Mark Cuban Says Getting Rich is Patriotic

(NewsCore) - Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Monday that the most patriotic thing Americans can do in a struggling economy is to "bust your ass and get rich."

In a posting on his blog, Cuban, 53, wrote that Americans who make lots of money are doing a patriotic duty by hiring others, contributing to economic growth and paying more taxes.

"Entrepreneurs are needed to create and grow companies to absorb those people in new jobs. If entrepreneurs don't create those jobs, the government ends up having to spend more money to help them one way or another."

"So be Patriotic. Go out there and get rich. Get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes, your first thought will be to choke on how big a check you have to write," he wrote.

The Mavericks owner -- who made his money in tech startups, famously selling Broadcast.com to Yahoo! for $5.9 billion in 1999 -- posted his comments on the same day that President Barack Obama unveiled his deficit reduction plan which includes $1.5 trillion in tax hikes on wealthy Americans.

Cuban, noted for having Libertarian political leanings, did not weigh in on Obama's proposal directly but noted that "while some people might find it distasteful to pay taxes. I don't. I find it Patriotic."

Cuban voted for Obama in 2008, saying at the time that while he didn't agree with many of his policies, electing a black president would "do more to energize this country than any economic or social policy ever could."

In that blog posting, dated Nov. 5, 2008, Cuban also wrote that "While I prefer lower taxes, I can tell you that no entrepreneur or CEO worth a damn in this country gives up or works less because of a change in tax policy. In this country you work harder to achieve your dreams and goals."

In his most recent posting, the entrepreneur lamented the reality that government wastes taxpayer dollars while reiterating that paying taxes was a patriotic obligation.

"I'm not saying that the government's use of tax money is the most efficient use of our hard-earned capital. It obviously is not," he wrote. "In a perfect world, there would be a better option. We don't live in a perfect world. We don't live in a perfect time. We live in a time where the government plays a big role in an effort to help lead us out this Great Recession. That's reality."

"So I will repeat my point. Get out there and make a boatload of money. Enjoy the sh*t out your money. Pay your taxes. It's the most Patriotic thing you can do."

Read more: Blog Maverick