Rep. Wilson calls Obama a liar -then shuts down his website

pitu wrote: yes. ugly, right?
there was quite a bit of noise about getting hospital workers, and teachers, and cops, and anyone else who interacted with the public to ask about immigration status.

p.s.
btw, I recently witnessed a NYC Parks Dept guy threaten someone regarding their immigration status. Not cool, not legal. People can be horrible.

It's hard for me to take seriously anyone who's vocally against paying for emergency room service for illegal immigrants and yet didn't bat an eye at paying for the Iraq War.

Subject: Re: H1B taxes

doctorj wrote: [quote=puply]
The short answer is no.

The Social Security and Medicare money paid by H1Bs goes to benefit Americans. No H1B visa holder that leaves the United States after expiration of his status gets to benefit from it. The treaties you mention do not apply to these taxes.

I've known so many people in this situation. They basically pay for something they are not allowed to use. I've yet to see any politician tackling this issue. But, of course, it is a win win situation for everybody, except for the non-voting H1Bs.


http://www.thetaxguy.com/faq.htm#eight

I'm talking about the social security treaties, not the tax treaties. Clearly, an H1-B can't get SS or medicare back when they leave the country, any more than they could get their share of whichever universal pension or health care system back after working in another country, or an American could cash out of SS/Medicare by emigrating. But when they retire, presumably H1-Bs are eligible to receive their proportional share of the benefits.

http://www.ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html

In my case, I have worked in three countries, all of which have social security treaties with each other. They can sort it out between themselves who ends up paying what proportion, depending on where I retire, but I still get the credit for having contributed to SS for several years in the US, so long as I'm in a treaty country.

Good for you, doctorj. I assume that you are a citizen of one of the few countries that benefit from these treaties. The vast majority of H1Bs are not, as it is easy to notice that China and India (from where the highest percentage come to the States), are absent from the list. Thus the huge amount of money that goes, as I mentioned in another post, from the pockets of these people to Social Security and Medicare.

Subject: Great Volley

Thank you all for your posts on this issue. I still don't know what to think except that we do need better health coverage AND that both sides of the fence are folks "we" elected, included Wilson. I just couldn't listen to President Obama talk any more but...did listen to some of his speech on health care. His voice had a new ring and I was able to "get" what he was saying without feeling a bit fed up with his constant talk, talk, talk. He did the right thing.
I am just as leery of politicians who talk too much as I am from those who have to be constantly edited or silenced. I am becoming lazy and am tired of trying to read between the lines.

Good night

BTW, I'm sure everyone has seen this by now today, right?

LOL! How about this one?

Subject: Re: H1B taxes

puply wrote:
Good for you, doctorj. I assume that you are a citizen of one of the few countries that benefit from these treaties. The vast majority of H1Bs are not, as it is easy to notice that China and India (from where the highest percentage come to the States), are absent from the list. Thus the huge amount of money that goes, as I mentioned in another post, from the pockets of these people to Social Security and Medicare.

Well, China and India don't currently pay a commensurate pension the way the US and the other countries on the list do AFAIK, so there's not much yet on which to base a reciprocal treaty. If I were a Chinese H1-B, I could apply to convert to a Greencard, or I could apply to emigrate to Europe, and claim US/EU social security, or go back to China and take my chances that China will continue to grow richer, and sign such a treaty by the time I needed it (note: the number of such treaties is rapidly increasing, and the world continues to globalize). What happens currently if an American emigrates to e.g. Costa Rica where it's cheap to live, and renounces citizenship to reduce their taxes? Can they still legally claim SS? If not, then that's consistent with the treatment of H1-Bs who leave for non-treaty countries.

Even if the US is currently making a profit from potentially underfunding the pensions of some H1-Bs in future, I'd still say on balance it's a good deal for the employee, for the employer, for the US, for the world, from all sorts of angles. The more mobility, the lower the borders, the better. Which is why the program is so popular and oversubscribed. Even if they never see a dime of the SS they paid, the H1-B returning to a developing country is still way ahead of his/her peers. And watch what happens when more and more skilled Americans want to move to China to get a better job in the new high tech industries.

danielle123 wrote: [quote=Carnivore]Joe Wilson shouting during Obama's speech: Photoshop-ready!

Look at those smug bastards on the side of him. I'd like to see a photo a few seconds later to see if they were still sitting there looking that way or if they have looks of horror on their faces. My guess is the former.

Yeah, they look almost as smug as Gore or Biden.

In this picture Obama is thinking, "This is cool, I get women to vote for me in instead of Hilary, I promise women that the first law I sign will be an abortion rights law, and then I decide that abortion rights aren't that important, and women still love me. So cool."



MOD NOTE: Additional random images mocking Democrats not related to the topic have been split off to their own thread.
-C

eggcream wrote: Nice to make jokes about gang rape especially coming from someone who works in a hospital. Classy. Funny, did Joe Wilson intentionally leave a woman to suffocate in a car for 5 hours?

Eggcream, you are missing the point. Liberals can sleep around and leave girlfriends to drown because their politics are so perfect. Ya see, when you preach gay rights and bring none, when you preach health care for all and bring none, when you promise abortion rights and bring none, you get to leave your mistress drowning in a car and be forgiven. That is some racket.

BTW – that is some Obama picture you posted. On this board, it may be like posting a picture of the prophet in a Middle Eastern newspaper. We shall see. I am going to get some popcorn.

Don't worry, as soon as the liberals get out of bed.

Subject: Re: H1B taxes

doctorj wrote: [quote=puply]
Good for you, doctorj. I assume that you are a citizen of one of the few countries that benefit from these treaties. The vast majority of H1Bs are not, as it is easy to notice that China and India (from where the highest percentage come to the States), are absent from the list. Thus the huge amount of money that goes, as I mentioned in another post, from the pockets of these people to Social Security and Medicare.

Well, China and India don't currently pay a commensurate pension the way the US and the other countries on the list do AFAIK, so there's not much yet on which to base a reciprocal treaty. If I were a Chinese H1-B, I could apply to convert to a Greencard, or I could apply to emigrate to Europe, and claim US/EU social security, or go back to China and take my chances that China will continue to grow richer, and sign such a treaty by the time I needed it (note: the number of such treaties is rapidly increasing, and the world continues to globalize). What happens currently if an American emigrates to e.g. Costa Rica where it's cheap to live, and renounces citizenship to reduce their taxes? Can they still legally claim SS? If not, then that's consistent with the treatment of H1-Bs who leave for non-treaty countries.

Even if the US is currently making a profit from potentially underfunding the pensions of some H1-Bs in future, I'd still say on balance it's a good deal for the employee, for the employer, for the US, for the world, from all sorts of angles. The more mobility, the lower the borders, the better. Which is why the program is so popular and oversubscribed. Even if they never see a dime of the SS they paid, the H1-B returning to a developing country is still way ahead of his/her peers. And watch what happens when more and more skilled Americans want to move to China to get a better job in the new high tech industries.

I have to disagree, particularly in the part in which you say that "even if they never see a dime of the SS they paid, the H1-B returning to a developing country is still way ahead of his/her peers."

The issue is that no one, be it American or foreigner should have to pay for a service or benefit that he or she is not allowed to use or enjoy.

If they are "way ahead from their pairs", is thanks to the hard work they have done, no free lunches there. ¿Why should they have to give away cash they have earned in exchange of nothing?

eggcream, do you know what "socialism" means? do you know what "idiot" means?

Then there is the 12:30 memorial lunch for Ted Kennedy. I think it is being held under water.