Walking megaphone Mark Cuban has a new blog post up today in which he talks about "Patriotism" (with a capital 'P') and what we average Americans can do to help our glorious country. His answer: Make a "boatload" of money and pay taxes:
So be Patriotic. Go out there and get rich. Get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes , your first thought will be to choke on how big a check you have to write. Your 2nd thought will be "what a great problem to have", and your 3rd should be a recognition that in paying your taxes you are helping to support millions of Americans that are not as fortunate as you.
In these times of "The Great Recession" we shouldn't be trying to shift the benefits of wealth behind some curtain. We should be celebrating and encouraging people to make as much money as they can. Profits equal tax money. While some people might find it distasteful to pay taxes. I don't. I find it Patriotic.
Yes, good. You heard the man. Go get fantastically rich. Only human scum and mouth-breathers are opposed to paying taxes. When Salon asked Cuban last month if he'd be okay with a higher tax rate, he said: "I have absolutely no problem paying more taxes. None."
But there is, however, the following item from a Dallas Morning News story last year about Cuban donating $100,000 to Dallas in order to help avoid a tax hike:
Cuban happens to agree with Mayor Tom Leppert's position that a tax hike should be avoided.
"The mayor is correct," said Cuban. "Raising taxes is never a good thing. That said, recognizing that I have been blessed financially and that I probably benefit disproportionately from the great things Dallas has to offer, I think its fair for someone in my position to be asked to voluntarily contribute more to the City."
The tax bill on Cuban's Preston Hollow home, by the way, would jump several thousand dollars if a majority of council members vote to boost the tax rate by 4.91 cents. Cuban's home is valued at $14,082,624 on the 2010 tax rolls – a $331,603 jump from last year's appraisal.
What's with all this flip-flopping, maverick?