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"When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law." -Frederic Bastiat
"I am a conservative. Quite possibly I am on the losing side; often I think so. Yet, out of a curious perversity I had rather lose with Socrates, let us say, than win with Lenin."
― Russell Kirk, Author of The Conservative Mind
most people are in total support of a new tax code that simplifies things and closes loopholes. loopholes are the result of ridiculous governmental regulations. but the issue at hand isn't closing the loopholes, too many people are fighting scrapping the code and starting over and thats really what needs to happen to close the loopholes. the issue at hand is simply raising the taxes on the wealthy and corporations. in the current economic times, i don't think thats a good idea. so while i hate the loopholes, and hope they disappear, i don't support raising the taxes to try to recover taxes from them.
I think that's a false premise. There have been a lot of people on the right decrying tax loopholes starting with Dick Armey, Jon Kasich and Paul Ryan. In fact, IIRC the GOP agreed several times to eliminate tax loopholes if O'Bummer would agree to return to Reaganesque rates but of course the Democrats refused to even consider rate reductions.
I just listened to Rush on 850 while driving back from lunch, and he was talking about exactly this issue of the "secret video." He harped on the point that the dems are attack Romney now because "this video got out." It didn't get out, it is not new information, 47% are not paying taxes. The fact of the matter is, the democrats want the populace to be ignorant and dependent on them forever, they want their autonomous people to beg for their help. They say they're compassionate when Obama takes away the work requirement for welfare... what? Are you kidding. But the Republicans are evil because we want everyone to better their lives and not be dependent on the government. The government won't help you, they don't give two flying leaps about you. The government's sole purpose at the creation of this once great nation was to represent the people and their interests, and to protect them from foreign invaders. That's really, when you boil it down, about all they were intended to do. Rush also said that the republicans are in fact more compassionate because we want people to make their own way, achieve their own success, and not get hand outs from some big brother type that will only bleed those who are working and doing it on their own dry. All in all, the Republicans aren't all bad, they only want people to do things themselves, not have the government pay their bills for them.
"There is no news in the truth, and no truth in the news."
"The revolution will not be televised... Instead it will be filmed from multiple angles via cell phone cameras, promptly uploaded to YouTube, Tweeted about, and then shared on Facebook, pending a Wi-Fi connection."
I'm sure you're right. Not any more false than saying all Dems are socialists though, and that one gets thrown around a lot. I'm glad there are prominent Republicans proposing such common sense moves, but I wish they could just do it for the good of the country, and not because they want something in return from the Dems.
"America is at that awkward stage: It's too late to work within the system, and too early to shoot the bastards."
-Claire Wolfe
"I got a shotgun, rifle, and a four-wheel drive, and a country boy can survive."
-Hank Williams Jr.
Feedback
I think you need to pull that bus over to the side of the Pretentiousness Highway. Republicans want lower taxes and to give business (also known in some circles as corporations) the ability to do business. This not only provides the goods and services we Americans enjoy, but also has a weird side effect of providing jobs. Tax breaks sometimes helps this, but should be used very sparingly. I know of many small businesses who receive tax breaks for relocation, purchase of new equipment etc. which enables them to do better business.
HOWEVER- this can be abused- GE is a perfect example, and I do NOT believe Romney or Ryan or pretty much any actual Republican agrees with any form of abuse.
Hey, BTW, want to know how to lower taxes? End all social programs. Thats what Churches and other organizations are for. End all subsidies for energy independence and other technological boondoggles. If the private sector thinks money can be made there, they will damned sure pay for the research. END as much of this dependence on the government to provide for over half of the population- which they do by taxing the crap out of the other half- and taxes will drop. Inflation might actually recede to reasonable levels.
I did get a giggle out of that, but I'm not sure how I was being pretentious. I'm just a little sick of paying (at least) my fair share and watching that amount increase (along with the deficit) to make up the difference for those who are receiving entitlements, breaks, and credits.
I agree with you, ending/limiting the handouts would ease a lot of the burden. The abuse, however, is not such a rare occurrence that we should just shrug it off by saying we don't condone it and then doing nothing to change it.
We pay for those goods and services we enjoy; they aren't given to us for free just because a company is enjoying the benefit of not having to pay taxes. If the company has a good business model, is providing a worthwhile product, and isn't pricing themselves out of the market just so the CEO can get another $1.2M bonus this quarter, they will thrive regardless of having to pay taxes like the rest of us, and jobs will still be created. It should not be my responsibility to pay more in taxes to keep the country afloat all in the name of allowing some company to maintain their 400% profit margin. That's the beauty of a free market. Grow or die.
"America is at that awkward stage: It's too late to work within the system, and too early to shoot the bastards."
-Claire Wolfe
"I got a shotgun, rifle, and a four-wheel drive, and a country boy can survive."
-Hank Williams Jr.
Feedback
What makes everyone think that the 47% who don't pay federal income tax aren't working? Plenty of them work, they just don't make enough money for income tax. They pay plenty of consumption taxes, as do the rest of us, and we all get to take advantage of those resources. All those folks picking fruit and vegetables work, hanging sheetrock, mopping floors, etc, work their asses off, but don't make enough to incur a federal tax burden. Sure, there are some lazy asses, but don't just paint with that wide of a brush. It's dishonest. That's a "liberal attribute" you don't want.
GE is one of the worst offenders, and the effective tax rate of the top four hundred corporations would surprise you when compared to your own tax rate.I find it equally amazing that the Right, while crying about how many people do not pay income tax, don't have a word to say about all the tax loopholes that allow monstrous corporations like GE and BofA not only to not pay a dime in taxes, but actually receive a tax return.
Me, too, but I'm having extra taken out. Our tax burden doesn't really change, and I like having my money instead of the government for the year, but my wife really hates that check going out.Meanwhile, I have to write a huge check every April because the percentage they took out of my paychecks wasn't enough.
Which Reaganesque rates? The 50% maximum marginal rate with 20% capital gains tax of his first trem or the 28% maximum marginal rate with maximum of 28% capital gains tax that ended his second term? I can't see any rich people wanting to return to those rates, especially with no loopholes/exceptions.