Speaking of welfare and all those dirty lazy single moms sucking the US dry with their need to feed their children, you really have to consider these leeches...

1) Verizon Communications. Profits: $19.8 billion. Effective tax rate: -3.8%
2) General Electric. Profits: $19.6 billion. Effective tax rate: -18.9%
3) Boeing. Profits: $14.9 billion. Effective tax rate: -5.5%
4) NextEra Energy, North America’s largest solar and wind power operator, based in Florida. Profits: $8.8 billion. Effective tax rate: -2%
5) American Electric Power, electrical utility based in Ohio. Profits: $8.2 billion. Effective tax rate: -6.4%
6) Pacific Gas & Electric, California electrical utility. Profits: $6 billion. Effective tax rate: -8.4%
7) Apache, oil and gas company based in Houston. Profits: $6 billion. Effective tax rate: -0.3%
8) Consolidated Edison, New York energy company. Profits: $5.9 billion. Effective tax rate: -1.3%
9) El Paso, Houston-based energy company that runs the country’s largest natural gas pipeline. Profits: $4.6 billion. Effective tax rate: -0.9%
10) CenterPoint Energy, electric and gas utility based in Houston. Profits: $3.1 billion. Effective tax rate: -11.3%. -
See more at: Republican Voters Are Angry About All The Wrong Things

Change this and see what happens to your utility costs. I know you guys are still drinking the "no inflation" kool-aid but this would be near impossible to ignore...

Stop letting corporations screw us so they can screw us?

Government of the people, my ass.

what does any of that have to do with the topic?

The thread title is "Welfare State."

Corporations produce jobs. Jobs produce revenue to local, state, and fed governments and contribute to GDP like no other source of income. IMO corp tax rates should be zero unless they are hoarding cash or violating labor laws. You want more jobs? Make it attractive for businesses to set up shop in the US.

While I'm personally not a big fan of any negative ETRs, corp or individual, this is an accounting measure. It's no different than the government directly subsidizing some programs or people. The difference is that it's easier to qualify people using the primary source of records for income than creating yet another entity to redistribute wealth. That and the fact that "Department of Redistribution of Wealth" doesn't look too good on a ballot.

Thank you for a reasoned response. Regarding attracting businesses to set up/remain in the US, with the commonly held notion that we aren't competitive with the rest of the world tax-wise is wrong.

Corporate America Pays Higher Tax Abroad: Study

I'll take it your are a progressive democrat/liberal. Having said that...

Conservatives never said there isn't an issue with 'Corony Capitalism' and corruption in the government. However, it's a bi-partisan issue and we should all be outraged at all of it, including items you listed above. .

It doesn't end there, for instance let's talk about Diane Feinstein's husband Richard Blum. How about all the money he is making from the CA high speed rail as well as his real estate company getting the contract to sell off all the post office building closures.

On the flip side if there is corruption in the government you can be damn sure there is corruption with the entitlements and people abusing welfare, food stamps, etc...

I"m sure we could fill endless threads with the corruption in government. So I ask you this... why should we expand the government and make it bigger? Why trust them with your healthcare? Why continue with this massive spending and taxation? We should all be outraged and critical of everything the government does and question every motive.

The National Debt alone should scare every American. Your great Hope and Change Prez... ripped Bush on his spending and called it "irresponsible' and 'unpatriotic'. Obama Speach Meanwhile is on track to increase it by over 60%.

The big picture here is that you need to look at who Obama associates himself with, he is is a Socialist period. He was mentored by Frank Marshall Davis and his buddy David Axelrod was mentored by by the Canters. You can't ignore all the facts that this president is a left wing extremest and pushing us into a socialist regime using tyranny and bypassing congress. The current republican party (with the exception of a few like Mike Lee and Ted Cruz) is too weak and stupid to do anything about it.

I don't have a problem helping those that truly need it, but government assistance should be a crutch to get you back on your feet. It should NOT be your caregiver and sole provider or healthcare provider that is not what it is for. Nobody here is 'entitled' to anything except liberty and opportunity.

The flaw with your assessment here is that this considers US-based companies with foreign operations. Many companies are opting to move their base to other developed countries or set up separate entities in undeveloped countries where the tax rates are lower and the red tape is easier to navigate. My company moved it's headquarters overseas a few years ago for this very reason. If you take a look some other operations you'll see that the factories or service centers are not under their corporate brand, but under a company registered in the local country and contracted as a service provider to the parent company.

To further my point on the zero corp tax rate, look at the last part of that article. All those major companies are still US based because of their ETR. Imagine how many companies would come running back if it didn't take an act of congress or mult-million-dollar lobbyist and campaign contributions to get the same treatment...

and how is any of that welfare?

they are at least contributing. while I don't like to see the negative numbers, those companies are at least adding to the fund.
that's not the case with welfare. and such, it has nothing to do with the original topic. you had nothing to add, so you changed the subject.

It's called "corporate welfare."

I could have started a new thread but I found it generally topical. You find it disagreeable and inconvenient, get over it.

perhaps you don't understand the meaning of welfare.

My friend, Two things make this different:
1. If I add all of these up I get $100B or so. If I divide it by number of Americans I get about $303 dollars per every American. Sorry but big whoop.
2. I have a choice to buy or not from these guys you listed. Key point: A CHOICE. I could get propane, solar or move if it gets too expensive. I have no choice on taxes. None at all nor can I have a say on where my money goes. Right now, with my tax rate, I am supporting several individuals. Some need it, some don't. We need to fix it so the "some don't" people get a job. Yes, they might have to be trained for some jobs but the CCC programs back in the day worked wonders. I understand your argument but it's nothing more than a deflection from the real issue. Same as talking about climate change.

I'm tired of seeing folks in hospitals getting FREE service when I have to shell out a hospital co-pay, then have my insurance pays some more, then get a bill from the hospital for part the insurance didn't pay. And the losers with no insurance just get to walk out happy go lucky. How do we fix this? Don't care what we call it or which p-party gets to add the cap feather. Everyone should pay their own way-period. That is what's wrong with this country-everyone looking for a handout-individuals and corporations-no integrity.

Ask Australia how raising corporate taxes are treating them at the moment. Global corporations are fleeing the country faster than rats on a sinking ship; I guess someone wants to make it a prison island once more.

With utilities, for the most part, they are a regulated monopoly. So I do have choices, but they are few, with each having their merits and drawbacks. With the monopoly in place, the barrier to entry for alternative forms of energy as well as other companies remains quite high.

At my favorite eatery the prices have increased 1.8% across the board on everything. I don't have to tell anyone here the reason behind such.