Should The Rich Be Required To Pay Higher Taxes In the US?

[sealybobo]

We made

Top 7 Wackiest Examples of Wasteful Government Spending from Wastebook 2014

1. The National Institute of Health’s Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine spent $387,000 to study the effects of Swedish massages on rabbits.
2. The Department of Interior spent $10,000 to monitor the growth rate of saltmarsh grass. In other words, the government is paying people to watch grass grow. On the bright side, they have not started paying people to watch paint dry.
3. The National Science Foundation has granted more than $200,000 to a research project that is trying to determine how and why Wikipedia is sexist. Wikipedia’s War on Woman?
4. The National Institute of Health funded a study to see if mothers love dogs as much as they love kids. Regardless of the results, this experiment cost taxpayers $371,026.
5. The federal government has granted $804,254 for the development of a smartphone game called “Kiddio: Food Fight.” The game is intended to teach parents how to convince their children to try and eat new healthier food choices.
6. The National Endowment for the Humanities has provided $47,000 for undergraduate classes that teach students about laughing and humor.
7. The National Science Foundation spent $856,000 to teach mountain lions how to walk on treadmills as part of a research project whose aim was to better understand mountain lions’ instincts.

While some of these waste examples seem like a drop in the bucket, cutting wasteful spending is important to build momentum to tackle even more difficult and pressing issues, like entitlement spending.

There's a reason behind all those projects. Look into them you realize GOP being petty hypocrites and only telling half the story. It's an election year coming up get ready.

BS...................It's wasteful spending..............hundreds of Billions of waste in the Waste book every year....................and your side we can't cut spending.........

Weve made lots of austerity cuts in the last 15 years. Hasn't made a dent in the debt. We need to cut military spending and corporate welfare

 

[boedicca]

Shouldn't you pay taxes to support your own way. Everyone pays taxes.

I see comprehension isn't your strong suit. That would explain your loony leftism.
BTW, didn't you once claim you "earn" millions yet pay no income tax?

Thanks to Republicans I pay no personal federal income tax because I 'officially' make zero income.

Yanno, I'll not bother addressing the world class stupidity in your response but I will mention the world class hypocrisy and if made to guess, I'd say you can't see either.

I'm pointing out the stupidity of fools like you that allow me to keep more of my money and screwing themselves.

If liberals and progressives focused on cleaning up the tax code and eliminating all the loopholes and exemptions that allow so many wealthy people to avoid taxes, they'd find a lot of cross over support from conservatives and libertarians. Enough to actually implement the changes. I wonder why they don't.

Because Simplicity doesn't provide the opportunities for GRAFT which Complexity does.

 

[boedicca]

We made

Top 7 Wackiest Examples of Wasteful Government Spending from Wastebook 2014

1. The National Institute of Health’s Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine spent $387,000 to study the effects of Swedish massages on rabbits.
2. The Department of Interior spent $10,000 to monitor the growth rate of saltmarsh grass. In other words, the government is paying people to watch grass grow. On the bright side, they have not started paying people to watch paint dry.
3. The National Science Foundation has granted more than $200,000 to a research project that is trying to determine how and why Wikipedia is sexist. Wikipedia’s War on Woman?
4. The National Institute of Health funded a study to see if mothers love dogs as much as they love kids. Regardless of the results, this experiment cost taxpayers $371,026.
5. The federal government has granted $804,254 for the development of a smartphone game called “Kiddio: Food Fight.” The game is intended to teach parents how to convince their children to try and eat new healthier food choices.
6. The National Endowment for the Humanities has provided $47,000 for undergraduate classes that teach students about laughing and humor.
7. The National Science Foundation spent $856,000 to teach mountain lions how to walk on treadmills as part of a research project whose aim was to better understand mountain lions’ instincts.

While some of these waste examples seem like a drop in the bucket, cutting wasteful spending is important to build momentum to tackle even more difficult and pressing issues, like entitlement spending.

There's a reason behind all those projects. Look into them you realize GOP being petty hypocrites and only telling half the story. It's an election year coming up get ready.

BS...................It's wasteful spending..............hundreds of Billions of waste in the Waste book every year....................and your side we can't cut spending.........

it's of austerity cuts in the last 15 years. Hasn't made a dent in the debt. We need to cut military spending and corporate welfare

I suggest you look up the increase in federal spending on an inflation adjusted basis, bub.

And then look up the ratio of federal spending that goes to entitlements.

 

[Dad2three]

rich people this, corporations that.

oh teach me how to hate and be petty and jealous like you oh great and wise Progressives!!!

Teach you how to value American workers? Impossible

It's the teachers, cops and DMV workers fault you know? NOT those "job creators" (in China/Mexico, etc) fault!

 

[Dad2three]

Top 7 Wackiest Examples of Wasteful Government Spending from Wastebook 2014

1. The National Institute of Health’s Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine spent $387,000 to study the effects of Swedish massages on rabbits.
2. The Department of Interior spent $10,000 to monitor the growth rate of saltmarsh grass. In other words, the government is paying people to watch grass grow. On the bright side, they have not started paying people to watch paint dry.
3. The National Science Foundation has granted more than $200,000 to a research project that is trying to determine how and why Wikipedia is sexist. Wikipedia’s War on Woman?
4. The National Institute of Health funded a study to see if mothers love dogs as much as they love kids. Regardless of the results, this experiment cost taxpayers $371,026.
5. The federal government has granted $804,254 for the development of a smartphone game called “Kiddio: Food Fight.” The game is intended to teach parents how to convince their children to try and eat new healthier food choices.
6. The National Endowment for the Humanities has provided $47,000 for undergraduate classes that teach students about laughing and humor.
7. The National Science Foundation spent $856,000 to teach mountain lions how to walk on treadmills as part of a research project whose aim was to better understand mountain lions’ instincts.

While some of these waste examples seem like a drop in the bucket, cutting wasteful spending is important to build momentum to tackle even more difficult and pressing issues, like entitlement spending.

There's a reason behind all those projects. Look into them you realize GOP being petty hypocrites and only telling half the story. It's an election year coming up get ready.

BS...................It's wasteful spending..............hundreds of Billions of waste in the Waste book every year....................and your side we can't cut spending.........

lol, Hundreds of billions a year? lol

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Really? Then why did lowering the capital gains rates work so well for Bill Clinton? You know, the best economy in our lives?

work so well? Oh you meant take revenues from the treasury?

work so well? Oh you meant take revenues from the treasury?

What was government capital gains revenue at 28%? At 20%?

Less at 20% than 28% would've, according to EVERY serious economist at least!

So the revenue increased, even though the rate went down. It actually added revenue to the Treasury.

I'm glad you were able to admit your error.

Keep TRYING Bubba


Tax Foundation's Prante: "A Stretch" To Claim "Cutting Capital Gains Taxes Raises Tax Revenues."

Bush CEA Chair Mankiw: Claim That Broad-Based Income Tax Cuts Increase Revenue Is Not "Credible," Capital Income Tax Cuts Also Don't Pay For Themselves

Bush-Appointed Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke: "I Don't Think That As A General Rule Tax Cuts Pay For Themselves."


Conservative Economist Holtz-Eakin: "No Serious Research Evidence" Suggests Tax Cuts Pay For Themselves."



The supply-side theory that tax-cut proponents often espouse was demonstrated by the Laffer curve, named for economist Arthur B. Laffer. The curve suggests that a higher tax rate can generate just as much revenue as a lower rate. But most economists are not Laffer-curve purists. Instead, while they may believe in the power of tax cuts to create an economic boost, they don’t say that growth is enough to completely make up for lost revenue. For example, N. Gregory Mankiw, former chair of the current President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, calculated that the growth spurred by capital gains tax cuts pays for about half of lost revenue over a number of years and that payroll tax cuts generate enough growth to pay for about 17 percent of what is lost.

The Impact of Tax Cuts

 

[OnePercenter]

B'loney. There are plenty of business which LOSE money, bub.

Whole Foods, which has Premium Pricing, last reported a 4% profit margin.

And without product hitting the stores, there are no profits as there is nothing to procure, "logistic" or transport, moron.

Whole Foods has fifteen subsidiaries. Why don't you do the net profit math and get back to us.

 

[Dad2three]

Stop talking about yourself!!! you're the one kissing the rich mans ass over his own country.

BS.............I've stated that the tax system should be simplified....................Just to shut people like you up............You wouldn't be able to complain about loop holes.......................They'd be gone................

Our problem is we are spending more than we take in.................In to debt up to our asses...................and refuse to make the necessary cuts to ensure the dollars future and standard of living's future for the next generation. How does devaluating the dollar help anyone....................

Raising taxes when the investors can haul ass to other countries isn't the right strategy as well.................They don't have to stay here and they are leaving..................taxing the shit out of them doesn't create the jobs to keep our middle class alive...................The examples of California and Detroit being prime examples.........................

So..............LA LA LA LA................

MORE right wing garbage. MY GENERATION, bought into Reagan's BS putting things on the credit card AS he gutted revenues. Carter had US at nearly 20% of GDP, Ronnie cut it to 17%+. CLINTON GOT US back to 20% AND THEN DUBYA/GOP GUTTED IT TO LESS THAN 15% OF GDP (KOREAN WAR LEVELS!!!)


IT'S A REVENUE PROBLEM FOR 30+ YEARS!!!

Conflating a state (MY STATE, CALI IS DOING GREAT AFTER KICKING THE GOP GUV OUT) with a city? lol

We've averaged 18.1% since WWII................irregardless of tax rates..............If that is the average for that long.........Federal Spending over that amount is STUPIDITY unless you want the debt to tank us..............

Obama has added debt that is more than all the others combined before he leaves office..................Not to mention the debt ceiling was reached back in March and they are putting off that battle until the primaries..................Politics............

Finally we spend more than the 2nd highest GDP Nation in the world...........but we don't have a spending problem.



Yeah right.

Average since WW2? lol

HINT we created Medicare in the 1960's(Dubya/GOP created MORE Medicare expense without a single penny of funding in 2004 AND they can't negotiate prices!!!) AND Obamacares as well as Ronnie had US spending 22%+ of GDP? HMM

Clinton BALANCED the budget at 20% of GDP about 15 years ago?D UBYA gutted it to less than 15% of GDP AND PUT TWO WARS ON THE CREDIT CARD!


Ronnie tripled EVERY other US Prez and then Dubya doubled it. AND?


US ECONOMY IS LARGER THAN UE COMBINED GDP? WE SPEND MORE? lol

You do understand what AVERAGE MEANS.................

Sure IF someones simple minded enough to use an average rate going back 70 years? Hmm. What was it when budgets WERE balanced and deficits didn't explode?

 

[boedicca]

B'loney. There are plenty of business which LOSE money, bub.

Whole Foods, which has Premium Pricing, last reported a 4% profit margin.

And without product hitting the stores, there are no profits as there is nothing to procure, "logistic" or transport, moron.

Whole Foods has fifteen subsidiaries. Why don't you do the net profit math and get back to us.

Why don't you look at their consolidated financials and get back to us.

 

[Dad2three]

the middle class had it better when republicans ran things
the richest never had it so good as under Progressives

libs are losers who lie to themselves

You're lying to yourself. Mitch McConnell broke obstruction records. You'd have to have had your head buried these years to believe what you just said. You'd have to have forgotten the bush years and tea party years.

You'd have to be dumb or a liar.

"You'd have to be dumb or a liar."

You speak of 99% of right wing "media" and about 95% of GOPers/CONservatives

 

[SAYIT]

Tariff a company that goes overseas. I work for a small competitor in my industry. We'd love to take over the big 2's business.

"Tariff a company that goes overseas." And you say you've been arguing with cons since the 1990s using silliness like that? Really? I would just like it noted that underneath all that loony leftist bluster and blunder there's a very creepy capitalist who would have our gov't tax his competitors so he can "take over the big 2's business." Like most loony leftists, BooBoo has the integrity of a rattlesnake.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Raise minimum wage to $23.50/hr. Based on where minimum wage should be using 1970-2015 rise in food, shelter, and transportation.

Still lying about inflation.

-Back down ALL costs, prices, fees, to January 1, 2009 levels and hold them for 10 years which will eliminate inflation.

Can't be done, and holding prices constant doesn't eliminate inflation, moron.

-Recall ALL off-shore investments tax free, and disallow any further off-shore investments.

Can't prevent people from investing offshore.

-Make inversion illegal.

Same outcome when foreign firms buy US firms. You gonna prevent that too?

Still lying about inflation.

Based on minimum wage in 1970, name five items that haven't increased in price 12X, and I'll name five items that have.

Can't be done, and holding prices constant doesn't eliminate inflation, moron.

Inflation is caused by a rise in products and services.

Can't prevent people from investing offshore.

Were talking corporations. Unless you think corporations are people.

Same outcome when foreign firms buy US firms. You gonna prevent that too?

Wrong. Inversion is used to eliminate tax bills owed to the people of the United States.

Based on minimum wage in 1970, name five items that haven't increased in price 12X, and I'll name five items that have.

Or you could get the actual government stats for those prices since 1970?

Inflation is caused by a rise in products and services.

That's hilarious! Have you taken any econ classes? Ever?

Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services.

Inflation: What Is Inflation? | Investopedia

Were talking corporations. Unless you think corporations are people.

Oh, so corporations can't invest overseas, but people can?

Inversion is used to eliminate tax bills owed to the people of the United States.

If a US corporation holds $1 billion in offshore profits outside the US and it is bought by a foreign firm, how much do they owe to the US Treasury on that $1 billion?

 

[OnePercenter]

And if you do what Ford and gm do you pay all the workers well enough to be able to afford to fix the economy. Maybe instead of CEO pay going up 600% you share some of those profits with the workers of America.

Walmart just gave all their employees a raise. That's gonna hurt profits and the Walton's but not consumers. If Walton charges too much Kroger and neither kick Walton's ass.

You think so small.

Walmart here in Vegas is closing most of their 40 24hour stores at midnight and re-open at 6 am, thus taking their lost revenue write-off, so no loss, except for the employees that get their pay cut.

 

[dblack]

Shouldn't you pay taxes to support your own way. Everyone pays taxes.

I see comprehension isn't your strong suit. That would explain your loony leftism.
BTW, didn't you once claim you "earn" millions yet pay no income tax?

Thanks to Republicans I pay no personal federal income tax because I 'officially' make zero income.

Yanno, I'll not bother addressing the world class stupidity in your response but I will mention the world class hypocrisy and if made to guess, I'd say you can't see either.

I'm pointing out the stupidity of fools like you that allow me to keep more of my money and screwing themselves.

If liberals and progressives focused on cleaning up the tax code and eliminating all the loopholes and exemptions that allow so many wealthy people to avoid taxes, they'd find a lot of cross over support from conservatives and libertarians. Enough to actually implement the changes. I wonder why they don't.

Because Simplicity doesn't provide the opportunities for GRAFT which Complexity does.

The sad thing is, the grassroots people really could do this. But the tools in DC will never oblige. They have too much invested in the status-quo game of trading favors.

 

[Dad2three]

I'd be happy to offer my perspective.
It is obvious that there is a problem that has been growing for decades, in regards to inequality, and it's not just in America.

"Despite huge advancements in technology and productivity, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages. The real median income of male workers is $783 less than it was 42 years ago; while the real median income of female workers is over $1,300 less than it was in 2007. That is unacceptable and that has got to change."

We've spent $19T on the War on Poverty, bub.

It's not a Coinkydink that the more we spend to fight poverty, the Richer the Socialist Cronies get.

And it has helped, without the war on poverty, the poor would be worse off.
https://courseworks.columbia.edu/access/content/group/c5a1ef92-c03c-4d88-0018-ea43dd3cc5db/Working Papers for website/Anchored SPM.December7.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/us/food-stamp-program-helping-reduce-poverty.html?_r=0
Welfare programs shown to reduce poverty in America
Food Stamps Helped Reduce Poverty Rate, Study Finds - UC Davis Center for Poverty Research

Absolute Closed Loop Logic Poppycock.

As we haven't tried real Free Market Capitalism for a very long time, you have no idea what the opportunity cost of excessive government has wrought.

I'll refer you to Bastiat, although it's rather optimistic of me to think you might grok him.

That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen; by Frederic Bastiat

Sorry that the facts suck, all around the world, with the beginning of capitalism in europe after the overthrow of feudalism, the regulation free capitalist society in America.. a "free market" failed, monopolies occurred, capitalists influenced the state to benefit themselves, child labor was rampant, seniors were fucked unless they had a family, wages were low, labor unions were attacked.. It has failed everywhere, and led to regulations, state intervention. The cost of excessive government? The war on poverty needed to happen, and must continue to happen, the poor would just be worse off without it.

Which was the exact sentiment of the left when Gingrich introduced Welfare Reform. Turned out to be the exact opposite. Welfare Reform was a great success because people who had limited alternatives chose to work instead of finding alternate ways to milk the system.

On a personal note, I've witnessed several instances where welfare has deterred people from advancing themselves. In fact one of them were my former tenants who I evicted because they didn't want to lose their SNAP's card benefits. They chose SNAP's benefits to income that could have secured their apartment and lifestyle. If there were no such thing as food stamps, they may have chosen increasing their household income and kept their apartment. But no, now they have an eviction on their record and it will haunt them for any other apartment they apply for the next several years.

MORE right wing CRAP NOT based on reality. Shocking



Summary

The enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996 replaced Aid for Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and had important implications for persons with disabilities and for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Various surveys since its enactment show that between 32 percent and 44 percent of TANF recipients of report having impairments or chronic health problems


.... Not surprisingly, surveys have consistently found that TANF recipients with disabilities were substantially less likely to be working than those without disabilities. Additionally, although most states have formal policies to exempt persons with disabilities from various requirements, studies of results in the states have consistently found that families with reported disabilities or health problems were sanctioned at a higher rate than were other families.

Disability, Welfare Reform, and Supplemental Security Income



The Failure Of Welfare Reform Hits New Records


The percentage of poor families with children, those meant to be the primary beneficiaries of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF, or welfare), who don’t receive benefits has reached a record high, according to a report from Legal Momentum.

In 1996, just 28 percent of poor families with children missed out on the benefits. But that share has since soared, and in 2012 it hit a record of 74 percent.



SNAP continues to do more to help those in poverty than welfare does. In 2011, five times as many families with children got food stamps than got TANF, according to the Legal Momentum report. SNAP kept 5 million people out of poverty in 2012; public assistance did the same for just 641,000 people.



Legal Momentum also notes that those who do receive TANF are getting very little from it. The gap between the value of welfare benefits and what a family needs to live above the poverty line has also continued to grow since the mid-90s, reaching a record of 73 percent in 2012. The median state benefit for a family of three is now $427, just 27 percent of the $1,591 poverty guideline. That family won’t be able to meet market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in any state, and in 25 states welfare benefits cover less than half of rent. The value of benefits has been eroding, and for 99 percent of recipients, they are now worth less than in 1996 when adjusted for inflation.



The Failure Of Welfare Reform Hits New Records




When President Bill Clinton signed welfare reform into law, he didn't just end welfare as we knew it. For all practical purposes, it turned out, he brought an end to cash help of any kind for families with children in much of the country. While welfare reform was long ago declared a success in some quarters, it was deeply flawed from the beginning. The recession has shown how seriously unprepared it left us for hard times.





Welfare reform also provided the states with nearly complete discretion over how to administer benefits. Most states responded with gusto, reducing welfare rolls nationally by two-thirds in just a few years.

So when the Great Recession came along, the government safety net for families with children was in tatters. The United States was no more prepared for massive unemployment than New Orleans had been prepared for its levees to fail.


Peter Edelman and Barbara Ehrenreich -- Why welfare reform has failed

 

[dblack]

..................

 

[OnePercenter]

corporations are groups of people and no we cant prevent them from investing offshore; unless you want to go back a century or so leftard?

Corporations may be a group of people, but personal and corporate finances don't cross.

 

[Dad2three]

And on average, according to the report, the below-$100,000 taxpayers paid 35 percent of their taxable income in taxes (income and payroll)

Let's take $100,000 as the income figure in 2014.
That single taxpayer pays $7,650 in Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Now his standard deduction is $6200 and his personal exemption is $3950, leaving his taxable income at
$89850. According to the 2014 tax tables, his Federal Income Tax is $18,341.
$25,991 combined. Less than 29%.

The millionaire pays $7254 in Social Security on his first $117,000 in income and $14,500 in Medicare taxes.
His personal exemption is phased out but he can still use the $6200 standard deduction.
His taxable income of $993,800 gives him a Federal Income Tax of $345,817.60.
$367,571.60 combined. Almost 37%.

A millionaire would reduce his/her taxable income through the many tax loopholes available to $100k and pay 20% federal tax of that figure which is 2% of total income.

Then simplify the code and end the BS. Set percentage with no BS......................
That has been said many times in this thread.

Yes, WHY NOT A REGRESSIVE FLAT TAX the plutocrats would LOVE. Why should the hedge funders like Romney get all the benefits for the top 1/10th of 1% right?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

A 30% tax on corporate REVENUE? Grocery stores operate on 2-3% profit margins. So, either they increase prices 30% to cover this tax burden, or they go out of business.


His idiotic plan also involves giving corporations their wage expenses back as a refundable tax credit.
A grocery store with $1,000,000 in sales, $500,000 COGS, $100,000 in rent and $370,000 in wage expenses currently has a $30,000 profit.

He'd tax them $300,000 and at least double their wages to $740,000.
Then he'd give them back the $740,000.
So now we have $1,000,000 in sales, $600,000 in non-deductible expenses and $300,000 in taxes. $100,000 profit.
I wonder if I owned the store, could I raise my salary by $100,000 and get an extra $100,000 tax credit?
I guess I can pay my family members $100,000 each. No, I'd make it $200,000 each.
What could go wrong?

You'd also be taxed on that money. You'd also spend that money in the economy which would also be taxed.

You'd also be taxed on that money.

So I get an extra $100,000 free, from the government and then I get taxed at less than 40% on my windfall?
And I pay all my family members $200,000 each, free money from the government, and they get taxed at less than 40%. Where do I sign up?

 

[Dad2three]

Liberals think they are Robin Hood and America is Sherwood Forrest................And they get votes from the Hood.

Without false premises, distortions and LIES, the right wingers would have NOTHING. Oh right, it's what they argue now!

That's his platform..........and you guys think you are Robin N the hoods....................Your side is good at one thing..........Driving business away.................

I remember building a gas turbine plant in Mohave Arizona........Just across the border from Needles Liberalfornia..................during the Black outs............Do you know why it was built in Arizona........because the power plant said it would be a cold day in Hell when they would build it in California...............

\
Sure Bubba, sure. You mean when Dubya allowed the "free market" to hose Cali during the created energy crisis? Weird


I bet they said that too, the largest US economy in Cali, by FARRRR , LOL, WHAT are we doing wrong?