More down the rabbit hole

At the same time that the Republicans are making a big deal of trying to defund National Public Radio (in 2009 NPR received only 6% of its funding from local and state sources, and no direct funding from the Federal government)  in the name of cutting the Federal budget, it is revealed that General Electric made a profit of $14.2 BILLION in 2010, yet paid no taxes. In fact, GE got a $3.2 BILLION tax benefit from the government, no doubt in part because it filled its tax department with ex-Treasury and ex-IRS people, and ex-Congressional staffers.  GE also paid no tax in 2009.

If anyone doubted that the US government system is highly dysfunctional, and well and truly in the hands of the rich and powerful, this ought to lay that doubt to rest.

By the way, Exxon  (2009 profits $19.42 BILLION) and Bank of America (2009 profits $4 BILLION) also paid no taxes in 2009. And I suspect the list is a good bit longer.