Why does GOP want to protect tax cheats?

Riddle me this, Batman:

If it’s pointed out that a family of four making $40,000 a year pays no federal income taxes, many conservatives tend to get upset that the family isn’t paying their fair share like the rest of us.

On the other hand, if it’s pointed out that a multi-millionaire or billionaire pays no federal income tax, the reaction is to applaud his or her accountant for successfully cheating the government.

If a corporation is reported to have avoided paying corporate taxes, the reaction is again applause, under the thesis that corporations shouldn’t have to pay taxes anyway.

But if that corporation in question is General Electric, its ability to pay little or no taxes is cited as an outrageous scandal that must be addressed and investigated. (By the way, the company just announced a 77 percent increase in first quarter profits.)

And of course, as part of its demands to end the budget standoff earlier this month, the GOP demanded and got $600 million in cuts from the IRS budget. As John Berry in the Fiscal Times noted in March:

IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told a House subcommittee last week that such a budget cut over just six months likely would reduce federal revenues by $4 billion. The IRS “would need to make substantial cuts to its enforcement programs,” he said.

In other words, cut spending by $600 million, lose $4 billion in revenue and add $3.4 billion to the deficit

Of course, that’s $3.4 billion in revenue over six months that the government is already owed, under existing tax law. The GOP is in effect protecting criminals, pulling cops off the beat to ensure that those breaking the law are not caught. And remember, the money not paid by scofflaws must be paid by somebody else. Back in 2001, the most recent year for which estimates are available, almost $300 billion in taxes owed went uncollected.

But again, if the people owing those taxes are poor or middle class, that is presumably a scandal. If the people owing those taxes are affluent business people, they are heroic Americans.

At least, if I understand these things correctly …

– Jay Bookman

417 comments Add your comment

Charlie

April 21st, 2011
5:11 pm

Actually Jay, if they’re Democrats, they get a Cabinet position in Obama’s administration.

Kamchak

April 21st, 2011
5:13 pm

…pulling cops off the beat to ensure that those breaking the law are not caught.

Sounds suspiciously familiar.

Kinda like the ethics commission losing it’s ability to warn about infractions.

Jay

April 21st, 2011
5:13 pm

Yeah, I knew that one was coming. Deservedly so.

Jay

April 21st, 2011
5:14 pm

But why doesn’t the GOP want to catch the rest of ‘em?

Phil Lunney

April 21st, 2011
5:22 pm

We are a nation of laws when the folks are poor or low income. We are a nation of lawyers for the rich and entrenched. Listen to the joy in Neal Boortz’s voice when a company declares bankruptcy and can void union contracts. Correspondingly, Neal will trumpet the legal obligation when a corporate officer is removed and a big pay out is contractually activated. But, wait, who will be the first to accuse me of “Class Warfare”…

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
5:23 pm

Just for sheets and gaggles, here’s a neat little toy for comparing effective tax rates between time periods stretching from the present back to World War II ( great for use in clobbering the righties over the head with facts ) :

http://www.remappingdebate.org/map-data-tool/new-interactive-tool-puts-tax-rates-historical-context

ty webb

April 21st, 2011
5:24 pm

I’ve got nothing…Charlie said it best. Have a good one everyone

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
5:25 pm

And if Geitner and others with their tax accountants and others cannot get their taxes correct, then Geitner stands as an example for why we should increase enforcement and auditing of returns while we simplify the IRS Code.

Kamchak

April 21st, 2011
5:26 pm

But why doesn’t the GOP want to catch the rest of ‘em?

Sussing out motive is always tricky.

Used to be, the media shied away from the “why” when reporting a story.

Now it’s the first thing the consumer demands.

Kamchak

April 21st, 2011
5:28 pm

Listen to the joy in Neal Boortz’s voice…

Can’t I just stick red-hot pokers in my ears instead?

Charlie

April 21st, 2011
5:31 pm

I don’t personally consider anyone who is lawfully complying with the tax code – be they a $40K family or a multinational corporation – a tax cheat.

We have a problem with a broken tax code that no one understands, tax rates that bear no resemblance to effective taxes paid, an electorate that thinks everyone pays too much except the top 2%, who pay the majority of taxes but should somehow pay more, with same electorate demanding more middle class entitlements simultaneously with more tax cuts.

Cheating isn’t the problem. Ignorance is. On all sides of this debate and problem.

I’m out too. Y’all have a good one.

Elder D. Berry

April 21st, 2011
5:31 pm

I love the fact that Geithner is THE name the GOP keeps throwing up, as their little tax cheat, on a pedestal even though his errors were identified and corrected. How about all the hedge fund managers using a loophole to get away with paying 17% or less in taxes or the much touted GE case that the Republicans seem to have decided to try to forget about now that Ryan’s yellow brick road plan is getting so much negative publicity from the GOP base or how about the folks with their money hidden in other countries for the sole purpose of avoiding paying taxes. Republicans! Nothing to envy there unless you admire greedy crooks.

Alicia

April 21st, 2011
5:31 pm

What’s good for the elites is good for the peons.

cmac22

April 21st, 2011
5:32 pm

Tim Geitner sends his thanks to the Republicans for helping to protect tax cheats!

Peadawg

April 21st, 2011
5:33 pm

And this coming from someone who wanted to vote Roy Barnes in again after he himself is a tax cheat.

cmac22

April 21st, 2011
5:34 pm

Yo Elder –

He didn’t correct it until AFTER he was nominated by obozo. And, when he took the $ to start with, he signed on the dotted line that he was responsible for the taxes. And yet geitner the a– clown is in charge of the irs!!! What a boob!

cmac22

April 21st, 2011
5:38 pm

Elder @ 5:31 “Republicans! Nothing to envy there unless you admire greedy crooks.”

Unless you envy those that can DOMINATE a mid term election with obozo sittin’ in the white house!

Jefferson

April 21st, 2011
5:39 pm

The GOP is a disaster wanting to happen.

Elder D. Berry

April 21st, 2011
5:40 pm

DOMINATE

I think you’re thinking about a Dominatrix.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
5:41 pm

We have a problem with a broken tax code that no one understands,

Obviously, there are some who understand it completely or else GE would have a tax bill. The problem with our tax code is much the same as in other areas. We have allowed Congress to abdicate their legislative duties in actually writing legislation to those who are affected by the legislation.

The best way to end all our problems is to remove the source of the problem, outside influence through $$$. Remove the outside money, and our legislators have no reason to continue to whore themselves out to the highest bidder.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
5:42 pm

Because they donate millions?

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
5:43 pm

I love this silly notion Democrats have that every government entity is operating on a shoestring budget and getting a herculean effort and result from every employee and department so if the budget ever gets cut in any way the first thing they have to do is layoff the most critical positions.

Kamchak

April 21st, 2011
5:46 pm

I think you’re thinking about a Dominatrix.

Five words.

Bondaged themed lesbian strip club.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
5:47 pm

“Bondaged themed lesbian strip club.”

gop fundraiser.

Kamchak

April 21st, 2011
5:51 pm

getalife

Aye, there’s the rub.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
5:52 pm

dang, getalife, you’re on a roll!

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
5:53 pm

RW

I wouldn’t quite describe myself a Hercules… :)

getalife

April 21st, 2011
5:54 pm

Rub and strip clubs.

Uh huh.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
5:56 pm

Why, Jay?

Because they want to be like the millionaires.

They want to think they made it solely on the basis of hard work. No breaks from anyone.

They want the lifestyles they see on tv.

They think that since they made it on their own, in the land of opportunity, those who haven’t (or who never will) have not availed themselves of the opportunities America has to offer.

Since they made it themselves, it’s theirs, all theirs.

They think gov’t has no right to what they’ve earned.

They have no sense of giving back or or responsibility to country.

So they applaud the cheats.

Dave R.

April 21st, 2011
5:58 pm

Enforcement and simplification isues go away by enacting one, simple law.

And you all know what that is.

Fred

April 21st, 2011
5:59 pm

Jay, are you basing your outrage on the GE pays no taxes hoax that was recently debunked? I hope not. I mean that crap is like a week old. You got something else? I didn’t see it in your article. I have to go cook supper, but I can show you that GE scam when I get back if you need it. It’s BOGUS.

Jackie

April 21st, 2011
6:00 pm

Has anyone ever had atax audit performed?
If so, you taxes were not done properly, therefore you are technically a “tax cheat.”

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
6:01 pm

Because our values are upside down. When Wisconsin Gov. Scott was in the news for hiring a relative/friend, his response: “He was 5 levels below me.” Who’s counting levels? Not me. But that silly value was important to him. Values are now defined in our nation by the game being played called, “Who’s on top?”

“Blame the Victim” has been going on since Jim Crow (and before). The Middle Class has been shrinking for years. The “game” has been leveled against them – they just don’t see it, yet.

When I taught schoo,l I knew that if I constructed a test that was easy – the grades would be high.
If I constructed a test that was difficult – the grades would be low.

The “game” of wealth has been set against the Middle Class and Lower Classes by those in power whose values are deficient – and they are creating an America where most cannot rise. They know it. Most Americans don’t.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:01 pm

Fred

Okay, stipulating to that…. what would your reaction be if it were to occur that GE did not pay any taxes at some future point?

That’s the issue – peoples’ reactions.

Dave R.

April 21st, 2011
6:09 pm

“The Middle Class has been shrinking for years.”

(Yawn)

Still trotting out that same, lame statement, Mary Elizabeth? In case you forgot our little chat of a couple of weeks ago, I showed where the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the percentage of people living in poverty hasn’t changed statistically for over 30 years. That means the lower class hasn’t changed (despite all the wasted dollars on social programs designed to do so). Conversely, if the lower class hasn’t changed, and the middle class has shrunk (according to all you libs), WHERE DID THEY ALL GO?

The only direction is – UP.

So why all the poutrage about the middle class shrinking?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
6:15 pm

The IRS are cracking down on the people but not their donors.

It goes back to the nixon line that cheney made legal.

It is not illegal if they do it.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
6:20 pm

I showed where the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the percentage of people living in poverty hasn’t changed statistically for over 30 years.

Gotta be EOI here for a sec… I think you’re both right and wrong depending on how you look at it. If you’re talking from a pure percentage point, you’re batting 1.000, but there’s a different way to look at the same statement.

If the percentage hasn’t changed over 30 years, what has? Population. 30% of 310 million is a larger group than 30% of 225 million. You’re talking about 9.3 million in the first group vs 6.75 million in the latter. Small number increase, but it is an increase.

Paulo977

April 21st, 2011
6:21 pm

Mary
Elizabeth
” and they are creating an America where most cannot rise. They know it. Most Americans don’t” And of course they have done a superb job of convincing the uninformed herds, through garbled logic, that they , are not “the working poor”!!!

F. Sinkwich

April 21st, 2011
6:22 pm

Tax avoidance is not “cheating,” Jay.

Please show where GE cheated or change your headline.

Thanks.

md

April 21st, 2011
6:23 pm

I was expecting the Thursday addition of the travelin post………too many heathens not off tomorrow?

Just a good example of why the tax code needs to be simplified…….yet when the debt commission came up with a plan, both sides swept it under the rug……………

Until then, Turbotax is your friend…………..it finds the loopholes for everybody……….

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
6:28 pm

Please show where GE cheated or change your headline.

How’s this for starters….
*Excuse me for the long post that follows:
GE Lobbyists Mold Tax Bill
Firm Saw Subsidy Repeal as Chance to Pay Less

No company in the nation had more to lose than General Electric Co. when the World Trade Organization decreed in 2002 that U.S. tax laws violated international treaties. The multinational conglomerate was saving hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxes from the export subsidies that the United States had to discard.

But in a two-year campaign, fueled as much by brains as political brawn, GE has shaped the legislation that would replace the old export-promotion law in ways that would allow it to save as much, if not more, in taxes, according to both GE lobbyists and congressional aides. In pursuing its financial interest, the company may also have turned the U.S. corporate tax code away from domestic manufacturing and toward expansion of operations abroad.

[...]

GE was far from alone in trying to fashion what has become the most important corporate tax bill in nearly 20 years. Lobbyists for the nation’s biggest companies have dusted off their favorite tax benefits and tried to sell them as part of the legislation. As a result, the measure, which began as a simple repeal of the $5-billion-a-year export subsidy, has swollen to include more than $140 billion in tax breaks over the next 10 years.

But GE’s clout stands out. Of one provision eventually worth $2 billion a year, GE will reap an “overwhelming percentage,” said John Buckley, chief tax counsel for the Democratic staff of the House Ways and Means Committee.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45064-2004Jul12?language=printer

All I did was google “tax legislation lobbied for by GE” and that was the first link.

pogo

April 21st, 2011
6:29 pm

“GE not paying taxes hoax”. That is priceless and level of naivete I haven’t seen in years. I agree with you on this one Jay. For every politician that makes their decisions based upon corporate support, I say fry them. Besides, look at GE’s employment numbers in this country and how they have outsourced millions of jobs to other countries just to raise their profit margin. Same with the “beloved” Apple and Microsoft.

JKL2

April 21st, 2011
6:30 pm

You don’t pay tax on wealth, you pay it on income. It’s easy to be a millionaire and not pay taxes. It’s because they no longer have a job.

If you want to be a family of four and pay income tax on $4,000 income then move to IL. They have very few deduction and that is what you get, $1,000 per dependant. After that you times by .05 and write a check.

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
6:31 pm

Dave R @ 6:09

“The truth is that the middle class in America is dying — and once it is gone it will be incredibly difficult to rebuild.” (See Below) Read particularly that subsection called “Giant Sucking Sound” at the end.

The Middle Class in America Is Radically Shrinking. Here Are the Stats to Prove it
Posted Jul 15, 2010 02:25pm EDT by Michael Snyder in Recession
Related: ^DJI, ^GSPC, SPY, MCD, WMT, XRT, DIA
.From The Business Insider

Editor’s note: Michael Snyder is editor of theeconomiccollapseblog.com

The 22 statistics detailed here prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.

So why are we witnessing such fundamental changes? Well, the globalism and “free trade” that our politicians and business leaders insisted would be so good for us have had some rather nasty side effects. It turns out that they didn’t tell us that the “global economy” would mean that middle class American workers would eventually have to directly compete for jobs with people on the other side of the world where there is no minimum wage and very few regulations. The big global corporations have greatly benefited by exploiting third world labor pools over the last several decades, but middle class American workers have increasingly found things to be very tough.

Here are the statistics to prove it:

• 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people.
• 61 percent of Americans “always or usually” live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
• 66 percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
• 36 percent of Americans say that they don’t contribute anything to retirement savings.
• A staggering 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
• 24 percent of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
• Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32 percent increase over 2008.
• Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
• For the first time in U.S. history, banks own a greater share of residential housing net
worth in the United States than all individual Americans put together.
• In 1950, the ratio of the average executive’s paycheck to the average worker’s paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one.
• As of 2007, the bottom 80 percent of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
• The bottom 50 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth.
• Average Wall Street bonuses for 2009 were up 17 percent when compared with 2008.
• In the United States, the average federal worker now earns 60% MORE than the average worker in the private sector.
• The top 1 percent of U.S. households own nearly twice as much of America’s corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago.
• In America today, the average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks.
• More than 40 percent of Americans who actually are employed are now working in service jobs, which are often very low paying.
• or the first time in U.S. history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million Americans in 2011.
• This is what American workers now must compete against: in China a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes approximately 22 cents an hour.
• Approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line in 2010 – the highest rate in 20 years.
• Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the United States rose a whopping 16 percent to 7.8 million in 2009.
• The top 10 percent of Americans now earn around 50 percent of our national income.

Giant Sucking Sound

The reality is that no matter how smart, how strong, how educated or how hard working American workers are, they just cannot compete with people who are desperate to put in 10 to 12 hour days at less than a dollar an hour on the other side of the world. After all, what corporation in their right mind is going to pay an American worker 10 times more (plus benefits) to do the same job? The world is fundamentally changing. Wealth and power are rapidly becoming concentrated at the top and the big global corporations are making massive amounts of money. Meanwhile, the American middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence as U.S. workers are slowly being merged into the new “global” labor pool.

What do most Americans have to offer in the marketplace other than their labor? Not much. The truth is that most Americans are absolutely dependent on someone else giving them a job. But today, U.S. workers are “less attractive” than ever. Compared to the rest of the world, American workers are extremely expensive, and the government keeps passing more rules and regulations seemingly on a monthly basis that makes it even more difficult to conduct business in the United States.

So corporations are moving operations out of the U.S. at breathtaking speed. Since the U.S. government does not penalize them for doing so, there really is no incentive for them to stay.

What has developed is a situation where the people at the top are doing quite well, while most Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to make it. There are now about six unemployed Americans for every new job opening in the United States, and the number of “chronically unemployed” is absolutely soaring. There simply are not nearly enough jobs for everyone.

Many of those who are able to get jobs are finding that they are making less money than they used to. In fact, an increasingly large percentage of Americans are working at low wage retail and service jobs.

But you can’t raise a family on what you make flipping burgers at McDonald’s or on what you bring in from greeting customers down at the local Wal-Mart.

The truth is that the middle class in America is dying — and once it is gone it will be incredibly difficult to rebuild.

.

md

April 21st, 2011
6:32 pm

“When I taught schoo,l I knew that if I constructed a test that was easy – the grades would be high.
If I constructed a test that was difficult – the grades would be low. ”

But….I’m betting that if one prepared themselves properly, it wouldn’t matter how hard the test was……..same way with life……..that darned choices thing I have a problem with.

F. Sinkwich

April 21st, 2011
6:36 pm

SoCo, so who’s doing the perp-walk for GE?

Obama’s GE buddies?

Nope. So what they did was legal, right?

F. Sinkwich

April 21st, 2011
6:40 pm

I guess Mary doesn’t know the definition of pithy.

Memo to Mary:

Only the retarded reads all your crap.

You’re welcome.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
6:42 pm

Jay

Any idea of what held up my response to F. Sinkwich?

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:42 pm

“Only the retarded reads all your crap.”

Internet access: $30 a month.

Irony: Priceless

getalife

April 21st, 2011
6:43 pm

Ensign is out and we have a liberal gop candidate that wants to legalize weed.

Things are getting better.

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
6:44 pm

Paulo977@ 6:21

“And of course they have done a superb job of convincing the uninformed herds, through garbled logic, that they , are not “the working poor”!!!”
—————————————————————–
True, as long as wealth accrued is equated with intellect and wisdom, we as a nation are on the wrong path. Even the poor have, unfortunately, bought into the fact that they are inferior, just as many African-Americans, having been maligned for years, found it difficult to sustain a strong autonomy and self-image in the midst of those Jim Crow values of another era.

When the world – finally – believes in and gives support to a lateral view of one another (egalitarian view), instead of a hierarchial, vertical view of one another (some superior/some inferior), we will finally get our values straight. I think that this is particularly important to be voiced during this Passover/Easter Season of the year.

The President understands those values and tried to demonstrate an egalitarian view by showing respect in his manner to others throughout the world.

@@

April 21st, 2011
6:46 pm

Obama condemns corporations for not paying their fair share, then appoints Jeffrey Immelt of G.E. to oversee commerce.

That’s what I have a problem with.

St Simons - we're on Island time

April 21st, 2011
6:48 pm

Now, if you’ve got 40 coconuts, shrimp, whatever, and you give 2 of them to the Man, and I have 30 million coconuts/shrimp, and I give none (or 2) to the Man, well we all learned when we were in nursery school whether that was Right or Wrong. If one did that on the island, where everybody knows everybody, he couldn’t show his face for the shame. Is that what it is? Do they just not have any shame any more?

A civilization is evaluated not on how it treated the most of us, but how it treated the least of us, and you knew that when you were 3, but its hard to be ashamed when you have no shame.

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
6:48 pm

@@: “Obama condemns corporations for not paying their fair share, then appoints Jeffrey Immelt of G.E. to oversee commerce. / That’s what I have a problem with.”

Well, you’re not the only one.

Mike

April 21st, 2011
6:48 pm

Nobody is cheating, or breaking the law, if they maximize their deductions to the legally allowable limit. If you don’t like the deductions, then cite them – it sounds like you’re a fan of the FairTax :-) . If I were a major shareholder of a large corporation, and found out it decided to pay more taxes, out of pure generosity, I’d be infuriated.

If an accountant advises his client to pay too little taxes, he might go to jail, if he advises his client to pay too much tax, he get’s fired.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:50 pm

@@

I’ve been with you on that.

An issue that cuts across party lines, ideology, and anything else.

It’d be interesting to hear who doesn’t have a problem with it.

Care to lay odds on which end of the spectrum they’re on?

Elder D. Berry

April 21st, 2011
6:50 pm

Only the retarded reads all your crap.

replies Sinkwich.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:51 pm

@@

Actually, I’d be fine with it if Immelt were to resign as head of GE.

But he has no honor, so it will not happen.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 21st, 2011
6:52 pm

Jay: “If it’s pointed out that a multi-millionaire or billionaire pays no federal income tax, the reaction is to applaud his or her accountant for successfully cheating the government”
————————

Link please.

Didn’t think so.

Still can’t find anything positive to write about your Idiot Messiah, eh? It’s been a great week for red herrings and straw men.

Ciao.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:52 pm

“Nobody broke the law”

and

“There was no law preventing us from doing it, so it was legal”

The same excuses offered by the Wall Street crooks before they crashed the system and unleashed misery on America.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
6:53 pm

Now that the cons are claiming that GE does indeed pay taxes, that must really have them steaming mad and ready to give them another tax cut. Maybe two cuts just to help make up for this negative publicity. The horror.

@@

April 21st, 2011
6:53 pm

And of course, as part of its demands to end the budget standoff earlier this month, the GOP demanded and got $600 million in cuts from the IRS budget.

That reminds me…have the new IRS agents been hired to offer advice to small business owners and low-income families as it pertains to Obama’s health care law?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
6:56 pm

If they don’t pay taxes they don’t need a tax cut.

Jackie

April 21st, 2011
6:57 pm

@Lil Barry

Check out this link that indicates the rich are over-taxed.

http://constitutionalconservative.wordpress.com/myth-the-rich-dont-pay-their-fair-share/

@@

April 21st, 2011
6:57 pm

Paul:

@@

I’ve been with you on that.

Like I said earlier….it’s of no consequence to me.

:grin: :grin: :grin:

JKL2

April 21st, 2011
6:58 pm

getalife- we have a liberal gop candidate that wants to legalize weed.

They should. The only reason I think it’s going to happen is because they will tax the hell out of it. (Marijuana has 20 times more tar than cigarettes). The problem will be the black market (like the one developing with cigarettes) to avoid the taxes. Otherwise, industrial hemp makes better alcohol than corn, better paper than trees, and better cloth than nylon. I don’t understand why anyone would want to make something like that available to the public?

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
6:58 pm

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
7:01 pm

md @ 6:32

“But….I’m betting that if one prepared themselves properly, it wouldn’t matter how hard the test was……..same way with life……..that darned choices thing I have a problem with.”
—————————————————————————
md,
Be sure to read my “long” post giving pertinent facts, and you will see that even if one tries to make the right choices in today’s world – the deck is more often than not stacked against them.

There are more grays in this world – and in the classroom – than blacks and whites. :-)

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:02 pm

@@

Nice to see you finally admit I take a position on issues.

Taxpayer and getalife

So if they get two tax cuts, since two negatives make a positive, GE gets a tax rate increase, yes?

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
7:03 pm

Carter wanted to decriminalize marijuana.

He also put solar panels on top of the White House

But then the BIG government Reaganista reactionaries happened and sent everything spiraling backwards a few decades…

getalife

April 21st, 2011
7:03 pm

JKL2,

With the State deficits in the red, it could help the economy.

It could help create jobs so I am very pro weed.

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
7:04 pm

Still can’t find anything positive to write about your Idiot Messiah, eh? It’s been a great week for red herrings and straw men.

Pfffft..

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
7:04 pm

So if they get two tax cuts, since two negatives make a positive, GE gets a tax rate increase, yes?

Paul,

I heard the Heritage Foundation is looking for people with your skills. :smile:

getalife

April 21st, 2011
7:05 pm

“So if they get two tax cuts, since two negatives make a positive, GE gets a tax rate increase, yes?”

No, still zero.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:05 pm

“But then the BIG government Reaganista reactionaries happened and sent everything spiraling backwards a few decades…”

Followed by Bush’s Justice Department putting a drape over Lady Justice because Ashcroft thought she was a tramp -

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
7:06 pm

SoCo,

One of you herculean government workers must have been monitoring me. As soon as I made that comment my service went down until just now. :-)

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:06 pm

F. Sinkwich

GE cheated by writing and lobbying for the legislation that allowed them to seriously lower their tax liabilities. It’s legal now because of them stacking the deck with the legislation they wrote/lobbied for years ago.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:06 pm

TaxPayer

any idea what it pays? If it pays enough, it’s okay, right?

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:07 pm

getalife

Still zero?

Just wait ’till my first Heritage report gets published…..

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:07 pm

RW

They got me too because I’ve been trying to respond to Sinkwich for almost 30 mins. I’ve fed the blog monster about 3-5 posts now. :)

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:11 pm

Nobody is cheating, or breaking the law, if they maximize their deductions to the legally allowable limit.

However, when you write the legislation, as a corporation and not a member of Congress, that allows you to maximize those deductions to damn near zero, that is cheating. Can the average citizen do the same thing?

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
7:12 pm

any idea what it pays? If it pays enough, it’s okay, right?

Probably not much. I hear the place is run by a Libertarian named Koch.

@@

April 21st, 2011
7:12 pm

Nice to see you finally admit I take a position on issues.

No appreciation necessary…..just don’t look to be taking up a position on me, Mr. Marshmallow Man.

:grin: :grin: :grin:

Mighty Righty

April 21st, 2011
7:13 pm

Jay, you have dropped too much acid when you were younger and stay off the weed. You are not thinking straight. The only people I know of not paying taxes are Democrats. We can name those. If you know some Republicans, name them. Anyone, Republican or Democrat who files a fraudulent return should be fined and jailed. What is missing here is a discussion of the AMT which my understanding is everyone has to pay a minimum tax. I don’t know anyone who thinks a family of 4 making $40k should be taxed, except maybe Obama. Obama is going to tax everyone if he increases taxes enough to cover his spending. Those cabinet members that forgot to pay their taxes belong in jail and your Congressman Rangel who writes the tax law you sre complaining about and claims to not know rental income is taxable is certifiable. Come on Jay, I like your column better when you are confessing your prior wrong position on Death Panels.

md

April 21st, 2011
7:13 pm

“Be sure to read my “long” post giving pertinent facts, and you will see that even if one tries to make the right choices in today’s world – the deck is more often than not stacked against them. ”

Life isn’t fair….or easy…….but giving one an out through excuses isn’t very teacher like.

So what if the deck is stacked? Just means one has to keep plugging……….

If I thought like you write, I’d still be poorer than dirt………..

Lift them up with where they can go, don’t keep them down by telling them the odds are they can’t succeed………..

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
7:15 pm

Paul @7:05, along those lines, I want to give a big shout out to Lil Barry for arguably the most irrational post of all time – “Bush fixed the recession”.

That guy has some serious issues…

Mike

April 21st, 2011
7:16 pm

Of course, no corporation really pays taxes. They just raise the price of their products and the poor working stiffs end up paying the embedded tax in the products they buy. Investors expect a certain return for their investment, and if the corporation didn’t raise the price of its products, to support the needed market return, those evil old Grandmas and 401k managers will move their retirement money to investments with higher returns.

Del

April 21st, 2011
7:18 pm

This is commentary based on desperation. Obama’s approval is falling like a rock and the generic congressional ballot has the Democrats 3 pts. behind Republicans. November 2, 2010 will be tame in comparison to the 012 elections. The bad news, however, is that this incompetent administration can do a lot more further damage between now and then.

Trash Trump '12!!

April 21st, 2011
7:20 pm

A toast!! [ gulp ]

and another rousing round of

Hail to the Chief!!

In future tense!

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
7:21 pm

Of course, no corporation really pays for the cost of goods. Or salaries. Or rent/mortgage. Or transportation costs. Or the cost for contractors. or for utilities. or for insurance. or for the thousands of other expenses.

They just raise the price of their products and the poor working stiffs end up paying the embedded cost for everything in the products they buy.

i.e. that silly “argument” is weak as water.

md

April 21st, 2011
7:22 pm

“Of course, no corporation really pays taxes.”

Shhh….some here don’t quite understand that corporations pay expenses (of which tax is one) derived from revenue generated by a product……….the label has them confused……..

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
7:23 pm

“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.”
Henry Ford

Goes for taxes too

Trash Trump '12!!

April 21st, 2011
7:26 pm

According to Public Policy Polling, fully 23 percent of self-identified Republicans say they could not vote for any candidates who “who firmly stated they believed Barack Obama was born in the United States.

Oops. Guess you can say bye bye Mitt Romney!

Another toast!

To the Chief!

md

April 21st, 2011
7:26 pm

Well Am….they don’t call it “cost of goods sold” for nothing……………..the price is set after they know the cost to produce it……….otherwise, they wouldn’t be around too long…..would they.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:26 pm

AmVet

Hate to be EOI, but that argument does hold water..

http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/02/28/georgia-tea-parties-come-home/

To make matters worse, “financing costs” includes a legally mandated “return on investment” or as most of us would call it, “profit”, to the tune of about one billion dollars. Don Balfour and the rest of Georgia’s legislature made sure that you and I, but not large businesses, give Georgia Power – a large private company – a $1 billion advance profit on a plant that will not generate power for at least five more years.

Georgia Power is legally mandated to profit from it’s customers, so it must add that profit into the costs of it’s service. By law. Written in the Georgia Assembly. Signed by the governor. :???:

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
7:28 pm

Paul,

When you publish your Heritage report, just be careful about advertising the fact that you need a 2% unemployment rate along with who knows what else in order to achieve the results, even as bad as they are, in the Ryan yellow brick road map to prosperity for the wealthiest. Those guys try to keep stuff like that under wraps.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:28 pm

@@

“No appreciation necessary…..just don’t look to be taking up a position on me,”

And you’re the one who got all bent out of shape, saying I leveled a sexual innuendo (”I’ll bet all the guys say that to you”) at you?!!?

:-)

AmVet 7:15

You think? Check out the previous thread, page 8. All those times I’ve written about not reacting to people whose opinions should mean nothing? That was a test of that -

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:29 pm

@@

Sorry, didn’t finish.

I just attributed your earlier response regarding the innuendo to

http://tinyurl.com/4y9a4rj

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
7:32 pm

My point is simple.

The end game for the non-conservative Republicans is for BIG business to pay zero federal income tax.

Because, their argument is that the BIG businesses don’t really pay it.

Well, if that is true, why should these BIG businesses pay for anything? As they apparently don’t really pay for any of it either?

BIG business uses everything individuals do, the roads, the electric grid, all of it.

They should pay their share for the bounty they enjoy and because of the ongoing corporate destruction of capitalism, to a gargantuan amount, they do not.

And you and I make up the difference.

No sale.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:35 pm

TaxPayer 7:28

If Heritage pays me enough, I’ll use whatever unemployment rate I have to to make the numbers show that, not only does GE pay no tax, it’ll benefit the country when we pay them a few hundred million a year for… I’ll think of some good-sounding reason. Someone will believe it…..

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:37 pm

Fred

April 21st, 2011
7:38 pm

Paul

April 21st, 2011
6:01 pm

Fred

Okay, stipulating to that…. what would your reaction be if it were to occur that GE did not pay any taxes at some future point?

That’s the issue – peoples’ reactions.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Paul. I don’t do what if’s I do TRUTH. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle.

Del

April 21st, 2011
7:39 pm

All of the anti-corporation folks and self described experts on business economics don’t have the foggiest notion as to how globalization changed corporate America. If they did they would be pointing fingers at the politicians instead of vilifying American business as the problem.

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
7:40 pm

md @ 7:13

“Lift them up with where they can go, don’t keep them down by telling them the odds are they can’t succeed………..”

“I spent 35 years of my life “lifting them up.” I have previously described – in great detail – how I did that, and how my students, their parents, and my administrators were pleased with my efforts in behalf of my students – as well as students throughout the school.

—————————————————————————
“Life isn’t fair….or easy…….but giving one an out through excuses isn’t very teacher like.”

I never gave my students an “out through excuses.” I simply tried to see into them with as much depth and insight as I could muster. I encouraged them to do better; I did not condemn them.

—————————————————————–
“If I thought like you write, I’d still be poorer than dirt………..” Actually, I gave my students the verbal skills needed to compete in this world, and was thanked many times for doing so.

My energies and life force were spent in “lifting” others, not in accruing wealth. But, then, that is exactly what I wanted with my life. I have enough money to enjoy my life – in my own way. I never sought wealth. We all die one day, and – in the end – we remember the love we left, not the money we accrued. The Judd’s sang, “Love Can Build a Bridge.” I was a builder because I first loved.

——————————————————————————————
You continue to misunderstand my thinking, md. I think you are looking at my thoughts through stereotypical lens – if I may say so – to try to help you see my actual vision.

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
7:40 pm

AmVet: “The end game for the non-conservative Republicans is for BIG business to pay zero federal income tax.”

Yep.

And they can blow up the financial system. They can even blow up the Gulf of Mexico. And is the question ever even asked whether limits should be set on their appetites? What we see instead is a ferocious campaign to divert and suppress any possibility of asking questions like these (see birtherism, Kenyan Socialist, etc.).

“They should pay their share for the bounty they enjoy and because of the ongoing corporate destruction of capitalism, to a gargantuan amount, they do not.”

And yet the question has to be asked, following Marx and others, whether this destructive potential wasn’t already contained in the thing itself, in capitalism. An open question perhaps, but an interesting one!

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
7:40 pm

Someone will believe it…..

So true.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:40 pm

Fred

So if you ever have kids, and they ask you “Dad, what would you think if I….”

You’d say “I’ll let you know when you do it, Suzie, ’cause I don’t do what if’s I do TRUTH. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle”

Jay

April 21st, 2011
7:43 pm

“I don’t know anyone who thinks a family of 4 making $40k should be taxed, except maybe Obama.”

Really, Mighty Righty? So who are all these people on this blog complaining repeatedly that 45 percent of American households don’t pay taxes? Since the median household income in this country is $50,000 — meaning half earn more and half earn less — those complaints are EXACTLY aimed at those making $40,000 or less.

So if you don’t anybody who fits that description, I know dozens who post right here on this blog.

Tommy Maddox

April 21st, 2011
7:43 pm

I didn’t know Charlie Rangle was a Republican.

Southern Comfort (aka The Man)

April 21st, 2011
7:44 pm

Del

I think they are both equally liable for the situation we’re in. Legislators only enacted laws that they were lobbied to enact. It wasn’t you or I who lobbied for these laws, it was those who had the money to pay for the influence.

Mighty Righty

April 21st, 2011
7:46 pm

Bragging about Jimmy Carter will make people think you are not bright. Poor Jimmy claimed to be a nucleur physicist and he couldn’t pronounce the word nucleur. It was really sad to watch. The main thing that Jimmy will be remembered for is he brought the Republican party back from the dead. After Nixon, the Republicans couldn’t elect a dog catcher. But after four years of old Jimmy the people had enough of the Democrats. If Obama doesn’t get his sh-t togeather soon, it will be another blood bath.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
7:48 pm

“he couldn’t pronounce the word nucleur”

From he who cannot spell nucleAr

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
7:52 pm

Righty, so your biggest specific complaint about Carter was his accent?

That’s the totality of your complaint?

Alriiiighty then…

…claimed to be a nucleur physicist…

Perhaps he could at least spell it correctly.

BTW, though you won’t like it, read anyway about his post-Naval Academy days in the early days of commanding US Navy nuclear submarines.

He was everything your beloved chickenhawks weren’t…

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
7:52 pm

There is a documentary on public television this evening about Alexander Hamilton – speaking of money – at 9 p.m.

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:52 pm

Dang, I go away to get some salami and cheese, come back and read Jay’s 7:43 and think Mighty’s gonna have a response ’cause it’s been ten minutes, but noooooo.

evenin’, Doggone/GA

Project still taxing your time?

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
7:55 pm

Evenin’ Paul…Yep project keeping me busy. We’re trying to bring something like 400 applications into our organization to provision and maintain the user base to ensure people have the access they need, and those that don’t need it don’t have it. Going to be a long term project, no doubt! And it was VERY taxing today!

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:57 pm

Doggone/GA

Well, I hope your superiors give you the support and backup you need. That can sometimes be the biggest problem.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
7:59 pm

Pretty sad, Jay.

Which conservatives have been applauding tax cheats? Maybe I’ve just never seen it. I sure have seen you libs defending the insurance company profits and the actions of GE.

Sounds a tad desperate. And pal, you have almost two full years to go. How desperate will you be in 2012?

Mighty Righty

April 21st, 2011
8:02 pm

Jay, half of the people don’t pay taxes. The probltem I have is not that they don’t pay taxes, but that our government wants the other half to pay the freight for the whole damn country while much of the expense is non essential. I know we can argue about what is essential and we will disagree. Your side prefers to kill people rather than cut out NPR funding, my side prefers to do away with the Department of Education rather than take anymore of our money to subsidize failed programs. It’s less about who is being taxed than it is what the money goes for.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
8:03 pm

Ensign resigns effect 5.3, not waiting til the end of his term

md

April 21st, 2011
8:04 pm

“I don’t know anyone who thinks a family of 4 making $40k should be taxed, except maybe Obama.”

I’ll raise my hand……….I think we should all pay tax…..we all live here.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:04 pm

Mighty Righty

be careful about using the term Blood Bath. Some lib might read it and start putting on camo and loading up like the guy did in Arizona.

Stay with terms that scare liberals like: it will be another dodge ball game or it will be another wiffle ball game.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:05 pm

I say take NPR’s guns away because I’m not in favor of them killing folks.

Tundra Dude

April 21st, 2011
8:11 pm

JB wrote, in part:
Back in 2001, the most recent year for which estimates are available, almost $300 billion in taxes owed went uncollected.

I beg to differ. See article from Huff below. I checked the GAO website. The $330 million figure came from IRS.

article summary:
Federal Tax Collection GAO-11-272 March 10, 2011

——————————————

from: huffingtonpost 04-11-2011

IRS Funding Cut Days Before Report Shows $330 Billion In Uncollected Taxes

WASHINGTON — As part of the budget deal hashed out on Friday evening, lawmakers agreed that no additional federal funds would be used to hire new IRS agents.

Then on Monday, the Government Accountability Office publicly released a study showing that, as of the end of fiscal year 2010, roughly $330 billion in federal taxes had never been paid — an amount that, if collected, would represent nearly nine times the amount of savings as the budget itself.

The dual developments aren’t shocking. Despite evidence that a single dollar spent on enforcing the tax code could result in up to ten dollars in revenue, politicians, naturally, are reluctant to align themselves with tax collectors.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:12 pm

TaxPayer

That’s some funny stuff. Abortion jokes. Hard to beat. And it’s not like we are killing people like Stalin. He killed 3 million a year. We are only doing about a third of that. You should do stand up.

maude

April 21st, 2011
8:13 pm

The problem with todays conservatives is that there is nothing conservative about them.
They have become extremists.

And extremism is unhealthy.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:14 pm

maude

So what’s extreme about conservatives?

@@

April 21st, 2011
8:15 pm

Paul:

You misunderstood. No sexual innuendo. It’s a double entendre. You, being who you are, missed the ace, flubbed the serve, got caught in my turf.

:grin: :grin: :grin:

Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)

April 21st, 2011
8:15 pm

Well, I can truthfully say I paid my fair share of income taxes. It’s just that it turned out my fair share was zero, zippo, nada, zip, thanks to the best tax accountant in GA, my buddy Jim Earl. We were scrambling for awhile, and then Jim Earl asked, “How much does it cost to feed that dog?” “Ace?” I said. “Well, I guess it’s a pretty fair amount, what with all the Milk Bones and table scraps and treats he gobbles down. Then there’s the trips to the vet when he gets the mange.”

Well, in no time at all I had another exemption and a zero tax bill. Hey, this Geithner’s got nothing on me. I paid my fair share.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:16 pm

Good little liberal,

NPR does abortions too! I’m just shocked. This is hardly a laughing matter. Well, in that case, I’m in favor of stopping them from selling birth control pills too. That sort of stuff should be left to the individual and her doctor.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:18 pm

TaxPayer

LOL!!! You’re killing me.

I love abortion humor.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:19 pm

So what’s extreme about conservatives?

For starters, one of them masquerading as a good little liberal. How extreme is that? Do you also do specials at rallies in Wisconsin in your camo teacher’s outfit. I’ll bet you’re a real riot act.

stands for decibels

April 21st, 2011
8:19 pm

To answer Jay’s headline question: Because GOP voters generally aspire to be big-shot tax cheats themselves.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:20 pm

I love abortion humor.

I bet you do.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:20 pm

TaxPayer

I don’t think anyone thinks I’m a good little liberal anymore than they think that you are a taxpayer.

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
8:25 pm

GLL: “So what’s extreme about conservatives?”

Well, let’s see, they suggest throwing the family credit card out the window of the moving car, supposedly to force a confrontation over runaway spending, knowing full well that this very act will create a monster that will eat up the credit card, the family car, and the family members riding in it. They propose destroying the family to save it, in other words.

Sounds pretty extreme to me.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
8:25 pm

How funny. We all know that Taxpayer pays taxes…sales tax, gas taxes and of course since he buys things from corporation he’s paying the income taxes that the corporations pass thru. I am confident he pays a lot of other taxes. It is very likely he also pays income tax and property taxes.

But then some posters love to make claims they can’t back. Silly. When you have nothing to say, accuse another poster of something you have no factual basis to make to really appear inane.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:26 pm

stands for decibels

Actually we aspire to be welfare recipients, but it’s just that our taste are too expensive. As soon as Obama pushes for a Ferrari in every garage, I’m applying.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:29 pm

I don’t think anyone thinks I’m a good little liberal anymore than they think that you are a taxpayer.

And to think that you started that sentence so well — subject, predicate.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:30 pm

Left wing management

That sounds really extreme and as soon as i figure out what you are talking about, I might agree.

My family doesn’t depend on the government and we have a credit card for emergencies. I bought a set of tires on it last year. Credit cards are bad, you know. Throwing a credit card out a window after cutting it up is the best thing you can do. So again, and please in non-political mantra terms, what is extreme about conservatives?

Del

April 21st, 2011
8:31 pm

SoCo, the difference between corporations and government is that corporations our driven by profits. They can’t tax anyone to provide them with more money. They’re in business to survive and earn profits and they will do so anyway they can within the boundaries of government regulations and trade agreements. How do you think Corporate America is not only surviving but prospering, while we continue in a weak economy and high unemployment condition? Before you answer that question keep in mind that business leaders aren’t hired to be altruistic, benevolent nice guy’s. Certainly politicians aren’t either, unless one lives in a fairy tale world.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:31 pm

TaxPayer

LOL!! A career in stand up is a-waitin’.

maude

April 21st, 2011
8:34 pm

Repubs argue that the Country is going broke and the only fix is to stop paying taxes.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
8:34 pm

they will do so anyway they can within the boundaries of government regulations and trade agreements

And some will strive to do so outside the boundaries of laws, government regulations and trade agreements.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:36 pm

My family doesn’t depend on the government and we have a credit card for emergencies.

So now it’s talk of “family” and “we” once money is involved. In other words, you’re a dependent when it comes to finances. You’re one of those social conservatives.

buck@gon

April 21st, 2011
8:36 pm

Jay, …. in order….

1) “If it’s pointed out that a family of four making $40,000 a year pays no federal income taxes, many conservatives tend to get upset that the family isn’t paying their fair share like the rest of us.”

You’re just wrong–no conservatives I know–and we all know you aren’t acquainted with any not filtered through Rachael Maddow.

2) “On the other hand, if it’s pointed out that a multi-millionaire or billionaire pays no federal income tax, the reaction is to applaud his or her accountant for successfully cheating the government.”

Never mind that a person can both be of great wealth and no income–witness the Kennedys. Besides, who’s applauding GE and Tim Geithner?

OK, yet another absurd post begun under false premises slain where it lies. I’m really for your next shot Jay. Take it. Hope it’s a little more ahhh,…. inspired.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:38 pm

Libs

I don’t understand tonight’s bitterness? After almost two years of hope and Change, the economy is still in the pits, we can’t drill off our own coast but Obama is financing other country’s drilling in the same water, Only 45% of the public is saying that they would never vote for Obama and 45% is certainly not a majority and those evil corporations that you all hate so much are leaving the country in droves.

Isn’t this what you wanted?

maude

April 21st, 2011
8:39 pm

senator ensign’s affair. why would you need to have a affair when half of your state has legalized prostitution.

GOP=
Ge.nit.als
Outside
Pants

Adam

April 21st, 2011
8:40 pm

Dave R: Can you provide some sort of statistical analysis to back up your claim that the number of people in poverty has not increased? Also, how is poverty defined? Are we saying that the middle class is everyone who isn’t impoverished or super rich?

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
8:42 pm

buck@gon
April 21st, 2011
8:36 pm
Jay, …. in order….

1) “If it’s pointed out that a family of four making $40,000 a year pays no federal income taxes, many conservatives tend to get upset that the family isn’t paying their fair share like the rest of us.”

You’re just wrong–no conservatives I know–and we all know you aren’t acquainted with any not filtered through Rachael Maddow
____________________________

Buck meet md at 8:04 PM Jay can probably make a few more introductions for you.

Adam

April 21st, 2011
8:42 pm

buck: You’re just wrong–no conservatives I know–and we all know you aren’t acquainted with any not filtered through Rachael Maddow.

You’re the one who’s wrong. Many of the cons who frequent this blog keep spouting how upset they are that anyone in the world has no tax liability, and keep trotting out the 47% number in order to help corporate and wealthy interests that they do not, and will never, approach as an individual or a corporation.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:42 pm

TaxPayer

I understand you are polishing your stand up routine, but just for fun, you might notice that Left Wing Management brought up “family” in their post at 8:25 PM. I was responding to what they said. It was a conversation thing.

A swing!!! Steeeeeeee-rik!!!!!

You are trying too hard, Pal.

Del

April 21st, 2011
8:43 pm

“And some will strive to do so outside the boundaries of laws, government regulations and trade agreements.”

“Some”, that requires quantification. It’s like saying that some politicians are more concerned with their political careers than they are about the good of the country. Who knows how many in each category? We only know that both exist.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:44 pm

maude

So do you think about Republican’s Ge.nit.als a lot?

RB from Gwinnett

April 21st, 2011
8:44 pm

Jay, you’re confusing people illegally not paying taxes with higher tax rates. Those are 2 different issues entirely. If the billionaire is not paying any taxes and is following the tax code, it’s not his fault. He’d be stupid to pay what he doesn’t owe and stupid people are rarely in that position.

Once again, the problem is that the $40K earner wants more and more and more services from the govt, has an equal vote to get it, and has no skin in the game. If you can’t see there is a problem with that, there is something seriously wrong with your thinking.

Stocking Stuffer

April 21st, 2011
8:44 pm

I keep all my dollars stuffed in my mattress so I don’t have any income. All I have is wealth. So I should not have to pay taxes. People should pay me since I don’t pay taxes and it saves them the cost associated with people that do pay taxes. And if they don’t like it then I say trickle down on them. Then they cannot help but like it because that is what they like.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:47 pm

good little liberal,

There’s no effort on my part in replying to your posts. Of course, if you wish to think otherwise, by all means, knock yourself out.

md

April 21st, 2011
8:47 pm

“Buck meet md at 8:04 PM Jay can probably make a few more introductions for you.”

Another out of context post……sigh…….

Upset??

Says it all if one doesn’t agree that we all live here and all should pay tax to sustain it……..

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
8:50 pm

TaxPayer

“There’s no effort on my part in replying to your posts”

Maybe that’s the problem.

You are just too easy. I have to go home. Have fun. LOL!!

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
8:50 pm

oh do please provide the “context”

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
8:53 pm

GLL : “That sounds really extreme and as soon as i figure out what you are talking about, I might agree.”

You’re right. I went into my ‘fictional scenario’ without setting you up for it. So, let’s try that again:

The extreme measures being contemplated by the Republicans (as referred to in Jay’s post earlier today) consists of the very fact of raising the possibility that they would really be willing to go through with forcing a shutting off of the spigot of borrowing on the nation (by refusing an increase in the debt ceiling) under the pretense of forcing the nation to get serious about spending, with full knowledge that this very act would create a black hole of spending and instability with very uncertain results, but which would most likely send that very same spending spiraling out of sight. It would blow a hole in the very mechanism by which we understand our current financial position, namely our relationship with bond holders, a hole that would be irreparable (because once that Rubicon is crossed, there ain’t no going back). And it would set off a cascading of skyrocketing interest rates that would ripple through the economy, causing it to seize up (loans at all levels would overnight become prohibitively expensive), throwing the whole economy back into a paralyzing recession, or worse.

And all this to force its budgetary vision on the nation.

Message from Matti

April 21st, 2011
8:53 pm

The GOP protects tax cheats because they are their biggest supporters. (This message brough to you today by the letter “Duh.”)

Going deeper than the Duh, the tax burden on the middle class is only one of many ways in which they continue to suck the life out of us. They want the middle class American Dream to disappear. Union busting and the exportation of jobs are just two of the ways they’re implementing a broad strategy of wage suppression. In a few years, most of us will work for any little scraps we can get, and the things we’ve tried to save for (like being able to see a doctor during retirement years, or.. actually retiring) will be distant fantasies, forgotten amid the daily struggle to survive. They are working to build a more perfect world, where there are TWO socioeconomic classes, not three. Guess where you fit into the picture?

Chris Matthews

April 21st, 2011
8:53 pm

Obama is one of those evil millionares!

md

April 21st, 2011
8:55 pm

“oh do please provide the “context””

Might start by checking the post you respond to with the one you link………not the same quotes…..

Big difference between getting upset about folks not paying and believing all should share in an obligation………

ensign da' rapper

April 21st, 2011
8:55 pm

Shiver me timber girl
Walk me plank
Hear me Yarrrr
All the way to the Bank
I’m a Repub – I’m a moralist!

Sing Yankee Doodle
Then stretch me Noodle
I’m a Repub – I love Jayzus!

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
8:56 pm

I’m just glad they caught that Geithner guy. I mean, the thousands of dollars in payroll taxes that he probably almost got away with not paying on that 1099 income. I mean to tell you. If only he had set up an account through UBS like those other thousands of American tax cheats did. Then again, some of those people are now paying taxes and fines and begging for mercy. The IRS is collecting billions off of those folks. They should have applied for a job at the White House so they would have gone undetected like Geithner. Oops, he did get caught by the folks at the White House though.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 21st, 2011
8:59 pm

Nation’s Mood at Lowest Level in Two Years, Poll Shows
By JIM RUTENBERG and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN

Americans are more pessimistic about the nation’s economic outlook and overall direction than they have been at any time since President Obama’s first two months in office, when the country was still officially ensnared in the Great Recession, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
—————————-

Yeah, that Idiot Messiah is doing one fine job!

Fail.

godless heathen

April 21st, 2011
9:00 pm

I support vigorous enforcement of the laws, whether it’s wading the Rio Grande or cheating the IRS. On the other hand taking advantage of existing laws to reduce one’s tax liability is something else. Do you all take deductions when you do your taxes?

Fix the damn tax code!

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
9:00 pm

Distinction without a difference in context but nice try.

Steve

April 21st, 2011
9:01 pm

If the contract is for big bonuses to executives, then it must be honored, says the Republican party, but if it is a contract with a government worker, or union worker, you can and must get those set aside.

Billings

April 21st, 2011
9:03 pm

Mary Elizabeth

April 21st, 2011
9:06 pm

Keep speaking, Matti. You see part of the “game” being played on the national stage.

The Republicans – who are working class – and who are voting against their own best interests have, unfortunately, accepted the simplistic view – fed to them – of “winners and losers” – not realizing what a complex soup we are all part of.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:06 pm

Obama plans to destroy Capitalism! Oh NOES! That evil man! And he’s doing it by making my stocks go UP. How cunning is that man.

deegee

April 21st, 2011
9:08 pm

I started listening to Neal Boortz in the 1980s. I listened to him off and on for about 15 years. I stopped listening to him all together about 5 years ago. Last month I was in traffic in the morning and tuned the dial to Boortz. I couldn’t believe it. It was as if I had a flashback to 1989. He was saying the exact same things in the exact same way. He even told the exact same story about his friend that owns a business and was going to throw in the towel because government regulation and taxes are just too much to bear. What a gasbag.

Don't Tread

April 21st, 2011
9:08 pm

I suppose we should just assume anyone making over the median income (”rich”) is cheating on their taxes, and throw them in jail. Tax avoidance = tax evasion, after all.

Of course, the simple solution is a simple tax code. But we’re not really interested in solutions in liberalville, are we?

Unless the “solution” is “punishing the enemy”.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:10 pm

Left wing management

Sorry. But you are buying a full wagonload of do-do. This latest pending doom disaster may be working on you and most liberals, but if you go out beyond the talking points of the DNC, you will discover that there is no deadline for increasing the debt ceiling.

We are facing a downgrading of our credit, something we have never had to face because of these unending crisis d’jour. it’s everyday there’s a new crisis that unless the give the Democrats their way, we will fall into a deep economic pit, but strangely enough, we keep falling into the economic pit and the response we keep getting is “it would have been much worse”

How many times are you going to buy this? We had to pass ObamaCare or children will die. We had to pass the stimulus or unemployment will top 8%. I wish my Dad had been a liberal: “Dad I know I wrecked the last four cars but if I don’t get a new car, my leg will fall off”.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the Republicans are running a can, too. this latest “Spending Cut” amounted to about a day’s worth of spending. It was nothing.

England just had to make real changes in order to save their credit rating. People were rioting in the streets, but they are beginning to see the light. But here, somehow, you good people that have great hearts keep buying into the obvious lie that in order to save our credit, we need to raise the limit on the amount of money we can spend.

The original point of this conversation was “What is radical about conservatives”. I see the radicals in the poor gullible liberals that seem to have no limit to the amount of do-do that they will buy into.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:17 pm

The left has been destroying this country from within for a long time. Most on the left have been sucked in unwittingly but some by calculated ideological objective. The former are sheep and the latter their hard corps socialist leaders. Hopefully, America is awakening to this internal threat that’s even far greater than Islamic jihadists that’s bringing our country down for our children and grandchildren.

@@

April 21st, 2011
9:21 pm

‘Scuse the interruption.

If Joe Mama is here posting under another name, I left you a response downstairs.

godless heathen

April 21st, 2011
9:22 pm

Matti,

You forgot burning babies and kicking puppies. That’s what we do in our spare time.

maude

April 21st, 2011
9:23 pm

Here’s a new idea. It’s called revolution. We take the bankers, their enablers in the government, the tax cheating, earth raping industrialists, the milquetoast sell out Democrats and the fascist Republicans and throw them where they all belong: in jail. Then we proceed to re-establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people, not corporations and the parasites who run them.

Yes, its messy and its risky and there will be unpleasantness. But in America today, is there really any other choice?

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:23 pm

Del

I think America is waking up. But never ever underestimate the most powerful political machine the world has ever known fully backed by the most powerful media the world has ever known.

What gives me hope is when I talk to people that have stopped believing the daily crisis I mean how many times can the Democrats go back to that well?

I say we call their bluff. Defeat increasing the debt limit. What’s the worse that could happen? 10% employment? Prices on some food items tripling in 6 months? $4/gal gas?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:23 pm

Of course, ryan’s death budget is radical and the President nailed him.

Even cons in his district booed him.

A ray of hope from our radical right.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
9:24 pm

The tax code is perverse, pernicious and a tragic joke on the working man and woman.

It is written by the wealthy for the wealthy.

Human labor is heavily taxed, while “unearned income” is barely touched.

Billionaires have a smaller effective tax rate than someone making a fraction of that.

Hundreds, likely thousands, of corporations that used to pay their fair share in taxes, no longer do.

And the cons all parrot the talking-head line we don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

We have both.

And you fools are still waiting to be trickled on…

TruthBe

April 21st, 2011
9:24 pm

Since when does the GOP defend the Democrat Tax Cheats.

@@

April 21st, 2011
9:24 pm

Soups on?

If we’re the soup, government’s the spoon.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:25 pm

maude

Sure. Let’s all riot against evil corporations. I think there may be a few that you libs haven’t already ran off.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:27 pm

I pity those Republicans trying to sell the Ryan yellow brick road map to their constituency. It cannot be easy for them to answer the really tough questions that they’re getting like,

Do I have an L stamped on my head? I didn’t vote for you so you could con me into going along with cutting my benefits, raising my taxes, giving the wealthiest another tax cut and STILL, after all that, increasing the national debt!

Yet, they’ll still have some good little cons following them around like little lost puppies, sniffing their do do because they just know it doesn’t smell like anything other than the sweetest combination of mom’s apple pie and dad’s freshly oiled gun.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:27 pm

AmVet

The good news is that the answer is a fair tax.

The bad news is that it is the Democrats that are the ones that are fighting the hardest against it.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:27 pm

GLB@9:23, Amen, we’re going to be at that inflationary level anyway, so lets begin reversing it now and suffer the shorter term pain.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
9:28 pm

For the umpteenth time, the word evil is just childish spin for a lack of accurate adjectives…

Try again and use something adult this time.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:29 pm

TaxPayer

Ryan’s bill only alters the benefits of SS for people under 45 years old. They have 20 years to get ready.

Get your facts straight before you start ranting.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:29 pm

I think the gop house vote to end Medicare and the assault on the American workers from gop guvs have Americans wide awake.

The gop conspiracy to borrow like kids with a new credit card, collapse the economy and then try to steal Medicare and SS is very obvious to sane Americans.

Not going to happen cons, shame on you for trying again.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:31 pm

AmVet

What a word means to you just may not be the universally accepted definition.

Soothsayer

April 21st, 2011
9:31 pm

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:33 pm

getalife

The vote to end medicare?

Wow. Sometimes it’s like One Flew Over The Cuckcoo’s Nest in here.

Peter

April 21st, 2011
9:33 pm

What the GPO Rich does not want is a consumption tax period.

Then they will actually pay their fair share, as we know ……. Tiffany and Company is doing just fine.

Thus the Republican’s will never ever, and I mean NEVER ever think that way !

Confusion-ism is good…..take the Iraq War as the example.

New York City is attacked…..thus we invade another country, and “cost plus contracts” make sense…to some !

That is how Confusion-ism works ! Same with taxes.

Or say Republican Judges who buy cocaine for their stripper girlfriend….. You get to retire first on taxpayers money, then charged with the crime !

Who’s confused now ?

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:34 pm

Get your facts straight before you start ranting

Indeed you should, good little liar.

Joe Mama

April 21st, 2011
9:34 pm

@@ — “‘Scuse the interruption. If Joe Mama is here posting under another name, I left you a response downstairs.”

He’s not. I don’t do sock puppetry.

BTW, kindly come back to this thread and explain your charge of bigotry from earlier this week:

http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/04/19/ga-may-forfeit-health-insurance-authority/?cp=18

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
9:34 pm

Good little liberal, your writing “style” looks very familiar.

What names have you used here before?

Just curious…

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:35 pm

Sometimes it’s like One Flew Over The Cuckcoo’s Nest in here.

We do try to be accomodating of the little dependents, the good little con dependents.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:36 pm

TaxPayer

What did I lie about? Please be specific.

Peter

April 21st, 2011
9:37 pm

HA HA HA maude….. a government for the people by the people ? HA HA HA…

Please at the time of the signing of the US constitution…… “All men were created Equal”…….. remember…..??????

Then of course there were slaves…. So what has changed in a few hundred years ?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:37 pm

When cons stand up from bowing down to billionaires that give unlimited donations to pols and don’t need cons help, there will be change.

Don’t think this generation of cons will ever get off their knees and fight to change our corrupt systems and corrupt governments.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:39 pm

AmVet

You sound rather intimidated. I’m sorry that you don’t like my responses to your rantings, but hey, that’s life on a political blog.

The key is to remain civil, the question is, can you?

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:40 pm

getalife

“Don’t think this generation of cons will ever get off their knees and fight to change our corrupt systems and corrupt governments.”

That’s what the Tea Party is all about.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:40 pm

Ryan’s bill only alters the benefits of SS for people under 45 years old.

Back that up with a little linkee, like a good little con.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
9:42 pm

GLL, you are the third so-called conservative I have asked a straight forward question of this afternoon/evening, and so far I have received zero replies.

Again, what names have you used here before?

Seems a civil enough question…

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
9:44 pm

That’s what the Tea Party is all about — except when 70% of them say “hands off MY entitlements”

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
9:44 pm

Amvet,

The good little con is a familiar one, isn’t he. Yet, no matter how many times he is reincarnated, he’s just forgettable.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:44 pm

“That’s what the Tea Party is all about.”

They bow down and act upon the wishes of the koch brothers. Fact.

Try again con.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:46 pm

I tried to get an answer on how many times w raised the debt ceiling and got crickets too.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:46 pm

AmVet

I ask liberals questions all the time, including you. You can ask all day but it is my choice whether or not I answer. You came here spouting your normal hysterics and I pointed out an obvious flaw to your logic. You didn’t like that so you changed the subject and are attempting to make it personal. I choose to stick to the subject you introduced.

So how do you feel about the fair tax and how do you explain the Democrat’s opposition to the concept?

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:47 pm

“Don’t think this generation of cons will ever get off their knees and fight to change our corrupt systems and corrupt governments.”

There our other options where you may find greater happiness in perhaps: North Korea, China, communist Cuba, Venezuela or maybe Moldova. Delta is ready when you are.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:47 pm

Keep Up the Good Fight!

70% That’s a pretty specific number. Source?

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:50 pm

getalife

The Koch Brothers are libertarians, not Republicans. And hey, the left has George Soros. What’s the difference?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:50 pm

“There our other options where you may find greater happiness in perhaps: North Korea, China, communist Cuba, Venezuela or maybe Moldova. Delta is ready when you are.”

I am very happy here and it is you cons whining and complaining every single day del.

Perhaps you should follow your own advice because there will be four more years of your daily crying.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:50 pm

Oops, ‘there are other options”

Really Now

April 21st, 2011
9:52 pm

This paper needs reworked. It is more liberal then Obama. No wonder most people dont know the real facts. All you have to do to find tax cheats is look in the administration. Thats the creteria to being on the Obama pannel these days. Be a tax cheat. Then your made a Czar or given some huge non working job that pays hundreds of thousands of dollars per month.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:52 pm

Del

I have to admit that he is right about our corrupt government. Maybe we can change that in 2012.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:53 pm

“What’s the difference?”

Soros is a dem donor that can counter the kochs.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:53 pm

getalife, well you don’t sound as though you’re really happy here, so I just thought I’d offer you up some alternatives.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:54 pm

“Maybe we can change that in 2012″

The gop will make it worse so you don’t want to change it..

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:55 pm

I did del.

Stop bowing down.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:55 pm

GLL, I agree, although I don’t think he/she sees it quite the same way as we do.

Disgusted

April 21st, 2011
9:57 pm

So how do you feel about the fair tax and how do you explain the Democrat’s opposition to the concept?

Well, gee, I dunno, maybe it’s the fact that the fair tax

1. Is a consumption tax on essentials, and that consumption tax hurts poor and middle class people much worse than it does the wealthy: the former need to spend just about all their income on consumables, whereas the wealthy just sock away tax-free any amount they earn above what they consume;
2. Exempts interest income, stock dividends, capital gains, etc.—all largely the income sources of the wealthy—from any taxation whatsoever;
3. Encourages the black market for goods and services;
4. You haven’t lived until you’ve paid $7 for a loaf of bread, while waiting for that pathetic rebate the cons promise you’ll get. We all know that cons never, ever break promises—like the one that was made when workers were suckered into paying Social Security tax after a promise that they’d get a pension after a lifetime of work and no one would ever touch it.

Other than those piddling things, I can’t think of any defects in the Fair Tax at all.

Del

April 21st, 2011
9:58 pm

“Stop bowing down.”

You need to pass that admonition on to Obama.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
9:58 pm

getalife

“Soros is a dem donor that can counter the kochs.”

So what’s the problem? I don’t like any billionaire that tries to manipulate the system. Both parties have them. I still fall right of center, but after what the Republicans have tried to pull since January, I’m looking for a real alternative. It would be really nice to actually vote FOR somebody as opposed to the lesser of two evils.

Dusty

April 21st, 2011
9:59 pm

Will the AJC Ethics Committee (ha!) please investigate Bookman? Headlining suggestive lies is NOT telling the truth. GOP does not support TAX cheats and he knows it. Just another rubbish dump on Republicans. Integrity at AJC is such a bother. So they do away with it.

The Cox Family owns AJC and they are as rich as they come. Anybody check THEIR taxes for loopholes and how much they paid and gave to charity and what percentage and all that crap about “the rich should pay MORE taxes”?

No indeed. Bookman wants to know why GOP wants to protect tax cheats. Why does Bookman want to protect liberal rich people? Why? Why? (Hint: Because they pay HIM.)

getalife

April 21st, 2011
9:59 pm

Again del,

He can’t do it by himself silly.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:00 pm

The FairTax is pure socialism. Who would have ever thought that Republicans would go for it but they do.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 21st, 2011
10:02 pm

Obama says new task force will examine gas prices

LOS ANGELES – President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Justice Department will try to “root out” cases of fraud or manipulation in oil markets, even as Attorney General Eric Holder suggested a variety of legal reasons may be behind gasoline’s surge to $4 a gallon.
————————–

Faux populism from the faux intellectual Idiot Messiah.

More bread and circuses for his retard acolytes.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
10:02 pm

“I’m looking for a real alternative. It would be really nice to actually vote FOR somebody as opposed to the lesser of two evils.”

Nobody is running to change the system.

There are no alternatives.

There are no leaders after Obama.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:04 pm

Disgusted

1. You made some good points, but I think it is a start. If essentials were taxed less than luxuries, that would fix that problem. Look at Tennessee’s tax system. No state income tax and food is taxed less than anything else. And Tennessee has a workable indignant care health plan.

2. It doesn’t actually exempt anything because it has never been drawn up as an actual bill.

3. Tennessee doesn’t have a black market

4. I don’t know what you are talking about. Who’s paying $7 for a loaf of bread?

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:04 pm

So GLL, you won’t even answer that simple, harmless question?

Wow, (get it?)

I’ve seen your game innumerable times here and know what that means. You’re screwed. Very, very few here are going to take you seriously.

Because you’ll never manup and honestly answer the question. Yet you expect complete honesty to all of your queries.

So it just becomes the same old waste of time, covering the same old ground the last time you were here, in whatever iteration. And the time before that. And the time before that…

And, as getalife says this is a no lie zone.

Not to worry, somebody here will play with you though…

Del

April 21st, 2011
10:05 pm

I find it interesting that the far-left likes to include the middle class in with the poor and lament that the middle class is shrinking. They’re attempting to build a perception that this country is moving toward a wealthy class and a poor class with nothing in the middle. The middle class is alive and well in America, although the left is doing their level best to destroy it. If we don’t wake up they may succeed.

maude

April 21st, 2011
10:06 pm

Ryan got booed by the people in his district. They are finally waking up to what the gop are trying to do to the Middle Class Americans.

They are aware that the voucher system is a horrible idea for Medicare. It would be the usual extreme cost for poor coverage.

To the moderately aged people on this blog, you may be lucky enough to live a long life, you may need Social Security and Medicare someday and if ryan has his way you won’t have it.

You had better wake up and realize what is really happening, that the wealthy are greedy and want it all, including what we have. They will never be satisfied and will suck the life out of all of you.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:06 pm

TaxPayer

I always hear liberals demanding that conservatives define socialism. So it’s a sales tax instead of an income tax?

Thanks for clearing that up.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:08 pm

Why would Republicans cut measly millions from the IRS when they have the potential to collect hundreds of billions unless they’re trying to shield their donors from more scrutiny. I think Jay is asking the appropriate question, why does the GOP wanto to protect tax cheats. The Dems are not protecting them. The Dems expose the tax cheats and make them pay up. The Republicans want to praise the tax cheats and even make it easier for them to cheat.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:08 pm

Del, the facts don’t agree with your 10:05…

Bookman-Tucker-Luckovich

April 21st, 2011
10:09 pm

I guess they want to protect Tim Geithner, tax cheat. And the rest of this Administration.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:09 pm

good little con,

you owe me a response from earlier. WOW me, won’t you, and give me that linkee to support your claim about Ryan’s plan.

Yippee

April 21st, 2011
10:10 pm

Mr. Bookman,

Pace yourself, as it is early and you have a long road ahead in your mission of propping up the Democrats and Obama through libtypical inflamatory half-truths; fabrications; and outright BS.

All the crap and distractions calling this place home fail to to see the obvious: We are heading over the cliff and the federal government is fiddling with the radio knobs. Come on folks, pay attention!

Del

April 21st, 2011
10:10 pm

“Del, the facts don’t agree with your 10:05…”

AmVet, oh yes they do.

Dusty

April 21st, 2011
10:10 pm

getalife, when did you get brainwashed?

Disgusted

April 21st, 2011
10:11 pm

To the moderately aged people on this blog, you may be lucky enough to live a long life, you may need Social Security and Medicare someday and if ryan has his way you won’t have it.

Yup. But the Koch brothers and other large employers of hundreds masquerading as small businesses don’t like making that matching contribution to SS and Medicare. And besides, getting rid of SS and Medicare would be great for the bottom line and the economy, dontcha know.

Dusty

April 21st, 2011
10:12 pm

Taxpayer, when did you get brainwashed?

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 21st, 2011
10:12 pm

maude: Ryan got booed by some union thugs bused into his district.
——————-

Fixed.

Oh, Obozo got booed at his town hall meeting today. Pretty sure they were US citizens doing the booing.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:13 pm

AmVet

I don’t expect anything from you except insults. Other than hysterical rantings, That is apparently the limit to your abilities.

If I have no credibility among others here, why are you trying so desperately hard? You seem to want to speak for everyone here. Was there some sort of vote to make you the spokesperson?

And finally, if I am such a waste of time, why did you just waste so much time composing yet another hysterical diatribe against me while avoiding my question?

As far as me “manning up” the opinion of you about my manhood is absolutely the furtherest thing from my mind.

Del

April 21st, 2011
10:13 pm

Nothing will be determined on this blog, just a place to vent opinions. Taps…have a great evening y’all.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:14 pm

Del, then, please provide those facts that this country is NOT moving toward a wealthy class and a poor class with nothing in the middle.

Because I’ve got quite a few that will show we are very much moving in that direction..

Sid Farcas

April 21st, 2011
10:14 pm

GE gets all these great tax breaks from this President and you want to point the finger at the GOP? Profits up 77% this year and giving Obama lots of money. You lose credibility with every post. You are a douche Book Man. Always have been a douche, always will be a douche.

maude

April 21st, 2011
10:15 pm

wow,

“Tennessee has a workable indignant care health plan”

Freudian slip: indigent care

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:16 pm

G’night, Del.

Rest well.

We’ll butt heads another time…

fedup

April 21st, 2011
10:16 pm

Hey Jefferson….Dems….the disaster that has and is happening. Jay….Charlie Rangel ?

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
10:16 pm

AmVet, you mean things like demanding that someoen provide a link but not providing a link to his claims?

Then there is the other poster who posts opinion disguised as factual but not intended as factual statements

Then you have another poster who accuses Jay of somesort of distinction between Republican tax cheats and Democratic tax cheats.
____________________________________
They do play their little games well.

Don't call us Po Folks, We're just plain Folks

April 21st, 2011
10:16 pm

A wealthy class and a poor class with nothing in the middle. What would be the early warning signs? Let’s see, would 47 percent of the population paying no federal income tax be one. Would a handful of people controlling trillions of dollars be one. I suppose such things might be indickative of such a society. Let’s Dwell on that, shall we.

KRS

April 21st, 2011
10:16 pm

So Jay, what about Tim Geithner? Is he a tax cheat also, someone who your prince Obama appointed to oversee the IRS and he had severe PROBLEMS with his taxes, oh Jay, he cheated.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:17 pm

TaxPayer

Sorry. It wasn’t 45, it was 54:

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/04/05/6411892-ryan-plan-a-good-deal-depends-on-age

Over age 54? You needn’t worry about the proposal House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., unveiled Tuesday for a redesign of Medicare.

Under age 54? You’ll need to pay a bigger share of the cost of your medical care once you’re retired.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:18 pm

maude

LOL!

Good catch. Thanks

Billybob

April 21st, 2011
10:18 pm

Why does obama protect tax cheat geithner by letting him run that which he cheated on……..why does the media protect wanna-be-tax cheat john kerry and his hidden yacht in another state………keep talking bookman, you and tucker are a riot lately!!!!!!

KRS

April 21st, 2011
10:20 pm

Jay, McDonalds hamburger pit gets a waiver from Obama care and they are to hire 50K people in one day. U think this is some of Chicago politics to fool the public. McDonalds are headquartered in Illinois outside of Chicago.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:20 pm

Then there is the other poster who posts opinion disguised as factual but not intended as factual statements

Is Jon Kyl blogging here! I don’t believe you. Where’s your proof.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:21 pm

KRS

If you want to learn the truth about Mikydee and the federal government, read Fast Food Nation.

Message from Matti

April 21st, 2011
10:21 pm

KO addresses the question of why people who aren’t rich and who will never be rich complain about taxing the rich: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMVqikEt6Xc

“… this guy represents the real tragedy. He is the hard working, generally benign conservative who thinks the system should be designed only to keep money out of the hands of the lazy and slothful. It has not occurred to him, or he has blinded himself, to the reality that the politicians he supports are there to make sure that even conservatives in the middle and lower classes cannot break through to higher ground and greater income. And if he does have the insight to see the repression the republicans are building, …….. he blames it not on them, but on scapegoats.”

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:22 pm

“gets a waiver from Obama care ”

Everybody, every single body, who bitches about this leaves out THE MOST IMPORTANT WORD:

TEMPORARY

They are getting TEMPORARY WAIVERS

TEMPORARY – you would be just that much better educated if you memorised it and then look it up in the dictionary so you know what it means

Sid Farcas

April 21st, 2011
10:23 pm

Just in case AM Vet or any other Book Man type liberal is out there, here is the WS story about GE.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983704576276564256544634.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:24 pm

The Ryan plan would gradually replace Medicare with a system of vouchers that seniors could use to help buy private health insurance. Privatizing Medicare in this way would increase health spending substantially for two reasons, CBO explains. First, private health insurance plans have much higher administrative costs than traditional Medicare. Second, private plans cannot negotiate payment rates for health care providers that are as low as Medicare’s.

But don’t you worry because you seniors will have control of your money with that voucher and you’ll be able to demand value for your money or else you’ll just take it elsewhere, like India or Korea.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 21st, 2011
10:24 pm

The waivers are temporary. The suckiness of the law is permanent.

Sid Farcas

April 21st, 2011
10:25 pm

Hey doggone, you mean like temporary taxes? Give us a break, any corporation like GE will be exempt from obozocare as long as they “support $$$” the dnc.

oldguy

April 21st, 2011
10:25 pm

Lets see Jay,
The second highest corporate tax rate in the world;
Well over a Trillion dollar shortfall each year, and rising;
Obama supporter GE pays NO Income taxes;
Billionares (Soros, etc) supporting the PreZ and Demoncrats;
Multiple tax cheats in the Administratioon;
Who was that again supporting the rich ?????

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
10:27 pm

Taxpayer…all part of putting the Big Lies out there hoping that some continue to believe even when disproven.

I assume you say these town halls clips and stories…Not going well for Republicans. I love the woman who says “And that is, you seem to think that because I’m not affected, I won’t care if my niece, my grandson, my child is affected. I do care.” Bet we’ll soon see a lot of Republicans cancelling their town halls.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:28 pm

Years ago, Po Folks was good value. Then the middle class really did become po and that was that…

Keep, like I said somebody will play with the new named wow of a thousand names.

Sid, your outrage over GE is about 15 yearslate.

You were snoozing while your boys in Washington and elsewhere implemented the Corporate States of America…

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:28 pm

“The second highest corporate tax rate in the world”

Oh, woe is me…those poor, poor corporations – paying one of the lowest EFFECTIVE tax rates in the world and making record profits while doing it. What SHALL we do? What shall we do?

Message from Matti

April 21st, 2011
10:29 pm

“What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner? What about Tim Geithner?”

Zip it and listen up: The appointment of Geithner, a tax cheat, is just one more piece of evidence that THERE IS NO CHANGE. The people who owned GWB also own Obama. Our President does not make the big decisions. The people who own all the money and really run the world do not change from year to year because we have our silly elections. The real power is the same. The entire two-party system is a RUSE. They want us to be divided and fighting with each other because that way there is no risk that we will ever unite and take power from them. D’OH!

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:29 pm

Taxpayers

Mediamatters. I wondered why you didn’t reference it. Yep, if it’s a rag bought and paid for by George Soros, how can it NOT be true?

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
10:30 pm

Why Doggone, when we dont like the stinkin facts we change them and then say temporary, yeah wait they’ll be permanent. Of course by the time the expire, the lie will have lived. Did you not read the playbook? ;)

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:30 pm

Keep Up the Good Fight,

Republicans need to get out there in every community and tell everyone the sordid details about the Ryan yellow brick road map because the people gave them a mandate to do just that.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:33 pm

Doggone/GA

“Oh, woe is me…those poor, poor corporations – paying one of the lowest EFFECTIVE tax rates in the world and making record profits while doing it. What SHALL we do? What shall we do?”

Actually the ones making record profits are doing it by moving manufacturing offshore. So it may not be Woe is you, but it is woe to about 20% of the population that don’t have a decent job.

If we don’t start doing something to get jobs back here, we are not going to have a country left.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:33 pm

“when we dont like the stinkin facts we change them”

What kills me is that “the other side” doesn’t even LIKE the healthcare bill. Wouldn’t you think they’d be HAPPPY to see companies get those waivers?

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:34 pm

From the IRS web site: “The Administration’s FY 2012 budget request for the Internal Revenue Service is nearly $13.3 billion, a $1.1 billion increase from the FY 2010 budget.”

Why does the IRS need nearly a 10% budget increase when everyone else is taking it in the shorts? What’s so special about the IRS? Is there a shortage of auditing? Any businesses out there saying “Gee, if we just had more IRS audits taking place then I’d be willing to hire more people.”

Too bad the left salivates when contemplating cuts in defense but gets the hives when asking the IRS to take a small decrease.

I guess we know the left’s priorities.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:36 pm

“So it may not be Woe is you, but it is woe to about 20% of the population that don’t have a decent job”

They’re still sitting on record profits. Why aren’t they hiring? They can afford it. Lowering taxes does not produce jobs. CUSTOMERS produce jobs. Listen to the TV ads sometime. There’s at least ONE company that understands that.

“Without customer there would be no Nationwide”

getalife

April 21st, 2011
10:36 pm

We have started a green energy policy with electric cars, wind, solar, ethanol, etc,,,,,,.

cons said no.

The Arab people want freedom.

The cons said no.

The President tried to fight against citizen united and election reform.

The cons said no.

A vote to end Medicare.

The cons said yes.

The problem is obvious.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

April 21st, 2011
10:37 pm

Taxpayer, that “its about jobs” mandate or the “please destroy medicare mandate” that 70% of the tea party says “What are you doing?” Was there a birther mandate?

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:37 pm

good little con,

If you wish to debate the content of the Ryan road map then do so. We can start here if you like. Or would you prefer to go straight to Ryan’s source — the Koch funded Heritage Foundation. If so, perhaps we can start with an assessment of their assumption that the tax cuts will pay for themselves just as soon as unemployment hits 2%. What do ya say.

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:39 pm

Damn right we said no.

THIS IS OBAMA’S GREEN ENERGY PLAN:

GASOLINE PRICES: “I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment ”

ELECTRICITY RATES: “You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”

Yippee

April 21st, 2011
10:40 pm

I hear one has to have liquid assets of $750k or better to become a resident of Australia. Better start saving your pennies. I won’t renounce my citizenship, but moving away for a while is looking better. Good night.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:40 pm

I hear liberals complaining about a shrinking middle class and I can’t disagree, but I hear these same liberals attacking companies and openly stating their contempt for American business.

Corporations are leaving our country because of ultra-high taxes and violent union thugs now supported by our government, but again, liberals keep complaining about a shrinking middle class Our jobs are going away. That’s why the middle class is shrinking.

It is honestly like the abusive husband who can’t figure out why their wife left them.

I need to go home.

Have a good night, everybody.

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:41 pm

“The Arab people want freedom.

The cons said no.”

Are you sure that’s what’s taking place over there?
When 8 Arab nations adopt Muslim theocracies, are you willing to own it?

Didn’t think so.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:41 pm

Did someone offer to cut defense! Who? Where? How much? And if the IRS were able to collect that 300 billion owed in taxes, I’d say they earned their budget.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
10:42 pm

We just started rgb. We should have started when Carter warned us and we had gas lines but you cons bowed down for oil. It is your fault cons.

Admit it big oil lovers.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:42 pm

In 1979, the Carter administration installed 32 panels on the roof of the White house which were designed to harvest the sun’s rays and use them to heat water.

Reagan took them down.

Carter was looking ahead.

Reagan and the cons look backwards.

They still do.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:42 pm

“Why does the IRS need nearly a 10% budget increase when everyone else is taking it in the shorts?”

It just MIGHT have something to do with the IRS returning nearly $10 in taxes to the government for every $1 it spends

If you’d actually READ what Jay wrote you would have seen this: “In other words, cut spending by $600 million, lose $4 billion in revenue and add $3.4 billion to the deficit”

Nobody but the conned would see cutting a service that returns nearly 1000% on the investment as a BAD thing.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:44 pm

If we cut GE’s taxes to zero, will they bring the jobs back!

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:44 pm

Thankfully Paul Ryan has a plan.

Obama has no budget plan. No clue. No ideas how to prevent financial death for the USA.

He is a man bereft of useful plans but full of useless, destructive ideology.

We are poorer, sicker, and less safe than 2 years ago.

Obama is the author not only of sham tomes, but also the author of this country’s final chapter.

And you tyrannical leftists own that too.

Good little liberal

April 21st, 2011
10:45 pm

TaxPayer

No we won’t start by debating yet another far left article. Look through the website and find any article that is not slamming the Republicans. i’m not asking that you stop reading the left wing garbage, but just once, you should try reading something that is not bought and paid for by the DNC. You might be amazed at what you are missing.

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:46 pm

Well then perhaps we should give the IRS $1.8 trillion and we’d solve ALL our budget problems.

Public school?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
10:46 pm

rgb is is liar.

“Obama has no budget plan.”

Lie.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
10:48 pm

“…of this country’s final chapter.”

Prepare the fainting couches!!

(And be very afraid…)

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:48 pm

Open question to the liberati:

Besides the military, are there any government expenditures that you would reduce?

And please spare me big oil, big pharma, Halliburton, George Bush, Koch brothers, the evil rich–they aren’t budget items.

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:48 pm

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:51 pm

Libs have no ideas other than calling everyone a liar.

Means you lost the argument.

“A speech is not a plan”. Say it with me–better yet, put in on your TelePrompTer.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:51 pm

“And please spare me big oil, big pharma, Halliburton, George Bush, Koch brothers, the evil rich–they aren’t budget items”

Subsidies ARE budget items. Every penny the government spends – or “spends” by not collecting is a budget item.

Personally, I would reduce pretty much everything by 10%, except the DOD. THAT I would reduce by 25%

getalife

April 21st, 2011
10:51 pm

We don’t discuss politics with liars here rgb.

Message from Matti

April 21st, 2011
10:52 pm

RGB,

Yes. I would reduce the “Defense Contractor” jobs program.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:53 pm

“Libs have no ideas other than calling everyone a liar.”

Only when they lie

@@

April 21st, 2011
10:53 pm

Joe Mama:

BTW, kindly come back to this thread and explain your charge of bigotry from earlier this week

I’m not in the habit of repeating myself. I leave that to folks like AmVet, who does it so often, it’s become monotonous.

You were on the previous thread with long-winded posts that were centered on racism. I came in with a piece regarding school choice, adding to that I submitted an article where Hispanic and Black leaders were calling for school choice.

You brought up subsidies. Actually, the money is already being paid in. If it’s a failing school from which the minority children aren’t benefiting, they should have the choice of taking that money elsewhere. It would be the parents who make up the difference in cost. It’ll serve the children and society as a whole in the long term.

Share “the love”, or at the very least, let it follow the child.

I would say you’re a cold-hearted Republican but we’re for school choice. And besides, I already know from your little drama earlier than you’re a “disheartened” Rep turned Dem.

Oh whoa is you!!!! My heart was breaking.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
10:55 pm

good little con,

present your data from whatever source you want on the Ryan plan. I’ll take you on. Pull up the Heritage Foundation report that Ryan based his work on. Bring it on.

a reader

April 21st, 2011
10:55 pm

dying schmying. evolving. those of us reading press are here today. those of us evolving are here tomorrow. (but, and yesterday [for the believers]). politics is like 2 – team sports. winner v loser. the current bout’s outcome bases it stakes on events recent – and loud mouths – and i’m stickin with my team.
stats reveal that the swarm is over here now. now it’s over there.
shout louder and say more stupid things. get it all out.
a voice is a voice is a voice

Jefferson

April 21st, 2011
10:56 pm

md, what about those unable to make good choices, you know say easily fooled? Piss on em’?

Cloudodust

April 21st, 2011
10:56 pm

We recently rec’d a notice we owed the IRS 13,000 in tax, penalities and interest on a 7,000 tax libility from tax year 2005. The only problem is the IRS cashed our personal check for the 7,000 in April 2006 and they missed it somehow. Who gets the burden of proof to gather the necessary paperwork plus a trip to the bank to dust off the archives and retrieve a cx’ed check..? We do, and did. We hope they’re gonna be satisfied

RGB

April 21st, 2011
10:56 pm

“Let’s take another trillion of that [money] that we raise through a reform in the tax system,” Obama said at Facebook headquarters, “that allows people like me — and, frankly, you, Mark — for paying a little more in taxes.” “I’m cool with that,” deadpanned Zuckerberg, whose fortune is estimated at close to $15 billion, as the audience laughed appreciatively. “I know you’re okay with that,” the president shot back.

Pure genius. Steel trap mind. Entrepreneurial wunderkind that Obama.

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
10:56 pm

Message from Matti

April 21st, 2011
10:58 pm

…. not that I’m totally against jobs programs, per se. But why are we paying people to build us airplanes that we do not use? Why not pay them to build something we DO need, like uh… bridges, roads, and levees? The more sciency-guys over at Lockheed could spend their time putting us at the TOP of the green-energy initiatives, and build something that we could use AND sell to other countries. You know, like how Americand did it when we were prosperous, before we became mindless mass consumers of Chinese-made garbage.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
10:59 pm

“We recently rec’d a notice we owed the IRS 13,000 in tax, penalities and interest on a 7,000 tax libility from tax year 2005″

When you sign that tax form, you are signing a contractual agreement that the tax reported is correct and fee of error. it wasn’t, and you got caught. Pay up. A contract is a contract…right?

getalife

April 21st, 2011
11:00 pm

RW,

ESPN ran a segment on how many times trophies have been dropped.

I think this was the first one run over by a bus.

.

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
11:00 pm

Paul Ryan’s plan cuts trillions from medicare and medicaid and othe social programs while cutting taxes more for the wealthiest and it does not even cut the national debt. In fact, the national debt continues to go up under Ryan’s plan. Come on good little con and dispute that with whatever facts you have.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
11:02 pm

“Why not pay them to build something we DO need, like uh… bridges, roads, and levees? The more sciency-guys over at Lockheed could spend their time putting us at the TOP of the green-energy initiatives, and build something that we could use AND sell to other countries. You know, like how Americand did it when we were prosperous, before we became mindless mass consumers of Chinese-made garbage.”

Because Obama wants to do it and the cons said no.

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
11:04 pm

getalife,

I’ve been in the middle of a party that was attended by Lord Stanley’s Cup. I don’t think they could even publish the stories of what goes on with that trophy.

Doggone/GA,

I think you’re misreading what that 10:56 is saying. The way I read it they paid the 7K and now the IRS says they didn’t.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
11:04 pm

But, but…TaxPayer! You don’t understand. Ryan has a PLAN. That’s what really matters. Nevermind that it’s a bad plan…it’s a PLAN!

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
11:07 pm

“The way I read it they paid the 7K and now the IRS says they didn’t.”

He’ll have to clear it up. I read it that he underpaid by $7000

But assuming you’re correct…who ELSE is going to dust things off and find the proof that he did pay? He’s the one with the data…not the IRS.

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:07 pm

Ryan has a PLAN.

Well, up until the time that he presented HIS PLAN, nobody was even talking about one. It’s a good thing he brought HIS PLAN.

a reader

April 21st, 2011
11:08 pm

not to be a smart-ass, but ask yourself each question before you ask it. your smarter self will have logical answers for most complaints. i know we’re supposed to fued on jay’s watch. but how logical is it to expect either polical PAHDEE to be in the game of human advancement when the pickins are already farmable.

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:09 pm

RW:

I went to your link but didn’t stay long. It was all red and messy. Thought I was looking at blood and guts.

Doggone/GA

April 21st, 2011
11:09 pm

“This world is in a mess and the egg sucking liberal democrates ”

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

No matter how assinine it is

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
11:09 pm

Why are virtually all of the dawgs on this forum such eloquent geniuses?

From the Rhetorical Question of the Day file…

getalife

April 21st, 2011
11:11 pm

Where are Josef and HD?

TaxPayer

April 21st, 2011
11:11 pm

Y’all have fun. Time for some snoozing.

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:12 pm

AmVet:

I witnessed your earlier fits of paranoia.

Would you be offended if I told you how amusing I found them to be?

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
11:12 pm

@@,

Buses running things over is usually pretty messy. Did they get a few spectators along with the trophy?

/I didn’t bother to watch the video.

getalife

April 21st, 2011
11:14 pm

RW,

No people but the firefighters rushed in to save the trophy.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
11:14 pm

getalife, I think they got sick of the cons trying to turn this place into Tucker’s…

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:14 pm

RW:

I didn’t stay. Didn’t even know it was a video…thought it was a still shot.

ewwwww

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:16 pm

AmVet:

You oughta go over to Cynthia’s and straighten those folks out. You’ve done such a fine job wherever you’ve gone.

schnirt

@@

April 21st, 2011
11:17 pm

I’m out.

What kinda name is Joe Mama anyway? Is it like YO’ MAMA!!!

getalife

April 21st, 2011
11:17 pm

AmVet,

Man that sux.

a reader

April 21st, 2011
11:20 pm

eloquent geniuses
no, that’s just you having a new thought brain rush idea spark noodle fit scrath turn where you read something and it makes your bog nod to the left a sec

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
11:22 pm

RGB: “Libs have no ideas other than calling everyone a liar.”

You keep spouting “libs this, libs that”. Just what IS a “lib”?

Bet you have no idea.

AmVet

April 21st, 2011
11:22 pm

getalife, too many trolls and bigots.

Fortunately JB gets rid of the worst, from time to time.

But like bad pennies, the GLL’s just keep coming back.

I suspect josef and HD will be around for Friday night…

RW-(the original)

April 21st, 2011
11:25 pm

Where are Josef and HD?

getalife,

Isn’t it Passover? That would explain josef, especially if he decided that size didn’t matter on the four cups of wine thing, and I don’t think HD likes a lot of confrontation no matter which “side” it comes from so Am may be half right on him. Plus it’s baseball season and he’s a Cubs fan. The end of April is usually when reality starts sinking in for those North Siders.

/Sorry HD :-)

oldguy

April 21st, 2011
11:25 pm

BTW:
All you good liberals who want to slash the DoD budget might want to look at how that money is spent. By law products and services have to prove they are over 50% US made. The money creates and supports US workers.
Cut it and you are cutting US jobs, many high tech jobs.
If you want the AF to retool with MIGs (the Russians would love to be our high tech aircraft suppliers) they will, we can purchase them cheaper that US Aircraft!!!
p.s. cost overruns? happens. $600 hammers? – yes, because Congress forced specs to be written for them requiring suppliers to make special runs just to meet these requirements, thus high costs.
$1,800.00 fax machines? – during Desert Storm the only faxes that remained functional in the Saudi Desert were these special hardened units….They were key in air and ground targeting, undoubtedly saving lives.

Tedmo

April 21st, 2011
11:26 pm

Jay and the rest of you Libs….Last week the Obamas tax returns were made public. If I am not mistaken the tax bracket for the wealthy sits at 36% right now. The Obamas had income of about 1.7 million and paid about $400,000 in taxes. That is roughly 24%. you tell me who is using the system to get around paying.

MPercy

April 21st, 2011
11:29 pm

LWM@5:23

The tool at your link does not compare effective tax rates. It compares statutory rates, without deductions, exemptions, and without considering capital gains differently than income. Even the sourced document the chart was built on is strictly the statutory rates.

So perhaps it is interesting, but not in the way you think it may be. On the other hand, the CBO has prepared a table of *effective* rates, albeit only back as far as 1979. See, for instance, http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/98xx/doc9884/12-23-EffectiveTaxRates_Letter.pdf

“There are a number of obvious limitations in using the tool. For example, the additions and subtractions to gross income (that yield adjusted gross income) change over time. The deductions that are available to yield taxable income from adjusted gross income also vary over time. The tool, however, only addresses taxable income, and thus doesn’t account for those changes. Likewise, the difference between ordinary income and income from capital gains (the latter currently gets preferential treatment) is not accounted for. The tool only deals with income tax, not payroll tax (payroll tax as currently structured exacts a disproportionate burden on lower- and middle-income taxpayers).”

Jefferson

April 21st, 2011
11:33 pm

I think Tedmo want to raise taxes on the rich.

vuduchld

April 21st, 2011
11:39 pm

You people love wiping the Koch brothers behinds don’t you. There is nothing more you shills would not do but protect scumbags, it’s in your blood, a part of your DNA. That is why your pathetic state keeps sinking to lower depths. Why don’t you monkeys secede!

MPercy

April 21st, 2011
11:41 pm

We don’t think that corporations *shouldn’t* pay taxes, we just think that it’s a waste of time, effort, and money to comntinue the charade that they actually do pay any, even when you manage to get a check from them.

The CBO doesn’t seem to think that corporations are anything more than a passthrough. According to the CBO: “A corporation may write its check to the Internal Revenue Service for payment of the
corporate income tax, but that money must come from somewhere: from reduced returns to investors in the company, lower wages to its workers, or higher prices that consumers pay for the products the company produces.” They go on to say “The short-term burden of the corporate tax probably falls on stockholders or investors in general” and “In the very long term, the burden is likely to be shifted in part to labor”.

It costs businesses upward of $300B (I’ve even seen recent estimates in excess of $400B) just to comply with the tax code–just to keep the records, fill out the forms, etc. All this burden to determine that they need to pass along $250B in taxes, plus the $300B in compliance costs onto their shareholders, customers, and employees.

Relieve industry of the burden of compliance and the charade of collecting tax money, and the government potentially “loses” about $250B each year. But industry gains about $550B, which will quickly show up in increased wages, lower prices, and higher dividends. All of which have a stimulative effect (and the increased wages and higher dividends lead to increased personal income taxes down the line).

What level of industry might we attract if the tax burden was $0? How many off-shored jobs might be just economical enough to now bring them back?

Left wing management

April 21st, 2011
11:45 pm

MPercy, thanks, you’re absolutely right. Effective is precisely what it didn’t show. Thanks for the doc. Though everything hinges on the gap between statutory and effective, I still find the comparison of statutory rates over time very revealing of ideological shifts.

AmVet: “getalife, too many trolls and bigots. / Fortunately JB gets rid of the worst, from time to time.”

Like whack-a-mole.

Go Donald Go

April 21st, 2011
11:48 pm

**So what gives here? Did Trump just turn on a dime, scrap all of his former positions, and embrace the Tea Party platform because he believes in it? Is he cynically using those positions to elbow his way into the conversation because he knows GOP primary voters are made mostly of the far-right base?

I have my own theory, out there though it may be. He could believe in all that stuff, or he could be using those issues to position himself, but there is a third possibility. Trump could be pulling the biggest prank in the history of American politics. If he still believes in single-payer health care and higher taxes for the rich, he could be playing the GOP for fools with a fake run that is already scrambling the RNC’s eggs.

Could it be that Trump is the greatest political mole/troll we’ve ever seen?

I report, you decide.**

Jefferson

April 21st, 2011
11:55 pm

Percy sounds good, don’t work. I say take earnings before depreciation, and interest, plus cut out any bs cost, just real resonable costs and tax that number at about 15%. If you work for a company that is off shore, you live off shore or become an illegal resident subject to the same laws or proposed law against illegal immigrents (you should not have to worry as those folks are getting over on everyone) just live in the shadow of being deported to that great off shore job site. :)

Tedmo

April 21st, 2011
11:56 pm

No Jefferson, I want to grow this economy , get people back to work and get some real leadership in the Whitehouse and not a hypocrite that says the rich are not paying their fair share when he uses loop holes to avoid paying his ” Fair Share”.

MPercy

April 21st, 2011
11:58 pm

LWM’s earlier link to a “tool” is simply broken. I have entered my own income for the last several years and the tool is off by about 50% in its statement of taxes owed (relative to what I actually paid).

Hell, it even says that a married couple filing jointly with $10K in income would owe $1000. That’s the statutory rate on that level of income. But it’s wrong by a large degree. Assuming these people would file 1040EZ, they would put $10000 on line 1 (which sums to the same on line 4). On line 5 they would enter two check boxes, and enter $18,700 on line 5. On line 6, they would subtract line 5 from line 4, resulting in -8700, which is less than zero, so they would enter $0 on line 6. This is their taxable income. So ignoring everything except the standard deduction and exemption, and they would owe $0 in taxes (if they filed for EITC, they would likely end up with negative taxes).

But LWM’s tool says $1000. I can’t even compute the ratio of how wrong it is…$1000/$0–it’s infinitely wrong.

Tell the truth

April 22nd, 2011
12:00 am

The Republicans have been doing this for years under Bush- the reduction in enforcement on banks, s&ls, the food processing and manufacturing industries; enforcement troops were cut dramatically which in turn brought us in Georgia, for example, the peanut butter fiasco where there are not enough troops to monitor the compliance issues that arise. In the case of the SEC under Bush; they just decided that they were not going to enforce and/or prosecute the criminals. Republicans continue to say with a straight face that the industries do not need regulation; they can and will self monitor themselves. The Republicans are in bed with the Corporate moguls and the wealthy in America; they could not care any less about the working man and the poor and elderly. It’s a fact folks- but keep on believing their tripe and voting their ditto heads into office. Ditto heads that have not had an original idea in their entire career. Are you listening Senators? Georgia is the laughing stock of the entire US and we do not have enough money any longer (by Design) to take care of basic necessities, and yet the Republicans continue to cut the tax rates for the wealthy. Our per capita tax revenue is the lowest in the south and probably the country but certainly over $500 per person less than in other southern states.. Laying off teachers, shutting down programs, furloughs, terrible roads etc. Have you looked at the trash on Georgia’s highways lately?? Worst by far than in any other southern state. The Republicans do not care. They want to ensure that we will not have enough money to provide the basic services that we deserve as taxpayers. Wake up Georgians. I was born here and am over 70- this state is pitiful by virtually every comparable measurement. And they still want to cut taxes next year!!! It’s idiocy in the extreme!!

Tell the truth

April 22nd, 2011
12:09 am

MPercy

April 21st, 2011
11:41 pm

We don’t think that corporations *shouldn’t* pay taxes, we just think that it’s a waste of time, effort, and money to comntinue the charade that they actually do pay any, even when you manage to get a check from them.

The CBO doesn’t seem to think that corporations are anything more than a passthrough. According to the CBO: “A corporation may write its check to the Internal Revenue Service for payment of the
corporate income tax, but that money must come from somewhere: from reduced returns to investors in the company, lower wages to its workers, or higher prices that consumers pay for the products the company produces.” They go on to say “The short-term burden of the corporate tax probably falls on stockholders or investors in general” and “In the very long term, the burden is likely to be shifted in part to labor”.

It costs businesses upward of $300B (I’ve even seen recent estimates in excess of $400B) just to comply with the tax code–just to keep the records, fill out the forms, etc. All this burden to determine that they need to pass along $250B in taxes, plus the $300B in compliance costs onto their shareholders, customers, and employees.

Relieve industry of the burden of compliance and the charade of collecting tax money, and the government potentially “loses” about $250B each year. But industry gains about $550B, which will quickly show up in increased wages, lower prices, and higher dividends. All of which have a stimulative effect (and the increased wages and higher dividends lead to increased personal income taxes down the line).

What level of industry might we attract if the tax burden was $0? How many off-shored jobs might be just economical enough to now bring them back?

Which will quickly show up in INCREASED WAGES, LOWER PRICES, …..??? Are you kidding- I had to pick myself up from laughing so hard. The corps will give those bucks back to employees and customers?? You have been drinking the koolaid for far too long pal. Take my advice- don’t go and make any bets on that one- same for the fair tax- gonna drop prices for everything??? Of course!!!! NOT!!!!

a reader

April 22nd, 2011
12:10 am

in the game of who is Caesar and who is Supreme i kinda get whipped into thinking that a dose of old testament might get the new testament back on track.

1811/1801 - 0311/0317

April 22nd, 2011
12:20 am

Jay:

I worked for IRS – Criminal Investigation Division for three years. It was all so political (both parties)at the higher case levels that it made me sick. The day I decided to move on is when our three tiered review system refused to prosecute four CPA’s in Gaineville, Georgis who had not filled business or personal returns for four years.

I went to an agency who made it their life mission to arrest and prosecutes counterfeiters.

1811/1801 - 0311/0317

April 22nd, 2011
12:24 am

Headline: “Georgia county votes to keep Confederate battle flag flying”

Hummm…………..I wonder how Native Americans feel about the U.S. flag flying over their reservatiosn?

ken

April 22nd, 2011
12:28 am

Jay, I am a Republican and I cut and pasted the GE story to my Senators and rep. Makes me mad as hell too. But, GE’s CEO IS A FRIEND OF Obama,

Fred

April 22nd, 2011
1:24 am

Paul

April 21st, 2011
7:40 pm

Fred

So if you ever have kids, and they ask you “Dad, what would you think if I….”

You’d say “I’ll let you know when you do it, Suzie, ’cause I don’t do what if’s I do TRUTH. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I do have a child Paul. She’s 9. I’m 48. I don’t see your point. I tell my child the truth, I don’t lie to her.

To me, what you posted is insipid. I’m not sure what oblique point you are trying to make and I can’t say that I care. I think you can see my interest level by my frequency on this topic.

yawn

Z

April 22nd, 2011
1:27 am

It is called starve the Beast. The GOP has been working on just that since Reagan was in office. Deregulate everything, don’t pay/fund anything, starve the Beast, that is us (the Government). The GOP hates Government intrusion, that is, until they need it for something they want done, like do away with Abortions, Taxes, and oh yea, the Governments says you can’t take my Guns away..oops and OMG, we have to go fight Wars with every Tom, Dick and Harry of a country even though we have no business whatsoever for being there. History shows though, that the Beast can only be starved for so long, and then rebellions will be imminent.
Every Republican congressman voted in favor of Ryan’s plan to do away with Medicare, Medicaid (starve the Beast). I have all your names plastered on my Frig and they will stay there until Election time 2012, it will be interesting to see how many will be there after election time. Seniors and future Seniors will vote because Medicare is the Holy Grail in this country as well as other countries who have like plans for Seniors. The GOP has to be pretty stupid to have voted for this Ryan plan or totally out of touch with reality. I say both and if that is the case then they are NOT fit to be congressman doing the peoples business. Every single Republican needs to be voted out of their office/chair..none of them have a lick of sense.

Fall Line

April 22nd, 2011
1:44 am

Enter your comments here

Fall Line

April 22nd, 2011
1:47 am

Using a loop hole is not cheating. If you don’t like the tax structure and the results, get your congressman to change them. Calling them “Tax Cheats” is pejorative at best and dissembling at worst.

TnGelding

April 22nd, 2011
3:00 am

Cheating on taxes is as American as cruise missiles. A tax amnesty would probably bring in a trillion bucks.

Duh, Mr. President, what the oil speculators are doing is legal. It’s the system that’s corrupt. And Trump blames it on innocent OPEC.

MiltonMan

April 22nd, 2011
6:38 am

If you demorats are truly concerned about the “evil rich” paying their fair share, you clowns should support the fair tax.

MiltonMan

April 22nd, 2011
6:41 am

Z, replace the republicans with who? Clowns like Roy Rat Barnes, Jim Martin, Max Cleland, Vernon Jones, etc., etc.

No thanks

Cowardly Conservative Cretin

April 22nd, 2011
6:56 am

I don’t understand tonight’s bitterness?

GLL, neither could I! why can’t we be nice?

Joel Edge

April 22nd, 2011
6:57 am

“At least, if I understand these things correctly …”
After reading paragraphs two, three, and the last one, apparently you don’t, Jay.

Swede Atlanta

April 22nd, 2011
7:01 am

My observation of the 2011 budget cuts and the Ryan budget proposal is that this was a slash and burn mentality.

I don’t get a sense that each line item was looked at in terms of its short-term and long-term effect on the economy and the deficit. If, as Jay states, a $600M reduction in the IRS budget will result in a significant impact on enforcement activities to the tune of billions of dollars, then that $600M should not be taken out of the budget.

I don’t know whether it is a factor of protecting monied interests by reducing enforcement of exiting tax law or simply a blind “slash and burn” mentality but this cut appears to be upside down.

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:01 am

The GOP is in effect protecting criminals, pulling cops off the beat to ensure that those breaking the law are not caught.

remove the “in effect” and the sentence is more accurate.

Lil' Barry Bailout

April 22nd, 2011
7:14 am

getalife
April 21st, 2011
10:36 pm

We have started a green energy policy with electric cars, wind, solar, ethanol, etc,,,,,,.

consumers said no thanks–your technology isn’t workable and your prices are too high.

The Arab people want freedom like what they are getting in Iraq.

The Democrat party said no. Our President Bush made it possible.

The Idiot Messiah tried to fight AGAINST free speech and FOR banning movies he didn’t want people to see.

The Supreme Court said no.

A vote to make Medicare fiscally viable for decades to come.

The liberal fascists said no
————————

Your finger must have slipped. I fixed it for you.

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:24 am

A vote to make Medicare fiscally viable for decades to come.

for anyone foolish enough to believe the premise behind this bit of folderol …

http://factcheck.org/2011/04/ryans-muddy-medicare-claims/

CBO’s projections for Medicare didn’t say that the SMI trust fund was in danger of exhaustion. In fact, in its 2010 report, the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees said that Parts B and D were “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet the next year’s expected costs.” And it projected that the HI trust fund would be exhausted in 2029. That was under its “intermediate assumptions,” which are the “Trustees’ best estimates of likely future economic and demographic conditions,” according to the report. At that time, dedicated revenues, which include payroll taxes and beneficiary premiums, would be enough to cover 85 percent of HI costs, the report said. The fund’s exhaustion date was 2017 under a “high-cost,” or more pessimistic scenario.

This is hardly the first time government projections have said the HI trust fund would be exhausted. The Congressional Research Service reported that “almost from its inception, the HI trust fund has faced a projected shortfall.” For example, in 1970, the Trustees report said the fund would be insolvent in 1972, and in 1980 the fund was expected to be depleted in 1994. Politicians keep finding ways to postpone any insolvency.

We don’t mean to downplay Medicare’s financial challenges, but the whole system isn’t going “bankrupt,” as Ryan’s claim suggests.

@@

April 22nd, 2011
7:25 am

If Hillbilly’s like me, jay’s fluff pieces are less than thought provoking. If there’s a lot of conflict on here, I’m missing it ’cause I don’t hang around to discuss fluff.

It’s springtime! Maybe he’s enjoying his mountain.

He’s missed but hopefully not mist.

(ISH)

Normal

April 22nd, 2011
7:26 am

Good Good Good Friday all y’all…

I have today and all of next week off so I won’t be around much…just pop in and out. It’s a “fix up th homestead” week but it will be good to get out of the office…

Today’s funnies…

http://news.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/21/political-pictures-john-boehner-pep-talk/

…and…

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/21/funny-pictures-it-was-freaking-awesome/

Normal

April 22nd, 2011
7:28 am

…and…The last I looked, Barak Obama is STILL the President. :lol:

Bookman-Tucker-Luckovich

April 22nd, 2011
7:28 am

Riddle me this

Bookman says GOP wants to protect tax cheats. Obama makes a tax cheat Secretary of the Treasury.

WTF?

Oh, Lib thinking.

Steve

April 22nd, 2011
7:35 am

I have never understood why we don’t have tax minimums. Then companies like GE would have to pay the minimum no matter how clever their Accountants are.

It seems like such a simple solution.

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:39 am

Obama makes a tax cheat Secretary of the Treasury.

Do try to keep up. The idea here is that it’s not a real good idea for people like Tim Geithner (and myself) to go without paying the IRS what is owed, whether the non-payment is intentional or not.

If you cut back on the IRS’ enforcement abilities, that’s the more likely outcome.

You can grasp this, yes?

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:41 am

oh, and I’m a “tax cheat” if Tim Geithner is a “tax cheat,” since the IRS learned that one year, I’d messed up some dividend income reporting and owed some back taxes. Which I paid, along with some penalties.

(oooh, scary!)

udsf

April 22nd, 2011
7:44 am

OK jay – when did you quit beating your wife

Cosby

April 22nd, 2011
7:45 am

Ahh another class warfare and hate the GOP blog by Jay…the only thing this blog points out is how 72,000+ pages of the tax code is stupid and we need to dump the 16th amendment and pass the Fair Tax By the way, Jay, Corporations do not pay any taxes…they collect and pass on. Taxes hit their bottom line and they will just add to the price of goods and services..cut the hate speech out and start thinking!

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:47 am

By the way, B-T-L and others Geithner-obsessed–why didn’t your GOP senators go balls-to-the-wall and prevent this “tax cheat”’s confirmation, when they could’ve?

Heck, you had Harkin and Byrd on your side. You coulda claimed it was bi-partisan…

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00015&loc=interstitialskip

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:49 am

we need to dump the 16th amendment and pass the Fair Tax

I’ll ask our Fair Taxers the question I always ask–if it’s such a grrreat scheme, why aren’t other nations, especially those without pesky, democratically-elected representation to deal with, making these incredible strides toward efficiency and “fairness” and funding all of their operations with a similar sales-tax-only plan of their own?

Misty Fyed

April 22nd, 2011
7:50 am

I hate blogs like this where I agree with Jay.

Let’s go with no deductions for anyone. A designated rate on generated income.

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:51 am

I have never understood why we don’t have tax minimums.

Presumably because the tax code intends to seriously incentivize certain behaviors, both by its citizens and by its corporations.

That’s the “why.” not saying they should…

Brent

April 22nd, 2011
7:52 am

In the immortal words of Dan Aykroyd, “Jay(ne) you ignorant slut”. How you make the leap from a company exercising legal loopholes in the tax code to TAX CHEAT is beyond me. THEY not the government earned the money through hard work. Our corporate tax rate is the highest in the first world. Why would a multi-national company like GE do business in the US where the tax rate is so high?

It is time to stop the class warfare war being waged by the left. We should be applauding GE for making money. It means they can hire people. But if Washington ROBS them of their profit then they will just go elsewhere to do business and take those jobs with them.

The problem is not tax revenue. The problem is spending. Outside of the “stimulus” money, federal spending is still up 28%. What happened since Obama was elected? Did the IRS need 28% more people? Does the Department of Agriculture need 28% more money to hand out subsidies?

It is time to stop spending. It is time for tax reform. Art Laffer’s editorial stated that the US spends (wastes) $600 BILLION in tax compliance. We need a flat tax/consumption tax/Fair Tax or some less complicated manner of collecting taxes. We need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. The rest of the world has caught on to the problem of spending. The UK cut TEN PERCENT out of its government budget. What did we do? We cut less than 1% of this year’s budget and that over multiple years.

Washington (and you on the left) need to understand that we cannot spend our way out of this problem. It is almost as ridiculous as telling your wife to open another credit card and go have a spending spree when your pay has been cut at the AJC. Instead you would have a family meeting to discuss cutting your budget.

Doggone/GA

April 22nd, 2011
7:52 am

“It seems like such a simple solution”

There’s two ways to handle a minimum tax: a flat amount, or a flat percentage of profit. There are problems with both.

A flat amount is unfair to companies if they have very low profits. And a flat percentage would only encourage them to disguise as much as they can OF their profits – in order to lower their minimum tax.

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:54 am

Let’s go with no deductions for anyone. A designated rate on generated income.

Such taxes are appealing in their simplicity, I guess. Maybe they’d be more efficient for generating revenue—for the purposes of the hypothetical, let’s say they are.

But how long do you take to wean ourselves off the really big deductions? Surely you’re not suggesting that next year the mortgage interest deduction just goes poof, right?

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
7:55 am

How you make the leap from a company exercising legal loopholes in the tax code to TAX CHEAT is beyond me.

well of course it is, you’re willfully ignoring the rhetoric employed by the commenters here.

Misty Fyed

April 22nd, 2011
7:55 am

Stands, I don’t know what I think about the Fair Tax; however, I see no reason to oppose it simply because other nations haven’t adopted it. There is no other nation that faces the challenges we do or has established itself as a beacon of economic theory and prosperity.

JohnnyReb

April 22nd, 2011
7:55 am

Jay, your logic is completely flawed. Are you practicing to be some politician’s campaign manager? The rhetoric no doubt appeals to the bleeding-heart crowd.

The beef with the 47% that don’t pay any federal taxes is not that they are cheating. Where did that come from? They have a legal free ride. Therein the issue.

BigBusiness

April 22nd, 2011
7:56 am

Listen to the joy in Neal Boortz’s voice…

Another taking head republican that spews garbage and has no authority or responsibility to do anything. I believe you call that a coward.

Misty Fyed

April 22nd, 2011
8:00 am

Stands…I have no idea how to implement it…. That is above my paygrade… however, I agree with the apparent unfairness of the current system.

A standard rate would be simple but we don’t live in a simple world. Politician use tax breaks to attract businesses to economically depressed areas, increase revenues in order to create jobs, or to protect donors to campaigns. Politically speaking, a flat fare rate tax or simple system such as the fair tax will never happen because it takes too much power from politicians.

Some of that power is used for good, and some is used as a cover for corruption.

Time to go row with the others..

stands for decibels

April 22nd, 2011
8:00 am

I see no reason to oppose it simply because other nations haven’t adopted it.

Doesn’t the fact that not even the likes of free-market Singapore, or Switzerland, go to this one (1) well for ALL of their revenue give you just a little pause? I humbly suggest it should.

Marshall

April 22nd, 2011
8:10 am

seriously? why does GOP defend tax cheats? – why are you not writing about the president’s secretary treasurere – TIM GEITNER?????
And last time I checked, the CEO of GE – Jeffrey Imelt was a big time liberal in bed w/ the white house… he is the most frequent visitor.
You liberal democrat journalist kill me!!!

Paul

April 22nd, 2011
8:33 am

Mornin’, Fred

“Fred

So if you ever have kids, and they ask you “Dad, what would you think if I….”

You’d say “I’ll let you know when you do it, Suzie, ’cause I don’t do what if’s I do TRUTH. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I do have a child Paul. She’s 9. I’m 48. I don’t see your point. I tell my child the truth, I don’t lie to her.

To me, what you posted is insipid. I’m not sure what oblique point you are trying to make”

Fred, this began when you asserted the story that GE did not show a profit and pay taxes was false. I pointed out the theme was how people react to that vs reacting to a middle class family paying nothing on their 1040.

Your response was you don’t deal in hypotheticals, only “TRUTH.” I asked how you’d handle a hypothetical from your daughter. You repeated the TRUTH statement.

Frankly, it sounds like an attempt to avoid answering the GE question on what your reaction would be if they didn’t pay taxes. The ‘if you had kids’ was to see if you’d give answers to ‘what if’ questions posed by your kids (questions the “I deal only in TRUTH’ premise) while avoiding this topic.

Do you see the point now? It is not about lying to your child. It is about whether or not you’d answer a question posed by her if she asked you what you’d think if she did something at some future time. Somehow, I do not think you would reply with the “I deal only in TRUTH’ answer.

Bottom line: if you don’t want to answer what you’d think of a company making billions in (nonpaper) profits paying no tax, you can just say so.

deegee

April 22nd, 2011
8:43 am

Why should it matter to anyone outside of the political machine which party gets the most money from a particular sector? As you can see from the example below, the money goes to whichever party sings the prettiest tune. IMHO, the corruption in our political system rivals that of anything you would encounter in the most corrupt dictatorships in the Middle East, like Libya.

“One Democratic-leaning firm that has signaled particular displeasure with the administration’s direction is J.P. Morgan Chase, which is headed by Obama supporter James Dimon and has several other prominent Democrats in its upper ranks. The bank and its employees, who doled out nearly $500,000 in federal contributions last year, went from giving 76 percent of the money to Democrats in the first quarter to giving 73 percent to Republicans in the fourth.”

Peter

April 22nd, 2011
8:52 am

I don’t think the GOP is allowing tax cheats, I think the ideology is less government in all forms….NO EPA, No oversight of anything.

We should cut allot out of the budget starting with our WARS….raise taxes to a point where we are now getting rid of the Bush debt.

poison pen

April 22nd, 2011
9:06 am

With all the new technology that the IRS has why not reduce their staff? What are computers & electronics for. I gurantee you, if a law was passed that anyone caught wilfully cheating on their
taxes went to prison for a mandatory sentence, there would be a lot more taxes going into the govt kitty.

I don’t see repubs being happy with tax cheats or anyone else for that matter.

Hmmmmmmm

April 22nd, 2011
9:08 am

I say everbody in this country should stop paying taxes…. Then see how long it takes the bumbling idiots in Washington to fix this mess….

Tundra Dude

April 22nd, 2011
9:09 am

Obama makes a tax cheat Secretary of the Treasury.

When you’re politically-connected you’re easily forgiven for minor transgressions.
Geithner’s dad was Obama’s moms’ boss in Indonesia. (Ford Foundation)

BRADLEYIFV

April 22nd, 2011
9:29 am

This isn’t reporting, this is propaganda – GOP of course doesn’t want to protect tax cheats – GE is linked to Obama Administration more than anyone – NOTHING in your article backs up your claim that it is the GOP that wants to protect tax cheats. Stick to the facts and leave the BS off the news. Brady in Independence, KY

Jeff

April 22nd, 2011
9:29 am

Tell you what jay, you support the paying of some taxes on the $40k family and I’ll support more enforcement for the millionaires. But I’m going to require you to go first because I don’t trust a liberal one inch.

Common Sense

April 22nd, 2011
9:40 am

The tax code is engineered so that in the end, everyone can be caught “cheating” on their taxes. Just ask the Treasurer of the United States.

Thousands of pages of tax code, designed so that they can put you through the wringer at the time of their choosing. A great weapon for public terrorism. Toe the line, or else.

Fix-It

April 22nd, 2011
9:46 am

Geithner, Schumer, slobbering Barney shall we keep going…… tell why if you or me did not pay taxes for years, to the tune of millions, with the excuse of coops, or had several hundred pot plants growing in the basement, and the claim of “I did not know” and all walk without a scratch. See if that works for you, I doubt it will, unless you are a big campaign donor or Obozo friend…Let’s see what happens if a white man stand outside of a African American voting area in army fatigues, do you think Holder would pursue that case… GE paying NO taxes on 14 billion profits, but the GOP is out for big business and killing old people and babies, you liberals are a very funny bunch. Please take off the blinders, wake up liberals, smell the Kool-Aid, I mean coffee…

FairTax.org would stall ALL of this tax bull$hit so why is the left so opposed to getting rid of the 80,000 pages of tax code?

USMC

April 22nd, 2011
9:47 am

The Atlanta Public Schools have a long way to go, but at least people are starting to wake up, shed light on the system as a whole, and start addressing the problems.

Did anyone else see the heinous HATE crime caught on film? Unbelievable:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ec0_1303444048

USMC

April 22nd, 2011
9:51 am

“FairTax.org would stall ALL of this tax bull$hit so why is the left so opposed to getting rid of the 80,000 pages of tax code?”

Because the Left wants CONTROL. They want to mete out FAIRNESS as they see it, and they careless about logic and fiscal soundness.
The Left cares about buying votes and controlling productive people and their money.

killerj

April 22nd, 2011
10:08 am

Why ask why jay,you know the reason just like the rest of us,greed and power is a way of life in our government. Go Tea Party.

zeke

April 22nd, 2011
10:35 am

THE SOLUTION TO THE LIES STATED ABOVE, THE FAIR TAX! EVERYONE WILL PAY THE TAX. BILLIONAIRES, MILLIONAIRES, MIDDLE INCOME, LOW INCOME WILL ALL PAY THE TAX BASED ON THE AMOUNT THEY SPEND! THE IRS CAN BE REDUCED BY 90% OR MORE. Trust fund millionaires like Kennedy, Rockefeller Hearst, as well as, the dot com millionaires like Dell, Gates, Ellison and so forth will pay the tax. ALL WILL PAY THE TAX. The only reason for the irs to exist under that system is only to verify who is eligible for social security, medicare, unemployment, etc. If your salary or pay is $ 1000 per week, YOUR CHECK WILL BE $ 1000 EVERY WEEK, NOT $550 OR $600 AFTER ALL THE STUPID SOCIAL PROGRAM TAXES AND INCOME TAXES! If Bill Gates or Tiger Woods buys a $ 100 million jet, THEY WILL PAY THE SAME PERCENTAGE TAX FOR IT! Best, equitable, FAIR way to do it! But, get one thing straight, NO TAX IS A GOOD TAX, EVER!

[...] Why does GOP want to protect tax cheats? | Jay Bookman. Posted in Opinion – Tagged Budget, Corporation, course, federal income tax, federal income taxes, federal revenues, fiscal times, General, GOP, hand, house subcommittee, income, irs budget, irs commissioner, Jay Bookman, outrageous scandal, quarter profits, reaction, Scandal, share, way SHARE THIS Twitter Facebook Delicious StumbleUpon E-mail « APNewsBreak: Mont. wants $56M from ex-billionaire – AP News Wire, Associated Press News – Salon.com No Comments Yet [...]

Corey

April 22nd, 2011
11:00 am

“Taxes are the price we pay for civilization.” Who said that? Anybody care to respond?

jm

April 22nd, 2011
11:40 am

politics……..

Tell the truth

April 22nd, 2011
6:36 pm

Brent What you meant was- “I don’t want to pay my taxes. We good little Republicans want to have a sales tax so the poor and elderly will have to pay more while our richest brethren pay less and less. After all, everyone knows that if the rich pay less in taxes then they will use that extra money to hire more of the unemployed!! Pretty soon there will be no unemployment. Errr wait- strike that last one. I forgot.

Tell the truth

April 22nd, 2011
6:46 pm

Let’s just go ahead and bite the bullet and cut all income taxes on those earning over a million dollars. That way they will use those extra dollars to hire the unemployed and solve the employment problem.
Isn’t compassionate conservatism a wonderful thing???

B

April 22nd, 2011
9:27 pm

Jay – The GOP doesn’t want to protect tax cheats.

2dogs2

April 24th, 2011
9:04 am

The problem with us rich folk is that we are tired of working our rears off, investing our money and providing others jobs and yet instead of gratitude for our work, we are faced with the we want more crowd. I pay my share and more every year and every day in some form of taxation on the products and services I use and produce.

It is true that I use every means possible to shelter and keep as much of my money as possible and I will continue to do so, guilt free until we have a flat tax or some other tax code where everyone pays in proportion to the income they make and the money they spend. I have watched for over fifty years of my life how the federal, state and county governments have wasted billions of dollars on feel good projects and policies that have only produced a generation and culture of entitlement oriented individuals and a country overtaken by illegals.

The question I always ask is if the rich/wealthy are hated so much why is it everyones goal to become rich/wealthy/well off? How many kids profess to have the goal of growing up poor, living off of my tax dollars. If being wealthy is such a sin why are the stores so full of eager lottery ticket buyers?

When I get tired enough or taxed enough or tired of working 16 hour days to generate my wealth I am simply going to take my toys and go home to a well earned retirement. Those 31 employees who gripe so loudly about having to work so hard 8 hours a day and only 2 weeks of vacation can spend more quality time at home and making new friends in the unemployment line.

Hello Costa Rica!!

Bob

April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm

I don’t know either Jay. I guess the neo-cons think that the more money you earn the more you are worth. I guess those in the military, police, fire, and EMS aren’t worth much to these neo-cons, right? I can only guess because I know better. A single cop is worth more to me than any single baseball player.

Joe Mama

April 25th, 2011
4:41 pm

@@ — “I’m not in the habit of repeating myself. I leave that to folks like AmVet, who does it so often, it’s become monotonous.”

You weren’t asked to repeat yourself. You were asked to *explain* yourself. Kindly pay closer attention.

“You were on the previous thread with long-winded posts that were centered on racism.”

Sorry, neither. What you call “long-winded,” I call complete and comprehensive. Perhaps the big words and complex ideas make your head hurt?

Furthermore, I asked you to explain your charges of racism and bigotry; predictably, you did not.

“I came in with a piece regarding school choice, adding to that I submitted an article where Hispanic and Black leaders were calling for school choice.”

You dishonestly mischaracterized your position as supportive of “school choice,” which I pointed out is actually ’subsidized school choice’ in your usage. As I have said on these blogs several times, and as I shall say to you again, you already *have* school choice today. What you do not have — and what you appear to be pressing for — is *subsidized* school choice, a new entitlement.

Who knew a conservative like @@ would be in favor of new and expanded entitlement programs?

“You brought up subsidies.”

No, *you* did. You’re actually asking for *subsidized* school choice; you just don’t *say* the word *subsidized.* If school choice was all you were after, you could take advantage of it today, with no action required for government or school authorities. But that’s *not* all you’re about, and so you continue to bellyache about it.

“Actually, the money is already being paid in. If it’s a failing school from which the minority children aren’t benefiting, they should have the choice of taking that money elsewhere.”

They already have the choice of going to another school, or homeschooling if the parents would prefer. There’s your school choice right there.

“It would be the parents who make up the difference in cost. It’ll serve the children and society as a whole in the long term.”

Sounds like a great entitlement for middle- and upper-class parents who have the means to make up that difference. The poor parents, about whom you claim to care, not so much. So much for your faux altruism, @@.

“Share “the love”, or at the very least, let it follow the child.”

The love’s already shared. That’s what the free public education is about. But, just like food stamps, section 8 housing and public transportation, you don’t get to choose the form that the public assistance will take.

You don’t get to take your free public education’s value over to Pace Academy and demand your kid get taught.

You don’t get to take your WIC or food stamps to Ruth’s Chris and trade them in for a steak.

You don’t get to take your Section 8 authorization over to a Buckhead condo and demand the keys.

And you don’t get to turn in Breeze cards and unused MARTA tokens for a used car.

“I would say you’re a cold-hearted Republican but we’re for school choice.”

No, you’re for *subsidized* school choice and entitlements. And you’re not cold-hearted, but you are dishonest and evasive about it.

“And besides, I already know from your little drama earlier than you’re a “disheartened” Rep turned Dem.”

Yep. And you’re doing *such* a great job of winning me back. (laughing) :D

“Oh whoa is you!!!! My heart was breaking.”

I bet your heart really *was* breaking on those November nights in 2006 and 2008. (laughing) :D

Joe Mama

April 25th, 2011
4:42 pm

@@ — “What kinda name is Joe Mama anyway? Is it like YO’ MAMA!!!”

Well look who *just* caught on.

(laughing, pointing) :D

Joe Mama

April 25th, 2011
4:55 pm

2dogs2 — “The problem with us rich folk is that we are tired of working our rears off, investing our money and providing others jobs and yet instead of gratitude for our work, we are faced with the we want more crowd.”

In many cases over the last 10-20 years, rich folks’ financial behaviors *do not* provide others jobs, and so tax breaks for such individuals end up having the effect of incentivizing wealth accumulation, NOT job creation.

I’d have no problem whatsoever incentivizing *direct* job creation through the tax code, but I do have a problem with incentivizing wealth accumulation or simple investment through it. Build and invest in a business (I don’t care if it’s a lawn service, a Subway franchise or the dress shop you set your ex-wife up in), and I’ll completely get behind tax incentives for you AFTER the jobs get created and stick around for at least a year.

But I’m not interested in giving you a tax break because you threw five or six figures at your equities account to invest in P&G or B of A. If y’all’s investment activities were *actually* creating jobs for Americans, I’d feel differently, but manifestly, they are not. So kindly direct more of that money at the EXPLICIT creation of jobs, and not at the IMPLICIT creation of them, such as the hey-i-invested-in-the-stock-market-now-where’s-my-cookie sort.