or not. Just look at the over 42 million Americans on Food Stamps. 42 million people of the 309 million in this country that may go hungry if the feds don't put money on their EBT Card. This my friends is how you control a voting base.


You just need to look at the over 75,000 pages of Federal Laws and Regulations on the Federal Register to realize we live and breathe with every move and action under the rule of our Federal Overlords.

There are a large group of people in this country who work hard, pay taxes, follow the rules and dont bitch. Yet this silent group of people keep getting painted into a corner we don't want to be in. We just want to be left alone. When this group lashes out it wont be pretty.

that's very true, my opinion is if you don't pay taxes you shouldn't vote...

if you look at the history of American our gov. has become what the 4 fathers sought to destroy...they were sick of paying taxes to the rich for nothing and history repeats itself

why do we have to take a piss test to work and pay taxes but the welfare don't have to take a piss test to collect free money???

one of the speeches that Obama gave pissed me off, he said that he wanted to cut money to social security but raise money to the welfare...

motherfucker never worked a day in their life vs someone that has worked everyday of there life and the looser gets rewarded for it? BUYING VOTES like you said

dorian123 said:

that's very true, my opinion is if you don't pay taxes you shouldn't vote...

if you look at the history of American our gov. has become what the 4 fathers sought to destroy...they were sick of paying taxes to the rich for nothing and history repeats itself

why do we have to take a piss test to work and pay taxes but the welfare don't have to take a piss test to collect free money???

one of the speeches that Obama gave pissed me off, he said that he wanted to cut money to social security but raise money to the welfare...

motherfucker never worked a day in their life vs someone that has worked everyday of there life and the looser gets rewarded for it? BUYING VOTES like you said

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OK need to piss you off on a few points real quick, 1) I dont remember if it was 41 or 42% is the number of Americans who dont actually pay taxes, they get back what they put in so they loan tax money but do not pay it, thats very different, in whoch case if your saying almost half of americans shouldnt be able to vote your already on the govts side. 2) People on welfare that get piss tested and fail will not go et a job now bc a new light has been shined upon them NOW THEY WILL ROB YOU, AND ME!!!!!! sad but true, I dont agree with this but thats the way. I paid into all this shit for years and I was unemployed for a year and was unable to collect anything at all. If people dont start robbing people there will just be a huge increase on drugs being sold and violent crimes being commited. 3) They are going to pass that in Fl from the thoughts of Rick Scott, funny thing is ITS HIS FUCKING COMPANY THAT WILL BE DOING THE PISS TESTS. Shit Im sure he stands to make no money there at all, no motive there what so ever. 4) The biggest issue that everyone seems to forget is wall street. They buried this country via shark loans (loans sold they knew would fail, if they did fail the seller of the loan would get bonuses bc they insured the loan for more money than they would get from the interest) And not one fucking thing has happened to anyone involved in that mess ( including people that have been in the treasurey since 72) This country loves to be rolled over and than forget, this country is just too fucking stupid to see a big picture they need 1 individual to be able to point a finger at this is Rube-ville we live in.
Next on the Fuck americans more- a little deeper in the ass-- with no lube agenda the EPA is allowing E15 (15% Ethanol)to be in gas now, if you dont know what that is research it and you better be pissed off and if you're not hang yourself because you are useless.

Its 47% of Americans that dont pay taxes. It should be 100%. There is no need what so ever for an Income Tax. Like I said before Ron Paul wants to get rid of the income tax completely. Its not fair, and it punishes hard work. Its only used to redistribute wealth and used for a political agenda.

well damn Metal tell us how you really feel, :laugh:

I didn't know that many people didn't pay taxes no wonder we're getting fucking screwed...the rich people with all the loop holes don't pay and neither do the welfare, so that leaves us the middle class to get corn holed

don't get me wrong I think that there are people that need welfare but I'm against the fuckers that are scamming the system, then again it's either scam or get scammed

as for the piss test yeah I think they should get piss tested and as for the robbing us shit goes...pass a law that says you can shoot to kill on site for someone trying to steal your property or do you/ your family bodily harm...

once again though, oh now shit, you have to get a lawyer pay court cost and all this to prove your innocent...so I guess we're fucked either way

all I'm saying is I've seen pimps in the store wearing a $3k suit and paying for a pack of gum with food stamps and I don't think that's right...but in the same breath, he just scammed the system instead of working for a living and getting raped by the system like us-can ya blame him?

the whole thing is so damn fucked up-and it all boils down to one simple thing
GREED:thumbsup: