This boggles my ******* mind.

[wig]

Ok, so I just read some guy's post on Yahoo (cause I hate myself) about how Trump is over-taxing the poor, providing HUGE breaks to the 1% (I swear every time I hear ******* 1% I pray a puppy dies somewhere.). He also wants a "dictatorship" and he cant' stand when anyone criticizes him.

Sigh...

Congress, not Trump enacts tax law. Trump can propose a plan, but congress must vote on it and enact it. Regardless, the current tax plan does NOT markedly increase the taxes for the poor. NOBODY ******* INCREASES TAXES ON THE POOR EXCEPT THE ******* DEMOCRATS. The chief complaint, ultimately, is that the current administration hasn't taxed people who make more than $175,000 into the stone age. That's REALLY the *****. It's not, "You're taking what I have." it's "You're not punishing THEM enough."

These fine citizens fail to notice how congress, the democrats included have conveniently targeted the "Rich" as people who make Juuuuust a bit more than THEY do. Bernie ****** Sanders doesn't want to be taxed 60%. But a guy who makes 30 or 40k more a year... ya. **** THAT Guy!

As for Trump wanting to be a dictator... the ugly painful truth is that Obama is the guy who weaponized the FBI, the CIA, the DOJ, and the DOD in order to gather intelligence for the private interests of his administration and party. Obama did that, not Trump. We haven't seen this kind of weaponizing of our policing agencies since Hoover and at least HE was more independent than tied to a specific party. You know who DID weaponize intelligence agencies in order to keep tabs on private citizens for personal reasons? the U.S.S.R.

 

[Supersteeler]

Look at what the left is accusing everyone else of doing....that will tell you exactly what they are actually doing themselves.

 

[wig]

As for Trump being 'thin-skinned' I can't remember anyone in my lifetime being as consistent a target for political and personal attacks. The attacks on this administration have been ceaseless and cruel. I expect very few people could demonstrate the personal restraint this administration has exercised in the face of constant attack.

 

[21STEELERS21]

To balance the budget this year, you would need to increase taxes by 1 trillion, who should pay?

 

[Tim Steelersfan]

To balance the budget this year, you would need to increase taxes by 1 trillion, who should pay?

Typical Liberal. Doesn't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever mention spending as a problem. Just tax, tax, tax, tax and tax some more.

God I can't wait to read your epic novella.

 

[Steeltime]

To balance the budget this year, you would need to increase taxes by 1 trillion, who should pay?

So which Republican-controlled legislative body enacted this 2019 spending? Funny, I thought a bunch of ******* retarded (D)ims took over the House - where ALL spending originates - in 2018. Hmm, must have misread something ...

 

[CharlesDavenport]

Approximately 76.4 million or 44.4% of Americans won’t pay any federal income tax in 2018, up from 72.6 million people or 43.2% in 2016 before President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, according to estimates from the Tax Policy Center, a nonprofit joint venture by the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution, which are both Washington, D.C.-based think tanks. That’s below the 50% peak during the Great Recession. They still obviously pay sales tax, property taxes and other taxes.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/8...l-income-taxes-this-year-heres-why-2018-04-16

 

[wig]

To balance the budget this year, you would need to increase taxes by 1 trillion, who should pay?

So you want to balance the budget in one year then? That's not realistic. If however you want to begin a systematic process to reduce debt, you need merely live below your means and remain committed to it.

If I were in charge?
1) Reduce the military. Yep, goes against the current admin's policy but that is one thing I'd do.
2) Reduce economic assistance packages. Ask churches and citizens to once again take care of their own as it should be.
3) Work toward enacting policy that pays each rep and senator the per-capita average of their constituency. They can get raises by raising the income of their represented areas.
4) Institute a flat-tax regardless of income. Remove loop-holes that allow people to claim deductions. Just enforce a low, flat tax on everyone. You make $1,000,000 - you pay $100,000. You make $20,000 - you pay $2,000. Nobody gets out of it. If you are unemployed or homeless, you get to work on public works programs to improve roads and other infrastructure.
5) Allow immigration unchecked. However tax any private individual or corporate entity punitively if they are caught paying labor under the table. If you own a large farm and pay migrant workers unofficially - you lose your farm. If you have a migrant gardner that you pay to manage your flowers and you pay him or her under the table - you lose your house. Those assets are then sold at auction and the proceeds applied to social security.

I would also punish lobbyists and political interest groups if they were caught providing money or other benefits to politicians. Any industry or business that could be tied to the lobby or interest group would be fined 25X whatever the amount offered or given to the politician. That money would go toward SS.

Lol... Homeless folks workin' on your roads. That would be AWESOME! (It may not be an achievable goal. ;-)

 

[IndySteel]

Strap this one on: Indianapolis is paying homeless bums to pick up trash. Basically, it’s paying them to throw away their own litter.

 

[wig]

Are they paying them with Colt 45? Cause that's a bargain for everyone!

 

[IndySteel]

Are they paying them with Colt 45? Cause that's a bargain for everyone!

Ha! I’m sure it’s helping sales of Colt and Mad Dog.

 

[Vader]

So you want to balance the budget in one year then? That's not realistic. If however you want to begin a systematic process to reduce debt, you need merely live below your means and remain committed to it.

If I were in charge?
1) Reduce the military. Yep, goes against the current admin's policy but that is one thing I'd do.
2) Reduce economic assistance packages. Ask churches and citizens to once again take care of their own as it should be.
3) Work toward enacting policy that pays each rep and senator the per-capita average of their constituency. They can get raises by raising the income of their represented areas.
4) Institute a flat-tax regardless of income. Remove loop-holes that allow people to claim deductions. Just enforce a low, flat tax on everyone. You make $1,000,000 - you pay $100,000. You make $20,000 - you pay $2,000. Nobody gets out of it. If you are unemployed or homeless, you get to work on public works programs to improve roads and other infrastructure.
5) Allow immigration unchecked. However tax any private individual or corporate entity punitively if they are caught paying labor under the table. If you own a large farm and pay migrant workers unofficially - you lose your farm. If you have a migrant gardner that you pay to manage your flowers and you pay him or her under the table - you lose your house. Those assets are then sold at auction and the proceeds applied to social security.

I would also punish lobbyists and political interest groups if they were caught providing money or other benefits to politicians. Any industry or business that could be tied to the lobby or interest group would be fined 25X whatever the amount offered or given to the politician. That money would go toward SS.

Lol... Homeless folks workin' on your roads. That would be AWESOME! (It may not be an achievable goal. ;-)

You had me until unchecked immigration. People would rather be poor here than poor in their own countries. So you'd have hundreds of millions of people here next week. It'd be a disaster.

 

[madinsomniac]

So you want to balance the budget in one year then? That's not realistic. If however you want to begin a systematic process to reduce debt, you need merely live below your means and remain committed to it.

If I were in charge?
1) Reduce the military. Yep, goes against the current admin's policy but that is one thing I'd do.
2) Reduce economic assistance packages. Ask churches and citizens to once again take care of their own as it should be.
3) Work toward enacting policy that pays each rep and senator the per-capita average of their constituency. They can get raises by raising the income of their represented areas.
4) Institute a flat-tax regardless of income. Remove loop-holes that allow people to claim deductions. Just enforce a low, flat tax on everyone. You make $1,000,000 - you pay $100,000. You make $20,000 - you pay $2,000. Nobody gets out of it. If you are unemployed or homeless, you get to work on public works programs to improve roads and other infrastructure.
5) Allow immigration unchecked. However tax any private individual or corporate entity punitively if they are caught paying labor under the table. If you own a large farm and pay migrant workers unofficially - you lose your farm. If you have a migrant gardner that you pay to manage your flowers and you pay him or her under the table - you lose your house. Those assets are then sold at auction and the proceeds applied to social security.

I would also punish lobbyists and political interest groups if they were caught providing money or other benefits to politicians. Any industry or business that could be tied to the lobby or interest group would be fined 25X whatever the amount offered or given to the politician. That money would go toward SS.

Lol... Homeless folks workin' on your roads. That would be AWESOME! (It may not be an achievable goal. ;-)

Screw income tax. Only do a 10% income tax for money earned here and moved out of the country. Institute a 5% sales tax on everything else. Eliminate all tax shelters. If you absolutely must tax the rich, add another 10% penalty to any income over 20 times the national average. Incentivize the rich getting a tax break with them making the common peasant like you or I more wealthy organically

 

[wig]

You'll never do away with income tax. Those few states that have avoided one generally have strong tourist industry and they have a large enough population to support the state on a sales tax.

That's the very issue with the democrats always wanting to create this tax or another. Taxes never go away. Never. Hell, income tax was supposed to be a short-term thing. Technically, you are not 'legally' required to pay income tax. Good f'n luck winning THAT battle though.

 

[CharlesDavenport]

You'll never do away with income tax. Those few states that have avoided one generally have strong tourist industry and they have a large enough population to support the state on a sales tax.

That's the very issue with the democrats always wanting to create this tax or another. Taxes never go away. Never. Hell, income tax was supposed to be a short-term thing. Technically, you are not 'legally' required to pay income tax. Good f'n luck winning THAT battle though.

We used to have a toll on GA 400 here in Atlanta and they said when they raised enough to pay off the bond for the various projects it funded, they would remove it. They paid off the bond, and Gov. Nathan Deal removed all the toll stations. People went nuts crying about all the different ways that money stream could have been spent. It was awesome, and the only time I've seen anything like that.

 

[Vader]

We used to have a toll on GA 400 here in Atlanta and they said when they raised enough to pay off the bond for the various projects it funded, they would remove it. They paid off the bond, and Gov. Nathan Deal removed all the toll stations. People went nuts crying about all the different ways that money stream could have been spent. It was awesome, and the only time I've seen anything like that.

I remember one case like that in Kentucky (I believe) where the same thing happened but it's been 30+ years ago.

 

[Steeltime]

We used to have a toll on GA 400 here in Atlanta and they said when they raised enough to pay off the bond for the various projects it funded, they would remove it. They paid off the bond, and Gov. Nathan Deal removed all the toll stations. People went nuts crying about all the different ways that money stream could have been spent. It was awesome, and the only time I've seen anything like that.

I remember one case like that in Kentucky (I believe) where the same thing happened but it's been 30+ years ago.

Yep, red states. Compare that to the bloated, stealing, thieving, miscreant blue states and taxes. Los Angeles implemented a "temporary" sales tax increase to help pay for repairs following the 1994 earthquake. That increase became permanent, only to be followed my multiple additional increases to pay for housing for the homeless. Now, more than 75 California cities have sales and "use" taxes above 9.25%.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_and_use_taxes_in_California

That is in addition to a massive gasoline tax, the highest state income tax in the nation, and exploding property taxes.

Massive income tax, massive sales tax, massive gasoline tax, massive taxes on cigarettes and liquor, massive property taxes ...

And the state has about $1 trillion - that's TRILLION, with a "t" - in unfunded pension liability:

Liberal policies. Yipee.

 

[CharlesDavenport]

I hope GA stays red. Worried.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Same ol' same ol'. The poor do not pay (Federal) income tax. Hell the bottom 49% don't pay income tax.

 

[CharlesDavenport]

Same ol' same ol'. The poor do not pay (Federal) income tax. Hell the bottom 49% don't pay income tax.

Yeah but they pay more nothing now under Trump.

 

[Steelr4evr]

Look at what the left is accusing everyone else of doing....that will tell you exactly what they are actually doing themselves.

Bingo!

 

[fedderone]

So you want to balance the budget in one year then? That's not realistic. If however you want to begin a systematic process to reduce debt, you need merely live below your means and remain committed to it.

If I were in charge?
1) Reduce the military. Yep, goes against the current admin's policy but that is one thing I'd do.
2) Reduce economic assistance packages. Ask churches and citizens to once again take care of their own as it should be.
3) Work toward enacting policy that pays each rep and senator the per-capita average of their constituency. They can get raises by raising the income of their represented areas.
4) Institute a flat-tax regardless of income. Remove loop-holes that allow people to claim deductions. Just enforce a low, flat tax on everyone. You make $1,000,000 - you pay $100,000. You make $20,000 - you pay $2,000. Nobody gets out of it. If you are unemployed or homeless, you get to work on public works programs to improve roads and other infrastructure.
5) Allow immigration unchecked. However tax any private individual or corporate entity punitively if they are caught paying labor under the table. If you own a large farm and pay migrant workers unofficially - you lose your farm. If you have a migrant gardner that you pay to manage your flowers and you pay him or her under the table - you lose your house. Those assets are then sold at auction and the proceeds applied to social security.

I would also punish lobbyists and political interest groups if they were caught providing money or other benefits to politicians. Any industry or business that could be tied to the lobby or interest group would be fined 25X whatever the amount offered or given to the politician. That money would go toward SS.

Lol... Homeless folks workin' on your roads. That would be AWESOME! (It may not be an achievable goal. ;-)

Wig 2020!
I'm not totally onboard with #5, but I'd listen to the arguments for.
I think our immigration system, or process, needs to be re-examined and fixed.
The best line I ever heard about it was Dennis Miller who said,
"People always quote the plaque by the Statue of Liberty 'Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses....' But I'm sure if you flipped that plaque over it would also say 'SIGN THE ******* GUESTBOOK ON THE WAY IN!"
But everything else you said is spot on.

 

[wig]

I wasn't really serious about unchecked immigration. However I WAS serious about solving the problem by taking away the impetus. If an orchard owner or some rich lady loses their business or house due to paying labor under the table, it would IMMEDIATELY begin to effect the opportunities of migrants. You wouldn't have to actually confiscate too many businesses and homes before people would start taking it real seriously.

Now, I understand. If Joe Orchard isn't able to pay under the table for his labor, his cost will go up. That means the price of apples goes up. That means the cost to ship them to the store goes up, and ultimately we pay more for a bag of apples. I get that. But ultimately isn't that market stimulation? Furthermore, SOMEBODY is going to come and work those jobs. It's not like nobody in frickin' America is willing to go and work in Joe's orchard. There are PLENTY of folks who are currently unemployed and looking for work, and this may be a unique opportunity to provide more jobs for them, admittedly increasing the cost Joe has to deal with, but that (as mentioned) will trickle down and stimulate the economy.

We can't solve the migrant problem if we aren't willing to solve the migrant problem.

And, as soon as migrant workers can't find easy work for money under the table, their desire to be here begins to reduce dramatically.

 

[wig]

Being an I.T. guy as well as a brewer, I get half drunken and think about what I'd really like to see that in my opinion would actually help the country. I would LOVE for somebody to put together a congressional monitoring organization that objectively and impassionately monitors all the day to day activity of every federal representative and senator. The organization would have a very easy to navigate website interface that would allow you to see EXACTLY what legislation has been proposed to (and by) any given rep as well as how they voted, who they visit with and makes perfectly clear the compensation packages available to their representatives.

If the representative would agree, I would further have this group install live feeds to the representatives offices so you can see them working, meeting with folks and generally, you know - representing you. There would be a forum opportunity for users to sign petitions, ask their legislators questions and interact with their rep on a monitored basis. Indeed EVERYTHING about the reps professional life would be as transparent as it could be made. If your rep votes against a bill that would have brought 500 jobs to your state, you have every right in the world first to KNOW that and second to understand why the rep voted as he or she did. You further have the right to express your appreciation or concern regarding the way your representative is representing you.

Each state would have a quick breakdown of who your reps are, how many days those reps spent in session, what bills they helped author, debate, steer or, possibly just vote on. You'd know what choices your representatives made regarding budgeting and finance. You'd know where they went on vacation (after the fact, of course. While on vacation they are allowed their privacy. It is, after all, vacation.) If your rep meets with big pharma lobbyists, you get to know about it and you even deserve minutes of what they talked about.

Over time, the resource could show how the alliances and battle lines generally get drawn in congress and senate. You could see that YOUR rep almost always "scratches the MT reps backs." and in return the MT reps often vote alongside your guys on most issues. You'd see how the North Dakota rep seems to be hell-bent on opposing ANY legislation the Colorado rep puts forward even when the legislation is ultimately good for North Dakota. Then you'd get to ask your ND reps why the heck they are voting against the state's interests. (And best of all, eventually your reps would be compelled to ANSWER.)

I just think we need far more transparency in our political structures. I have long believed the president is essentially a figurehead. Sure, the president has tremendous power over the Supreme Court appts. but honestly, at the end of the day it is the congress and senate that make and pass laws and more importantly determine the budget. Many people believe their primary goal is NOT to help their state or the country but to secure their own position and future. This belief could be proven or rebutted through much greater transparency into the day to day activities of our reps being made extraordinarily accessible to constituents.

 

[wig]

Wig 2020!

Cookbooks for Everyone!