Trickle-down theory still isn’t working

While watching the Sunday morning talking heads, I listened quite intently to one of the advocates from the conservative side of the aisle.

This person was expounding upon how corporations should not be taxed, as taxes on corporations are not good for American business and, therefore, are detrimental to the country’s regrowth.

A thought just flashed across my mind at that time that perhaps we’re missing the boat; that is, if it’s so good for corporations to not pay taxes, it might be even better for the nation that they pay no taxes nor file tax returns. By the way, they can extend that policy to their top CEOs.

Just think of the benefit: Currently, the top eight CEOs in the country earn in income — not including bonuses and the like — $298.8 million. Their incomes average between $29.5 million and $52.4 million per year.

Just think what David Cote of Honeywell could do with his salary of $35.7 million without having to pay taxes on it. He could be in the position of never having to spend a day in America and travel throughout the world on his private jet. He could buy a fleet of Mercedes, Lexuses, Maseratis, Ferraris and Audis and keep them at his lodge in Switzerland overlooking Bern.

Sanjay Tha of Motorola could make arrangements to close down all of his Motorola facilities in the U.S. and open one up wherever he lives in America, draw his salary and keep that in foreign accounts where he will not have to pay the taxes on it.

Surely, Mr. Talking Heads, it makes sense to give the rich more so the country can prove, once again, that the trickle-down theory can take its place among those who believed that the world was flat.

Joseph Mirabella Jr.

Wheaton