Campion: When fascists flirt with big benefit programs

By Chris Campion

Bernie Sanders, self-labeled as an Independent — but based on this article he might find himself on the unhappy side of the Antifa movement — recently suggested that the USG specifically tax Jeff Bezos’ Amazon company in order to pay for federal benefits programs that some Amazon employees use.

“Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce legislation next month to give large employers like Amazon and Walmart the choice to either pay workers a higher wage or to pay taxes equal to the total cost of federal assistance programs their workers use,” the article states.

Chris Campion

Chris Campion

No mention of how Amazon’s corporate taxes are already going to pay for entitlement spending — but hey, let’s not confuse Grampa Bernie here. Oh, and the salaries of the people paid at Amazon, at any wage rate, are taxed, and go to pay for entitlements. In other words, Amazon is already paying for entitlements.

“The proposal aims to raise taxes from large corporations equal to the amount that the company’s low-wage employees use in federal benefit programs each year. If an Amazon employee uses $100 in food stamps, Amazon would be taxed $100,” the article states.

No word on Sanders being willing to increase his own Senate salary’s taxable rate due to his under-payment of staffers, in terms of a living wage. Oh, wait, that’s right — Bernie doesn’t pay for their wages, out of his end. Taxpayers do.

In the corporate world, increased costs in the form of taxes are simply passed on to the consumer through price increases. When prices go up, demand goes down, and soon those people Bernie now deems to be eligible for even more government assistance are now out of a job, because fewer people demanding their firm’s products means they’re less likely to have a job. Which would increase demand for government assistance.

Well done, Senator. If there’s more sand available for you to scoop up and throw into the gears of commerce, maybe take a break for a week or two. Give the rest of the country a chance to earn their living without the guidance of a failed Communist and public leech.

As always, an inexhaustible supply of more issues forth from Bernie’s taxpayer-funded mouth:

“Since Tuesday, more than 100,000 people have signed my petition to tell Mr. Bezos that they’re tired of subsidizing his businesses and are demanding that he pay his workers a living wage so that they no longer have to rely on taxpayer support to survive,” the Vermont independent said in a statement.”

Oh, well – stop the presses: 100,000 people out of a population of 323 million said they’re tired of Bezos. By all means, now let’s enable the takeover of private capital by the federal government, and truly institute fascism – Bernie style. In this scenario, the government won’t own the means of production, but instead, the government will direct the operations of corporations it deems are failing to align with what aging politicians think they should pay their employees, while the politician continues to get to choose from which one of his three homes he gets condescend to us from.

Yet – there’s still more! What other company features low-paying jobs for low-value work, that Bernie can fix via congressional fiat? WalMart!

“While Mr. Bezos is the most egregious example, the Walton family of Walmart and many other billionaire-owned large and profitable companies also enrich themselves off taxpayer assistance while paying their workers poverty-level wages,” Sanders said.

In this version of economics, somehow entitlement spending goes directly into the pockets of the Walton family, which they probably set fire to and laugh while putting their feet up on the backs of newly-hired WalMart employees.

The bulk of these jobs are literally jobs that anyone can do, which is why you don’t see doctors or PhDs applying for warehouse gigs. You don’t need a special skill set. All you need to do is be trainable and show up on time.

Having no unique values means you’re less likely to be paid more in the labor market, because there are hundreds of thousands or potentially millions of people who can do that same type of work. Given that Bernie has been given a free ride for 4 decades or so off the backs of people who pay taxes, it’s no wonder he doesn’t understand why a lack of specific skills shouldn’t entitle you to a higher salary. After all, he’s been well compensated for doing literally nothing all his adult life.

Fascism comes in many forms. Maybe at the tail end of Bernie’s career, he’s making that final, inevitable pivot from “independent” to what he truly wants to be, which is an economic dictator.

Chris Campion is a business analyst who worked for decades in leading organizations in Vermont. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.

Images courtesy of Flickr/401kcalculator.org and Chris Campion

7 thoughts on “Campion: When fascists flirt with big benefit programs

  1. Bernie will win big time in November. So keep on crying you? Conservatives, Right Wingers, Christians, Foxbots, or whatever you call yourselves.

  2. Of the 100,000 people who signed the petition how many of them will no longer buy from Amazon? For the millenial crowd buying online (and saving money by doing so) is a way of life!

  3. Quote:
    “Maybe at the tail end of Bernie’s career, he’s making that final, inevitable pivot from “independent” to what he truly wants to be, which is an economic dictator.”

    Stated perfectly. It is what he has always wanted. And just think, a man who literally could not successfully operate a hot dog stand wants to dictate the economy of a country with 325 million citizens. Does it get any more “outrageous?”

  4. Yup, Bernie “Soapbox” Sanders Vermont’s own ” Socialist ” Independent wanting someone else’s
    money ” again ” to pay for something he wants……..IDIOT !!

    Do the owners of Amazon or Walmart and Others need millions of profit “No”, but they designed
    a Business profile that people use & like,……..so the profits are there’s to bare !!

    So what has Socialist Sanders done, other the take Taxpayers money for over forty years and
    then promise all sorts of ” frivolous programs ” with No means of being funding?

    Oh wait it will be paid for by ” Tax Payers ” again, you have it he wants it. Bernie’s ” Independent ” facade, what a joke………. everyone knows he’s a ” Socialist ” so why doesn’t he run under his
    correct title Vermont ?? Senator Benard Sanders ( S) ……. He’d tank in a heartbeat !!

  5. I know Sanders doesn’t have the answer but I’m troubled. You write ” it’s no wonder he doesn’t understand why a lack of specific skills shouldn’t entitle you to a higher salary”. Fine, but if you work full-time + and don’t earn enough to live, what then. I don’t mean can’t buy a car or an iphone, I mean live as in housing, clothing, and food. What then?

  6. Lol I believe your right Mr Campion the old VT Senator is confused! The long version of his title probably goes something like this; Sen Sanders from VT Independent, but a self avowed Dem Socialist rich elitest who is against big money the same big money who has made him very wealthy from public service; Bernie regularly caucuses with the Party he claims to be Independent of but that’s no matter. Honestly Bernie you seem to be against half of Americas voters; (aka. POTUS Trump Supporters & worse you seem to outright ignore the 90000+ Trump voters in VT you claim to represent). The VT Senator seems to be against the Constitution as written, he seems to be against America, Patriotism, National Pride, Standing for the flag which represents all who have sacrificed some everything for the USA. I can’t rap my head around why my generation of Americans overwhelmingly support & approve of ideologies completely backwards of America’s guarantee of Individual Rights & Freedoms. Maybe I don’t get it because I’m a Constitutionalist small Govt Patriot & a US Army Combat Veteran of the invasion & overthrow of Saddam in Iraq, also I still serve my fellow Americans & Vermonters as a WO1(VSG); in VT’s volunteer State Defense Force the Vermont State Guard. A very good example of an ideology completely opposite if not backwards of American Freedoms, Rights, opportunities for all, & limits on the power of Govt & Bureaucrats is Bernie’s beloved Socialism. These so called leaders really do live in an echochamber bubble of crazy elitests disconnected from the real world wishing to force their visions & beliefs on everyone. What is most astonishing is once most of these Senators, Representatives, & Bureaucrats arrive in Montpelier or DC their ability to flip a switch & totally disregard the citizens instantly to move forward with their long planned agenda regardless of the promises made, rhetoric spread, propaganda spewed, lies repeated to the voters just for power is deeply disturbing & beyond disgusting, which Bernie has hoodwinked VT voters for decades..

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