CBO Report 2005: In the absence of the Bush Tax Cuts the nation would be returning to a surplus in 2011

[slim 1,533]

If you make millions or only one dollar - IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!

The government has no business taking someone's money without their consent. What we've been bamboozled into believing today is we're obligated to support the whole country with the hard work we do here at home. That's simply untrue and we need to change it.

Read the constitution. It's pretty simple. Call your congressman and senators and let them know you don't approve.

[SMOKE 1,426]

Unless they are tying it to this new bill, I imagine they will probably expire for 2012 because there isn't much left for Obama to give ground on now. I'm already factoring in my new tax level for next year.

they can tie it to a shooting star for all i care. they're still the obama tax cuts. good for you, planning ahead is the way to go. i've been doing fine living on 70% of my income for the last 9-10 years. my surplus has been divided 50/50 savings & retirement. i think washington needs to learn how to spend less than 100% of their income....it can be done

Edited August 1, 2011 by SMOKE

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The government has no business taking someone's money without their consent.

Last I checked, the Constitution said that the Congress has the right to levy taxes. Is the Constitution uncool now?

[웃 910]

If you make millions or only one dollar - IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!

The government has no business taking someone's money without their consent. What we've been bamboozled into believing today is we're obligated to support the whole country with the hard work we do here at home. That's simply untrue and we need to change it.

Read the constitution. It's pretty simple. Call your congressman and senators and let them know you don't approve.

Slim - can I buy you a vacation to Somalia?

[slim 1,533]

Last I checked, the Constitution said that the Congress has the right to levy taxes. Is the Constitution uncool now?

What congress is doing is uncool.

Read a little deeper as to why they have the power to lay and collect taxes and you'll see that it's not the taxes that're uncool, it's what they're being used for and the amount we're taxed to support those expenditures.

We the people are uncool for not holding congress accountable for their actions. We simply looked the other way and continued to pay.

[slim 1,533]

Slim - can I buy you a vacation to Somalia?

Absolutely! I'll take a free vacation anywhere.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

You're extremely delusional if that's what you think.

Tax cuts are not and cannot be spending. The only "spending" side of taxes are what we call subsidies, tax credits, etc. A tax cut however is allowing people to keep and invest more of their personal money. Money that was never the government's in the first place and does not become the government's until they demand it.

On the "rich" comment, Since when is allowing people to KEEP THEIR OWN MONEY, "welfare?"

I'm discussing tax cuts for the wealthy with a someone who probably doesn't have two nickels to rub together and will never be able to enjoy the fat cat tax breaks, I guess that makes me looney tunes. Tax cuts are loss of revenue, that's exactly what they are, no matter how many fancy labels you want to place on them. Spending is the same thing, outflow or loss of revenue. One is directed and the other is more general in nature. Maybe that's lost on you and those of your ilk. A tax cut is ME subsidizing YOU, maybe that tax cut was paid for in the loss of something that I used, maybe I just paid more somewhere else. It doesn't matter. I subsized you. Do the rich use government services, of course they do, so should they not have to pay their fair share? Why do they get the tax cuts? Using your logic all of my money is my money and I shouldn't have to pay taxes since it's my money, just curious but how many copies of The Anarchist's Cookbook do you have stashed around the compound?

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

If you make millions or only one dollar - IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!

The government has no business taking someone's money without their consent. What we've been bamboozled into believing today is we're obligated to support the whole country with the hard work we do here at home. That's simply untrue and we need to change it.

Read the constitution. It's pretty simple. Call your congressman and senators and let them know you don't approve.

Using a phone line that my tax dollars paid for, hell no. If you want to contact your Representative or Senator, go see them or through a rock through their front window with a note attached. I'm not subsidizing your phone call.

[slim 1,533]

[/b]

Using a phone line that my tax dollars paid for, hell no. If you want to contact your Representative or Senator, go see them or through a rock through their front window with a note attached. I'm not subsidizing your phone call.

Use the post office.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

We the people are uncool for not holding congress accountable for their actions. We simply looked the other way and continued to pay.

We, the people, are a bunch of suckers. How else can you explain that recent polling shows that 2/3 of the voting public wants government spending cut as part of an effort to address the deficit and debt. However, much larger portions of the electorate doesn't want to cut the big three (75%+) or defense (a solid majority). What does that leave? Nothing meaningful, for sure.

Personally, I say bring the defense budget back to historical averages as a percentage of GDP - saves at least 250BN a year and still has us spending more on defense than Europe, Russia and China combined. Then we need to do what Reagan and Tip did back in the early 80's - raise the eligibility age for Social Security. We live longer and should, hence, reach eligibility age later. Same for Medicare. More importantly on the latter, though, drop the bomb on the outrageously expensive healthcare delivery system. Medical Device manufacturers, Pharma, hospitals, doctors, etc. need to get used to living with less. When we spend roughly 20% of our GDP on health care, then something is clearly out of whack. If that trend continues, health care will kill the economy. And we need to draw a reasonable line as to what public health care coverage does and what it doesn't do. We do need to accept the fact that death is part of life and we ought to ask ourselves whether delaying the inevitable by a few months on breathing and feeding tubes is really even desirable. There was an excellent essay in the paper last week on this very issue. It's worth reading.

The Good Short Life

[slim 1,533]

Medical Device manufacturers, Pharma, hospitals, doctors, etc. need to get used to living with less.

Everyone needs to get used to living with less.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Everyone needs to get used to living with less.

Yes, but that ain't happening. Which is one major contributor to why Medicare and Medicaid cost is escalating the way it is.

[Ste 6]

When we spend roughly 20% of our GDP on health care, then something is clearly out of whack.

Whereas the UK spends less than 10% and has a national health service. And nothing is stopping people opting to go private if they want. Someone is getting ripped off in the US somewhere.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Use the post office.

The Post Office, what are you, a Commie? That's subsized by my tax dollars, they are a quasi-governmental agency and this ain't no socialist welfare state.

Everyone needs to get used to living with less.

Not corporate welfare bums, not the wealthy.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Whereas the UK spends less than 10% and has a national health service. And nothing is stopping people opting to go private if they want. Someone is getting ripped off in the US somewhere.

We're all getting ripped off. But you sure have hospital chains, pharma, insurers and other players on this $2.5 trillion annual playground raking it in. What was the package for the United Healthcare CEO that had to step down in 2006 again? Oh yeah, $1.1 Billion. Yes, billion with a "b".