Yeah, let's MOTHERFUCK a great concept that is totally attractive to the majority of Americans because it is simple and HELPS THEM. It is also a winner because it promotes freedom to spend the money (or not) as one sees fit. That makes it hard for the GOP to argue against it.
The devil's always in the implementation. Going to need to counter a WHOLE LOT of anti-tax propaganda too. Because that is part of the reason why we in America continue to pay more for less.
Also too people need to realize "racism is the reason for the season" and a number of American people believe taxes (even on the wealthy which they consider 'taxing success') are the Federal government taking their "hard-earned" money and giving it to Black people. Consider the pushback to this and anything called "socialism" through that lens and you can see why we can't have nice things.
So far we haven't seen income taxes rise on excessive income (just clawing back unpaid taxes by the billionaire class has been sufficient up to now), but direct payments has boosted the economy.
As it is, the direct payments (to families with school kids, seniors, members of some disadvantaged communities), single parents, etc. ... regardless of their other income did mean a good chunk of that was going into savings, but so what? Banks benefit from higher liquidity, meaning much easier credit for those small businesses that are providing the goods and services people weren't buying before. Win... win... win.
Can we just stop with the “job creators” myth already? Because it’s based on a fallacy (if you’re feeling charitable, or on a lie if you’re feeling truthful). “How do you mean?” you ask. Glad you asked (even if you didn’t). The fallacy (or lie if you will) is predicated on the preposterous idea that if we give companies more money, they will hire more people.
Sit with that for a second. I actually saw a political ad several years ago featuring some group of Gen-Y or Z or maybe Millennial Republican Hitler Youth where HY Number 1 proposed that as fact, and HY No’s 2 and 3 were all like “Duh!” and “That’s Econ 101”. Which (a) is bullshit and (b)… is bullshit. Because companies do not in fact hire more people because they have more money.
Doesn’t matter if they’re Apple or Franks and Beans, LLC. Companies level up staffing if they’re not able to handle the volume of business they have with the staff already on payroll. Give them some extra money on top of that, and F&B might pay out some bonuses but i’t s’more likely they’ll upgrade their bean pots. Apple will just buy back a shitload of their stock to puff up their share price, or pay out bigger dividends to shareholders.
What *neither* of them will do is go out and hire somebody that they don’t have enough work for. That doesn’t even make sense on the surface of it. *I* wouldn’t do that, and I’m betting you wouldn’t either.
So next time somebody complains about “taxing job creation”, remind them that the job creators are not companies, but customers.
100% Correct. I've had work that withheld Social Security since I was 11 years old (49 years ago). I've worked full-time for 40 years. I've managed my own business for 25 of those years. I've managed other people's businesses too.
I've never hired anyone unless by doing so, I would make more money. I've never hired anyone because the company was bringing in more money, or paying less in taxes. That's called "profit." I've used that money to raise wages, buy more equipment; actual investment in the business. "Investment," as opposed to "Speculation," which is not at all the same thing. The notion that "Speculation" is "Investment" belongs in the same trash bin as "Job Creators."
Excellent point that it's the customers who create job.
Even better point about the slapping and the stupid.
There's another aspect to taxes that I didn't realize until after I retired and that is the concept of 'lifetime taxes'. (There's an aspect to this that applies to fortunate people who have worked for several decades and lived below their means in order to save money), however, I maintain that there is a group of us that could retire comfortably without having to work ourselves until we're 70 but we're not given good information about 'lifetime taxes'. For example, we're told to "work for another year" or "wait until we're 70 so we can maximize Social Security" but the reality is that this can screw us over and actually make us pay more in taxes than someone who is wealthy.
Let's say that you wait until 70 to retire IOT max out Social Security and delay paying for Medicare. Great? No! Medicare will do a 2-year look-back on your salary, which may be high enough that have to pay surcharges. Within 5 years now, you'll have to start taking the RMD (required minimum distributions) from your 401K and paying the taxes on that too. So, if you wait too long you could end up earning more income when you're 80 years old than you were earning at 60. Thus, you could end up paying over $100K or more in 'lifetime taxes' versus retiring sooner, keeping your income low and being mindful of how and when you take Social Security and go on Medicare.
Anyway, it's a long post to say that I think there are a lot of us that super wealthy people want to keep in the yoke because we don't know how this game is played and we'll end up paying a lot in taxes as a result.
Errbody, don't get all hepped up about the Soviet of Washington implementing an income tax. That ain't gonna happen unless our State Supreme Court re-interprets the State Constitution to say income is not property. It's a tedious walk through State gumint history but our Founding Fathers decided that income is like land (but unlike the land largely stolen from the Salish people), is a sacrosanct right and therefor cannot be alienated from its owner by legislative fiat. Until there is political appetite for a Constitutional amendment we Washingtonians will live with the 49th most regressive tax structure in the nation.
I’ve been speaking to officials from U.S. allies around the world for the last year and many already doubted Trump’s commitment to their defense alliances, informed by his public questioning of Article 5, threats to reduce U.S. deployments, and generally dismissive rhetoric. His attempts to take Greenland were a breaking point for many. Some will see this not so much as punishment for failing to join the Iran war, but as his honest thoughts about alliances in general.
Quoting
Aaron Rupar @atrupar
Trump: "Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
This was probably posted before, but worth posting again: this war is all Bibi and his fascist regime, blackmailing our demented Gashole. Rubio alluded to it as well, at the beginning of the war, before backtracking
"Kent, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, is the first to leave the administration over the war. The longtime MAGA ally announced his decision on X early Tuesday, saying “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
My ideal St. Patrick’s Day celebration? If only there were an Irish punk band whose songs are all about how the British fucked over the island for centuries.
You won't like them, because they also talk about going to the pub and then going to the Blarney Stone and pissing on it* because they know Americans will be kissing it the next day.
Fukui, all four of my grands came over in steerage "on the boat" to Boston @ 1900. [AFTER the famous Potato Famine.] Whatever the hell they thought they'd find, it was better than what they left. And every single one of them worked at whatever they could find and started saving up to bring the next relative over ASAP.
Fun fact--a LOT of those relatives initially came here to relatives' so-called "safe houses" 'cause IRA, doncha know....
BTW--people would have to piss upward to hit the blarney stone with it. It's up inside a castle/tower where all us Irish-Americans would visit and get our bragging rights with pictures of us doing it. My visit was in 1962....
Totally agree with raising taxes on the wealthy and cutting them for everyone else, spending more on child care and universal health care and and college tuiton, as well as fair wages for home care workers. So what’s missing? Economic and regulatory controls that prevent fortunes from getting above, say, $10 million in the first place.
Will they put lie detecting electrodes on the chair? Will the committee chairman tell her to shut up until it is her turn to speak? Even simpler: will she even show up?
I'll be doing counted breathing thingy in the car, the waiting room, and all the way through, I hope. THANK YOU.
*instead of ativan or whatever normal people can take. I am not a normal people, lol. I mean, I could, but only for emergencies like just cut off my own leg or similar :-D
Every GOP ghoul in DC is wearing a green tie because it’s important to respect tradition while you continue to dismantle American democracy, deny health care subsidies, etc.
Yeah, let's MOTHERFUCK a great concept that is totally attractive to the majority of Americans because it is simple and HELPS THEM. It is also a winner because it promotes freedom to spend the money (or not) as one sees fit. That makes it hard for the GOP to argue against it.
"Hey, what if we try to be Ronald Reagan? That's a winning idea!"
Democrats. Again.
Yeah, this idea is stupid. Helping the American middle class taxpayer is stupid.
Robyn, WONDERFUL—and THANK YOU!!!
The devil's always in the implementation. Going to need to counter a WHOLE LOT of anti-tax propaganda too. Because that is part of the reason why we in America continue to pay more for less.
Also too people need to realize "racism is the reason for the season" and a number of American people believe taxes (even on the wealthy which they consider 'taxing success') are the Federal government taking their "hard-earned" money and giving it to Black people. Consider the pushback to this and anything called "socialism" through that lens and you can see why we can't have nice things.
So far we haven't seen income taxes rise on excessive income (just clawing back unpaid taxes by the billionaire class has been sufficient up to now), but direct payments has boosted the economy.
As it is, the direct payments (to families with school kids, seniors, members of some disadvantaged communities), single parents, etc. ... regardless of their other income did mean a good chunk of that was going into savings, but so what? Banks benefit from higher liquidity, meaning much easier credit for those small businesses that are providing the goods and services people weren't buying before. Win... win... win.
Can we just stop with the “job creators” myth already? Because it’s based on a fallacy (if you’re feeling charitable, or on a lie if you’re feeling truthful). “How do you mean?” you ask. Glad you asked (even if you didn’t). The fallacy (or lie if you will) is predicated on the preposterous idea that if we give companies more money, they will hire more people.
Sit with that for a second. I actually saw a political ad several years ago featuring some group of Gen-Y or Z or maybe Millennial Republican Hitler Youth where HY Number 1 proposed that as fact, and HY No’s 2 and 3 were all like “Duh!” and “That’s Econ 101”. Which (a) is bullshit and (b)… is bullshit. Because companies do not in fact hire more people because they have more money.
Doesn’t matter if they’re Apple or Franks and Beans, LLC. Companies level up staffing if they’re not able to handle the volume of business they have with the staff already on payroll. Give them some extra money on top of that, and F&B might pay out some bonuses but i’t s’more likely they’ll upgrade their bean pots. Apple will just buy back a shitload of their stock to puff up their share price, or pay out bigger dividends to shareholders.
What *neither* of them will do is go out and hire somebody that they don’t have enough work for. That doesn’t even make sense on the surface of it. *I* wouldn’t do that, and I’m betting you wouldn’t either.
So next time somebody complains about “taxing job creation”, remind them that the job creators are not companies, but customers.
And then slap them for being stupid.
100% Correct. I've had work that withheld Social Security since I was 11 years old (49 years ago). I've worked full-time for 40 years. I've managed my own business for 25 of those years. I've managed other people's businesses too.
I've never hired anyone unless by doing so, I would make more money. I've never hired anyone because the company was bringing in more money, or paying less in taxes. That's called "profit." I've used that money to raise wages, buy more equipment; actual investment in the business. "Investment," as opposed to "Speculation," which is not at all the same thing. The notion that "Speculation" is "Investment" belongs in the same trash bin as "Job Creators."
Excellent point that it's the customers who create job.
Even better point about the slapping and the stupid.
They say you can't fix stupid. But if slapping is my only weapon in this fight, then by gawd I'm willing to try to fix them!
There's another aspect to taxes that I didn't realize until after I retired and that is the concept of 'lifetime taxes'. (There's an aspect to this that applies to fortunate people who have worked for several decades and lived below their means in order to save money), however, I maintain that there is a group of us that could retire comfortably without having to work ourselves until we're 70 but we're not given good information about 'lifetime taxes'. For example, we're told to "work for another year" or "wait until we're 70 so we can maximize Social Security" but the reality is that this can screw us over and actually make us pay more in taxes than someone who is wealthy.
Let's say that you wait until 70 to retire IOT max out Social Security and delay paying for Medicare. Great? No! Medicare will do a 2-year look-back on your salary, which may be high enough that have to pay surcharges. Within 5 years now, you'll have to start taking the RMD (required minimum distributions) from your 401K and paying the taxes on that too. So, if you wait too long you could end up earning more income when you're 80 years old than you were earning at 60. Thus, you could end up paying over $100K or more in 'lifetime taxes' versus retiring sooner, keeping your income low and being mindful of how and when you take Social Security and go on Medicare.
Anyway, it's a long post to say that I think there are a lot of us that super wealthy people want to keep in the yoke because we don't know how this game is played and we'll end up paying a lot in taxes as a result.
My Dad is in this position. He makes more now at 86 than he did when he retired - the second time - at 49.
Expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing for millions of seniors
That’s nuts! Who ever heard of seniors having problems with seeing, hearing, or their teeth???
Errbody, don't get all hepped up about the Soviet of Washington implementing an income tax. That ain't gonna happen unless our State Supreme Court re-interprets the State Constitution to say income is not property. It's a tedious walk through State gumint history but our Founding Fathers decided that income is like land (but unlike the land largely stolen from the Salish people), is a sacrosanct right and therefor cannot be alienated from its owner by legislative fiat. Until there is political appetite for a Constitutional amendment we Washingtonians will live with the 49th most regressive tax structure in the nation.
The more you know.
Europe and all other allies are probably, finally, waking up and showing the Gashole their collective middle finger.
'Greenland was a breaking point': EU allies say Trump dug his own grave
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-eu-iran-greenland/
"Jim Sciutto @jimsciutto
I’ve been speaking to officials from U.S. allies around the world for the last year and many already doubted Trump’s commitment to their defense alliances, informed by his public questioning of Article 5, threats to reduce U.S. deployments, and generally dismissive rhetoric. His attempts to take Greenland were a breaking point for many. Some will see this not so much as punishment for failing to join the Iran war, but as his honest thoughts about alliances in general.
Quoting
Aaron Rupar @atrupar
Trump: "Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
And because we're all alone, there's nobody to save us when the narcissist pricktator wants to abuse his captive playthings.
"Screw you guys, I'm going home!--->"
His isolationism is complete.
He doesn’t need anything or anybody!
…just this thermos
…….and this paddleball
And NOTHING else!
and this dog. (Grrrr!) I don't need this dog...
WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!
Any kid recognizes this whine.
This was probably posted before, but worth posting again: this war is all Bibi and his fascist regime, blackmailing our demented Gashole. Rubio alluded to it as well, at the beginning of the war, before backtracking
https://www.rawstory.com/stringr/military-general-says-more-white-house-exits-coming-over-iran-war-in-blow-to-trump-admin/
"Kent, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, is the first to leave the administration over the war. The longtime MAGA ally announced his decision on X early Tuesday, saying “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
My ideal St. Patrick’s Day celebration? If only there were an Irish punk band whose songs are all about how the British fucked over the island for centuries.
How about this one?
"Go on Home, British Soldiers"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NieKfRjgy5U&list=RDNieKfRjgy5U&start_radio=1
Though be careful - this song might make FukuiSan cry into his jellied eels and Watney's Red Barrel.
TOTALLY agree!
Ah, "Mick and Eoin and the toy-de-tiddly ois"
You won't like them, because they also talk about going to the pub and then going to the Blarney Stone and pissing on it* because they know Americans will be kissing it the next day.
* This is a true story from my Irish friends
Fukui, all four of my grands came over in steerage "on the boat" to Boston @ 1900. [AFTER the famous Potato Famine.] Whatever the hell they thought they'd find, it was better than what they left. And every single one of them worked at whatever they could find and started saving up to bring the next relative over ASAP.
Fun fact--a LOT of those relatives initially came here to relatives' so-called "safe houses" 'cause IRA, doncha know....
BTW--people would have to piss upward to hit the blarney stone with it. It's up inside a castle/tower where all us Irish-Americans would visit and get our bragging rights with pictures of us doing it. My visit was in 1962....
No righteous rants against Oliver Cromwell?
Totally agree with raising taxes on the wealthy and cutting them for everyone else, spending more on child care and universal health care and and college tuiton, as well as fair wages for home care workers. So what’s missing? Economic and regulatory controls that prevent fortunes from getting above, say, $10 million in the first place.
Pam Bondi! come on down!
You're the next contestant on "Who is in the Epstein Files'!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-house-panel-subpoenas-attorney-173534441.html
Has to actually get her contempt of court or she's going to just filibuster. Though I guess if she's smart she'll plead the 5th.
I have a fantasy of the trials on the back-end of this being held in precisely such a Price-Is-Right manner:
"Pete Hegseth, COME ON DOWN! You are the next traitor to face the jury."
GET HER.
Fucking monster.
Will they put lie detecting electrodes on the chair? Will the committee chairman tell her to shut up until it is her turn to speak? Even simpler: will she even show up?
Countdown starting, 45 mins before I leave to willingly be deeply punctured in my lower left quadrant of abdomen above my very stupid hip joint.
Yes, I will be awake, not on good drugs, and am doing this so that I can walk and work out again while delaying becoming a Bionic M-X.
Cross limbs & digits this guy has good aim, and TYFYATTM.
Wishing you the best!
Good luck!
I'm so sorry! Can you try to meditate or do mindfulness or visualization and breathing while it's going on?
I'll be doing counted breathing thingy in the car, the waiting room, and all the way through, I hope. THANK YOU.
*instead of ativan or whatever normal people can take. I am not a normal people, lol. I mean, I could, but only for emergencies like just cut off my own leg or similar :-D
That's good! It does help!
Yep, and it's what I've got! I have to do it at the dentist and various panic-inducing situations which are thankfully uncommon. It does help.
Every GOP ghoul in DC is wearing a green tie because it’s important to respect tradition while you continue to dismantle American democracy, deny health care subsidies, etc.
... and have a president who has totally disrespected the Irish Taoiseach.