Another Republican Victory!

[Back]

They just passed tax cuts that help the wealthiest 2% of our nation, leaving everyone else out in the cold.

Wow. This republican congress has really made some real strides (into corruption).

They also passed a bill that helps energy companies while fucking over the enviroment (lifting emission restrictions, giving tax breaks, and opening more drilling).

Not to mention supporting domestic spying, bad mouthing the judicial branch, stalling intelligence investigations, and coming out of vacation for one American (Schiavo).

I hope they win this year (not).

[Gan]

Since Backlash does not like to post links or let us come to our own conclusion...

Here's a few other political stories along with the tax cut story at the end. Seems rich is defined as "those who invest and receive capital gains". I'm not rich, and I will benefit from a tax break on capital gains.

__________________________________________________ ________

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs will be able to vie for a grand prize of $10 million, and smaller prizes reaching millions of dollars, under House-passed legislation to encourage research into hydrogen as an alternative fuel.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/05/10/hydrogen.prize.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With an enrollment deadline quickly approaching, the Bush administration said Wednesday that about 37 million Medicare beneficiaries now have prescription drug coverage.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/10/bush.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A contentious $70 billion tax-cut package awaits only President Bush's signature after the Senate on Thursday passed the measure 55-44, largely along party lines.
The bill extends tax breaks on capital gains and dividends through 2010 and changes the unpopular alternative minimum tax so that it includes 15 million fewer middle-class taxpayers.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/11/tax.cuts/index.html




Saying the bill "caters to an elite group of wealthy Americans at the expense of the middle class," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said extending the cuts was fiscally irresponsible, especially during an era of high budget deficits.



But Frist fired back that almost half of the tax returns declaring capital gains and dividends come from people with adjusted gross incomes of less than $50,000.

Democrats also complained that the tax cut bill, crafted by GOP leaders earlier in the week, did not include extensions of more broad-based tax breaks, including a tax deduction for college tuition and a tax credit for research and development.
However, Congress is expected to take up a second tax bill that might include some of those provisions.

The bill passed Thursday sets the tax rate for capital gains and dividends at 15 percent for most taxpayers through 2010, with low-income taxpayers exempt. Without the extension, the capital gains tax would have returned to 20 percent at the end of 2008, and dividends would have been taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.

[Back]

Oh come on. I thought the Republicans helped the poor taxpayer.

Wrong. They help the rich taxpayer.

Post all the links you want. Its out there. Its obvious. Its republicans lying, taking bribes, and fucking breaking their promises to the real middle class.

I know you are a smart guy, but I can’t believe you can even stand for this blatant rape. Unless you like it.

[Sean of the Thread]

Last I checked every congressman and senator take bribes via contributions and pork barrels.

[Drew]

Oh come on. I thought the Republicans helped the poor taxpayer.


Don't be ridiculous Backlash, the poor taxpayer pays almost no taxes except for SS witholding which no one is going to cut. You can't cut taxes that don't exist, so then any tax cut is portrayed as a "Tax cut for the rich".

[Tsa`ah]

Don't be ridiculous Backlash, the poor taxpayer pays almost no taxes except for SS witholding which no one is going to cut. You can't cut taxes that don't exist, so then any tax cut is portrayed as a "Tax cut for the rich".

That depends on the tax bracket, marital status, and number of children.

The single poor person pays plenty. Considering there are more of them than there are rich, it's a further shift of the tax burden further down the ladder.

[Valthissa]

some data for the discussion

http://www.house.gov/jec/publications/109/rr109-36.pdf

offhand, I'd say it contradicts the premise of this thread (using things like the actual tax receipt data).

I think I've posted before that taxes don't conform to our ordinary sense of what's fair.

As a country we have decided that some redistribution of wealth is good public policy. The implementation of that policy guarantees winners and losers, and the inherent unfairness in the tax code.

C/Valth

[Jesuit]

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/crime2.html

http://www.traficant.com/1998speecharchive.htm#oct1498

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=21595

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/26/BAG7B7CDMQ1.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/15/state/n134745D36.DTL&feed=rss.news

[Wezas]

They also passed a bill that helps energy companies while fucking over the enviroment (lifting emission restrictions, giving tax breaks, and opening more drilling).

I heard this was to help with the gas price situation. You didn't seem to mention that.

[Some Rogue]

"The alternative minimum tax -- originally designed to prevent wealthy taxpayers from using deductions, exemptions and credits to avoid paying taxes -- has caught more and more middle-class Americans in its grip because it has not been indexed for inflation.
Under the GOP bill, income levels exempt from the alternative tax will increase by about $4,000 for single filers and about $4,500 for joint filers. The changes are expected to spare about 15 million people from paying the higher tax, according to the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation."

Looks to me they're also helping more middle class people.

I also find it a bit misleading to call this bill a tax cut. It's an extension of what's already in effect.

Finally, how can you cut income taxes on people who receive more in refunds than they pay in all year? I've known quite a few low income people who look forward to April 15th because it's like christmas.

[Back]

I heard this was to help with the gas price situation. You didn't seem to mention that.

A stupid solution to a major problem. In fact, its not even a solution. It destroys our environment, protects the petroleum industry and wont affect us for years to come.

[Some Rogue]

I work in the convenience store industry (my company owns 13 stations in the midwest) and I agree, more drilling will not have an immediate supply effect. However, most of the recent price increases are all based on speculation of future supply. With the troubles in the Middle East, Venezuela, and Nigeria, the price has skyrocketed. So, this will help, although it will probably not have that great of an impact.

On the other hand, lifting emissions restrictions and tax cuts will show an immediate dramatic effect because refineries can go back to producing and distributing the cheaper products.

[CrystalTears]

You're preaching to the choir invisible, bro.

[Wezas]

hmm, is there lifted emission restrictions on cars too? Cause I think my exhaust barely squeeked by last time.

[Skeeter]

hmm, is there lifted emission restrictions on cars too? Cause I think my exhaust barely squeeked by last time.


Time for a new lease. How about a Mazda Mini-van

[Skeeter]

I don't remember if I read this on here, or somewhere else. If this is a repost on here, I apologize, but it seems relevant.



Every night, 10 men met at a restaurant for dinner. At the end of the meal, the bill would arrive. They owed $100 for the food that they shared.

Every night they lined up in the same order at the cash register. The first four men paid nothing at all. The fifth, grumbling About the unfairness of the situation, paid $1. The sixth man, feeling very generous, paid $3. The next three men paid $7, $12, and $18 respectively.

The last man was required to pay the remaining balance, $59. He realized that he was force to pay for not only his own meal but the unpaid balance left by the first five men.

The 10 men were quite settled into their routine when the restaurant threw them into chaos by announcing that it was cutting its prices.

Now dinner for the 10 men would only cost $80. This clearly would not affect the first four men. They still ate for free. The fifth and sixth men both claimed their piece of the $20 right away. The fifth decided to forgo his $1 contribution. The sixth pitched in $2. The seventh man deducted $2 from his usual payment and paid $5. The eighth man paid $9. The ninth man paid $12, leaving the last man with a bill of $52.

Outside of the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings, and angry outbursts began to erupt.

The sixth man yelled, "I only got $1 out of the $20, and he got $7," pointing to the last man.

The fifth man joined in. "Yeah! I only got $1 too. It is unfair that he got seven times more than me."

The seventh man cried, "Why should he get $7 back when I only got $2?"

The nine men formed an outraged mob, surrounding the 10th man.

The first four men followed the lead of the others: "We didn't get any of the $20. Where is our share?"

The nine angry men carried the 10th man up to the top of the hill and lynched him.

The next night, the nine remaining men met at the restaurant for dinner.

But when the bill came, there was no one to pay for it.

[Wezas]

Time for a new lease. How about a Mazda Mini-van

It's a 2004. I ripped out the stock exhaust for a better flowing one and did away with one of the catalitic converters. Had to insert a metal spacer in the header so that the O2 sensor was far enough back that it wouldn't detect most of the crap I'm poluting the air with.

[Jesuit]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9105733/from/RL.3

[Back]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9105733/from/RL.3

The two times you have posted in this thread have been off-topic.

:spin:

[radamanthys]

Great post, Skeeter.

[Back]

Great post, Skeeter.


Great post, you say. But which of them do you identify with?

Getting beat up in school does count.

[MrFeature]

Republicans are stupid.

[Stanley Burrell]

I don't remember if I read this on here, or somewhere else. If this is a repost on here, I apologize, but it seems relevant.



Every night, 10 men met at a restaurant for dinner. At the end of the meal, the bill would arrive. They owed $100 for the food that they shared.

Every night they lined up in the same order at the cash register. The first four men paid nothing at all. The fifth, grumbling About the unfairness of the situation, paid $1. The sixth man, feeling very generous, paid $3. The next three men paid $7, $12, and $18 respectively.

The last man was required to pay the remaining balance, $59. He realized that he was force to pay for not only his own meal but the unpaid balance left by the first five men.

The 10 men were quite settled into their routine when the restaurant threw them into chaos by announcing that it was cutting its prices.

Now dinner for the 10 men would only cost $80. This clearly would not affect the first four men. They still ate for free. The fifth and sixth men both claimed their piece of the $20 right away. The fifth decided to forgo his $1 contribution. The sixth pitched in $2. The seventh man deducted $2 from his usual payment and paid $5. The eighth man paid $9. The ninth man paid $12, leaving the last man with a bill of $52.

Outside of the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings, and angry outbursts began to erupt.

The sixth man yelled, "I only got $1 out of the $20, and he got $7," pointing to the last man.

The fifth man joined in. "Yeah! I only got $1 too. It is unfair that he got seven times more than me."

The seventh man cried, "Why should he get $7 back when I only got $2?"

The nine men formed an outraged mob, surrounding the 10th man.

The first four men followed the lead of the others: "We didn't get any of the $20. Where is our share?"

The nine angry men carried the 10th man up to the top of the hill and lynched him.

The next night, the nine remaining men met at the restaurant for dinner.

But when the bill came, there was no one to pay for it.


That was pretty awesome. But then I noticed something that I think is fact,



They just passed tax cuts that help the wealthiest 2% of our nation, leaving everyone else out in the cold.

Wow. This republican congress has really made some real strides (into corruption).

They also passed a bill that helps energy companies while fucking over the enviroment (lifting emission restrictions, giving tax breaks, and opening more drilling).

Not to mention supporting domestic spying, bad mouthing the judicial branch, stalling intelligence investigations, and coming out of vacation for one American (Schiavo).

I hope they win this year (not).

Also, < 2%

Stanley Burrell.

[Parkbandit]

Great post, you say. But which of them do you identify with?

Getting beat up in school does count.

I don't think his point was that he identifies with a specific 'man' in this instance.. but that people like you who bitch about tax cuts are usually ignorant about how the current tax systems works.

You remind me of the first four guys who bitch that although they get their meal paid for.. they didn't get a refund.

[Back]

I don't think his point was that he identifies with a specific 'man' in this instance.. but that people like you who bitch about tax cuts are usually ignorant about how the current tax systems works.

You remind me of the first four guys who bitch that although they get their meal paid for.. they didn't get a refund.


You cant be serious. You think that story is representative of an accurate description of how our tax system works... and you call me ignorant?

Its a made up fantasy so that ignorant fucks can jump on the bandwagon of hatred and feel good about themselves. That story implies everyone who isn’t the guy paying the most is an asshole. Who do you think wrote it? And even if it was accurate, you are ok with it?

As for the tax cuts... with all the corruption in the republican controlled congress I bet they were paid off by the richest people in the world to have them trim their taxes.

[Warriorbird]

Don't get so angry hey. Parkbandit just likes denying reality. All the tax cuts in the world become even more ridiculous when you triple spending in ten years. The "Republicans" (they aren't ever really conservative any more) have gone beyond the wildest fever dreams of New England Democrats. I'm not saying I'm particularly a fan of that sort of thing but they've one upped them into the stratosphere. The Republicans should never allow a day when a Democrat can claim the high ground as a fiscal conservative.

[Gan]

Its a made up fantasy so that ignorant fucks can jump on the bandwagon of hatred and feel good about themselves.
You would know about bandwagoning. :lol:
You're one of the drum majors leading the Bush Bashing parade on these forums.



As for the tax cuts... with all the corruption in the republican controlled congress I bet they were paid off by the richest people in the world to have them trim their taxes.

And yes, we know the Democrats are just squeaky clean as well. Democrats have their hand out, and reciprocally have their palms greased just as much as their bretheren on the other side of the aisle.

[Warriorbird]

Right... because one party has special interests it naturally makes it okay for the other party to be in the pocket too.

Here's a little stupid moral anecdote. A young girl sees her father (a city Councilman) take a bribe from a business owner. She grows up, switches parties, and becomes the first female Republican President. She takes a bunch of bribes from businesses, churches, and foreign governments on her way to the top. It's okay because of what she saw her father do, right?

[Back]

Besides which, that claim is just not true. Time after time people like to fall on that false statement as some kind of get out of jail free card. Its stupid.

[Back]

Who gains from tax-cut bill (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0512/p01s01-usec.html)

By Ron Scherer | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor


There is a nice tax cut waiting for you - that is, if people refer to you as Dr. or "my lawyer," not Mr. or Ms. And possibly, you might notice the relief if you and your spouse make between $100,000 and $200,000 a year. But if you're laying bricks or working as a teller at the local bank, you might wonder what all the fuss is about.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Good article. In truth, after reading this, it made me more determined to increase my yearly income before December 31.

[Hulkein]

Is your soapbox ever going to break?

[Gan]

Right... because one party has special interests it naturally makes it okay for the other party to be in the pocket too.

Here's a little stupid moral anecdote. A young girl sees her father (a city Councilman) take a bribe from a business owner. She grows up, switches parties, and becomes the first female Republican President. She takes a bunch of bribes from businesses, churches, and foreign governments on her way to the top. It's okay because of what she saw her father do, right?

No its not allright. But just highlighting the Republicans in the bitch/whine/moan posts is only speaking in half truths. ALL politicians are in the hip pocket of a special interest group, and usually that group is lining pockets and greasing palms withe money. Dont just say its only "Republicans" just because it conveinently fits your by-line.

[Parkbandit]

Don't get so angry hey. Parkbandit just likes denying reality. All the tax cuts in the world become even more ridiculous when you triple spending in ten years. The "Republicans" (they aren't ever really conservative any more) have gone beyond the wildest fever dreams of New England Democrats. I'm not saying I'm particularly a fan of that sort of thing but they've one upped them into the stratosphere. The Republicans should never allow a day when a Democrat can claim the high ground as a fiscal conservative.

LOL.. if a Democrat was in power during the past 6 years, we would be in SERIOUS economic trouble. Bush's tax cut clearly worked as it has in the past. Take a look at our economy.

[Stanley Burrell]

More 2¢,

Upper middle class and lower upper class needeth make the margin separating themselves much, much thinner.

'Tis all.

Stanley Burrell.

[Warriorbird]

LOL.. if a Democrat was in power during the past 6 years, we would be in SERIOUS economic trouble. Bush's tax cut clearly worked as it has in the past. Take a look at our economy.

Right...we've tripled government spending in 10 years! That's healthy! You're a genius! Way to fucking go! Moron.

[Sean of the Thread]

WB needs to get laid.

[Warriorbird]

I had nearly the best birthday morning a guy could have. There's only one way it could have been greater.

[Parkbandit]

Right...we've tripled government spending in 10 years! That's healthy! You're a genius! Way to fucking go! Moron.

Not only does he need to get laid, he also needs to revisit 9-11 to get some sort of comprehension of why spending is up.

Bush isn't the most fiscal conservatives I know.. one of my many issues with the guy.. but I do understand why spending is up and why.

Moron.

[Warriorbird]

For the laid bit...refer to my previous comment. For the rest... the OMB has a web page. Learn to read.

[Hulkein]

I had nearly the best birthday morning a guy could have. There's only one way it could have been greater.

If you had the 100 dollars back?

[Valthissa]

I get confused easily in these threads.

The premise of this thread was that by making the tax cut on capital gains extend beyond 2008, Bush was making the tax system less progressive (giving money to the rich is how it's usually expressed).

I think it's clear from the tax receipt data that the tax system has grown more progressive under Bush. (I think a reasoned argument can be made that it should be even more progressive).

Whether the rich have grown richer (at the expense of the poor or not) relative to the poor is a separate (and probably unrelated) issue. It also importatnt to note that income is used as a proxy for wealth in these types of discussions. I think it is also clear that the rich have in fact grown their percentage of the pie relative to the poor under Bush.

Whether this widening gap is a concern is debatable (and my sense is that it is a concern), whether the tax system has become more or less progressive is not.

How either of these issues relate to the frequency with which WB has sex is beyond me.

C/Valth - very nice income but not considered wealthy