To mark Tax Day, Whoopi Goldberg, a strong critic of high taxes, railed against how much the government takes from her paycheck. On the April 15 edition of "The View," Whoopi displayed some of her bills with the many government fees attached to it. She also felt she was being punished for her success even calling it "un-American" and wondering why she never gets a "break."
Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked Whoopi, who admitted to voting for Hillary Clinton, if she would vote for someone who by their own admission, would raise taxes on the wealthy. Whoopi did not directly answer the question only stating "we’re getting screwed either way."
Joy Behar jumped in to hype Denmark’s socialist system. She noted Denmark’s high taxes but seemed to forget she did when she noted healthcare and education are "free." Behar then went off on a tangent when Elisabeth Hasselbeck said "so everybody move to Denmark and see if you like it." Behar screamed "don’t give me that argument. I heard that in the 60's and the 70's if you don’t like it here get your ass out. I don’t appreciate that."
The entire transcript is below.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Why is anybody auditing anything? I’m over this tax stuff. I’ll tell you.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: What will you do?
GOLDBERG: Well, I’ll tell you, I don’t mind paying taxes because I know I make a lot of dough and you want to give some. Okay? That’s the way it’s supposed to be. That’s the way it’s supposed to be because if you have you want to give. That’s the way, that’s why it’s set up this way. But I am sick and tired of being taxed because I’ve done well for myself. I don’t understand why I am paying the kind- look, look at the phone bill. Let me just read this to you. Federal Universal Service Fund, what the Hell is that? What is it?
JOY BEHAR: This, this is your telephone bill?
GOLDBERG: This, this is the cell phone. Then you have the State Gross Receipts Tax, the State Sales Tax, the State Telecom Exicse, Country Surcharge, County Telecom Excise, MCTD Surcharge, Local Sales Tax, nine- State 911-
BEHAR: Whatever that is.
GOLDBERG: -County 911-
HASSELBECK: You get taxed for 911?
GOLDBERG: Yes! What the Hell is this?
HASSELBECK: You can not be taxed for 911.
GOLDBERG: Well, I think, I think it’s the emergency thing. But then you have the emergency for the state you’re in and then the country you’re in, and then the county you’re in. Okay, the electric bill. What do these things mean? Your basic service charge, okay, $11.39. Then you get this delivery that costs you $11.85. Then you get a CBC/RP- what the Hell is it? And while it seems like not a lot of dough, and then you have a GRT and other surcharges, it doesn’t seem like a lot of dough, but this happens to you every month. Every month this comes on and we don’t say "whoa! What the Hell?" Cause don’t forget- oh wait, let me get this one too.
BEHAR: There’s more.
GOLDBERG: Oh yes. You get, you get for the electricity. Okay, we know you got to pay for electricity. But you are charged every month for a storm charge. What if you live in a- what if you don’t have any storms?
HASSELBECK: Just in case.
GOLDBERG: Just in case? What if you-
SHERRI SHEPHERD: What is a franchise charge? Isn’t that like if you own your own-
GOLDBERG: That’s what I’m saying. Do I own the Edison people? Where is all of this and then?
HASSELBECK: Just wait. It’s going to get worse.
GOLDBERG: Well no, no. It’s not going to get worse because it’s already pretty awful and let me explain why. Because every time that you go to buy something, okay, you are paying the state and the country and all of this other tax. I don’t mind that. Again, I don’t mind paying when it’s okay, but not when you are bailing out banks, it is costing me quadruple to heat my house, four times as much to put gas in my car. I- where’s my break? [applause] And you know what? Also, you’re not giving me- wait, wait, wait, wait. Let me just get it all out then you can say whatever. I have been paying my taxes since- my famous person taxes, that’s what I call it- for the last 23 years since I’ve been famous. I have never gotten money back ever. Because once you make over a certain amount of money, you don’t get any money back. I don’t understand- why can’t I have some money back? You’re mad at me, why are they mad?
SHEPHERD: Because there’s a trade off. You’re famous. You don’t get the money back.
GOLDBERG: No, you don’t, you don’t, that’s not, no- you don’t charge people because that’s an un-American way.
HASSELBECK: Would you elect someone who’s going to propose higher taxes for the rich then?
GOLDBERG: If the, if the tax- the thing is-
BEHAR: Can I get in this conversation?
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
BEHAR: Because I got some statistics.
GOLDBERG: Okay, but let me just say this. Nobody sitting at this table doesn’t know what it’s like to be taxed, nobody.
HASSELBECK: Yes, we’re all taxed.
BEHAR: When you’re working you get taxed.
GOLDBERG: Okay, you’re getting taxed. Should you, because you make a dollar more than so and so be taxed differently?
BEHAR: I don’t know.
HASSELBECK: See that’s what some of those running are proposing.
GOLDBERG: Well, you know what? We’re getting screwed either way. I’m just trying to, trying to find the best way to get screwed I guess is what I’m saying.
[laughter]
SHEPHERD: Also, you know, a little bit of this, when you make a certain amount of money, like we can have a lot more write offs than the average person.
GOLDBERG: I don’t know who you’re talking to. I do not get hardly any write- I don’t get hardly any write offs.
BEHAR: Well, every time, every time you buy something- make up is write off for you.
GOLDBERG: Not for me.
BEHAR: You don’t wear it. Hair, hair-
SHEPHERD: You need to start before it’s tax season.
BEHAR: You need to start being superficial.
GOLDBERG: No, but it’s doing- you see what it’s doing? It’s turning me into a cheat trying to find a way-
BEHAR: Don’t, don’t, don’t say that.
GOLDBERG: Well, listen, I’m saying it because if it were, if it were done differently, we can say, "okay, I’m paying- this is my gas bill, this is what it’s costing me to do, this is my thing. I need a little help on this."
HASSELBECK: Who was proposing that flat consumer tax?
BEHAR: Huckabee I think.
HASSELBECK: Huckabee, right? You’re just taxed on what you buy, so you want to buy some candy you’re going to be taxed on it.
BEHAR: We’re going to be bankrupt more than we even are now. But listen, I called up- can I just say something about this? I know, the other day you say you pay 50 percent of your income in taxes right?
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
BEHAR: And you really don’t get much for that at all in this country, and that’s why people were really angry. So I called up the Danish consul because-
GOLDBERG: They take 75.
BEHAR: No, I found out all of the facts about Denmark because Denmark is a wonderful place in terms of taking care of their people. Now, I know it’s a, it’s a homogeneous country. It’s got a lot of different things that are different from us.
HASSELBECK: Right, they got their own issues there.
BEHAR: Well, what are their, what are their issues? I’d like to know.
GOLDBERG: Read your, read your thing.
BEHAR: Okay. They pay, people pay roughly 50 percent of income in taxes. They do not pay if they make up to $8,000 a year. They do not pay any taxes at all. Okay, that’s one thing. The benefits include free healthcare for everybody, okay, free schooling up to graduate school, university, college, high school, graduate school, everything.
HASSELBECK: So they never have to work, just keep studying right? I’m just thinking.
BEHAR: Just a minute.
HASSELBECK: If I were there I’d just go to school.
BEHAR: Everyone gets a basic pension like social security, everybody. They have heavily subsidized daycare for kids. They don’t pay it all, but they give you big discounts, okay, extensive social care system. If someone loses their job for example, they get up to 90 percent of their previous salary and they’re eligible for free schooling. So people are out of work for a very short period. To answer your question, they have an unemployment rate of 2.6 percent. The United States, 5.1 percent.
SHEPHERD: But how many people are in-
BEHAR: So much for "everybody’s on the dole."
HASSELBECK: So everybody move to Denmark and see if you like it.
BEHAR: Oh, don’t give me that argument.
HASSELBECK: I’m just saying-
BEHAR: Don’t give me that argument. I heard that in the 60's and the 70's if you don’t like it here get your ass out. I don’t appreciate that.
HASSELBECK: I’m just saying, I’m saying, look, in this country, there are people trying to get into this country every single day. This is not- I think sometimes this country gets painted as a really bad place and it’s not.
BEHAR: No, I’m giving you information of what could be done with your 50 percent in taxes.
SHEPHERD: But what’s the ratio of people in Denmark as opposed to the ratio of people here? I’m mean, you’re talking about, you’re talking about the United States of America relative to Denmark.
GOLDBERG: But how many Oprahs does Denmark have? How many Bill Gates does Denmark have? Do you realize that 50 percent of their income every year could float an entire nation? I’m just saying there has to be a better way to do this. If you’re going to take my money I don’t mind it, again. I don’t mind it when taxes-
BEHAR: But then give us something.
GOLDBERG: But that’s what I’m saying.
HASSELBECK: You want to see where it’s going.
GOLDBERG: Yeah, I know that I’m paying for this war, but I’d also like to be making sure that I’m paying for, for a nursery school for kids who need it. I want it to be balanced, and dammit, you know I’m tired of it. I’m tired of it.





















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This looks very hopeful...
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:03 ET by sarcasmoOnce she is made to understand that free markets will provide the best schools for kids (a tough sell, I know) Whoopi might make a pretty good politician. I already trust her more than Chris Matthews, but that's damning her with faint praise.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
To bad she did not mention Belgium
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:49 ET by PopularTechI mean they have school choice there and their kids perform better than ours:
20/20: Stupid in America (Video) (41min)
John Stossel's 'Stupid in America' (ABC News)
The Anti 'Man-Made' Global Warming Resource
My head is about to explode
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:14 ET by SmartypantsMy head is about to explode from the level of inane drivel which spewed from this entire conversation. We have a bunch of people here who do not have the first clue about the subject matter they are attempting to address. I particularly love how Behar debates. Anything she does not want to hear about is off-limits apparently. "Don't make your poignant case against my wailings; it offends me." How convenient.
Exactly, I can't believe
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:51 ET by mjgExactly, I can't believe this show is still on the air.
Well She Has Good Role Models To Follow
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:23 ET by geoff.galeMs. Behar has such good debate role models to follow - Algore, who has degenerated to not even allowing press to attend his events; SnObama complaining about having to answer more than six questions; HR Clintoon bobbing and weaving her way through questions like a punch-drunk fighter laughing at her opponent right up until he takes the critical punch between the eyes.
The only joy that Joy could bring to the world is through her long-term silence.
"All that is necessary for the trimuph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativebootcamp.com
Whoopi, you can blame
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:17 ET by bigtimerWhoopi, you can blame algore for the Universal Tax fund on the telephone bills...he and others in congress, this should of already been taken off by now, but heck we know how that goes, it never will be...this was for a computer in every classroom, long ago now....
Whoopi has made some good points, she just needs to understand who makes these tax rules and votes for them .... she wouldn't be a dem. anymore if she did..
As for Behar....where to start....
Oh well not going to waste my time with the empty-headed twit...she herself said it best....you need to start being superficial...she already fills that bill.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Great read.
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:34 ET by tracheostomyGreat read. Appreciated. What I love the most about NB transcripts of "The View" is how it seems to spotlight every common-knowledge fallacy all at once.
Methinks Whoopi really wants to lean in a more conservative direction, but can't really find it in herself to do it.
-PJ
"Trake: Your lofty convictions are another blemish on the rump of congregational sectarianism." -Tumbler 5/15/07
Give her time...
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:40 ET by sarcasmoWhoopi is being slowly mugged, which is slowly making her into a fiscal conservative. Once she gets to conservative, Whoopi only needs to be indicted to become a libertarian, and as big government gets more & more obese that kind of thing only becomes more likely...
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
wow, 2nd time I've seen a lib say this
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:29 ET by mom_roxMany, many years ago on Politically Incorrect, I saw an actress (I think Tom Cruise's first wife) say something like, "The government is spending money on abc, but I would prefer the government would spend more money on xyz".
At that point I was just waiting for the conservative guest to say, "Welcome to being a conservative. It's your money. You earned it, and you should be able to spend it however you like: pay your bills, save for a college or retirement fund, donate to a charity or just blow it on a trip to Vegas."
Well, to my dismay that reply never came. So thank you NB so I can now print it here.
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw, 1944
sarc..
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 00:46 ET by gfrrmanright on and amen...
"Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples' money...." MARGARET THATCHER
God, I wish Joy Behar would
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:35 ET by marpelGod, I wish Joy Behar would move to Denmark....or Iran or Siberia....
So do I. She has no logical
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:53 ET by mjgSo do I. She has no logical bone in her body or mind.
I don't care where she
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 19:13 ET by motherbeltI don't care where she lives; I just wish she would shut up.
Blohar once again armed (& dangerous) with 'facts'
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:42 ET by SickofLibsBLOHAR: "I heard that in the 60's and the 70's if you don’t like it here get your ass out."
I got news for you, you ungrateful bitch, that's still pretty much the sentiment here in the America I know. Take off for Denmark, but bone up on your Arabic.
AND BOOHOO Goldberg. What a f-ed up country you live in where you make so much money you gotta pay the 'famous person tax'.
Wanna make sure "that a nursery school for kids who need it" gets your money? THEN OPEN UP A BUSINESS and start one yourself. Don't wait for the Fed Gvt to do it for you.
These people just make me puke.
Rich folk have every right
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 15:59 ET by zfRich folk have every right to bitch about high taxes as us "common" folk. Those "progressive" taxes eat up as much of a chunck of their income relative to our "smaller" rates do to ours. It sucks no matter how you slice it.
As for Behar's Denmark "taking care of it's people" it's more like taking control *of* its people.
GOLDBERG: But how many
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 15:52 ET by dscottGOLDBERG: But how many Oprahs does Denmark have? How many Bill Gates does Denmark have? Do you realize that 50 percent of their income every year could float an entire nation? I’m just saying there has to be a better way to do this. If you’re going to take my money I don’t mind it, again. I don’t mind it when taxes-
Oh, so close to the truth of the matter but still not quite there... Inordinately taxing those who produce the wealth in order to give it to those who produce very little is Socialism, Whoppi. Socialism always penalizes the successful and rewards the slothful under the guise that the successful stole it from the slothful. The Bill Gates' of the world do not make the world poorer, they make it richer. So Whoppi, as a well off person, do you believe you stole that money from someone else or did you earn it by charging what the market will bear? Once you recognize you are not the thief, then you will recognize who the real thieves are: the politicians making promises.
Be careful of that slippery slope called efficacy. Cutting out the middleman will get more of your money to where you want it. Whoppi, when you realize that giving your money to a worthy cause is far more efficacious than the government handout then you will become a Repub.
Lord Sidious / Darth Vader 2008 Long Live the Empire! Come to the Dark Side, it is your Destiny.
..and ..
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 00:44 ET by gfrrman"Atlas Shrugged"..........
"Eventually, Socialists run out of other peoples' money...." MARGARET THATCHER
My Head Hurts from Liberal Logic
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:34 ET by Gothampc" I found out all of the facts about Denmark because Denmark is a wonderful place in terms of taking care of their people."
Joy Behar, how can you compare a country like the US with a country like Denmark? There is no comparison.
2007 Population of Denmark: 5,468,120
2007 Population of US: 301,139,947 (that we know about)
Rather than paying 50% in taxes, why don't we reduce some of our spending?
You and your liberal friends should seal the U.S. borders immediately and kick out all illegal aliens. Do you realize how much the US pays in taxes to support illegals?
Second, we have to stop ALL aid to foreign countries. The US gives away more than any other country. If there's a tsunami, no relief from us. If there's a famine or AIDS problem in Africa, no relief from us. No flushing money to the Palestinians.
Third, we have to exit the United Nations and kick them out of the US. No more supporting their hatred and lies.
If we do these three things, it will free up lots of money and we can then use tax money to benefit our citizens.
Notice there is never any
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 16:05 ET by zfNotice there is never any questions from Joyless about the actual quality of the "free" health care or those "free" universities, or how they make the citizens less free to choose and the overall effect socalism has on productivity. Wouldn't want to look past the shallow benefits of government control to all the many and myraid hidden costs, would you Miss Behar?
Typical liberal disconnect
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:36 ET by PewahI wonder how long after she opened her mouth and denounced high taxes did it take for Whoopi to realize the philosophical slippery slope she was on. It appears that she has hit her own level of tolerance on personal taxation curve vs. her internal liberal wealth confiscation and redistribution tendencies. Does she really think that she would feel any better about having to pay out over 50% of her earnings to taxes if she thought they were going strictly to pay for things that she agrees with? She probably scared the crap out of Behar for even discussing the possibility of taxes being too high. Heresy I tell you!
Joy Behar: The triumph of
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:22 ET by Chris NormanJoy Behar: The triumph of volume over intelligence.
now, now
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:59 ET by wizardjrIt's not nice to talk about her waistline like that.
A Rosie redux?
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 18:11 ET by Chris NormanA Rosie redux?
Is it me, or am I the only
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:24 ET by Sick-n-TiredIs it me, or am I the only one that really, REALLY dislikes Joy Behar.....................And that is as clean as I can keep it for the kiddies......
And hats off to Goldberg for ranting about our taxation.
"Controlling carbon is a bureaucrat's dream. If you control carbon, you control life," Richard Lindzen - March 2007.
I Wonder...
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:31 ET by geoff.galeI wonder how long this or any future government would last if they weren't able to hide behind the withholding loophole. You know, keep people focused on what you let them take home from what they earn, not what they earn. It's really kind on funny - VISA manages do pretty well and they don't withhold a minimum payment from my paycheck; my mortgage company is doing pretty well and I don't give them access to my paycheck either. It's only the government that can't manage to bill me at the end of the service cycle for their services.
Things that make you go mmmm.
"All that is necessary for the trimuph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativebootcamp.com
What's yours is mine
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 17:49 ET by dboPoor Joy would probably have a heart attack if she knew corporate tax rates are only 22% in Denmark while individuals have their pants taxed off.
Whoopi will have less income to be taxed.
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 20:19 ET by nkviking75Maybe Whoopi will feel better next year since she will no longer be collecting a check from Clear Channel. According to the radio website AllAccess.com (membership required) and their "Net News" column...
WHOOPI GOLDBERG ended her syndicated morning show career with some mis-fired fireworks. Sources tell ALL ACCESS that her final show FRIDAY morning (4/11) basically consisted of a three-hour rant about how much she hated doing radio. It was almost enough to make some station execs pull the plug early.
Nevertheless, expect to see the stations that carried her show announce morning replacements quickly.
Judging by her website, www.whoopi.com, a whopping 7 radio stations have a time slot to fill.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
They should have kept her,
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 15:54 ET by zfThey should have kept her, her ranting was probably more entertaining than anything on NPR or Air America (or is AA even still around?)
Do the right thing: send
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 01:54 ET by mostlymoderateDo the right thing: send every illegal alien back to where they came from. Limit welfare to a maximum of 5 years per lifetime. Make inmates at federal prison earn their "keep" by working in an assembly-line setup that produces products for the government. Make it a rule that when the U.S. is in a "deficit" then ALL aid-money sent to other countries is stopped.
Then WATCH THE TAXES DECREASE :-)
this was sent to me today,
Wed, 04/16/2008 - 12:37 ET by seaniepthis was sent to me today, does anyone have whoopi's email address?
Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer
and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes,
it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.
Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers?
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33.
But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested
that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before.
And the first four continued to drink for free.
But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man.
He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man.
'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.
'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two?
The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison.
'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor.'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him.
But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.
They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works.
The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.
Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.
In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.