Tumbling down into the rabbit hole of modern American politics
Income growth by income group, 1979-2007. Source: Consider the evidence (http://lanekenworthy.net/).
Let me see if I’ve got this straight:
Here we are in the smoldering ruins of an economy recently wrecked by Wall Street greed, in a country where for 30 years almost all income growth has been concentrated among the richest 1 percent of Americans (See graph to right). Rising populist anger, massive long-term unemployment and record home foreclosures serve as counterpoints to soaring corporate profits, while the Supreme Court rules that corporations are people and can spend limitless amounts of money trying to elect candidates willing to serve their interests.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party defends massive tax breaks for the wealthy while blocking aid to the unemployed, fights bitterly against regulations designed to prevent a repeat of the Wall Street meltdown, blocks legislation that would at least require corporate and special interests to identify themselves when they invest in elections and does all that while proclaiming itself to be the party of the little people.
Do I have that right? Or did somebody slip LSD into my coffee this morning? (Please, let it be the LSD. At least that will wear off eventually.)
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342 comments Add your comment
Bosch
July 27th, 2010
12:28 pm
When are wingnuts going to realize that it’s not about what’s fair and unfair?
TaxPayer
July 27th, 2010
12:29 pm
Republican party is the party of jobs! Just move to Georgia and see for yourself!
finn mccool
July 27th, 2010
12:30 pm
http://www.conservativenannystate.com
larry
July 27th, 2010
12:30 pm
Speaking for my self…………………………..Bush tax cut $1.26 per week
……………………………Obama’s tax cut $9.40 per week.
Bush’s tax cuts were across the board and Obama’s were targeted to the 95%of the people who make up the MIDDLE CLASS.
Jay
July 27th, 2010
12:30 pm
They do, booger?
Cite your source for that statement.
stands for decibels
July 27th, 2010
12:31 pm
Mommy, its not fair…
Shall I remind you of the name of that tax scheme favored by Libertarians across the fruited plain? That we invariably hear about any time Jay mentions fiscal policy? The scheme popularized by Neal Boortz and rumored to not only fix all economic ills, but to cure the heartbreak of psoriasis as well?
Here’s a hint: It rhymes with “Square Backs…”
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:33 pm
Booger…know what? Depending upon income for the year… those collecting unemployment STILL have to pay taxes on what they collected.
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc418.html
Topic 418 – Unemployment Compensation
“Unemployment compensation is includible in gross income. You must report unemployment compensation on line 19 of Form 1040, line 13 of Form 1040A, or line 3 of Form 1040EZ. However, for 2009, the first $2,400 of unemployment compensation is excluded from income and should be excluded from the amount reported on your tax return.”
itpdude
July 27th, 2010
12:34 pm
Jay, these so-called Republicans who know economics (so they claim; they likely didn’t get past Macro-Econ in college if they even got that far) are too stupid to realize economic data is not instant. You point out that the graph stops at 2007 because that’s the last year of completed data, which anyone who’s done formal study of economics knows.
It exhibits the raw ignorance of the Republicans today.
Jay
July 27th, 2010
12:34 pm
A number of those who don’t pay taxes DO receive the earned income tax credit, which used to be a conservative idea to reward and incentivize work and which George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan expanded considerably.
Today, of course, it is denounced as a commie plot to aid the “takers.”
booger
July 27th, 2010
12:34 pm
Meanwhile in the gulf, cleaning crews are frantically looking for some oil to clean up. I think the media may have over hyped the spill a bit.
JohnnyReb
July 27th, 2010
12:35 pm
Saul, I do my share of wind blowing here. There is a difference between wind blowing and attempting to belittle others. I may not have THE answer, but I can recognize the “dodge.” There are a high number here, mostly on the left, who have put themselves above others and instead of debating someone with a credible comeback, they chose to attempt to belittle the opposition. That smacks of the liberal elite whether that blogger actually has that status or not. And BTW, only Barnes is an old depends wearing wind bag, and that is one reason he will lose in Nov.
booger
July 27th, 2010
12:36 pm
I don’t care who did it, earned income credits are welfare pure and simple.
stands for decibels
July 27th, 2010
12:36 pm
Today, of course, it is denounced as a commie plot to aid the “takers.”
See also:
Cap and Trade
Private Insurance Mandates.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:39 pm
Jay…here’s a full “list” of what IS and IS NOT taxable with regards to the IRS:
(it’s lengthy…but complete)
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p525/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000229464
@@
July 27th, 2010
12:39 pm
Your post adds one too many pithy people to my day, jay. First the lady at the grocery store and now you?
First off, the military put the internet into practical application. You’ll never see me complain about the military. They’re the only thing that operates efficiently within our government. Just ask Sean Penn.
Ah yes!!!! Government’s New Deal….unsustainable debt. It’s HUGE!
Ineffective governments? Would that be like Hugo’s social utopia? The U.K.’s, NHS, which, by the way, is about to undergo a massive restructuring that will bring massive job losses. They just can’t seem to get it right.
Those kinda ineffective governments…errrrr programs?
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:40 pm
booger: “I don’t care who did it, earned income credits are welfare pure and simple.”
What do you call Medicare or Social Security? Are those “welfare” as well?
TaxPayer
July 27th, 2010
12:42 pm
That oil didn’t really spill and end up all over the beaches and the marshes and in the Gulf. At least that’s booger’s apparent take on the spill. Well, we are talking about rabbit holes.
Paulo977
July 27th, 2010
12:43 pm
WOW AmVet @ 12:14 pm ..well well put Really really really dark up there!!
TaxPayer
July 27th, 2010
12:43 pm
The DoD operates efficiently! And on only one trillion dollars annually. Rabbit holes are popping up all over the place.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:43 pm
@@: “Ah yes!!!! Government’s New Deal….unsustainable debt. It’s HUGE!”
Tell that to all that finally got electricity delivered to their homes…well that and JOBS as well. How many jobs did it create? Let’s simply look at the TVA down here in the South.Seems to me that the South was a big benefactor of the New Deal.
Fly-On-The-Wall
July 27th, 2010
12:46 pm
Joe – to your comment at 12:19, I hate the player just as much as the game since the ‘player’ is the corporation who has a whole lot more money then I do to influence (i.e. BUY) the government into submission.
Conservatives seem to miss the point that AmVet always talks about. Both side do this, both are just as guilty. Hold all of them accountable, not just Democrats.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:47 pm
Taxpayer…as I stated earlier…the DOD became the “Department of OFFENSE” during the last administration. DEFENSE meant keeping us safe from terrorist attacks. So when that failed…it became the Dept. of OFFENSE to go spend the majority of it’s funds going after those who never attacked us in the first place.
@@
July 27th, 2010
12:47 pm
Oh, and jay?
My response to you should not be confused with pithy as in “tersely cogent” but rather as pithed as in pi$$ed, you pithant.
Smiley face! All is well.
Normal
July 27th, 2010
12:48 pm
To all the Obama/Federal Government haters out there who offer insults,
name calling, and nothing more…you know who you are…the I have no solution, no clue group…a quote for you.
When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.
Jay
July 27th, 2010
12:49 pm
The military operates efficiently, @@?
Most people who have been in the military for long would disagree with that statement. So would the Pentagon inspector general.
Today’s news (and JUST today’s):
“The Pentagon can’t properly account for most of the $9.1 billion meant to rebuild Iraq that the department was given responsibility for, according to a new report from the special inspector general who polices the spending of these funds.”
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/07/27/128796205/pentagon-can-t-account-for-nearly-9-bln-in-iraq-funds
AND
“DHB, which specialized in making body armor used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, paid for more than $6 million in personal expenses on behalf of Mr. Brooks, covering items as expensive as luxury cars and as prosaic as party invitations, Ms. Schlegel testified.
Also included were university textbooks for his daughter, pornographic videos for his son, plastic surgery for his wife, a burial plot for his mother, prostitutes for his employees, and, for him, a $100,000 American-flag belt buckle encrusted with rubies, sapphires and diamonds”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/nyregion/27fraud.html?_r=1
AND
Arlington National Cemetery’s grave mistake is much worse than previously reported, according to a U.S. senator.
Last month, the Army’s inspector general said hundreds of soldiers’ graves were mislabeled, but on Monday, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said that number could be in the thousands.
She said the Army report was limited to just one small section of the cemetery.
McCaskill’s subcommittee is investigating allegations of contracting fraud at the cemetery, noting that the military has spent more than $5.5 million in the past seven years to computerize its records.
Calling the mistakes “heartbreaking incompetence,” McCaskill told reporters, “At the very essence here you have waste. There may be fraud — we don’t know at this point.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/07/27/2010-07-27_arlington_national_cemetery_grave_mistake_could_be_worse_than_reported_sen_clair.html
Curious Observer
July 27th, 2010
12:51 pm
And still not a word about even 47% of the people paying no taxes.
Yet another convenient half-truth. Every person who pays wages pays 6.2% of earnings in Social Security tax and 2.9% in Medicare tax. And that doesn’t even count the matching that the employer has to make. Yet, those who talk about the 47% who don’t pay income taxes don’t consider that every penny of Social Security and Medicare taxes not used for those programs is borrowed by the government to fund the general budget.
So it’s far from the truth that 47% of Americans pay no taxes. But it certainly sounds good to those who oppose any humane effort of legislation to relieve human suffering. In fact, millions of those who have no income tax liability pay taxes to the federal government. The flat-tax and fair-tax proponents want to ignore that fact and to shift the tax burden even further down to the lowest earners among us, while the fair taxers would shield their capital gains and other income that doesn’t go for necessities from any taxes whatsoever. The so-called Fair Tax is the most unfair tax scheme of all.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
12:56 pm
Normal @ 12:47pm: “When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”
How about when those same mentioned above start catering to “Newt” again. Talk about Dunces…ever read one of his books? They’re about as intellectually challenging and stimulating as the “Weekly Reader” I used to get in Elementary School. Perhaps less stimulating… at least there was more “honesty” in those little magazines compared to what Newt offers in his books.
Not kidding…anyone ever read one of his books? I mean…are those not “crafted” and edited for someone with limited reading abilities?
Joe
July 27th, 2010
12:56 pm
joe with a small j,
Big business and those who live primarily off of unearned income (inheritances, dividends, capital gains, and multimillion dollar salaries for running a corporation into the ground) are the biggest welfare queens this country has ever known. You’ve been conned. Don’t be too hard on yourself though. They’re prey on your stupidity, and they’re good at it (as evidenced by the Rush Limbaugh’s and Fox New’s ratings).
Jay
July 27th, 2010
12:59 pm
Saul, I attended the “college classes” that Newt taught at Kennesaw State back in the ’90s. The signal to noise ratio was appallling.
Joe
July 27th, 2010
12:59 pm
I suppose that if I’m going to call somebody stupid, then I should get my grammar right.
Correction: They prey on your stupidity, and they’re good at it (as evidenced by Rush Limbaugh’s and Fox New’s ratings).
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:02 pm
Johnny….then I guess we’ll agree that there are both sides who have “members” who dodge “facts” when presented with them… I know I do my best to back up what I post with links, charts, etc… yet when I do…I’m often called names. Hurtful? Nah…it’s a blog… I take it for what it is… yet I DO see WAY more links with CHARTS posted my us “old depends wearing windbags” compared to those of you on the other team. Must be the “Saul” thing in my name that makes some feel that I’m “old”… they don’t read “Saul Good” aloud… nor have they seen the movie… it is one…FUNNY too!
Swami Dave
July 27th, 2010
1:03 pm
Bosch
“When are wingnuts going to realize that it’s not about what’s fair and unfair?”
Now this is ironic! How is it that the shills of collectivism have the unmitigated gall to claim it’s not about “fair and unfair” when the foundational basis of collectivism is to “correct” the “unfairness” that results when outcomes are not equal. At core, collectivism has nothing to be with equal opportunity and everything to do with equalizing outcomes.
It is only through a moral / ethical rationalization based on “fairness” or “justice” (social) or “equality” (of results) that collectivists justify THEFT from those who earn & produce to fund benefits and payments to those who do not. The insidious reality being that as arbiters of the “fairness” they use the confiscation and redistribution as a means to breed dependence and, ultimately, acquire power.
Saul Alinsky would be proud, Bosch: attacking your political opponents based on accusations that they are doing what (actually) you do!
Liberals do with legislation what Muggers do with guns!
-SD
Interesting Observation
July 27th, 2010
1:03 pm
Give em hell, Jay!
@@
July 27th, 2010
1:04 pm
The Pentagon is comprised of a bunch of government bureaucrats. I was talkin’ military personnel. Put them on the scene of a natural disaster and they know how to get things done efficiently. A well-oiled machine, they…
Wes
July 27th, 2010
1:05 pm
Jay,
While I recognize that there is a vast gap in growth between the brackets, I wonder whether this is primarily caused by government or basic economics. There are a number of poor people in the world who are willing to work for low wages and in unsafe conditions in order to feed their family. If you don’t have some esoteric skills or connections supply and demand will probably limit your income growth until the Chinese and Indians catch up with us in per capita income.
In order to provide income growth where there is no demand at current prices what do you propose to do? Do you want to enact tariffs? Subsidize incomes? There aren’t any good answers as far as I can see if this is basic economics. Most solutions will degrade all of our citizens’ standard of living.
Or we could just recognize that this is something that is outside anyone’s control.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:05 pm
Jay… I wish I could have attended those. I mean that. I’m always game for any side of any issue when “facts” are produced to back up what one is teaching. One question… were the students in Newt’s classes allowed to “ask” them? If so… did he ever dodge any he did not like? Just curious… yet truly…I would have relished the opportunity to take a class by him… just wondering if it was a “dictatorship”. (my own guess is no…).
Midori
July 27th, 2010
1:06 pm
I come to this blog day after day and get so frustrated and exasperated with the resident wingnuts spouting lie after lie after lie that they borrow from Glen Beck and Fox.
And RW – didn’t think it possible but I’m sorely disappointed in you.
I thought you were better than your first post.
How the eff can you tout the breakdown of the house, senate, etc. knowing full well that the GOP routinely bands together to defeat ANY possible good congress is trying to do for this country.
You conveniently ignore the fact that when the GOP held Congress, the democrats at least tried to get along with the GOP and didn’t set up roadblocks at every single opportunity.
Shame on you.
You’re no better than these other lie spouting knuckleheads.
larry
July 27th, 2010
1:06 pm
Republicans + elected office= ethically challenged.
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/07/27/karen-handel-hit-with-ethics-complaint-alleging-13k-in-illegal-payments-to-staffers/
BADA BING
July 27th, 2010
1:06 pm
It’s LSD, don’t p**s in a cup.
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:07 pm
“OGK, just look down on those “starter jobs”, some of those folks do hard honest work and deserve a fair wage. Your attitude is showing.”
I held many of the same type jobs as a young fellow…dishwasher, floor mopper, french fry cooker, Conv store clerk and was paid the minimum wage which is entirely FAIR for these positions. Sure they were easy non-thinker type jobs and the pay I received and that is currently paid was FAIR for my and the companies expectations.
I guess my honestly is showing…
popeye
July 27th, 2010
1:08 pm
To add to Jay’s post at 12:49
The Defense Department is unable to properly account for $8.7 billion out of $9.1 billion in Iraqi oil revenue entrusted to it between 2004 and 2007, according to a newly released audit that underscores a pattern of poor record-keeping during the war.
Of that amount, the military failed to provide any records at all for $2.6 billion in purported reconstruction expenditure, says the report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which is responsible for monitoring U.S. spending in Iraq. The rest of the money was not properly deposited in special accounts as required under Treasury Department rules, making it difficult to trace how it was spent.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102×4480367
Interesting Observation
July 27th, 2010
1:08 pm
Even an atheist can see that ending the earned income tax credit for the working class poor while ending taxes on wealthy retirement income is not Christian. Yet, the right wing in Georgia claim to hold a monopoly on Christianity. Pathetic. Praise the lord, bash the gays and give em more guns are the only requirements to get elected in Georgia.
Jefferson
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
One could say mortgage interest deductions are wellfare, but I don’t blame anyone for taking them.
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
If individuals want to sluff around slinging hash, cleaning toilets, mopping floors for 30 years they will need to have more realistic expectations.
Or they could apply themselves and go to college, trade school, start their own business etc.
larry
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
Add to that, Nathan ( i stole Evander Holyfield’s real deal) Deal ethical challenges and some in here think Barnes is going to lose ??
alot
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
jay, seriously, can you get a new photo. it looks like you are just coming down from a drug high. dude, pride man.
oh yeah…you are wrong. your article is crap. never got a job from a poor person. almost half of americans pay no federal income taxes.
gotta love the nanny state. it works so well…somewhere i guess.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
Swami Dave: “Saul Alinsky”
WHO????
How do SO many get it SO wrong? It’s so effin’ funny how “some” bring up his name all the time… yups…we know just where YOU learned his name from… sheeesh!
Fellow libs, elites, progressives, and “depends wearing old bags” (according to Fred)… I mean do ANY of you give a $^#(#@(# about Saul Alinsky???
AmVet
July 27th, 2010
1:10 pm
Paulo and Fly, and the fiscal liberals in the GOP are never, ever going to touch that third rail of our ever strengthening coporotocracy. Have you ever read one single solitary word form a rightist here that even accepts this premise? As for their “conservative” “leaders”, the rewards are simply too great for those little men in Washington to stand up to today’s robber barons. They are a political party without moral courage. And I asked that joke of a representative, Tom Price why this was so? All I got was an old Beatles song. No Reply.
They will deflect and spin like ballerinas but find one Republican anywhere who will acknowledge that the source of America’s problems lies with this scenario:
The answer is there is too much power and too much wealth in too few hands and the few control our government and the few create the problems and the injustices for the many and have less and less interest in doing anything about it because they can get away with it. ~Ralph Nader 1996
Or as I write:
Welcome to the United States of America! A Wholly owned Subsidiary of the New York Stock Exchange.
andygrd
July 27th, 2010
1:11 pm
I have an idea…. Let’s continue to throw money at issues. Don’t fix the problem, just throw more money….
Why do you liberals hated people that work hard, go to school (sometimes at night or on weekends) to provide a better life for their family and you want to take it away from them…
Income re-distribution… The liberal way. The liberal thought…. They owe you money, don’t work for it, they owe it to you….. Don’t be responsible… Don’t control your debt, Don’t live within your means, don’t improve your life,,, They owe it to you…..
Boy this is fun……..
PS..Liberals, one more thing….
ABC strongly opposes government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on public construction projects.
Anti-competitive project labor agreements (PLAs) are special interest schemes that end open, fair and competitive bidding on public works projects. PLAs drive up the cost of construction by reducing competition and effectively excluding merit shop contractors and their skilled employees from building projects paid for by their own tax dollars.
Typical PLAs are pre-hire contracts that require projects be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors that agree to:
• recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job
• use the union hiring hall to obtain workers
• obtain apprentices exclusively from union apprenticeship programs
• pay into underfunded and mismanaged union benefit plans
• obey costly, restrictive and inefficient union work rules
In the end, government-mandated PLAs prevent taxpayers from getting the best possible product at the best possible price.
On February 6, 2009, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13502, which repeals Executive Order 13202 and encourages federal agencies to require PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects in excess of $25 million. Executive Order 13202 had prohibited federal agencies and recipients of federal financial assistance from requiring wasteful and discriminatory union-only PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects. Construction contracts subject to union-only PLAs are usually awarded to unionized contractors and their all-union workforces.
On March 13, 2010, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council released the final rule to implement President Obama’s Executive Order 13502. The release of this final rule represents the culmination of a process that began in July 2009 with the FAR Council’s release of a proposed rule to implement the content of Executive Order 13502 into federal procurement regulations.
Even before the release of the final rule to implement Executive Order 13502, the Obama Administration signaled its desire for federal agencies to begin mandating PLAs. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on July 10 issued a policy memorandum encouraging federal agencies to consider utilizing PLAs on a project-by-project basis and require PLAs in “appropriate circumstances.” This memorandum came in advance of the FAR Council’s proposed rule implementing Executive Order 13502.
Between 2001 and 2008, Executive Order 13202 ensured that at least $147.1 billion worth of federal construction projects was bid without discriminatory and wasteful government-mandated PLAs. The actual value of construction projects protected by Executive Order 13202 is exponentially larger, as the above figure does not include local construction spending that received federal funding or assistance protected by the executive order. Free and open competition saved American taxpayers an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent on federal construction spending and provided women, minorities and other qualified craft professionals the opportunity to work in their communities.
The 1% is now the Unions……GO Baby GO
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:11 pm
“One could say mortgage interest deductions are wellfare”
One could say whatever they feel but that wouldnt make it necessarily true.
@@
July 27th, 2010
1:12 pm
Another thing, jay. When I find myself in such dire straights that all I can depend on is government, which will in turn, demand my vote, to sustain me, it will truly be a sad day. A sad day, indeed.
Now I’m out to languish by the pool. I’ll be looking at the bottom and thinking of you.
John Birch
July 27th, 2010
1:12 pm
Unfortunately one of the huge failures of the Democratic party the last 30 years has been the failure to return the tax burden to the wealthy. Oh, there have been the token increases of the Clinton adminisration, but that was done with a Republican congress and was pretty minor. And it looks like increases for 2011 but this is really just letting the Bush tax cuts expire as was originally planned. I want to know when is the 70% pre-Reagan bracket and 90% estate tax rates coming back? At least when the Dems take from the middle class, they are more likely to give it to the poor than the rich.
Citizen of the World
July 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
Let the tax break for the rich people expire. It will help the country, and it won’t hurt them a bit. This, after all, is the country that afforded them the opportunity to get so rich in the first place.
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
My typing skills are also showing…lor lack thereof…
stands for decibels
July 27th, 2010
1:15 pm
How the eff can you tout the breakdown of the house, senate, etc. knowing full well that the GOP routinely bands together to defeat ANY possible good congress is trying to do for this country.
huh? RW plays that riff all the time. Nothing new there. Which is why I posted that bit about Harry Reid ramming a Senate rules change–it’s not gonna happen, but it’s the only thing that’d change the stranglehold Republicans have on any meaningful legislation. It’s why we don’t have a public option, why something as weak as Cap and Trade is what we’re still trying to get through rather than a carbon tax; essentially it’s why Atrios routinely refers to “President Olympia Snowe”, since without at least one non-crazy Republican OKing a measure, it doesn’t get passed.
And RW knows that, he’s just trying to get you riled up.
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:16 pm
Citizen of the World: “Let the tax break for the rich people expire. It will help the country, and it won’t hurt them a bit. This, after all, is the country that afforded them the opportunity to get so rich in the first place.”
Oh dear… don’t you realize that EVERY single one of them ONLY got rich BECAUSE if the tax breaks? According to those on the right…If we didn’t have tax breaks for the rich… we simply wouldn’t have any rich people.
obama's fault
July 27th, 2010
1:17 pm
Jay,
Okay….I haven’t done research into your statement yet. Given your past ability to greatly skew the facts, I am sure that you did a bang up job with this one too. Anyways, I will go ahead with your numbers and still say 36% DO NOT PAY ANYTHING!!!! And that is acceptable? We are only talking about not paying ANYTHING. Some of the remaining 64% might only pay $100. Also, given that you have excluded all of those other tax returns of people that make around $5,000….we can apply the same logic and say that means that the top 50% pay an even greater percentage of the nation’s taxes. The 97% of the overall tax burden that the top half pays is probably more like 99% now. And that is fair???? Sounds an awful bit like socialism if you ask me.
As Thatcher once said “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
BADA BING
July 27th, 2010
1:17 pm
Timothy Leary called, he’s still high.
Citizen of the World
July 27th, 2010
1:18 pm
a lot, the people who don’t pay federal income taxes don’t make enough money to share this burden! What would you have the government do, take a sizable chunk of their meager paychecks and then turn around and dole it out to them in welfare checks because they then don’t have enough to live on?
Aren’t the Republicans the ones always saying that “we know better how to spend our money than the government”? Yet, they persist in begrudging the little guy a tax break, while defending tax cuts for the rich? What is wrong with this picture?! Of course, that’s the whole point of Jay’s column.
joe
July 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
Joe I see your point, but you fail to take into consideration the reason unemployment is so high right now is big business and those living off of unearned income, who are for the most part, the business owners, are the ones who employ the rest of society. I probably will never aspire to their heights, but as a small business owner, I hope to at least get into a 7 figure net worth some day…because of my drive. I won’t hate on those who have the most and who pay the majority of our taxes and who employ the majority of the rest of us…because they are the ones driving our boat. Why you would want to penalize them for their success or luck or drive is beyond me.
You want to see unemployment go down, vote GOP in Nov…that will at least give big business hope of getting BO out of office in 2012, then the jobs will really start opening. Right now big businesses are just sitting on increasing cash reserves and won’t invest in anything because they have no clue what BO will come up with next in terms of policy to hurt our capitalistic economy and country. BO has no clue how to make America work with his socialist wannabe agendas and policies.
kayaker 71
July 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
Spare us Bookman…. you are talking about only one half of the population. What do we do, tax the “rich” even more to give to those 50% who pay no federal income tax? We already work until about mid June to pay these outrageous taxes now. When Bozo gets finished socializing the country, will it be July or perhaps August? The incentive to work hard and excel. That’s evil? Boy, are YOU screwed up!!
Joe
July 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
Wes: “In order to provide income growth where there is no demand at current prices what do you propose to do? Do you want to enact tariffs? Subsidize incomes? There aren’t any good answers as far as I can see if this is basic economics. Most solutions will degrade all of our citizens’ standard of living.”
Wes is mistaken. Take the minimum wage as an example. Such government intervention in the markets have increased all of our citizen’s standard of living. Why? Low-income workers necessarily spend a larger portion of their incomes, frequently 100 percent, and so their higher wages means more spending, more customers for business and more economic growth.
When tax money is properly invested (e.g., roads, highways, schools, ports, damns, levies, research and development, clean energy, safe air and rail transportation), then the economy grows and all Americans benefit. It’s counter intuitive to conservatives (so-called) that higher taxes can sometimes increase our incomes and lower taxes can sometimes reduce our incomes, but when properly invested, it’s a fact.
larry
July 27th, 2010
1:20 pm
I want to know when is the 70% pre-Reagan bracket and 90% estate tax rates coming back?
Might need to go back to that. Maybe it would get rid of all these economic bubbles we keep having
’80s Savings and Loan real estate bubble
’90s IT bubble
’00s housing market, derivatives bubble.
joe
July 27th, 2010
1:20 pm
Oh, and you can shove your “stupidity” insult where the sun don’t shine…I’ll take my graduate degree and small business over whatever it is you do any day of the week.
popeye
July 27th, 2010
1:20 pm
@@…”The Pentagon is comprised of a bunch of government bureaucrats.”
Obviously you’ve never been to the Pentagon. Unless you think the military personnel working their are government bureaucrats.
You need to get out more!
stands for decibels
July 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
those 50% who pay no federal income tax?
[...]
almost half of americans pay no federal income taxes.
Jay, is there something you can apply to this here blog to make Teh Stoopit stop burning?
BADA BING
July 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
Never did drugs, I just listened to ‘In a Gadda da Vida’ when I wanted to get high.
obama's fault
July 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
John Birch “At least when the Dems take from the middle class, they are more likely to give it to the poor than the rich.”
Correction…..”At least when the Dems take from the middle class, they are more likely to give it to the poor than the rich in an effort to keep everybody poor so that the poor will continue to come back to the Democrat party for more handouts, while at the same time giving this money to the unions and all other historical supporters of the democrat party.” let’s tell the whole truth please.
AmVet
July 27th, 2010
1:22 pm
I have an idea…. Let’s continue to throw money at issues. Don’t fix the problem, just throw more money….
andygrd, as in how CEO pay went up 240% in ten years while worker pay went up 4% during the same time? That kind of throwing money? Or maybe you were referring to upping the $300,000,000,000.00 every single year given away by Uncle Sam (YOU AND ME) in corporate welfare?
Is that what you are advocating?
Perhaps you advocate that we need MORE of that fiscal conservatism that screws working Americans so fat cats and their corporate fleecing machines can make even greater profits? More of that “Let the free market police itself” nonsense that brought the nation to the very brink of disaster?
Are you a CEO?
Did you get the memo? That trickle down/voodoo economics is a tragic joke?
RW-(the original)
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
Geez, Midori, take it up with the post office. I mailed the child support check Friday.
I don’t see how Republicans are really blocking anything. You got Porkulous, you got the auto companies, you control the banking industry, you run health care, you’ve got perpetual unemployment compensation and I’m sure that tucked within those thousands of pages of legislation you’ve gotten your carbon restrictions without needing another bill.
President Olympia Snowe There’s some truth to that but I think I’m going to pass out now.
Scooter (the Original)
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
What an economic and financial fool!
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
OF: “Some of the remaining 64% might only pay $100″
And some pay millions….your point is?
obama's fault
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
stands for decibels…..why don’t we start with you leaving. You obviously have no clue and follow the Democrat party like a mental midget.
getalife
July 27th, 2010
1:24 pm
We should go Bell California on our corrupt government.
obama's fault
July 27th, 2010
1:25 pm
Saul, nice…you pick two words to point out while ignoring the rest of it. Typical liberal.
Kamchak
July 27th, 2010
1:25 pm
Fellow libs, elites, progressives, and “depends wearing old bags” (according to Fred)… I mean do ANY of you give a $^#(#@(# about Saul Alinsky???
Certainment.
I genuflect every morning to my Alinsky idol perched atop my Alinsky altar. I drink my morning coffee in my Alinsky mug, before donning my Alinsky T-shirt.
Unless of course it’s winter, then it’s my Alinsky sweat shirt.
josef nix
July 27th, 2010
1:26 pm
BOSCH
My condolances.
Joe
July 27th, 2010
1:27 pm
joe “…you fail to take into consideration the reason unemployment is so high right now is big business and those living off of unearned income, who are for the most part, the business owners, are the ones who employ the rest of society.”
joe, you fail to take into consideration that those living primarily off of unearned income aren’t going to have any unearned income to live off of if workers don’t set their alarms and go to the job site every day. Investors and workers are equally important to our economy; one can’t do without the other.
Business will hire, not when they get tax cuts, but when they get customers. The Republicans have successfully reduced that the number of available customers in our economy by preventing up or down votes in the Senate on aid to state governments and other effective forms of stimulus (exception: Dems had to reduce the size of the Recovery package in order to keep Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins from filibustering with the rest of the Republicans).
Me? I’ll be voting for the Dems in November.
Doggone/GA
July 27th, 2010
1:29 pm
Let’s hear it for “sucking at the government teat”!
“Georgia again a finalist in Race to the Top competition”
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-again-a-finalist-579439.html
josef nix
July 27th, 2010
1:30 pm
Norm
@ 1:48
Saul
@ 12:56
Should’ve known y’all were Ignatius fans…
“It viiolates all laws of theology and geometry!”
Doggone/GA
July 27th, 2010
1:32 pm
“@ 1:48″
Ummm…Josef, what clock are you using?
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:33 pm
When are all the bleeding heart libs gonna pony-up and send Uncle Sammy an addl $100 just because?
Cmon you Pro-Tax Progressives!!
Wes
July 27th, 2010
1:33 pm
Joe,
I agree with you completely that if lower income brackets are increased it will go directly to the economy.
The question is whether employers are willing to maintain hiring at those inflated levels.
AmVet
July 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
“We already work until about mid June to pay these outrageous taxes now.”
What a crock. Somebody does not understand effective tax rates.
Midori
July 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
three words for you RW: shame on you!!
Normal
July 27th, 2010
1:36 pm
Hey Josef,
You just gittin’ up?
Doggone/GA
July 27th, 2010
1:36 pm
“The question is whether employers are willing to maintain hiring at those inflated levels”
If they have enough customers to justify the hiring, then yes, they will.
josef nix
July 27th, 2010
1:36 pm
Where are the major infrastructural development projects?
Peadawg
July 27th, 2010
1:36 pm
“When are all the bleeding heart libs gonna pony-up and send Uncle Sammy an addl $100 just because?
Cmon you Pro-Tax Progressives!!”
AMEN!!!
RW-(the original)
July 27th, 2010
1:37 pm
It takes more words to tell me the message is coming than the message itself. Now that’s a true lib for you.
barking frog
July 27th, 2010
1:38 pm
the government cannot make us all rich but it can make us all poor.
Jefferson
July 27th, 2010
1:38 pm
I like the crying when the wealthy feel violated…
Normal
July 27th, 2010
1:39 pm
From one of my personal hero’s…
“Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:39 pm
OF @ 1:21pm
And just WHO was it that added MORE to the welfare class? Where did they come from? THE MIDDLE CLASS.
So let’s learn something…tax cuts for the rich while increasing spending did WHAT for our nation? It added MORE to the welfare line relying on government assistance then it did create jobs.
OF…go ahead and show me/us the charts which show just HOW MANY jobs were added/lost due to the economic policies of the last administration (basically: cutting taxes while increasing spending…).
In the end…not “1″ job created. Not when the administration finished with MORE jobs lost compared to jobs gained.
We could lower the highest bracket tax rate to zero (just like many of the corporations) and STILL they would not hire if they have no new business/sales.
It’s conclusive: In the end….The Bush Tax Cuts created ZERO jobs… yet added billions upon billions to our deficit and added to our paying out unemployment.
2012…let those who call for MORE tax cuts run on those same failed policies… sure there are many who don’t have a friggin’ “clue” as to the harm caused to our economy by tax cuts while at war (2 wars)…. same one’s who are in a “choice” of who is “better” for GA: Handel or Deal. It’s like voting for Dillinger compared to Gotti… it basically comes down to which one is “less” evil.
If the BEST the right can/could/would come up with to run this state are those two… it speaks VOLUMES about your party.
josef nix
July 27th, 2010
1:40 pm
Doogone
Daylight spending time?
Normal
Nanh…had a meeting at work today…Blessed are the pacemakers! Actually it didn’t go bad at all…met some of the new staff…may be getting to work more with the Kindergartners next year…I hope so, they’re wunnerful…
Saul Good
July 27th, 2010
1:42 pm
Kamchak @ 1:25 pm
HAHA! Awesome! I’ve been looking for those items for years now!
Actually that WAS funny!
Thanks!
Outhouse GoKart
July 27th, 2010
1:43 pm
Cmon libs, Pro-Tax Progressives…lend a hand, help a neighbor, lettuce see those checks flying into our caring, wonderful Federal govt. Now if ever the govt needs YOU!
Normal
July 27th, 2010
1:44 pm
Peadawg
July 27th, 2010
1:36 pm
I would gladly pay 20% of my monthly income every month if that was all I had to pay and if EVERYBODY, from the top income down to the bottom income paid their’s too. Would you?
Bill
July 27th, 2010
1:44 pm
USinUK—I think you need to recall the Clinton Administration–the one in power for 8 years which gave us budget surpluses, high GDP, 23-26 million jobs, low inflation . . . Then we had 8 years of conservative rule–just the opposite occurred. Because of the disaster W. left us with, spending was required to avoid a Depression. The Demos, the facts show, are the party of job creation and GDP growth, and highest stock market performance. Let’s not forget, R.Reagan increased the number of federal employees; Clinton reduced that number.
Fairly high progressive taxation causes a booming economy and surpluses. In the long run, even the super wealthy benefit. REps continuously do nothing but lower taxes on the wealthy, causing the mess Clinton inherited, and the disaster Obama inherited.
Conservatives are blinded by ideology.
Let’s keep in mind that W’s Medicare Drug Bill will cost almost as much as Obama’s Healthcare Bill.
AmVet
July 27th, 2010
1:44 pm
frog, are you champion of meaningless platitudes for slow eighth graders?