Blogcritics Comments on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
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- Comment by Ian on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
First, excerpts from . . . --(Fair Use excerpts from)-- Where is the outrage over sky-high taxes, regulatory costs? by Steve Higgins 7/15/07 - New Haven (CT) Register "Reports last week from two nonprofit groups should serve as a wake-up call to Americans to start agitating for tax reform . . ."On Monday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute reported that the cost to consumers of complying with federal regulations exceeded $1 trillion in 2006 . . . almost 10 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. It's nearly half the amount of government spending."Even more worrisome, the cost of complying with these multitudinous regulations exceeds the amount of individual income tax paid in 2006, about $998 billion, as well as corporate incomes taxes of $277 billion."According to the Washington, DC-based advocacy group [ Americans for Tax Reform ], the average American had to work through July 11 this year just to pay all federal, state and local taxes, as well as regulatory costs including workers' compensation and unemployment benefits."Congress should take one of two paths: Either cut tax rates and government spending drastically, or adopt the FairTax, an innovative proposal that would involve abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and its income tax and replacing it with a simple national sales tax." --(End excerpts)-- . . . The U.S. income tax system and the U.S. economy are inter-related, and are in DIRE trouble. If we, the citizens of these United States, do not act aggressively to spread the FairTax plan with family, friends and associates - our "nest eggs" stand to be devastated through a coming economic meltdown (Summary with podcast: "Laurence J. Kotlikoff (*) on Long-Term Fiscal Problems in the U.S."). Politicians are putting demogoguery and pandering above responsible governing - and they're able to do it because Americans do NOT understand - at the "get go" - politicians' / bankers' hunger for ever-increasing shares of the working person's bi-weekly paycheck; Americans do NOT understand the totality of taxes they pay. The FairTax shines the "light of day" on this, putting citizens back in charge to forcefully demand spending reductons. YOU AND I MUST ACT to mobilize public opinion, and get the FairTax enacted, because the signs point to a probable devaluation of the dollar (reissuance of an "Amero" ? - under a U.S.-sovereignty-busting North American Union?). [ NOTE: Does this help clarify your understanding of what's going on globally? a) Bush's persistence on rewarding illegal immigration? b) the North American Highway now under construction in Texas (to stream cheap labor into the covertly-planned North American Union marketplace designed to compete with 21st-century China market? c) the gradual increase in value of the Chinese yuan by China corresponding to China's economic growth? (This will result in the dumping of dollar-denominated debt as its manufacturing economy grows stronger - which guarantees devaluing and ushering-in of the Amero.) ] Keep in mind, this NAU strategy - supported by the "super-rich" (member-owners of the Fed) - together with their politician buddies who want NOTHING to do with FairTax - runs contrary to simply making the U.S. a "tax free zone" for business under the FairTax. Politicians and bankers lose power when the U.S. is returned to a "savings-driven economy" from a "debt/interest-driven" economy). Powerful "elites," members of political and monied-interest "clubs" reaching into the halls of power in Washington, depend on keeping you and me uninformed of their plans. It is up to YOU and ME to ACT - and not live in a state of denial - based on what we now know is clearly happening to our financial futures. - Comment by Cindy D on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
I third the motion! - Comment by Big Dog on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
Nancy, I can agree with that... - Comment by Nancy on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
I would go one further, BD, & hang every single one for treason for embezzling from the US. Then hang up the corpses on the trees on the mall & leave them there as a warning to future congressmaggots. - Comment by Big Dog on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
...That should be I remember reading about Kennedy's tax cuts. I was too young to remember it when it happened... - Comment by Big Dog on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
Cindy, We might agree to disagree on many things but we both want what is good for this country, though we have different ideas about how to get there. I am all for open debate and differing opinions and adults can discuss these differences with civility. I remember a budget surplus on paper, not one that actually existed in real dollars on hand. Congress is unique in that if they cut a million dollar program they say they added a million dollars to the coffers when all they did was not spend it. I also remember that John Kennedy cut taxes and we had a great economy with increased revenue, Reagan cut taxes, same result and the Bush tax cuts have given us the same. The fact that Congress spends money they should not and that they buy votes is a different issue. I believe we should votes every incumbent out of office in the next election and start fresh. This is the message we need to send. - Comment by Cindy D on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
Well now, your not considering all those votes our representatives make for corporations. After all, if our representatives are continually casting votes for corporate interests I think those votes should count as votes more than one popular vote per person in a candidate election. I remember when we had a budget surplus not too long ago. You think it was from a cut back in pork barrel spending? I can't begin to express my rancor at wasteful government spending. It is one thing we agree on. Albeit from different perspectives. It is one of the reasons I despise corporate welfare. I could probably fill up as much space as I have already used. But, I will refrain and go to bed. Good Night. Bill Maher - Speaking about The Heritage Foundation and similar partisan "think tanks": "They've been wrong so often, I'm surprised they're not my broker." (video available at my URL) - Comment by Clavos on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
I should give Bill Maher the name of my broker, who's building my nest egg very nicely for me. Naah. Maher's an asshole; let him go broke. - Comment by Big Dog on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
I thought I caught the Coors reference but it was obscure. Microsoft is not a person. Corporations do not vote, their owners do. How much money did Gates pay in taxes? He would have a lot of votes. The deficit exists because we spend money on things that are not authorized by the Constitution and on BS projects called PORK. Jack Murtha just put in a million dollar pork and no one can find the organization that he earmarked it for. Despite the possibility that it does not exist, Congress passed it. We should not be paying for the transit system in Illinois, the planetarium at some college or for other things that are not authorized. We pay more in SS each month than needed and Congress spends the left overs. We take in a fortune in payroll and corporate taxes each month (or quarter depending) and Congress finds ways to spend it. Obama put in nearly 400 million dollars in PORK. He is one guy out of 535 so figure how much they waste. There would be no deficit if there was fiscal responsibility. A Congressman will spend a million dollars for a 20,000 dollar campaign donation. In Congress they call it progress. In my world it is a poor investment. - Comment by Cindy D on Maryland Wants to Be a Progressive (Tax) State
"Unfortunately, too many who pay no taxes get to vote on how tax money is spent." Like Microsoft, et al, my point exactly. So, who's going to pay for the deficit? Should we base who pays for it on who got the biggest tax cuts? Oh, by the way, I was just making a joke in an obscure reference about the Coors Light. Coors provided the original funding for The Heritage Foundation. Bill Maher - Speaking about The Heritage Foundation and similar partisan "think tanks": "They've been wrong so often, I'm surprised they're not my broker." (video available at my URL)