Katy Perry: The top 1% supports the top 1%

No surprises here.

(Below) Katy Perry cloaked in patriotism for Hillary Clinton

Katy Perry turned 31 years old yesterday with a net worth of $200 million. Hillary Clinton probably wouldn't increase Perry's tax rates, but Senator Bernie Sanders might:

• He will introduce a progressive tax on estates. Currently a couple can leave inheritances worth up to $10.9 million tax-free to their kids.
• He will tax capital gains and dividends at the same rate as regular wages — so Warren Buffett's secretary won't pay a higher tax rate than her boss. (Here's Hillary's watered-down version.)
• He will eliminate (or raise) the cap for those who are currently exempt from paying Social Security taxes after their first $118,000 of income (Income from capital gains is currently exempt).

Are some voters supporting Hillary Clinton JUST BECAUSE she is a woman — and for whatever reason — just to see the first woman elected as President? Even despite their past stand on the issues — or until their recent flip-flops on the issues — such as on gay issues? Katy Perry would, even though she is a gay rights activist.

Perry supported Stonewall during their campaign to prevent homophobic bullying, and dedicated the music video to her song "Firework" to the It Gets Better Project. And Katy Perry told Do Something in November 2008 she was proud to be a gay activist, saying "I've always been a very open-minded person, but I definitely believe in equality." [But maybe not so much in income equality.]

Bernie Sanders doesn't share Hillary Clinton's memory of how DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) had passed. And the mainstream corporate cable news media (MSNBC via Rachel Maddow) allowed Hillary give her own version of history. Bernie has ALWAYS been for LGBT rights; but Hillary hasn't.

As a self-proclaimed feminist, Katy Perry recently appeared in Des Moines, Iowa with the First Husband-in-waiting (Bill Clinton) for the Jefferson-Jackson Democratic dinner to support Hillary's bid as President. Does Katy Perry really know who is best for women's rights? IMHO, a don't think so, but she is using her celebrity status to publicly campaign for Clinton.

(Below) Katy Perry's nails and her presumptive gift to Hillary (I wonder if that "POTUS" necklace violated federal election laws.)

On Hillary Clinton's website, it says: Hillary Clinton is an unequivocal champion for equal pay… Hillary Clinton "spearheaded legislation on equal pay" in the Senate and is "far outshining her 2016 opponents" in hiring women to senior campaign positions. [Heather Gautney, Huffington Post, 5/13/15]

Those are very selective and very misleading quotes, bordering on flat out lies. Here's exactly what the author at the Huffington Post actually says in that article titled "White House 2016: Is Hillary More Pro-Woman Than Her Democratic Rivals?"

... Bernie Sanders supports equal pay, but even more, he's championed minimum wage. Women make up 72 percent of all tipped workers, and account for more than half of those who would benefit from Obama's proposed increase to $10.10. Sanders and O'Malley are both calling for a $15 federal minimum, and may just push Clinton there...What's damning Hillary on wage equity, however, are her ties to companies like Walmart, the object of a major sex-discrimination lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court by a million and a half female workers. She served on the giant retailer's board for years, and in 2013 received a $25,000 donation from Walmart heiress, Alice Walton... She enthusiastically supported her husband's 1996 welfare reform legislation, which effectively reduced the rolls, but skyrocketed the number of people living in extreme poverty....Calling Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his wife "friends of my family", promoting Kissinger-like policy in Latin America (most notably in Honduras), and accepting millions from human rights violators for the Clinton Foundation certainly undermines her finer moments ... FDAs [free trade agreements] bring jobs, but more so the kind that exploit poor women in the developing world. American women also stand to lose, as the TPP will enable corporations to outsource low-wage majority-female jobs, and some high-wage ones too ... Clinton has been woolly on the TPP, [who recently flip-flopped to now say she opposes it] most likely because her husband was a world-class trade liberalizer ... But it's Bernie Sanders who has really led the opposition — not just now, but back in the '90s against Bill Clinton's NAFTA, which cost American workers over one million jobs and put enormous downward pressure on their wages ... What this means for women, and for 2016, is that simply breaking the glass ceiling is not going to be enough. Putting an elite, powerful woman like Hillary at the top without real female-friendly policies will just perpetuate post-feminist fantasies that "the woman problem" has been solved.

* NOTE: It's no wonder why there was no link to the actual article on Hillary's website. And here's another article by that same author who also writes: "Why Bernie Sanders is Best on Woman's Issues".

Hillary's website also claims: Hillary Clinton cosponsored and introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act which would take critical steps to empower women to negotiate for equal pay.

* NOTE: It was Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) who was the original author of the Paycheck Fairness Act in 1997.

Hillary's website also claims: Hillary Clinton cosponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that expanded the right to take pay discrimination disputes to court.

* NOTE: In May 2007, following the Supreme Court's Ledbetter decision (which narrowly interpreted the time period in which equal pay discrimination complaints must be filed), Hillary Clinton had "vowed to introduce" legislation to statutorily expand this timeframe. But the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was first introduced on January 8, 2009 by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland). On January 21, 2009 Hillary Clinton took the oath of office as Secretary of State and resigned from the Senate that same day. On January 27 the bill passed the House; and was signed into law by Obama on the January 29, 2009.

Hillary's website also quotes FactCheck.org (without this link): Annual Salary Data Provided By The Clinton Campaign Show Median Salaries For Men And Women In Clinton’s Office Were Virtually Identical.

* NOTE: This was to refute a Washington Free Beacon study that concluded that women working in Clinton’s Senate office were paid 72 cents for each dollar paid to men. FackCheck also noted that Clinton hired nearly twice as many women as men. (Was this gender discrimination?)

Bernie Sanders has ALWAYS been for women's rights (including equal pay) — so why wouldn't Katy Perry sing at one of his rallies?

Recently Hillary Clinton even had the audacity to play the "gender card" in a sexism accusation against Senator Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton: "I’ve been told to stop shouting about gun violence. Well I’m not shouting. It’s just when women talk, people think we’re shouting.” The line was a clear reference to Sanders, who told her in the first Democratic debate (full transcript) that "all the shouting in the world" was unlikely to pass gun control legislation. On the State of the Union Bernie laughed at Clinton's suggestion that his remarks were about gender. "All that I can say is, I am very proud of my record on women's issues. I certainly do not have a problem with women speaking out — and I think what the secretary is doing there is taking words and misapplying them."

* NOTE: I thought that was very gracious and classy of Bernie to put it so delicately. A Republican would have called her a damn liar.

(Below) Katy Perry with her BFFs — which also includes a womanizer and philanderer


Katy Perry once told Rolling Stone:

"I think we are largely in desperate need of revolutionary change in the way our mindset is. Our priority is fame, and people's wellness is way low. I saw this knowing full well that I'm a part of the problem. I'm playing the game, though I am trying to reroute. Anyway, not to get all politically divulging and introspective, but the fact that America doesn't have free health care drives me fucking absolutely crazy, and is so wrong."

Bernie Sanders supports "Medicare for All" — while Hillary doesn't go near as far, and only wants to reduce the costs of co-pays, deductibles and prescription drugs (which Bernie has also been advocating for years!)

So which issues does Hillary advocate (that Bernie doesn't) that Katy Perry agrees with, and which issues does Bernie advocate (found here and here) that Katy Perry is against? Or is she not voting for Bernie Sanders JUST BECAUSE he is a man? (I suspect it's just because Bernie would raise her taxes.)

Katy Perry and Russell Brand married in October 2010 in a Hindu ceremony in India. On December 30, 2011, Russell filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. (I suspect it was mostly political differences.)

Just like Bernie Sanders (who calls for a "political revolution"), Russell Brand wrote a book titled "Revolution" that advocates a social revolution as well — wherein, corporate tyranny, ecological irresponsibility and economic inequality comes to an end. Brand proposes the demise of multinational corporations and proposes a "global revolution involving radical wealth redistribution".

Katy doesn't want Bernie to raise her taxes; and Hillary problem won't — so Katy Perry doesn't want any revolution at all. Hillary only makes a minor mention of limiting unspecified corporate loopholes to help pay for college tuition. In a short paragraph on her website under "Economy" it only says:

"Reform our tax code so the wealthiest pay their fair share. Hillary supports ending the “carried interest” loophole, enacting the “Buffett Rule” that ensures no millionaire pays a lower effective tax rate than their secretary, and closing tax loopholes and expenditures that benefit the wealthiest taxpayers to pay for her plan to make college affordable and refinance student debt."

The “Buffett Rule” is a farce: The tax plan would apply a minimum tax rate of 30 percent on individuals making more than a million dollars a year. Very few people make a million dollars a year in regular wages. Most multi-billionaires make most their earnings from capital gains, currently taxed at 23.8% — and the top marginal rate for income over $406,751 a year in regular wages is 39.6%

Katy Perry and Russell Brand's divorce was finalized in July 2012; and Katy has been dating John Mayer on and off ever since.

No Katy, I'm not a misogynist --- I love Elizabeth Warren! If she were running for President, I would vote for her — but would you? (And no, I don't hate rich people either, unless they try to influence elections).

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AS AN ASIDE: During the 8 years (from 2001 to 2009) that Hillary Clinton served as a U.S. Senator for the State of New York, did she ever introduction legislation for equal pay for woman, or for raising the minimum wage, or for making gay marriage a right?

In 2005 (along with Senators Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh) she introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act, intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games. That same year (along with Senator Robert Bennett) she proposed the Flag Protection Act, which would have outlawed flag burning and called for a punishment of one year in jail and a fine of $100,000.

In September 2008 she "proposed a revival" of the New Deal-era Home Owners' Loan Corporation, to help homeowners refinance their mortgages. (That same year she said she "misspoke" about landing under sniper fire in Bosnia.) Then she became the Secretary of State under Obama.

Now Katy Perry wants Hillary Clinton to be my President. Get fricking real miss super-duper rich pop star. We know the top 1% usually supports the top 1%.