Tag: Tax

  • Movember

    Movember

    11-21-14-Bearman-Cartoons-Peter-the-Great-Beard-Tax

    Yes dear friends it is Movember, so time to celebrate with a cartoon of bearded fact proportions.   For the uniformed, Movember is a play on Mustache and November.  Many non folically challenged men grow a mustache to raise awareness about men’s heath issues and more specifically prostate cancer.  That or it is an excuse to grow a cheesy 70’s porn mustache while defending yourself from angry wives/girlfriends by claiming it is for a good cause.  In my house there is either shaved or beard.  No stache, no goatee, no mutton chops allowed or the wife threatens to cut off all her hair.

    Which brings us to today’s hairy fact.   Peter the Great of Russia was so enamored with Western Culture that he tried all he could to get the backwards countrymen to do as the Europeans do.  So in 1698 he passed a law that taxed any man who wanted to keep his facial hair.  This fattened the government coffers so Peter could spend more time away from Russia and caused a majority of poor Russian men to shave.  Win Win for Peter.

    So I imagine like today’s guys on the corner holding up the “honest sign” stating they need “Beer Money”, the men of Old Mother Russia begged for some “Beard Money”

    Also credit to the artist who created the tree brushes I used in this post.

  • I am the 1%

    Steve Jobs is the 1 percent Beartoons

    It started with Occupy Wall Street and has since spread to different parts of the United States and the World. People who are upset about joblessness, opportunities, corporations in bed with government and a host of other things (many legit, several absurd).  Those in the 99%, feel that too much power and money are being held by the 1% and positioning that the 1% is evil (and the 99% are not).

    I support many things that the protesters are seeking.  Tax reform to wipe out loop holes and shelters, limiting corporate (and PAC – which isn’t brought up enough) donations to political candidates, etc.  One I would like to see is limiting betting against companies stock going up and increase the tax on gains if you don’t hold the stock for say 30 days.  I am not a financial expert, but in my limited purview these tend to cause major negative swings that can be avoided.   But there are so many people with different agendas that I wrote this on Google Plus.

    People are sharing the Occupy Wall Street videos all over G+ and while I fully support their right to protest, I have a question:

    What is the end game? I hear 1000 different reasons why people are there and if it is just to blow off steam or even to be heard, that is great. But if there is going to be that point where the protesters feel they got what they wanted, it isn’t clear what that is.

    Had some nice discussion about that.  But beyond that, I created this poster to show that everything the 1% does isn’t necessarily bad and just because I am in the 99% doesn’t mean I am necessarily good or can relate to the needs of those in the bottom 10%.  We can’t broad stroke anyone.  Not all banks were involved in subprime lending, not all of Wall Street is out to hurt the little guy.

    We can get into whether Jobs is the best example given his notoriety for not being philanthropic like a Bill Gates or because his manufacturing is done overseas, but I am interested in your thoughts.  What is the top 2-3 things that would fix this (or your) country?

  • Editorial Cartoon: Why I pay Taxes

    Editorial Cartoon: Why I Pay Taxes

    This editorial cartoon was inspired by an article that I can’t find anymore.  I was in Kiplingers, Fortune, Money, Forbes or one of those fancy business magazines.  It came out around the time that people were complaining about GE not paying any taxes and it had to do with how CEO’s of major companies have been legally avoiding the taxman through various tax shelters.  Anyone who finds that article, let me know.

    These are guys that can afford to have full time accountants and finance people figuring out ways to work the loop holes of the tax system to their advantage.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of forking over a larger portion of my paycheck to taxes either.  But if it came down to raising my taxes or closing some loopholes that the uber rich can take advantage of…which one do you think I would prefer? 

    I am not one who thinks we shouldn’t pay taxes.  I just think we need better prioritization of the spending of our tax dollars and better controls of out of line politicians.

    On the other hand, I agree with conservatives who don’t want the Obama administration to raise taxes on families in the $250,000 range.  All too many of those are entrepreneurs with small businesses.  But someone in the $500,000+ range, go hire a finance guy to find the latest loophole.

    Going to be out of loop for the next few days so talk amongst yourselves, tweet or stumble this if you want, and don’t forget to support the charity challenge.

    Bearman Cartoons Charity Challenge

  • Editorial Cartoon: BERDINinG the Tax System

    Just another “only in Cincinnati” event. Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Berding is looking at all angles to attack aggressive panhandling in the city (which I applaud).  However his latest proposed tactic (read about it here and here) would actually charge a commercial tax to the homeless who panhandle.

    Then again, isn’t the government already an aggressive pandhandler???

    717 09 Bearman Cartoon Berding Homeless Panhandling

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  • Bearman Cartoon: Tax Day

    I am late on posting these but it is never too late for a “refund” or an “audit”

    4 6 09 Bearman Cartoon Tax Preparation

    4 15 09 Bearman Cartoon Tax Rebate