Daily Topics - Wednesday October 22nd, 2014

Join Thom in our chatroom during the program!

Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON & LAST HOURS
- both narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio

Hour One: Time to rethink the war on terror...

Hour Two: Should clergy be fired for refusing to obey the law? Archbishop Council Nedd II, Project 21

Hour Three: Why Conservatives should love a minimum wage hike - James Sherk, Heritage Foundation

Comments

Bob Rice's picture
Bob Rice 11 years 24 weeks ago
#1

The libertarians you had on apparently haven't read the Constitution
or the Declaration of Independence. All over both its We not
Me or I as in WE the people, not Me the people They are stuck in the Articles of confederation, not the constitution.

mathboy's picture
mathboy 11 years 24 weeks ago
#2

I would arrange the individual tax code to give deductions from taxable income for 1) food, 2) clothing, 3) shelter, 4) transportation, 5) education, and 6) medicine.

Once the family situation is taken into account, the first four deductions would be for average costs. This would encourage people to live less ostentatiously, and any extravagant expenditures in those categories by rich people would raise the average.

After the deductions have been included, I'd still have a graduated tax bracket system with a 0% bracket at the bottom for the first, say, $10,000.

ckrob's picture
ckrob 11 years 24 weeks ago
#3

The American People have little to no understanding of the concept of the Commons. A book dealing with the Commons and its erosion of late is, in my opinion, desperately needed. The concept could be examined as:

a) current components of the U.S. Commons,

b) assault on the Commons,

c) desirable additions to the U.S. Commons,

-1) now extant in advanced countries,

-2) called for due to new technologies,

d) economics of the Commons,

e) ecology of the Commons,

f) areas which should be de-emphasized as a proportion of the Commons.

g) the Constitution and the Common Good

fbacher's picture
fbacher 11 years 24 weeks ago
#4

Regarding the person not understanding that not-taxing is the same as a tax subsidy. The caller clearly did not grock what you meant by the cost of community services.

The community provides services to everyone and to all property. The church receives some of those services, directly or indirectly. For example, not only do they get police coverage directly, but they get the benefit of there being a police force protecting the neighborhood. What if the city did not provide police, fire, sewer, water, etc. services to a church that did not pay taxes, they would still get benefit of their neighbors having those services.

I wonder if he would be okay with the state not taxing gay couples, or left handed people, or rich people, or everyone without his last name? Perhaps he would reconsider the fairness of not taxing some people or entitites. The same is true if you own a business. If you are taxed more because you are a good business citizen and employ American workers, etc. you are taxed at a higher rate than a slimy company who offshores their operations and taxes.

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