Assata Shakur: Tax-Free Profits

Meaning Assata Shakur Corporations tax-free profits politicians cut food stamps salaries City bankruptcy, dollars spent spend millions arms close day care centers fire stations. Assata Shakur said:
 

 

“While big corporations make huge, tax-free profits, taxes for the everyday working person skyrocket. While politicians take free trips around the world, those same politicians cut back food stamps for the poor. While politicians increase their salaries, millions of people are being laid off. This city is on the brink of bankruptcy, and yet hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on this trial. I do not understand a government so willing to spend millions of dollars on arms, to explore outer space, even the planet Jupiter, and at the same time close down day care centers and fire stations” — Assata Shakur

Assata Shakur was criticizing the priorities of the U.S. government in this quote. She points out that while large corporations and politicians benefit financially, everyday working people face increasing taxes and cuts to social services.

At the same time, the government spends vast sums on military weapons, space exploration, and other projects seen as less essential than programs that directly help citizens, like day care centers and fire stations.

The overall interpretation is that the government favors powerful corporate and political interests over the needs of ordinary citizens, especially the poor and vulnerable. Shakur saw this as unjust and “did not understand” the logic of a system with such skewed priorities.

Bernie Sanders: Wealth Inequality

Bernie Sanders Money Quote saying the U.S. is rated first in every metric of inequality. Bernie Sanders said:
 

 

“Today, the United States is No. 1 in billionaires, No. 1 in corporate profits, No. 1 in CEO salaries, No. 1 in childhood poverty and No. 1 in income and wealth inequality in the industrialized world” — Bernie Sanders

What does Bernie Sanders mean by “No. 1 in every metric of inequality”?
Bernie Sanders is saying that the United States is ranked first in every measure of inequality, including billionaires, corporate profits, CEO salaries, childhood poverty, and income and wealth inequality in the industrialized world.

Bernie Sanders highlights that the US has a significant wealth gap between the rich and poor, and it is the worst in the industrialized world. According to the quote, the US has the most billionaires, corporate profits, CEO salaries, and childhood poverty, and it also has the highest income and wealth inequality. However, it’s important to note that this statement is based on a specific perspective and may not be a comprehensive representation of the entire issue.

Regarding the comparison to other industrialized countries, it’s worth noting that there are various ways to measure wealth inequality, and different studies may have different findings. However, many experts agree that the US has a relatively high level of wealth inequality compared to other developed countries. For example, a 2020 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that the US had one of the highest levels of income inequality among its member countries.

Bill Vaughan: Happiness Study

Bill Vaughan Money Quote saying it’s funny how we believe we are doing something useful by studying things instead of taking action. Bill Vaughan said:
 

 

“Money won’t buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem” — Bill Vaughan

In this quote, Bill Vaughan seems to be making a humorous commentary on the relationship between money and happiness.

By stating that while “money won’t buy happiness”, it can fund “a large research staff to study the problem”, Vaughan implies that wealth provides means to extensively analyze and debate happiness as a philosophical concept, even if wealth itself does not directly equate to joy.

The tone suggests Vaughan is wryly observing how money allows pondering life’s deeper questions through research, even if conclusions about happiness remain elusive.

Overall, the quote portrays Vaughan’s perspective that wealth opens doors to intellectual pursuits yet does not guarantee their answers, as studying happiness remains challenging regardless of resources available for the task.

Vaughan’s comment strikes a tone of lighthearted irony about using wealth for introspection despite its limits in addressing existential matters of human fulfillment.

Birthday: October 8, 1915 – February 25, 1977

Sigourney Weaver: Pigs Will Fly

Sigourney Weaver Money Quote saying it will be the most unlikely of outcomes for there to be equality and pay equity in film that pigs may learn to fly. Sigourney Weaver said:
 

 

“Someday women writers, producers and crew members will be so commonplace, and roles and salaries for actresses will outstrip those for men, and pigs will fly” — Sigourney Weaver

In this quote, actress Sigourney Weaver seems to be making a tongue-in-cheek comment about the prospects of achieving true gender equality in Hollywood. By stating that women will dominate roles behind and in front of the camera and earn more than men only “when pigs fly”, she appears to be using sarcasm and hyperbole to suggest this level of parity is still very far off despite some gains.

Weaver’s words imply she does not believe the industry has progressed to the point where gender is no longer a factor in opportunities and compensation. Her quote suggests she sees entrenched imbalances of power and representation between men and women as still prevalent in the film business.

Samuel F.B. Morse: Raise Salaries

Samuel F.B. Morse Money Quote saying that paying well attracts quality employees to become telegraph operators who would strive to earn their pay well. Samuel F.B. Morse said:
 

 

“We must raise the salaries of our operators or they will all be taken from us, that is, all that are good for anything. You will recollect that, at the first meeting of the Board of Directors, I took the ground that ‘it was our policy to make the office of operator desirable, to pay operators well and make their situation so agreeable that intelligent men and men of character will seek the place and dread to lose it.’ I still think so, and, depend upon it, it is the soundest economy to act on this principle” — Samuel F.B. Morse

In this quote, Samuel Morse is advocating for paying telegraph operators higher salaries. He notes that if they are not paid well, the best and most skilled operators will leave their jobs for other opportunities.

Morse refers back to his initial view that companies should aim to make the operator role attractive through good compensation and working conditions. This would motivate intelligent, qualified individuals to want the job and strive to keep it.

Morse argues this is a sound economic strategy, even if it costs more in wages, since it ensures retaining top talent. The quote conveys Morse’s belief that investing in employees through fair pay and treatment is prudent for business success, not just an expense, as it leads to lower turnover and maintaining a highly skilled workforce.

Birthday April 27, 1791 – Died April 2, 1872

– Contributed to Morse Code and the Telegraph

Michael Cohen: Millions Tax Refund

Michael Cohen Money Quote saying during congressional testimony on February 27 that President Trump told him in 2008 that the government was stupid for refunding him $10 Million on his taxes. Michael Cohen said:
 

 

“When telling me in 2008 that he was cutting employees’ salaries in half – including mine – he showed me what he claimed was a $10 million IRS tax refund, and he said that he could not believe how stupid the government was for giving “someone like him” that much money back” — Michael Cohen

In this quote, Michael Cohen is describing an interaction he had with Donald Trump in 2008. Some key points:

• Trump was cutting the salaries of his employees, including Cohen’s, in half due to financial difficulties at the time.
• Trump then showed Cohen what Trump claimed was a $10 million tax refund he had received from the IRS.
• Trump expressed disbelief and contempt and called the government “stupid” for giving “someone like him” such a large tax refund.
• This implies Trump felt he did not deserve the refund or that it was too generous, even as he was reducing his employees’ pay.

Cohen’s anecdote portrays Trump as a boss who was willing to cut his workers’ salaries deeply but also critical of and benefited greatly from tax policies that returned millions to him personally at the same time. It provides Cohen’s perspective on Trump’s attitude toward his own wealth versus that of his employees during a challenging economic period.

Martin Luther King, Jr. We Judge Salaries

c. Martin Luther King Junior said:
 

 

“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind — Martin Luther King Jr.

In this quote, Martin Luther King Jr. is cautioning against defining or measuring success primarily based on superficial or materialistic terms like income level or expensive possessions. While salaries and nice vehicles may be outward signs of achievement, King argues that true success lies in less tangible factors – the quality of one’s character, the positive impact of their work, and the depth of their caring relationships with fellow human beings.

His message is that finding purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life comes from selflessly serving others and building strong interpersonal connections, not from amassing wealth or status symbols. King is advocating for evaluating success according to virtues like compassion and service rather than more superficial yardsticks like financial earnings or luxury brand names.

Birthday: January 15, 1929 – Death: (assassinated) April 4, 1968

Bernie Sanders: U.S. No. 1 in Inequality

Bernie Sanders Money Quotation saying there are several things the United States is number one in the world where we should be ashamed we lead, including wealth inequity and youth poverty. Bernie Sanders said:
 

 

“Today, the United States is No. 1 in billionaires, No. 1 in corporate profits, No. 1 in CEO salaries, No. 1 in childhood poverty and No. 1 in income and wealth inequality in the industrialized world” — Bernie Sanders

In this quote, Bernie Sanders is highlighting some troubling contradictions in the current U.S. economy. While America leads globally in areas like the number of billionaires, high corporate earnings, and large CEO paychecks, it is also number one among wealthy nations in negative metrics like childhood poverty rates and the gaps between rich and poor in terms of income and wealth accumulation.

Sanders appears to be arguing that an economy which maximizes gains at the very top but fails to provide basic needs and opportunities for children and many adults should not be considered successful.

The quote implies reforms are needed to produce broader-based prosperity, not just concentrate riches among a select few. Overall, Sanders is critically contrasting indicators of wealth concentration versus economic well-being for much of the population.