Obama on Joe the Plumber: ‘How Many Plumbers Do You Know Makin' a Quarter Million Dollars a Year?’

The problem is not about how much Joe the plumber earns per year, but what Obama said: spread the wealth around. He can't answer a tough question, he bring his socialism plan to him. BTW, why Obama attack a civil citizen? This citizen is not he fight for? who he is fighting for? Ayer? his pastor?

Did you know that an army private with two years of experience only gets paid $19,054 dollars a year? If that was only a 40 hour a week job that comes out to $9 an hour plus 'room and board' to put your life at risk and work hard in scary and sometimes primitive conditions. So to any person earning over $250,000 a year and complaining about paying an extra $300 in taxes per $10,000 in income OVER $250,000, please put it in perspective.Think about how difficult and dangerous our servicemen and women have it 'on the job' but they are patriotic enough to sacrifice. So sacrifice that little bit of money without complaining, do it gladly to help your country pay for these two wars, and the mountain of debt we already have. And let's give our service people a raise with a bit of it.

Are rich people cheap or are the Repubs just giving that impression of them? From ABC's story on 'Which Candidate's Tax Plan Helps Small Business', this quote tells how few people would be pay more tax under Obama's plan. "In tax year 2006, 138.4 million tax returns were filed by Americans. Only 2.9 percent -- a little more than 4 million tax filers -- reported earning more than $200,000. (The IRS does not have data for the $250,000 mark.)"
So less than 3% of tax-paying Americans would pay more taxes. And the extra amount they would pay would only be on the amount of income ABOVE $250,000. We are talking about these individuals paying $300 extra per $10,000 in income that is ABOVE $250,000. So if I made $300,000 I would be paying an extra $1500 in taxes. Would this honestly be an issue to me, if I earned that much? Would it to you if you were in that tax bracket? For heaven's sake anyone who is complaining about this I have to ask where is your patriotism? We are fighting two expensive wars, our national debt is at record levels, our bridges are falling apart, cities and states are struggling with decreased income, people are losing their homes and this is an issue for you? I can tell you that all the hard-working people I know would feel blessed to be in the tax bracket where they pay a bit more and help our country. So should you.

Obama on Joe the Plumber: ‘How Many Plumbers Do You Know Makin' a Quarter Million Dollars a Year?’

....'and with me as President, you never will!' (evil laugh)

The one flaw of the GOP supporter is they never research their "facts".

For the idiot above that said Biden is a wealthy elitist, check your facts first. Biden makes 1/3 of what Palin makes in a year.

Sarah and Todd Palin were struggling for awhile, but in her words they both "landed some good UNION jobs".

How ironic.

"Joe the plumber" makes $40K and would get a $500 tax break under Obama's plan. Did McCain vet this story the same way he didn't vet Palin?

Obama/Biden 08!

So Mike, it looks as if the likes of Sarah and Todd would be better off under an Obama administration, won't they?

Biden TALKS about the middle class. Sarah Palin IS the middle class under the Obama/Biden platform. According to her income tax returns she and Todd made under $150,000 in 2007 and 2006. Hey Joe, how much is a gallon of milk these days?

Good Lord People! What has happened to us as a society?! Democrats say they are for free speech but the minute someone questions one of their 'chosen', the poor man is torn to shreds. The last time I looked, Joe wasn't running for office. Shouldn't we be able to question our own representives and have a differing view without being demonized.

Heavens to Betsy, Joe the Plumber is actually named Sam! Stop the presses! What shall we do? It obviously means something sinister is afoot. Come on, people. Yes, Joseph is the man's middle name. So they call him Joe. This is unusual in your part of the world? Not in mine.

And I think it is shameful that an ordinary citizen who had the temerity to interact with a candidate who approached him while out campaigning door to door but did not immediately fall in line with that candidate's thinking should be raked over the coals as poor Joe has been today. We need to investigate every detail of his private life, report to the world about his liens and start investigating his voter registration? What on earth for? If only the press had shown this sort of enthusiasm for vetting Barack Obama as they have displayed for vetting Joe the Plumber!

Sometimes Obama is absolutely tone deaf-- and completely out of touch with the reality of American lives. How condescending and insulting is that remark-- "How many plumbers you know makin' a quarter million dollars a year?" And of course, he's back to using his "I'm a regular guy droppin' my gs" patois for the occasion.

Actually, Joe the Plumber was talking about aspiring to buy a plumbing business, and to employ other plumbers to work for him. It does not sound so outlandish to me to think that such a plumber would bring down $250,000 a year-- or at least would have to report that much income on his personal income tax if his business is a partnership or LLC. I understand how that works--my spouse and I own a small business, we are an LLC, and we report that much income each year, because the income of the corporation flows through to the individual. We have an income of over 250,000, but we are far from wealthy. And before those of you who have seen me post about being a college professor start to wonder if I'm making things up, I should explain that I wear two hats-- I'm a professor but also the bookkeeper of the family business which my spouse runs. He's the one who puts in the long long hours and the hard hard work to make it the success that it is.

Like Joe the Plumber, I am both skeptical of and concerned about Obama's tax plan. For openers, it will increase my taxes. But I wonder about the mechanics of the plan that he proposes and who will really end up paying higher taxes. Can he generate the revenue he proposes based on just the top 5%? At what rate? And if the Bush tax cuts expire, is that not a tax increase for those making under 250,000 as well? Most importantly, though, he promises a tax cut for people who pay no taxes; what he means is he will cut them a check from the government, which is to say, from those of us who are paying the taxes. A true tax cut is simply an agreement to let us keep more of our own money. I think Obama is using words to create an impression that is at variance with the truth-- how much of his vaunted "tax cuts" are really tax credits, earned income credits, etc.? How much of those cuts are offset by increases in other taxes?

I am shocked, to be honest, at the way that people have gone after Joe the Plumber. I am not surprised, however, to hear both Obama and his running mate look down their noses and express disbelief that anyone would dare suggest that the Joe the Plumbers of this world should think their tax plan is not in Joe's best interests or that hardworking men and women cannot possible earn enough money to aspire to an Obama tax increase.

Joe the plumber is actually Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. His name is not even Joe. More to come on Samuel or Joe. Red further. Only a plumbing business that is doing extremely well or is quite large may possibly make over $250,000 adjusted income. Total gross income may be over $250,000, but not when income adjusted for expenses, costs, etc. There is a big difference. Majority of small businesses do not. According to Ohio newspapers this business does not make close to $250,000. But before we go further, Obama has promised to forgo increases in small business tax increases to help them. Obama feels helping businesses get started is very important. Due Joe going public County is now after him for not paying taxes since 2007. Hospital is after him for not paying his bills since 2007.
Plumbers unions are after him and the business he works for. Joe the plumber has no plumbers license. Law states plumber must be licensed. And this includes workers who work for a plumbing business. Joe is also a registered Republican. I found he has no knowledge of each candidates tax proposals. News medias found same. Ohio is not happy with Joe!!! Has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. Joe seems to have created the problems he is now confronted with. Toledo Newspaper has had couple articles on him today. Called Toledo Blade. Google. I went there this afternoon and first article is already gone. Something is going on there with Joe or Samuel, as it is hard to figure out why they are not standing up for one of their own???

I know several plumbers, but not a nam one makes 250K a year.

Obama seems scared to me. Maybe a little desperate. I think he had a sense of entitlement and I get the impression he doesn't like to be challenged or criticized.

I don't understand why Obama would take shots at this guy. Why bother? It just makes him look petty and insecure. Plus, Obama can't talk. He's a rich guy. He's allowed to be rich but others can't work their way up? Maybe you're only allowed to be rich if you ignore your job in the Senate.

I know 2 plumbers doing that well and a building contractor doing 4 times that a year.

"taxing for programs other than infrastructure support are socialist ideas. We are Americans, we are not Europeans and we are proud of that! God help us if this country goes to socialist principles,"

We've been levying taxes for Social Security (an entitlement program) for nearly 70 years and have yet to turn "socialist". Same with MediCare/MedicAid.

The European fellow is right that most right wingers have no clue what socialism actually is. To right wingers its some scary buzz word.

when our government hands out a quarter trillion in a day, $250k isn't all that much money these days. Can anybody help with two questions:

1) what proportion of taxpayers have $250k or more in income?

2) what proportion of small businesses earning over $250k are not incorporated (ie file a corporate return instead of a personal one)?

To Mr. European,
Guess what? Most of us here in the US are pretty educated about what socialism is and isn't. Redistribution of wealth would be the first buzzword and taxing for programs other than infrastructure support are socialist ideas. We are Americans, we are not Europeans and we are proud of that! God help us if this country goes to socialist principles, simply because they don't like George Bush, be careful what you wish for and hopefully your change won't be as bad as it seems it may be.

Our taxes will all go up when Obama and the do nothing congress allow the bush tax cuts to expire. Obama is lieing to everyone. It is so nice to see what a high regard Obama has for the small business owner. Obama's 95% tax cut is nothing more than welfare for the under achivers. Obama and Biden are elitest who have no idea about the american dream. They both live on the backs of the american taxpayer and now they are putting their hands back in our pockets for more. Let them spread their wealth and leave mine alone. we have already lost a good portion of our retirement because they thought it was a good idea to give financially irresponsible people home loans. Now for step 2 he wants to boost their income with welfare disguised as income tax cuts.