Letters to the Editor

Letter: Fair share

December 24, 2012


To the editor:

Just how stupid does Menards think the residents of Lawrence are? They claim they are delaying expansion to the Kansas City area because they are a small, family-owned business. As such, President Obama’s administration is “scaring the heck” out of them. (“Lawrence Menards less likely…” Journal-World, Dec. 17)

Menards had an annual revenue of $7 billion last year operating over 270 stores. Small business? We should all be so small. Their disingenuous statement is mere political grandstanding, and demagoguery at its finest. What they are truly afraid of is the president’s position that wage earners should be spared higher taxes and the wealthiest among us, who benefit most from our economy, (like the Menards family) should pay a fair share.


Abdu Omar 2 years, 3 months ago

Let them cry all they want. If they are "afraid" to enter the Kansas City market, that is fine with me. We don't really need them, we have Lowes and Home Depot. Let us take our business to those two.

RoeDapple 2 years, 3 months ago

Always amuses me to see crybabies like Mark kicking and screaming for more taxes on businesses and the people who own them. Hey Marko, who do you think pays those taxes? That's right, you and I! The Menards didn't get where they are buy swallowing all the costs of doing business! If it costs 2 or 5 or 10% more to stay in business they tack it onto the products and services they offer. If you take home delivery on the local paper, take a good look at it! After being a subscriber for the last 42 years I see it as 1/3 the size, 1/4 the content and every time I renew my subscription I question the worth of 2 or 3 day old news that I can get here on line within minutes or hours of it happening. If Menards doesn't see a viable market here or in KC at this time, good for them! Far better to pass for now than to have another abandoned building in 4 or 5 years.

chootspa 2 years, 3 months ago

There was a time when the wealthiest among us did not accumulate such a large percentage of the total wealth. Big businesses used to offer pensions and enough of a wage that only one family member had to work to maintain a middle class standard of living. The tax rate was different back then. But not in the way you assume it was. I'm not saying that a higher tax rate would mean happy days are here again, but i am saying it wouldn't mean sudden doom to businesses that are swimming in money. I'm not sure what the dying of the newspaper industry has to do with that - other than free market rah, rah, rah?

At any rate, I guess we're all happy Menards is throwing a temper tantrum instead of coming to Lawrence.

msezdsit 2 years, 3 months ago

Always amuses me to see crybabies like Mark , er, I mean Menards.

Hey Marko, who do you think pays those taxes?

Guess what roadkill: not if you don't shop a menards.

skinny 2 years, 3 months ago


chootspa 2 years, 3 months ago

Ew. Somebody seems to have vomited libertarian talking points all over the floor. Could somebody get a mop? Never mind, it appears that they're completely without substance, anyway.

voevoda 2 years, 3 months ago

"Your self-satisfaction ill becomes you." (I Corinithians 5:6) "There is no question of relieving others at the cost of hardship to yourselves; it is a question of equality. At the moment your surplus meets their need, but one day your need may be met from their surplus. The aim is equality." (II Corinthians 8:13-14) "Whoever has two shirts must share with him who has none, and whoever has food must do the same." (Luke 3:11) "Life is more than food, the body more than clothes. Think of the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them... Think of the lilies: they neither spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not attired like one of them... Sell your possessions and give to charity. Provide for yourselves purses that do not wear out, and never-failing treasure in heaven, where no thief can get near it, no moth destroy it. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:23-24, 27, 33-34)

Abdu Omar 2 years, 3 months ago

WOW how original!!!

We know this but the help in this country should go to those who need it, not the lazy ones who want to only take from the system. But we cannot stop helping the truly needy because of those who hack the system. We should weed out the users and the hackers. It is hard, i know, but lets not stop those who truly need assistance.

msezdsit 2 years, 3 months ago

"We should weed out the users and the hackers. it is hard, i know, but lets not stop those who truly need assistance."

This is very true but faux news and the tea pubs would rather you think only they can decide who is a taker and that is anyone who doesn't agree with them. Only they can decide that. It requires some thought and compassion, which they have none of. Same goes for skinny and his type.

Liberty275 2 years, 3 months ago

Menards can expand here or not, I don't care. I already have a job.

Dan Eyler 2 years, 3 months ago

Based on the taxes I will pay next year anyone in their right mind wouldn't do anything that means paying more taxes. Middle class Americans have been lead to believe the bush tax cuts put in place nearly 12 years ago only benefits the wealthy top 2 percent. Well that's not me but my taxes will go up $8,000 dollars a year. Those not on government benefits but are lower income will see huge increase in their taxes pushing many individuals and families into welfare. Taxing business and those making over $250,000 might make you feel better but your taxes are going up too. But it's what you want so enjoy.

chootspa 2 years, 3 months ago

It's actually two tax cuts, and everyone claims they want to extend the ones for the middle class. Be sure to thank congress for holding it hostage.

308_incendiary 2 years, 3 months ago

It would be nice if everyone paid their fair share. Heck. It would be nice if everyone paid something at all.

voevoda 2 years, 3 months ago

Everybody does pay, Even if they don't earn enough money to need to pay Federal income tax, they pay sales tax, gasoline tax, property tax (directly or through rent), etc. How can you take such an ungerenous attitude with people who are so desperately poor? But if you direct your ire against people who have substantial incomes but finagle their way out paying taxes, nonetheless--that is, the multimillionaires who claims enough deductions that they no longer have to pay anything, and the people who arrange to get paid in cash off the books so they don't have to report their earnings--I will join you.

308_incendiary 2 years, 3 months ago

What's fair about some people paying federal taxes and some paying nothing at all yet enjoy the same benefits?

Are the paying customers keeping the desperately poor, poor?


voevoda 2 years, 3 months ago

Taxation is not "stealing." It is the price we pay for having a civilized society. If all the rich do is accumulate more and more for themselves, society as a whole does not benefit. No hydropower dams. No spaceships. No new medical treatments. No medical devices available to anybody but the ultrarich. Let the wealthy entrepreneurs keept a big hunk for themselves, but let them also contribute a big hunk for the benefit of the society that affords them an opportunity to get so rich. Anything else is just the glorification of greed and selfishness--a totally inappropriate sentiment on the eve of the birth of the Savior.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 2 years, 3 months ago

I'll bet you support unions. Unions whine if people don't pay in, but this is ok. Unions are no different than those on any type of government assistance, or don't pay federal income taxes while the guy sitting next to them did. The leeches continue to feed off of the families of working people. Sitting on their couches watching their big screen tv's talking on their free cell phones in the heat paid for by the taxpayers. Most of the so called poor I see always have money to go to the movies or a 30 pack of beer. They seem to always demand more from the system than they are willing to put in.

The only "Fair" way for taxes is some form of a consumption tax.

bearded_gnome 2 years, 3 months ago


---... "pay a fair share" and put more americans out of work, you mean.

they're already paying the bulk of income and other taxes, how much is enough?

corporations do not pay taxes in reality, they just collect them in the cost they pass on to consumers and employees. simple economics is no longer taught in the state controled schools.

voevoda 2 years, 3 months ago


voevoda 2 years, 3 months ago

Not at all. I don't quote the Bible sarcastically.

Armstrong 2 years, 3 months ago

Why can't liberals get past the kindergarten mentallity of "it's not fair". and "share with your neighbor" Mark you address so many of the most basic rules in business and economics yet seem to be lost as to why a company would look out for it's best interests to stay in business. Might I suggest some basic business/econ courses from JCCC or LHS.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years, 3 months ago

Why can't conservatives get over the mentality "I got mine, screw everyone else."

Frank Hays 2 years, 3 months ago


Armstrong 2 years, 3 months ago

Everything tange knows about business or reality for that matter -

Larry Sturm 2 years, 3 months ago

So much for payihg taxes. But what happened to the todays news page.

gr 2 years, 3 months ago

Mark, what is a fair share? Do you subscribe to the idea that fair is not equal? How does one determine when it's fair? When everyone make more than you is paying way way more at a much higher rate? But still, how do you determine if that's even so called "fair" and that they shouldn't be paying even more? Or is it, if there's still some left for them to pay you, it is not "fair" enough?

nativeson 2 years, 3 months ago

Liberal or conservative, the landscape is unpredictable. The lack of clarity regarding tax structure keeps investment on the sidelines. If a deal is to be made, make it long-term to create stability. That will help the economy.

Trumbull 2 years, 3 months ago

Just a few things to remember. It is a proposed tax increase of 3% on net income above 250k. It is a graduated income tax. For example, you would only be paying $3,000 for every $100,000 earned above 250k. This seems to me a good problem to have.

The so called 47% who do not pay federal income tax, are still paying federl Medicare and Social Security taxes, state income tax, sales tax etc. Many of them are retired, or take advantage of extravagent loopholes like the home mortgage deduction and child dependent deductions and exemptions.

Menards is not a pretty big company to not be incorporated. Why do they not incorporate? In fact, this is a big reason why companies incorporate when they grow to such a big size. They should be more afraid of there tax advisors tnan President Obama.

Frank Hays 2 years, 3 months ago


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