World Politics

[Anonymous]

BTW, did you see batshyt propose eliminating the minimum wage lol. Here Scotty!!! Dinner's ready!!

I think Federal Minimum wage should be $50 an hour, should be indexed at 2x the rate of inflation and be made permanent.

That's my proposal and official position.

 

[redtreviso]

Are you aware that during the Bush years the top 1% actually paid a higher percentage of their (higher) income with a lower top rate? Do you give a shit? The answers are no, no and no.

You are only interested in the drive-by smart *** comments designed to stir the pot.



You should stick to what you do best.

You do good at what you do best-----LIE

 

[Anonymous]

You do good at what you do best-----LIE

The IRS data is what it is. Is the data wrong or do you just not like what the data is telling you?

With respect to that posted data, what exactly am I lying about? Be specific.

 

[redtreviso]

The IRS data is what it is. Is the data wrong or do you just not like what the data is telling you?

With respect to that posted data, what exactly am I lying about? Be specific.

Obviously it is a lie or else we wouldn't even be having this conversation and all the republicans wouldn't have spent the majority of their time for the last 10 years stamping their feet up and down like angry little girls about it.

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously it is a lie or else we wouldn't even be having this conversation and all the republicans wouldn't have spent the majority of their time for the last 10 years stamping their feet up and down like angry little girls about it.

First of all we are not conversing.... I just respond to your name calling. I ask you for specifics and this is what I get. You ask me for specifics and I give you real data. Do you notice a difference?

You called me a liar regarding the IRS data. I'll ask again, what specifically am I lying about?

 

[redtreviso]

First of all we are not conversing.... I just respond to your name calling. I ask you for specifics and this is what I get. You ask me for specifics and I give you real data. Do you notice a difference?

You called me a liar regarding the IRS data. I'll ask again, what specifically am I lying about?

Nevermind that people paid 39% on 1 million during bush's tax cuts where they paid 39% on 3 million before. Somehow they know that your brain will error on the bs side.

 

[rhubroma]

Nevermind that people paid 39% on 1 million during bush's tax cuts where they paid 39% on 3 million before. Somehow they know that your brain will error on the bs side.

That's because it takes him a long time to find a particular location on a map.

 

[Anonymous]

Nevermind that people paid 39% on 1 million during bush's tax cuts where they paid 39% on 3 million before. Somehow they know that your brain will error on the bs side.

Wow. So this is what passes for specifics, eh? You think it so therefore it MUST be true.

The chart showed percentage of income paid in federal taxes. It also showed the top 1% in real dollars. It also showed the top 1% paid a higher percentage of a higher income with a lower top rate when compared to the Clinton years.

You simply can't handle what the data says. Lie to yourself... no one cares.

 

[Anonymous]

That's because it takes him a long time to find a particular location on a map.

Rhubroma graces us with his presence.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Rhubroma graces us with his presence.

And Scott graces us with a (1/2)witty response.

 

[Anonymous]

And Scott graces us with a (1/2)witty response.

I was wondering when you'd get in on the dog pile.

Anything substantive to say?

 

[rhubroma]

Rhubroma graces us with his presence.

When the Medrano Circus comes to put its tent up in the village, I come down to watch the circus people whenever I have a chance. I am particularly fond of the trapeze artists.

 

[redtreviso]

Wow. So this is what passes for specifics, eh? You think it so therefore it MUST be true.

The chart showed percentage of income paid in federal taxes. It also showed the top 1% in real dollars. It also showed the top 1% paid a higher percentage of a higher income with a lower top rate when compared to the Clinton years.

You simply can't handle what the data says. Lie to yourself... no one cares.

again and obviously...this wouldn't be a topic of discussion ....

 

[Anonymous]

When the Medrano Circus comes to put its tent up in the village, I come down to watch the circus people whenever I have a chance. I am particularly fond of the trapeze artists.

That's nice. I have never cared for the circus. The clowns and midgets scare me.

 

[Anonymous]

again and obviously...this wouldn't be a topic of discussion ....

Keep going.... with specifics... you can do it.

Or is "obviously" as specific as you get?

 

[redtreviso]

Keep going.... with specifics... you can do it.

Or is "obviously" as specific as you get?

You know its a lie..better you convince some residents of the dementia ward at your nearest nursing home..or------ I know.. A BAR

 

[Semper Fidelis]

That's pretty funny! Except you left the part out about having a better soccer team.

Thanks Alpe! This past Saturday hurt watching the crowd at the rose bowl cheer for Mexico. It hurt even more getting our azz handed to us.

I quit my job today and am awaiting my checks. I hope the hookers get over here fast or else I am going to be doing some left handed web surfing!

I hope those checks can cover my internet bill. Or maybe the government can provide this for me also?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I have exactly zero interest in running for any public office.

I like most of your ideas and have already stated this.

Could it be possible that the income disparity could have more root causes than just the rate of taxation? ... How about the decline of our education system began in the 1950's and was on a fairly steep downward curve by the mid-1960's. ...The great society began about the same time as the decline in our education system. The war on poverty has unintentionally become a war on inner city family structure.... The federal welfare programs have all but destroyed inner city families particularly among inner city black families. Teen pregnancy, drop out rate, incarceration, hopelessness... We have created millions of dependents that otherwise would have been productive members of society... If I were to tell you that marriage is a key component to achieving financial success and a major factor in avoiding poverty would you believe it?

You quickly think the worst of me and that's okay. But with this issue (taxes) you are a one-trick pony and that's too bad.

Those are valid questions. But they are still only questions, and speculation. I was asking for a list of things you think should be done to better the country, to fix our problems, like I stuck my neck out on and did.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Our entire country is f**k*d up. Over 30 years of the money people paying cheap labor overseas to build all manner of cheap hi-tech stuff which they then lend us the money to buy at exorbitant interest rates, is reaching it's ultimate conclusion. They have all the money and don't need us, they can go sell it somewhere else. We have no jobs, no credit left and nowhere to go. Staying the course of kowtowing to unfettered capitalism and greed is what got us to this point, continuing it is not going to get us out.
I am only really sure of two things, I don't know how to fix it, and neither does Scott.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Thanks Alpe! This past Saturday hurt watching the crowd at the rose bowl cheer for Mexico. It hurt even more getting our azz handed to us.

I quit my job today and am awaiting my checks. I hope the hookers get over here fast or else I am going to be doing some left handed web surfing!

I hope those checks can cover my internet bill. Or maybe the government can provide this for me also?

You want hurt, you should have seen what the Rose Bowl parking lots looked like when they left. Picture all the hillsides around Tijuana only flat.

 

[Anonymous]

You know its a lie..better you convince some residents of the dementia ward at your nearest nursing home..or------ I know.. A BAR

Let's review, shall we?

In tax year 2000 (last of the Clinton years), the top 1% threshold was $313,469. The amount of tax paid as a percentage was 37.42%. In 1999, the top 1% paid 36.18% of income.

The Bush years (on the left) VERSUS The Clinton years (on the right)

.........Top (AGI) 1% ............% of income paid ............Top (AGI) 1%......
2001......292,913..................33.89 * 29.01..............185,715......1993
2002......285,424..................33.71 * 28.86..............195,726......1994
2003......295,495..................34.27 * 30.26..............209,406......1995
2004......328,049.... .............36.89 * 32.31..............227,546......1996
2005......364,657..................39.38 * 33.17..............250,736......1997
2006......388,806..................39.89 * 34.75..............269,496......1998
2007......410,096..................40.42 * 36.18..............293,415......1999
2008......380,354..................38.02 * 37.42..............313,469......2000

So how can it be that Bush gave a big tax break to the wealthiest Americans when his tax plan captured a larger percentage of a larger adjusted income?

So, again I ask, where is the lie?

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08in05tr.xls

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08in03etr.xls

http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/indtaxstats/article/0,,id=96679,00.html

This kind of flies in the face of what you think you know. But you accuse me of lying and I'd like you to be man enough to show me (and everyone else here) where I have lied and what I've lied about.

Can you do that? If you can't then I accept your apology.

 

[rhubroma]

That's nice. I have never cared for the circus. The clowns and midgets scare me.

That's because you always slept soundly and were fully rested in the morning.

 

[rhubroma]

Our entire country is f**k*d up. Over 30 years of the money people paying cheap labor overseas to build all manner of cheap hi-tech stuff which they then lend us the money to buy at exorbitant interest rates, is reaching it's ultimate conclusion. They have all the money and don't need us, they can go sell it somewhere else. We have no jobs, no credit left and nowhere to go. Staying the course of kowtowing to unfettered capitalism and greed is what got us to this point, continuing it is not going to get us out.
I am only really sure of two things, I don't know how to fix it, and neither does Scott.

The truth is that the country was destroyed long ago, deliberately devastated and disfigured as a result of perfidious business deals, so that one is hard put to find a single unspoiled spot. Was it necessary in the last century, I ask, for a chronic lack of character to have taken hold of the business establishment like a deadly disease--greed, ruthlessness, depravity, mendacity, hypocrisy, baseness? They'll do nothing to achieve therir base ends, and they employ the utmost ruthlessness in pursuing them.

 

[Anonymous]

Those are valid questions. But they are still only questions, and speculation. I was asking for a list of things you think should be done to better the country, to fix our problems, like I stuck my neck out on and did.

Look, you are convinced we can correct the income inequality through taxation. I don't think it's anywhere near that simple. You put forward a higher tax rate to fix the inequality and deficit issues. Higher taxes will happen and I suspect revenue to the treasury will increase in the short term. Long term? We as a nation will not fix the budget problems with only higher taxes. My opinion.

Solutions?

Reduce corporate tax to 15%. Place our corporate tax rate amongst the lowest in the world and attract business from all corners wanting to tap the American workforce.

Replace the tax code entirely. Eliminate all personal deductions. Flat Federal tax of 10% of income over a threshold combined with a national sales tax or just eliminate Federal Tax and just go with a NST or VAT.

Eliminate the war on drugs. Enough already. Drug possession offenses should be misdemeanors. Sin tax the drug purchase on a very high level (cigarettes) and regulate. Prohibition never worked and never will.

All of the above energy policy. Allow us to capture our own energy including oil. As long as the tax structure is in it's current state let's provide tax incentive for clean energy. Ease some regulatory pressures on production.

Eliminate payroll taxes permanently. As in forever. Employers should be encouraged to hire not taxed for hiring.

You want to fix the root causes of the wealth gap? Then let's be honest about how we got here and it's not because Bush rolled the top margin to 36%. We have serious flaws with our approach to social welfare and public education that have contributed to this issue that nobody wants to talk about. We can not continue to create classes of dependency and roll out generation after generation of people with sub-standard educations and expect the tax code to cure the problems. Huge percentages of those in the lowest quintile have a head of household without a high school diploma and nearly half of this group have no wage earners. None. So much for welfare being the footing of a great society.

I like your idea of making investment capital available to (very) small business. Ultimately it will be the hundreds of thousands of small time entrepreneurs that will provide the backbone of our economy.

I think it's time to consider a balanced budget amendment.

Those that make law should be held to a very high standard. Corruption should be dealt with swiftly and harshly.

Our completely corrupt election campaign process should be cleaned up. No pay to play. Like you, no lobbying in Washington DC. If I have an issue as a business owner or individual then I can discuss my concerns with my representative.... but not as a group buying favor, public unions included.

I'm war weary.

That's all for now...

 

[redtreviso]

Let's review, shall we?



The Bush years (on the left) VERSUS The Clinton years (on the right)

.........Top (AGI) 1% ............% of income paid ............Top (AGI) 1%......
2001......292,913..................33.89 * 29.01..............185,715......1993
2002......285,424..................33.71 * 28.86..............195,726......1994
2003......295,495..................34.27 * 30.26..............209,406......1995
2004......328,049.... .............36.89 * 32.31..............227,546......1996
2005......364,657..................39.38 * 33.17..............250,736......1997
2006......388,806..................39.89 * 34.75..............269,496......1998
2007......410,096..................40.42 * 36.18..............293,415......1999
2008......380,354..................38.02 * 37.42..............313,469......2000



So, again I ask, where is the lie?

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08in05tr.xls

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/08in03etr.xls

http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/indtaxstats/article/0,,id=96679,00.html

This kind of flies in the face of what you think you know. But you accuse me of lying and I'd like you to be man enough to show me (and everyone else here) where I have lied and what I've lied about.

Can you do that? If you can't then I accept your apology.

It is a misdirect.. a lie