Raise America’s Taxes

[Gerald]

President Obama in his speech on Wednesday confronted a topic that is harder to address seriously in public than sex or flatulence: America needs higher taxes.

That ugly truth looms over today’s budget battles, but politicians have mostly preferred to run from reality. Mr. Obama’s speech was excellent not only for its content but also because he didn’t insult our intelligence.

There is no single reason for today’s budget mess, but it’s worth remembering that the last time our budget was in the black was in the Clinton administration. That’s a broad hint that one sensible way to overcome our difficulties would be to revert to tax rates more or less as they were under President Clinton. That single step would solve three-quarters of the deficit for the next five years or so.

Paradoxically, nothing makes the need for a tax increase more clear than the Republican budget proposal crafted by Representative Paul Ryan. The Republicans propose slashing spending far more than the public would probably accept — even dismantling Medicare — and rely on economic assumptions that are not merely rosy, but preposterous.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/op...ml?ref=opinion


Note: April 13, 2011

[GoldenRivet]

America needs less spending.

America has plenty of taxes... just about everything here except oxygen is taxed.

The problem is the government is trying to subsidize everything, when in reality it needs to be:

providing firefighting, police, defense, and regulating international commerce and that's just about it.

instead we have thousands of things - all of them receiving untold amounts of tax money - that are not essential.

the budget needs to be cut - and cut hard... by a matter of about 30% at least.... not the recent 0.1%

[gimpy117]

plenty of taxes?

Ill bring Up GE again. Too many loopholes.

[Armistead]

Tax rates mean nothing when you're rich, tax shelters and loopholes do.
Corporations don't care about tax rates as long as they have all their shelters and can buy regulation. Our code is so complex for one reason, it keeps average Americans out of the know. The tax code is much like our criminal code, we give people 3 life sentences, then they get out in 5 years. It's laughable when the GOP talks about lowering taxes, then only mentions closing a few possible loopholes.

They say the rich pay most of the taxes. First, we're going into mass debt, so it's not being paid for, second, the average american pays boat loads.
Everything is taxed, gas, sales, power, you name it, it probably has taxes built in. Corporations pay very little for what they get.

We need a complete reworking of the tax code, better known as the rich man's handbook. Get rid of loopholes, shelters, then adjust the tax..

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Tax rates mean nothing when you're rich, tax shelters and loopholes do.
Corporations don't care about tax rates as long as they have all their shelters and can buy regulation. Our code is so complex for one reason, it keeps average Americans out of the know. The tax code is much like our criminal code, we give people 3 life sentences, then they get out in 5 years. It's laughable when the GOP talks about lowering taxes, then only mentions closing a few possible loopholes.

They say the rich pay most of the taxes. First, we're going into mass debt, so it's not being paid for, second, the average american pays boat loads.
Everything is taxed, gas, sales, power, you name it, it probably has taxes built in. Corporations pay very little for what they get.

We need a complete reworking of the tax code, better known as the rich man's handbook. Get rid of loopholes, shelters, then adjust the tax..

I generally agree, though I am a bit miffed about you questioning my beloved corporations. For the record, corporations are pretty good about paying their taxes. They're also pretty good about passing that overhead cost on to the consumers, which is why corporate tax is a patently stupid idea. Business is good. We want more of it, not less. No taxes for business. No capital gains tax either. Capital is also good, especially when one is gaining it.

That said, Kristoff can go to hell. While I agree thathistaxes should be raised, seeing as how he has so magnanimously offered, he has no right to raise my taxes to fund things I don't support. Well, no moral right, anyway. He talks about politicians running from fiscal reality but he is not willing to cut medicare and medicaid or social security; by whose powers combined- not even Captain Planet can save us.

This ridiculous entitlement spending has to stop. It's eating nearly two-thirds of the GNP all by itself and nobody is happy with the results. I don't say that because I'm a heartless capitalist, I say that because everyone already knows it, though they have not yet admitted it. While the goals of these programs are noble and I retain enough of my former liberal enlightenment to appreciate that, the fact of the matter is that they have all been complete disasters.

Something has to be done, but whatever it is, do not let the government have too much discretionary power over it. I'd prefer it not have any at all, but I'm willing to compromise. Remember, this is the same agency that somehow managed to obtain the power to tax people's earnings in the interests of providing for them in retirement, a very simple task by any measure, and then managed to misplace all of that money. Worse, the government now effectively owes money to social security. How the ******* do you even do that? They literally could have taken that money and put it into a CD at a bank and done nothing else with it and made money.

We are running out of time. Estimates vary, but our interest payments will eclipse our taxable income soon enough that we should be concerned. No amount of taxation, no matter how well-intentioned, nor how wisely-spent, is going to fix the Supreme Mongolian Cluster-**** that is our Federal Government. We need to get right to the heart of the matter, and that means drastic cuts in federal spending and power. It also means boosting our tax base by creating an environment favorable for business. Not this multibillion-dollar forward-thinking green-job BS that obviously isn't working, but a real environment that is favorable for business. No business taxes, no duties, no tariffs, no quotas. We are in an increasingly global market, and that means we need a competitive edge.

/rant Sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes.

[Onkel Neal]

I like.

[August]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I like.

New taxes? Burn the witch!

[tater]

We have a spending problem, not a taxation problem.

Tax revenue as a % of GDP remains remarkably constant. Spending is insane right now. Obama spends 2 times more in the red each year than Bush spent in EIGHT.

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by tater

We have a spending problem, not a taxation problem.

Tax revenue as a % of GDP remains remarkably constant. Spending is insane right now. Obama spends 2 times more in the red each year than Bush spent in EIGHT.

thats because of the stimulus. thats a temporary thing.

[tater]

Yet another year and according to the accountant (he just called) we are both still unqualified for an Obama Cabinet position.

Meaning we now have an unbroken string of over-paying taxes for our entire adult lives ('cept 2 years when we didn't withhold, and had to write a huge check for the exact tax (on time, of course, since we're not criminals like, say, the Secretary of the Treasury)). Regardless, we've never underpaid taxes.

[yubba]

I have always wondered, what they were thinking, when they cut down the last tree on Easter Island.

[FIREWALL]

Or maybe a simpler way. Put all the massive unemployed citizens back to work that will pay taxes and, help take the burden off the already working taxpayers.

Just a thought.

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

Or maybe a simpler way. Put all the massive unemployed citizens back to work that will pay taxes and, help take the burden off the already working taxpayers.

Just a thought.

its something our government should be making a priority yes, Build the middle class; that is where stability and a health economy comes from. But Washington is too focused on giving their corporate buddies handouts.

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by gimpy117

its something our government should be making a priority yes, Build the middle class; that is where stability and a health economy comes from. But Washington is too focused on giving their corporate buddies handouts.

[Terrax]

I'm in the minority, but no pain no gain. If the US would actually stick to a plan and drive down debt, as a citizen, I would gladly pay more taxes. I myself HATE being in debt & am working my ass off to get out.

But our budget is a typical situation. I'm way over simplifying it, but pay off one debt, & another pops up. Get the mortgage paid off & then the the family wants a new car. Most people can't save money, excess $$$ must be spent. You've got to make sacrifices to dig yourself out a hole that you've made for yourself. Our government should be the same way.

Even if we (unlikely as it is) pass a long term workable budget, sh!t will come up before we reach zero that puts us into the red again.

I would gladly deal with new taxes, if It meant solving the problem & getting the US out of debt. But bastards in Washington would raise taxes, balance the budget, & then fuk it all up again.

So as it is, I've become selfish & just worry about my own little corner of the world. As a result, I've become part of the problem. Painful cuts are the only way to fix the problem, but because politicians want to get re-elected, they refuse to make changes that will be unpopular with voters so they can keep their jobs. Even if it's the right thing to do for the country.

I can see the temptation though. Once someone got a taste of the power & the good life, they would probably do all they could to keep all the perks & the $$$.

That's my problem, I haven't seen anything from anyone of those people in the last few years that shows me that they have my best interest in mind. It just seems like a big pissing contest. It's really hard to care at this point, and it seems like the guys in DC don't care either.

So to summarize, if the government spent my $$$ responsibly (determined by gentleman much smarter than myself), I would be glad to lower my quality of life to help my country.