Page 8
^ÎartÎanb (Observer
A p ril 23. 2014
New Prices
Effective
May 1,2010
Martin
Cleaning
Service
C ourt
ÈSmS ÇpëâSH
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG
$45.00
A sm all distance/travel charge
m ay be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or
more $30.00 Each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: 1 sm all H allw ay)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services)-. $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs:
$25.00Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wooly.
$40.00Minimum
Laying the Groundwork for Dynasties
Heavily Soiled Area:
Close the Paris
Hilton loophole
Additional $10.00 each area
by
(Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $69.00
Loveseat: $49.00
Sectional: $109 - $139
Chair or Recliner:
$25 - $49
Throw Pillows (With
Other Services)'. $5.00
%
A
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
—x
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949
C huck C ollins
If our leaders want
to balance the budget,
here’s a suggestion:
Congress can scrap a
new “Paris Hilton”
giveaway that’s drain
ing billions of federal tax dollars.
This giveaway takes the form
of a complex tax loophole de
signed to circumvent the federal
estate tax, one of the few ways a
democratic society can reduce
extreme wealth inequality.
The estate tax is a levy on
inheritances that multi-million
aires and billionaires leave behind
when they pass away. It affects
only the wealthiest two out of
every thousand U.S. taxpayers
— individuals with at least $5.34
million to their name, or $10.68
million for a couple.
Estate-tax levels have bounced
around for decades. In 2013, the
government officially pegged it at
40 percent, one of the lowest
levels since 1930. The effective
(real-life) rate paid by these deep-
pocketed estates amounted to less
than half of that.
Estate taxes have historically
raised substantial revenue from
Americans with the greatest ca Walton, whose combined wealth trusts in order to game his taxes
pacity to pay. A century ago, exceeds $ 100 billion, were among down. Other early adapters to the
President Theodore Roosevelt — those clamoring against this sup G RA T
loophole
include
who inherited and squandered a posedly unjust tax. The heirs of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg,
fortune of his own — joined the fortunes left behind by the G oldm an Sachs CEO Lloyd
with steel magnate and phi founders of Gallo wine and Mars B lankfein, D ish N etw o rk s’
lanthropist Andrew Carnegie candy joined the fray.
Charles Ergen, fashion designer
— one of the richest men in
These scions of extrem ely Ralph Lauren, and multiple Walton
the world at the time — to wealthy families lobbied to kill the family members.
support establishing the mod law. When they failed, they got to
Richard Covey, the lawyer who
em version of the estate tax. work on a plan B: gutting it. And pioneered the loophole, believes
TR and Carnegie shared a goal America’s plutocrats prevailed.
the GRAT resulted in $ 100 billion
of slowing the build-up of wealth
The wealthiest 1/1 Oth of 1 per in lost revenue since 2001, ac
dynasties, which they believed cent are no longer complaining cording to a Bloomberg News
would corrode our democracy. about the estate tax because of a interview.
Although they succeeded, their loophole Congress gave them.
Not all wealthy Americans ad
goal remains elusive. We’re living This loophole is big enough that vocate dodging estate taxes. Bill
in a new period of increasingly even the richest Americans can Gates Sr. argues that those with
extreme wealth inequality.
dodge estate taxes before they substantial wealth in our nation
The wealthiest 1 percent of pass away.
have disproportionately benefited
households now own over 38
Take casino mogul Sheldon from the public investments and
percent of all private wealth and Adelson, who is worth $30 billion property protections our society
almost half of all financial wealth, and recently made headlines by makes.
such as stocks and bonds. And meeting personally with all the
Let’s demand that Congress
our political system is being cor leading GOP presidential hope close the billionaire tax loophole.
rupted by billionaire political con fuls in what the media deemed to By gutting the estate tax, it’s build
tributions facilitated by a string of be his own private primary. Using ing massive dynasties that will
Suprem e C ourt rulings that this loophole, he’s already given make inequality in America even
toppled key campaign finance lim his heirs $8 billion. This tax-free worse.
its.
down payment on their inherit
Chuck Collins is a senior
Perhaps you can recall that ance will cost U.S. taxpayers $2.8 scholar at the Institute for Policy
howling a decade back that it was billion in estate taxes down the Studies and co-editor o f
time to “end the death tax”? An line.
inequality.org. He is co-author,
organized group of the super-
How did he do that? Adelson with Bill Gates Sr., o f Wealth and
wealthy spent millions lobbying used a scheme called the Granter Our Commonwealth: Why
to save themselves billions. The Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) America Should Tax Accumulated
heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam to shuffle assets in and out of 30 Fortunes.