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It continues to amaze me that the tea party wrap themselves in the cloak of Christianity when they cut aid to the poor, complain about the poor not paying more taxes, I wonder how or where they expect the poor to come up with more money. Do they want to bring back indentured servitude? Bring back Debtor’s prisons? Do they want the world that Dickens described in “A Christmas Carol” Have they forgotten Matthew 25:31-46? Or have they taken Jonathan Swifts “A Modest Proposal“.
I am truly saddened especially at this time of year that there is such a lack of charity for our fellow man. Why are we not asking how do we improve conditions for everyone? Why are we praising personal greed at the expense of the well being of others?
We have just past Thanksgiving and wonder didn’t folks appreciate the gifts they have received to be free from fear because of our EMT’s, Police, Fireman, Soldiers, and Sailors who protect our freedom and make us safe at home; the gift of knowledge coming from our teachers, schools, and universities; the gift of the ability to freely move across the country because of roads, and traffic control system both on air, land, and sea. I am thankful for all the gifts that I receive because I am fortunately to be born in this country.
Yes, I still grumble when I fill up at the pump and pay gas tax, I still grumble about the sales tax on everything I buy, and I grumble when I look at pay statement and see how much money doesn’t reach my bank, and grumble about all the other taxes and fees that I pay but.
At the end of the day even on April 15th, I am thankful for things that this country provides. For those that think the poor have too much please go to your nearest Indian Reservation, villages and towns in the Appalachians, the bayous of Louisiana. Go into the homes and tell the people what piece of food, or mattress they can do without. Also help them understand why their children must have a sub standard education since they can’t afford a computer or the internet so they are always behind their class mates who have those things.
Before Cal Person, Katshores, Valperson and all the other fox bloggers who restate the current fox talking points. Please let me know when you have visited with the poor and what you have done besides paying your taxes.
10 Hours of video games a day for a week... who gets to play 10 hours of video games for a week? Can the scientist also test what doing repetative tasks for 10 hours a day for a week does to the brain. I mean that's essentially what a video game is, a series of repetative tasks performed with your fingers while you're eyes focus on a video play back. Also what about playing non-violent video games for 10 Hours a day for a week... does that effect the brain? What did these scientist decide was a violent video game? First Person Shooters, Fighting Games (one person vs another or computer in hand to hand combat), Combat Flight Simulators, War Stategy games, Role Playing Games? All of these, some of these, a combination... I'm curious because some of the games I mentioned require fast almost involuntary interaction, while others require more deliberative thought. Also 10 hours of doing something is a lot of hours spent doing one task. I'm not trying to discount what the scientists researched, but whats been presented is generating more questions for me than answering for me.
N
RE: Military Contractors -
I'm of the opinion that the fascists learned from the Viet Nam War that one of the biggest obstacles to maintaining that war was the enormous public objection to The Draft. Since then, in order to avoid the public/youth rejection of our wars, they found that by using contractors to provide many of the more mundane functions that the military draft historically provided (food services, transportation, construction, etc.), they, the fascists, could prolong their extremely profitable wars with little public outcry. Our current experience stands as proof of this concept.
was it Hoover? Harding? that decided he was the 'business' president and dropped the taxes on capital gains. this separated the rate from income - establishing 2 tiers. Essentially, we have the 'poor' mans tax on income and the 'rich' man's tax on capital gains. so the rich get lower rates then the 'workers'. Now I know this has fluctuated over the years, but it seems to me that these taxes have allowed special treatment for the 'rich'. It seems to be that there should be a base level - $50,000? if no other income or SSI that is exempt - then it is taxed. Also, the income tax never be allowed to be greater then the capital gains. that would fix a lot of problems in revenue.
Please feel free to correct any errors I have made and offer alternatives. thanks!
"Cingulate" is /sing-gyoo-lət/, since a g can't sound like a j unless it's followed by an e, an i, or a y (although "suggest" and "exaggerate" are exceptions, since the double g's were treated as single before the softening to a j sound occurred).
Finally, in this sea of mismatched souls, a person that actually gets it. Well stated Mel Polk. You are on to something positive.
The extension and expansion of the payroll tax holiday is a Republican idea on steroids with the purpose of weakening Social Security. I'd prefer not to raise the cap and just give a $1,000 credit to those making $50,000 or less with no additional benefits to businesses. The credit could be phased out from $50,000 to $100,000. While there is a $2.6 trillion surplus in SS and it is projected to pay full benefits for 25 years, we need to put money in to fund the shortfall, not take money out. Also, make S corp earnings subject to payroll taxes.
Having said that, at least eliminating the payroll tax cap is better than using an income tax increase which will leave a net decrease to SS.
I can understand that those making 50K might feel that are paying more payroll tax as a percentage of their income than those making between 100K and 200K. There is a reason why the cap exists. If the cap wasn't there then the more money some people contribute, the more they would be entitled to take out so what good would that be. Otherwise some people would be asked to put in more money than they would be allowed to take out, and that isn't very fair either. Currently the systems actually works the other way - paying many people more money at retirement than they actually put in. (that's why their a debate that the system needs to be fixed)
There really has to be a more inclusive way of looking at the big picture. Are we now going to be having a class warfare within the middle class between those making 50K and those making 150K? I think trying to fix the problem with millionaires should not even be a class warfare issue as many are making it out to be. This class warfare stuff is is not helpful in any debate. It is more of common sense that the tax code should be corrected and one way is to make sure that those that make their income via capital gains on investments should pay their fair share. This could be done without hurting anyone earning under 200K (the middleclass) by having a progressive capital gains tax where the top capital gains earner (the 1%) would have to pay the highest rate without deductions.
The business system is currently rigged when investors, investment bankers and wall streeters who get to define their income as capital gains (at lower tax rate) and the middle class workers get paid on W2 or 1099s and have everything taxed as ordinary income. Can a laborer or construction worker define his sweat equity as his investment when starting with nothing but a backhoe and building a tunnel? Can the laborer then get to claim his pay as a capital gain? I think not.
Now we want to encourage the investors to continue to invest. So we don't want to go too far. But we certainly don't want to screw the part of the middleclass that are making between 100K and 200K just so we can get the 345,000 millionaires to pay their fair share, and we certainly want to do away with this class warfare stuff even when it pertains to the 345,000 millionaires because it serves no purpose but to cloud the real issues and poison any legitimate debate.
I voted yes since I'm an optimist at heart and choose to believe that all will turn out for the best in the long run. Mankind can only go on this way for so long before a total collapse and then we'll be forced to reboot, like a Jubilee?
I smoked pot on occasion when I was young. Tried it the first time at age 30, which was 1971. Never bought any, but smoked it now and then. Much better then drinking and no hangover. But like anything else, gotta stay moderate, much like people should do with drinking alcohol. Less is better then more.
George, You hit the nail right on the head, the SS fund is all that's left for Wall Street to steal from the working class, unless you still have a few bucks in a 401K equity fund!
Romney as Pres. would push to privatize for his buddies in a heartbeat!
The "House of Norquist" will never go along with lifting the cap. The scoundrels are too much in fear of losing their Govt. jobs.... along with all those great SOCIALIST benefits.
Speaking of regressive taxation, how about all of that hidden property tax landlords pass along to renters. As an owner, at least what I pay is recorded..... which most of us know is the identical rate per $1000 of assessed value a multi millionaire neighbor pays.
"What boggles my mind is that the Republicans act as though there is no electorate"--very true--but then they have increasingly acted that way for thirty years and have consistently gotten away with it. I would say at this point they are counting on a combination of feckless, nearly-monopolized corporate media, public ignorance and preoccupation with survival, the effects of Citizens United, suppression of likely Democratic voters, and (a tie-breaker as it were) manipulation of electronic balloting. And I'm not at all confident that they are mistaken.
Tom,
I'm an avid follower of you -- but this connection is a bit far fetched. I'm all for the legalization of cannibis, but let's come up with more substantive reasons that can be documented.
John, in Vermont
I am not sure I would agree that removing the cap would hurt those that make more than the current cap but less than a million. Are you kidding me, your no better than those making a million! Because you are not contributing equally and in fact those making 50K are contributing more of their wages than you are percentage wise! And where do they live? Most likely they have to commute a long way for work in NY! Perhaps we should look at our lives and see what really makes us happy...hopefully its the relations we build not the stuff we burden ourselves with...Maybe if it will help, lift the cap, but with a small increase over the present cap with gradual increases every year...But I am all for just ripping off the bandaid all at once...get the pain over! At least we should have it up for vote!
The Republicans have the 99% where they want us. They have for 30 years since Reagonomics achieved through the "Back Door" where they couldn't achieve through the "Front Door" by legislation to change the social safety net. It took the Republicans two wars paid for on the national credit card outside the budget, tax breaks to the rich, and now they are going to hold us hostage, again. The Republicans are thirsty for the $2.7 trillion dollars surplus in the Social Security Fund going to Wall Street! What boggles my mind is that the Republicans act as though there is no electorate?
The monarchs of old have not died...
I have been wondering why the cap has stayed so long! Why do we not hear its removeal from the dems or reps? Maybe they have, but it seems to not get any news. I make more than the cap and would be fine with its removal. I also think it may help level the exec pay when the companies need to contribute to this as well!...Is Bernie Sanders for this removal? What can we do to get this more attention? I have written to my senators and house rep many times regarding this and they ignore my e-mails! and they are dems! Who are they protecting here in Washington State?
Thanks Thom...I am a big fan and agree with your level headed thoughts...
gary
WOW.....serious non sequitor.....but let's see what we can make of it.
Clearly in order to actually pose this question, one would expect that car fatalities resulting from
those under the influence of marijuana were both available and verifiable? That is to say that
those under the influence were the cause of, rather than the victims of. Being somewhat CSI minded here,
I am curious as to HOW this evidence was obtained...and if TRUE, why legalisation would change the results?
The problem with "talking" for a living...is that it requires you to keep talking...I guess it pays well, even when pointless...
and makes mistakes like Stockholm, Denmark slip right by your editor's? ( ancient sunlight )
I agree with Mel. Earning $105K in NYC or nearby does not a millionaire make. Raise it slightly, perhaps, but then also raise the maximum benefits.
How about this: capital gains which are earnings (ie the only income a person has) are taxed at the same rate it would be if it were income.
I heard that the GOPers are asking for a wage freeze for federal non military employees and to lay off 200,000 federal workers. Its the trifecta for them. They get to 'rescue' the middle class while hurting public workers and increase the unemployment rate, further hurting Obama's changes next year. How do they sleep at night.
The compromise of eliminating the social security cap to pay for the payroll tax cut is shortsighted and hurtful to many taxpaying Americans that are not in the 1%.
In 2011 the cap was at 106K and is supposed to go up to about 110K for 2012. Many of us who are NOT in the 1%of millionaires work hard and are earning between 100K and 200K and there are certainly more of us than 345,000. So this so called compromise would eliminate any benefits to many in the middle class and place and additional hefty tax increase on us non 1% just so we can include the 345,000 millionaires in the 1%.
No thanks.....
A better proposal - eliminate the lower capital gains tax for any capital gains above 500K per year. That would include the majority of 345,000 millionaires who make most of their money through capital gains and protect the middle class who sell their house or investments.
"The Policies did not fail; they did exactly what they were supposed to do."
While I agree with the premise I would word it as follows: The Policies did not fail; they did exactly what they were designed to do!
As we have been reading the comments on these last few blogs, it is evident that the majority of the posters have failed to grasp the fundamentals of a system which promises them relief from all the grievences which they have ever expressed in words. The peoples do not even seem to have grasped the basic understanding of setting up a system "outside" of the present people destroying system they live within. In this case nothing will change for the better and the circle will continue until all is destroyed, and you, the Peoples of these United States of America, the Middle East, and Africa, will continue sinking in the quicksand the 1% have created for you. - Cygnus1
Why do Republicans think that a sexual affair is worse than a sexual assault??
Because when a man commits adultery, he's not upholding his obligation to his wife. But when a man commits sexual assault, what's really going on is that she's not upholding her obligation to do whatever a man wants.
It makes me sick even to say that sarcastically.
It's kind if a false choice here... I'm not saying we can't legalize pot, but a 9% drop in traffic fatalities seems like a relatively small claim and a dubious connection to the marijuana legalization. If I were a state legislator and someone came to me with only that, they would not be getting a vote out of me.
The jubilee is in Leviticus ch. 25.
I saw a great sign a couple of days ago. It basically said "If the government enforced banking rules like the government enforces park rules; we wouldn't be in this mess"!