On Monday, October 17, Glenn Beck posted a list of "Questions For the Occupy Wall Street Crowd," among them:
AGREED: PEOPLE SHOULD PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE IN TAXES.
QUESTIONS
>>WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? WHAT IS FAIR?
>>IF IT'S NOT ZERO – PLEASE EXPLAIN GE (AND WHY WASN'T IMMELT ON THE RICH HOMES TOUR?)... GE PAYS NO INCOME TAX, THEIR CEO IS ON THE PRESIDENTS ECONOMIC COUNCIL – WHY DO YOU NOT PROTEST GE?
On Saturday, the "Occupy" protesters reportedly showed up at GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt's house in New Canaan, Conn. (Link via Instapundit.)
In fairness to Mr. Immelt, I don't think the debate over GE's taxes is best pursued by having protesters show up at his home on the weekend (and I doubt Glenn Beck thinks so, either.) And over the years GE has paid plenty of taxes, though it does work to minimize its taxes through lobbying and its GE Capital unit did benefit in 2008 from approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Temporary Liquidity Guaranty Program to issue up to $139 billion in debt backed by a government guaranty.
But in fairness to the "Occupy" crowd, I suppose their appearance at the home of the chairman of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness means that whatever they are, they aren't just pawns of the Obama administration.