Sorting out the impact of GOP tax-reform plans
In recent weeks we’ve been confronted by a slew of tax proposals from GOP presidential candidates, ranging from Herman Cain’s “9-9-9″ plan to Rick Perry’s “Cut, Balance and Grow Plan.” For many voters, the details of those various proposals can no doubt get a little hazy and confusing.
To address that problem, I’ve been wanting to put together a comprehensive post addressing all of the plans at once. Thanks to the release of Rick Perry’s plan and a new report on household incomes released Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office, I finally have the analytical data I needed to pull it all together.
Before we go further, let’s review the CBO findings:
1.) The overall federal tax system became less progressive between 1979 and 2007, thanks largely to the greater relative impact of payroll taxes.
2.) The share of federal transfer payments going to poor Americans also fell sharply, from more than 50 percent to 35 percent. According to CBO, “that shift reflects the growth in spending for programs focused on the elderly population (such as Social Security and Medicare), in which benefits are not limited to low-income households.”
3. The study also documents the ongoing concentration of national income among the richest 1 percent of U.S. households. It found that the share of after-tax income going to the lowest-income 20 percent of Americans fell between 1979 and 2007, dropping from 7 percent to 5 percent. In fact, income share fell by 2 to 3 percent for almost every income group. It rose only among the most affluent 1 percent. Their share of national income more than doubled, from 8 percent in 1979 to 17 percent in 2007.
(Although those percentage shifts may not sound like much, in real terms it is quite large. For example, the 7 percent shift in household income from the middle 60 percent of Americans to the richest 1 percent represents a shift of $539 billion a year from the 60 percent to the 1 percent. Overall, the CBO reports that income of the highest-earning 1 percent rose by 275 percent in that time frame, after inflation.)
Anyway, as promised the final exhaustive package on GOP tax-reform plans is available HERE. I’ve put it in the form of an info-graphic. Take a look and if you think I’m missing anything, or if you think of a way to make it clearer, let me know.
– Jay Bookman
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609 comments Add your comment
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:20 pm
OMG, Aquagirl, I know that my karma will get all out of whack for this, but I laughed so hard when she got hit in the face with that ham….
Poetic justice.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:21 pm
scout,
Well, at least they are not fighting the drug war on the streets.
They are probably great soldiers since they have been practicing on the streets.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:21 pm
ty,
I would probably choke Rachel Ray if we had to spend five minutes in the same room.
Damn! What is wrong with me?? All this animosity towards TV cooks, maybe I’m just jealous and want to be them.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:22 pm
Armed Liberal
We are? Okay. Thanks.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:23 pm
“no body got rich on their own”
Um, Reb, that’s because no one does. Just sayin.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
3:24 pm
….he is, and in doing so, we all have the same right to go out and use those roads as we see fit…
Of……………..course…………..he……………is………………….he………………….just…………….can’t………………………………play………………………..the…………………..”I……………………….pulled………………….myself…………………………..up…………………….by…………my…………………………own……………….bootstraps…………………………..with…………………..no……………………….help……..from………….anybody”…………………….card.
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
3:24 pm
Elizabeth Warren a hero?????? What an absurd observation. She is worse than Kennedy but without the philandering. Pay for roads in another tax after you have already paid in gasoline taxes both federal and state? “The underlying social contract?” I don’t recall signing one. And she also implies that those evil factory owners don’t pay for police and fire protection like the average citizen. Most of the average businesses that are large enough pay for their own security and do not depend on the police dept as the prime protector. Again, she is implying that these business owners do not pay taxes like the rest of us. What a croc. Hero, Bosch? This broad makes you that Armed Liberal friend of yours look pretty stupid.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:25 pm
Bosch
If the southern women are respectable
how can they be good?
ty webb
October 26th, 2011
3:26 pm
Giada”s not bad…though I hardly ever pay any attention to the food she cooks.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:26 pm
JohnnyReb: getalife – for me, all I had to do was hear her “no body got rich on their own” rant to know she does not know her butt from a hole in the ground.
Wow, so every man is an island, eh? I strongly suggest you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go start your own island libertarian utopia. Good luck with the pirates.
Armed Liberal
October 26th, 2011
3:26 pm
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:22 pm
Yep. Got all twisted up and worked myself into a corner and then flailed aimlessly…
md
October 26th, 2011
3:27 pm
Good job Kam……..nice………….. rebuttal……of……..no……substance.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:27 pm
““The underlying social contract?””
You don’t sign it, it just magically happens when you are born into this country, or become a citizen.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:27 pm
Well, if kay hates her she must be great.
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
3:28 pm
all I had to do was hear her “no body got rich on their own” rant to know she does not know her butt from a hole in the ground.
What part of that viral video do you find factually inaccurate?
Aquagirl
October 26th, 2011
3:28 pm
I know that my karma will get all out of whack for this
According to the Youtube hits, at least 161,553 other souls will be joining you in rebirth to a lower life form. So you’ll have plenty of company in the rock pile or anthill or whatever.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:28 pm
kayaker: Most of the average businesses that are large enough pay for their own security and do not depend on the police dept as the prime protector.
Wrong. Well, they may be able to afford it, but they certainly don’t rely on it to the exclusion of existing WELL TRAINED local police.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:28 pm
md,
You are addicted and just can’t leave this blog.
This is a intervention.
Libertarian
October 26th, 2011
3:28 pm
I watch a lot of food network and they are all kinda starting to annoy me. Paula’s accent is so fake (an as a life-long southerner, I think I can say that). Also, why the F is chopped on every single night? Get some new dang shows!
Ok, food network rant over.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
3:29 pm
Good job Kam……..nice………….. rebuttal……of……..no……substance.
Nothing ………………. of …………………..substance …………..to ……………rebut.
Thulsa Doom
October 26th, 2011
3:29 pm
2 ?s. Were the occupy atl protesters able to levitate the ga pacific tower? And were they able to get the koch brothers to “copulate” to their demands? Or did they only succeed in getting arrested en masse? Doomy on the drive by!
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:29 pm
Good point Paul, but I do still hate her.
ty,
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:30 pm
stands: What part of that viral video do you find factually inaccurate?
Cue the “She said ‘the rest of us pay for’ when she should have said ‘all of us pay for’” poutrage.
Because really, all you have is semantics as an argument with any truth in it when it comes to this.
md
October 26th, 2011
3:31 pm
“You are addicted and just can’t leave this blog.”
And some days, that is a very accurate statement.
But, judging by the picture of the fish blog, I am not alone in my addiction………….
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:32 pm
reb is a “idiot”.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:32 pm
Bosch
“Damn! What is wrong with me?? All this animosity towards TV cooks”
Really?
http://tinyurl.com/3mjacqj
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:33 pm
Libertarian,
Chopped makes me sick — I used to like it, but then the judges got all crazy and they act all shocked that someone didn’t know how to use lamb testicles, grasshoppers, fruit loops, and Indonesian sour beans as an appetizer.
I saw this one guy judge(can’t remember who his name) have a complete little girl hissy fit melt down because he said he didn’t like purple onions and then the next round someone put purple onions in the dish — he went ballistic.
OMG.
Thulsa Doom
October 26th, 2011
3:33 pm
Is obama still doing more damage than a marauding band of telephone thieves?
md
October 26th, 2011
3:33 pm
“Because really, all you have is semantics as an argument with any truth in it when it comes to this.”
Hardly……I’m guessing that if some guy had the money to build a factory, he more than likely paid more than the rest of us for those roads……………….unless we don’t have a progressive tax structure.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:34 pm
Paul,
I didn’t say ALL of them!
ty webb
October 26th, 2011
3:35 pm
when it comes to TV cooks…the conversation begins and ends with the Master…Justin Wilson…oooohweee!
md
October 26th, 2011
3:36 pm
And Adam……are we now going to dictate how everyone uses the common areas of society?
That should get interesting…………..Ms Warren may not want to open that can of worms……..
Thulsa Doom
October 26th, 2011
3:36 pm
Excuse me that would be telephone pole thieves, a fearsome bunch even more destructive to infrastructure than obama himself
TaxPayer
October 26th, 2011
3:37 pm
Anyway, the Republicans made really bad choices by taking us to war without funding them, by giving out tax cuts without corresponding cuts in fed expenditures, by handing out prescription drug company benefits without funding them, by borrowing money to pay for everything, etc., and they want everyone else to pay the price for their mistakes yet all they seem to be capable of doing themselves is whine about a subset of this country’s poor, elderly, young, disabled, and/or jobless and their choices in life. Sounds like a lame attempt at deflection and/or diversion. Anything to avoid detection.
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
3:37 pm
I saw this one guy judge(can’t remember who his name) have a complete little girl hissy fit melt down because he said he didn’t like purple onions and then the next round someone put purple onions in the dish — he went ballistic.
yeah, too lazy to look it up, but he’s their designated prick. Chopped is not that dissimilar from other reality tv shows I’ve seen over the years–there are good guys, bad guys, human drama… that’s why you tune in.
(and sure, I hate that guy too. Of course you know that in real life he’s probably perfectly sweet, that the producers just play this stuff up and edit him to seem extra-pricky…)
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
3:38 pm
If you guys are more interested in the results of cooking shows rather than the silly faux drama, I suggest American’s Test Kitchen, Cooks Country, Cooking With Lydia, Primal Grill, Barbeque University, Mexico One Plate At A Time or any of the fine culinary programming on PBS.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:38 pm
md: So what? We ALL paid for it, and he didn’t do it all on his own, or even mostly on his own (there are plenty of other people just as wealthy too).
And as a followup to your argument, THEREFORE, he should be taxed less because he’s already paid for the roads and stuff. He’s done now, no more taxes on him…. Reward success!
(This is a good time to mention I do not want to reward corporate stinginess by giving them a tax cut).
kayaker 71
October 26th, 2011
3:38 pm
Bosch,
You do what? Something magically happens when you are born into this country and become a citizen? I am not sure that I read anyplace in the Constitution that we have a social contract with anyone. Social contract…… let’s see….. must be some sort of liberal scam that allows you to fleece those that have and give it away to those that don’t. Sort of like the newest scam that Bozo is proposing, bypassing Congress, to ease up on student loans. As long as someone is making a “reasonable attempt” to pay off their loans, that takes them off the hook. And the loan payment cannot be more than 10% of their annual income. The real kicker is that if they are paying a “reasonable amount”, some pay 500 dollars/yr, the loans will be forgiven in 20yrs. Meanwhile universities like Harvard, the liberal university of the world, in June of 2009, had an endowment of over 25B dollars and still charge their students 40K+/yr in tuition and fees. Social contract?…… seems like Bozo is overlooking something. And I might add, my friend, so are you.
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:39 pm
doomy enters with mindless babble as usual.
LSU is going to stomp a mud hole in bama’s candy azzes.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:40 pm
Kamchak,
I miss those Two Fat Ladies… They were fun.
And stands,
No, I refuse to believe that guy is nice in real life — it messes with my whole universe to do so.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:40 pm
md: are we now going to dictate how everyone uses the common areas of society?
We already do that. Recently, we do that through police forcibly removing people from parks because of curfew. After all, despite being peaceful, they are breaking the law and deserve to have their thumbs broken and tents and medical equipment destroyed. Right?
Are we going to dictate how people use common areas of society? Apparently, yes. Through force if necessary.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:40 pm
Bosch
“I didn’t say ALL of them!”
I figured you’d like both of them -
It is so seriously time for a new thread…
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
3:40 pm
American’s Test Kitchen
Two thumbs (and a couple of big toes) up on that one. Real good show.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:42 pm
kayaker: must be some sort of liberal scam that allows you to fleece those that have and give it away to those that don’t
Better than the conservative scam of fleecing those that have very little in order to give it to the people who already have a lot.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:42 pm
Paul!
You are BAD!!
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:43 pm
getalife
“LSU is going to stomp a mud hole in bama’s candy azzes.”
Where are Brosephus and DebbieDoRight when we need them?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
3:44 pm
Kam…what? No Hairy Bikers?
md
October 26th, 2011
3:44 pm
“md: So what? We ALL paid for it, and he didn’t do it all on his own, or even mostly on his own (there are plenty of other people just as wealthy too).
And as a followup to your argument, THEREFORE, he should be taxed less because he’s already paid for the roads and stuff. He’s done now, no more taxes on him…. Reward success!”
Yes, we did “all” pay for it (not really, but for arguments sake)…….so we have equal right to use it…..or are we going to send out the “use” police to make sure everyone is using it the same?
As for your follow up……you can keep your assumptions to what you think my argument may be, because that stuff is in your head, not mine. I don’t recall mentioning anything about taxing anybody less……….
stands for decibels
October 26th, 2011
3:45 pm
I refuse to believe that guy is nice in real life — it messes with my whole universe to do so.
Hey, if it adds to the enjoyment, that’s fine. I’m just saying that if you and a few friends hung around and were directed to comment on any number of things for, say, two hours and it all had to be edited down to fit into 22 minutes of airtime? It wouldn’t be too hard to make one person seem like a complete jerk and another person seem like a loving, empathetic, kind-hearted sort.
And if the continued success of the show depended upon the designated jerk to say a couple of jerky things each week? you’d probably be willing to take on that role.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:45 pm
kayaker: Sounds like you’d prefer that people pay their ENTIRE student loan back, even if they never make enough money to do so, PLUS interest, and if they die before they get a chance we should track down whatever body they reincarnate into and make sure they pay the rest of the debt. Or maybe we should force their descendents to do it. Or something.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
Kamchak – sfd
except it really bugs me that on the Cook’s Illustrated webpage they’ve taken to designating some of their recipes as ’super duper good’ and you have to pay for an extra subscription to see them.
Dang New England capitalists….
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
“Where are Brosephus and DebbieDoRight when we need them?”
They watched LSU destroy Auburn and decided they wanted none of LSU.
Geaux Tigers!
National Champs again.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
Bosch
But she’s good, and that’s all that counts.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
Keep
Never heard of them.
They on PBS?
OingoBoingo
October 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
Jeez, it’s not like either party has done anything towards fixing/scrapping the tax code lately..now all of the sudden it’s a hot button issue.
Both sides are full of buffoons who have forgotten the middle class. Keep voting for your favorite party.
Way to propogate the partisanship Jay. I wouldn’t expect any less of you.
The media needs to start doing their job and reporting on the news rather than being spoonfed by their favorite political party. You guys have a role in this country and most of you are so partisan it’s ridiculous. Faux News, CNN, HuffPo, WaPo…you all stink.
ty webb
October 26th, 2011
3:47 pm
The Master at work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9l5Ou-WNro
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
3:47 pm
Ummm…md, you do realize that there are “use” police for the roads and that the damage done by trucks is greater than passenger vehicles. There are weight limits, load limits, axle requirements… Do you have any idea what you are typing or you just typing to hear clicks on your keyboard? Oh wait, I remember, the details don’t matter as you gloss over item by item the real issues and the nuances….
Butch Cassidy
October 26th, 2011
3:49 pm
You forget Adam, it’s all about CHOICES! Hey, you want to be part of the 1% you need to get an education and work hard. What? You had to borrow to get that education, and then you couldn’t find a job? YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE BETTER CHOICES!!!!!!! You majored in Science, but your first job out only pays 60k and you owe $120K? YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE BETTER CHOICES!!!!!!
md
October 26th, 2011
3:49 pm
“We already do that. Recently, we do that through police forcibly removing people from parks because of curfew. After all, despite being peaceful, they are breaking the law and deserve to have their thumbs broken and tents and medical equipment destroyed. Right?”
Now you are confusing “right to use” vs “laws”……..two different concepts…..
And from what I can tell, those folks had the choice to leave as requested…….and chose not to.
One does not have the right to break the law to exercise a right……..otherwise, we may just want to go with anarchy as the governing rule……..
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
3:49 pm
A&E I think. or Discovery. At least the American version. I think I gave you the link for the English Version.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
3:50 pm
Actually in some cases you do have to actually break the law to have standing in court to challenge the legality of the law in the first place….. but again, that does not fit onto the md bumper sticker easily.
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:50 pm
md: Really though, taxes are designed specifically to evenly spread the money gathered fromt axes towards projects for the public good, WHETHER OR NOT the person or people who paid into the system actually “use” it or “use it the right way.” Doesn’t matter. And I am fine with that. What I am not fine with is making the assumption that someone should NOT pay for roads because they don’t use them, or that they should NOT pay for food stamps and other things with pennies of their tax dollars because they don’t use them, or that they shouldn’t pay anything into the military because they don’t like the military, and on and on and on. Taxes are not voluntary, and that is why any tax plan that places more of the burden on those that can least afford it is something I am against. If it places more of the burden on those who can MOST afford it, it’s a much better plan. Now, get the lobbying and such out of politics and our representatives might finally look out for us instead of the 1%
Libertarian
October 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:33 pm
I saw that same episode. Was it the guy with the short white/grey hair? I mean, I dont’ love onions either but I usually just pick them off and move on.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
except it really bugs me that on the Cook’s Illustrated webpage they’ve taken to designating some of their recipes as ’super duper good’ and you have to pay for an extra subscription to see them.
Yeah, that chaps my ass too. Even thought of dropping my online subscription to Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country.
But in the end there is just so much that they get right but one thing, cornbread does not have flour nor sugar in it!
md
October 26th, 2011
3:53 pm
“Sounds like you’d prefer that people pay their ENTIRE student loan back, even if they never make enough money to do so”
Hmmm……sounds like a sure bet for disaster……..didn’t we just watch that movie?
Or do folks like the idea of sequels so much we need to see part 2, 3, 4, etc……
Actually, part 2 is playing out in the EU as we speak if folks like foreign films…….
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:53 pm
md: One does not have the right to break the law to exercise a right
Depends on the law and the right in question. There are no absolutes here. if there were, we would have already figured out all laws that we can have that don’t affect anyone negatively ever.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
Kam…correction. Hairy Bikers (American version) is History channel. http://www.history.com/shows/hairy-bikers
Adam
October 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
md: Hmmm……sounds like a sure bet for disaster……..didn’t we just watch that movie?
You lost me.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
Libertarian,
It’s this guy:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/scott-conant/index.html
And yes, I am just that bored enough to bother to look him up.
stands,
True enough.
And Paul, the same could be said of your last comment to me as well.
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:55 pm
ty
that’s the youngest I’ve ever seen Jus-teen Wilson
Paul
October 26th, 2011
3:56 pm
Kam
“But in the end there is just so much that they get right but one thing, cornbread does not have flour nor sugar in it!”
What do you expect from a bunch of New England Yankees?
Libertarian
October 26th, 2011
3:56 pm
Bosch,
Ah yes….that guy always comes across as the jacka$$ of the show.
md
October 26th, 2011
3:58 pm
“Ummm…md, you do realize that there are “use” police for the roads and that the damage done by trucks is greater than passenger vehicles. There are weight limits, load limits, axle requirements… Do you have any idea what you are typing or you just typing to hear clicks on your keyboard? Oh wait, I remember, the details don’t matter as you gloss over item by item the real issues and the nuances….”
Well aware of said restrictions…..you may want to also be aware that “use” has several definitions/applications………
getalife
October 26th, 2011
3:59 pm
Most Cajuns think they are better cooks than Wilson.
They love to argue on who is the best cook.
Like on this blog, nobody concedes and they all keep thinking they are the best.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
4:01 pm
Ummm… sure md… do try to show using the definition of the word “use” in the actual applications the distinction that you now attempt to rely upon to make your error correct?
md
October 26th, 2011
4:01 pm
“md: Really though, taxes are designed specifically to evenly spread the money gathered fromt axes towards projects for the public good”
And going back to initial debate, isn’t said factory owner also a member of the “public”?
For Ms warren seems to imply that he is not………
getalife
October 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
New poll numbers.
willard is winning.
Told ya it is willard’s turn to lose to our President.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Told ya it is willard’s turn to lose to our President.
And I still say Perry will win the nomination.
FrankLeeDarling
October 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Cons have a hard time with graphs because you can’t see them on talk radio
I also find the social Darwinism from the con nauseating
md
October 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
“Ummm… sure md… do try to show using the definition of the word “use” in the actual applications the distinction that you now attempt to rely upon to make your error correct?”
Whats the old saying……an error on your interpretation does not equate to an error on the meaning of my post…..
Must be the lawyer in you……twist it so that the other guy didn’t say what he actually said………..
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
The force-feeding education of the ostriches goes on…
Unlike the richest Americans, middle class families have most of their wealth tied up in the equity of their homes, which took a beating in the recession. And high unemployment has left many people with little or no other income at all.
At the same time that Americans had less cash to spend, they were also being hit with rising prices for some crucial items. Health insurance for a family of four – $13,770. Even accounting for inflation, it still costs more to buy a home, fill your gas tank, go to the doctor and put food on the table than it did only 10 years ago.
And not only is it more expensive to live a middle-class life, it costs more to get there too. The price of a college education — still considered the ticket to higher wages and a better lifestyle — has surged over the last decade, even in spite of the recession.
Facing these burdens, the American Dream is undergoing stark changes, with fewer people choosing to buy homes and more young people postponing their own independent lives. The census data showed about 14.2% of all young people ages 25 to 34 are still living in their parents’ homes this year, compared to about 11.8% before the recession began in 2007.
And that poses a challenge for the economy going forward. After all, what will the middle class and the American Dream look like another decade from now, if the younger generations still can’t get their feet off the ground?
getalife
October 26th, 2011
4:05 pm
kam,
perry will not even do all the debates.
Just awful.
Your Aristocratic Patriarch
October 26th, 2011
4:06 pm
If we don’t give rich people all the money, they won’t give the rest of us jobs.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
4:07 pm
getalife
Not doing the debate is probably Perry’s best move.
TaxPayer
October 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
Who was it that wrote a law specifying that Pi = 3.0. Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid breaking that law.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
So md, you make a claim that you were using a word in a different manner and then when ask to clarify, you run away like a coward. no problem. Cowards will do that.
md
October 26th, 2011
4:12 pm
“So md, you make a claim that you were using a word in a different manner and then when ask to clarify, you run away like a coward. no problem. Cowards will do that.”
Good job…….go with the insults……does that really work for you in real life?
getalife
October 26th, 2011
4:13 pm
Kam,
He will run the Mormon card ads but will hurt willard in the general.
willard’s housing plan is to let it fail so the cons love that.
willard will win all the debates.
cain is still punking the cons with a joke of a book tour and still running a close second. Amazing gullibility.
In the end, cons will think willard has the best chance of beating our President but are wrong as usual.
TaxPayer
October 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
So, did Obama predict that Perry would kick himself off the island.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
4:17 pm
md, not an insult if its true about you. And sorry, in real life, a judge would have determined you to either back your claim or be judged an arse. You would not be able to “cower” behind a lawyer twisting words when you were proven wrong. Its your problem, squirt.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
4:18 pm
Seriously, I asked this question earlier:
Where is SoCo??
getalife
October 26th, 2011
4:18 pm
I should add my final point.
willard will lose because he flip flops on just about every issue.
md
October 26th, 2011
4:19 pm
“Its your problem, squirt.”
Oh boy…..more names…….get it all out……might make you feel better.
Then you may want to go back and clarify your interpretation of my post vs demanding others clarify your faulty interpretation……….
AmVet
October 26th, 2011
4:19 pm
Incomes for 90% of Americans have been stuck in neutral, and it’s not just because of the Great Recession. Middle-class incomes have been stagnant for at least a generation, while the wealthiest tier has surged ahead at lighting speed.
In 1988, the income of an average American taxpayer was $33,400, adjusted for inflation. Fast forward 20 years, and not much had changed: The average income was still just $33,000 in 2008, according to IRS data.
One major pull on the working man was the decline of unions and other labor protections, said Bill Rodgers, a former chief economist for the Labor Department, now a professor at Rutgers University.
Because of deals struck through collective bargaining, union workers have traditionally earned 15% to 20% more than their non-union counterparts, Rodgers said.
But union membership has declined rapidly over the past 30 years. In 1983, union workers made up about 20% of the workforce. In 2010, they represented less than 12%.
“The erosion of collective bargaining is a key factor to explain why low-wage workers and middle income workers have seen their wages not stay up with inflation,” Rodgers said.
Without collective bargaining pushing up wages, especially for blue-collar work — average incomes have stagnated.
But for the millionaires/billionaires like so many of our cons here, this graph is peachy keen…
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/2011/02/16/news/economy/middle_class/chart-rise-of-super-rich-2.top.gif
Shawny
October 26th, 2011
4:20 pm
The ‘Buffets’ are gaining faster than the rest of us. Here is an excellent article on why the tax code needs simplified and flattened. A key point from the article:
“A recent analysis shows that the wealthiest 400 paid almost the same amount in taxes in 1994 as they paid in 1992, even though Clinton raised their taxes. Again, the rich can shelter their income, which the flat tax would catch.”
AND regarding corporations
“A flat tax would catch more corporations who have paid no net income taxes in recent years, including GE, Bank of America and Molson Coors”
Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/10/26/flat-tax-center-stage-again/
TaxPayer
October 26th, 2011
4:21 pm
When are the Republicans planning on bringing out their real presidential candidates. I mean, the people that they have brought out so far are entertaining in their own little ways but they are not really the GOP presidential candidates, are they!!!!!
ty webb
October 26th, 2011
4:22 pm
someone anonymously calling someone else a “coward”…oh the irony.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 26th, 2011
4:22 pm
no need md…. I love how your position contradicts your efforts to create lies about Elizabeth Warren as some sort of valid claim. It really is funny.
Kamchak
October 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
getalife
Saw this today about Mark “Smoking Man” Block
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/685582/6_things_to_know_about_%22smoking_man%22_in_herman_cain%27s_weird_new_ad_%28dude_was_banned_from_electoral_politics%29/
Banned from Wisconsin politics for three years in 2002 and paid a $15,000 fine for illegal campaign activities on behalf of a candidate for the state Supreme Court – Before Americans For Prosperity was a gleam in David Koch’s eye, Mark Block was getting himself into trouble flouting Wisconsin’s campaign laws.
Bosch
October 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
“In 2010, they represented less than 12%”
BUT AMVET!!! I thought UNIONS were the source of all evil and the reason for our declining labor force!!!