Ski Korschinowski: You want to fix tax injustice, change the system, Progressive tax are righ out of the marxist hand book, Stalin himself said, let tax on a progressive system and we can control the people. SO whats the answer, A Flat TAX or a Consumption tax, everyone pays the same. Make a dollar pay a flat rate, or buy a object, pay a set rate. Simple fair and gets the IRS and it's people out of politics.
January 22 at 10:52pm
Scott Easterly: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." - Luke 12:48
That was written long before Karl Marx was alive. But I guess that means nothing to you....
January 23 at 8:41am
Gospel Politics: Ski Korschinowski -- was Ike a marxist? He supported taxes of over 90% on the wealthy.
I might be with you on the flat tax idea as long as it considered ALL taxes. If so, it would mean a tremendous tax increase or the wealthy (who pay 15% or so on most of their income) and a tremendous tax break for the poor and middle class who pay far more than that because they spend virtually all they make to survive. So, it's all taxed when earned and then again when spent.
January 23 at 1:34pm
Teri Phillips: If you believe in the "flat tax" you are either deficient in math or you also believe in the Flat Earth. A flat tax would mean that the wealthiest citizens would pay a smaller percentage of their income in tax than the poor and middle class. How is that fair when the wealthy enjoy far more of the benefits of our society? We have a progressive tax system for a reason. The top tax rate under Eisenhower was 90%. Are you suggesting he was a Marxist five-star American general??
January 24 at 6:25am
Teri Phillips: The flat tax in this country was repealed by Abraham Lincoln when he signed the Revenue Act of 1862 establishing our progressive tax system. Was Lincoln reading from the Marxist playbook? How about the Romans, were they big Marxists?
January 24 at 6:25am
Keith Sargent: We need to get back to a very steep progressive tax code... starting at zero and working up to around 50 Pct at the highest income levels. The wealthy earn their money but there's a thing called GREED. Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) summed it up in the movie Wall Street when he asked Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), "How many Yachts to you need to water ski behind?"
January 23 at 10:54pm
Ski Korschinowski: On-site. Obama wealth has increased 432 percent in 6 years. The most millionares in one party is on the democrats side of congress. The most campaign dollars donated came from the lib side. Most of the tax increases are against the middle class and came from the democrats. Obama's all talk and lies more than most pols. Waste of time dealing with pastors money is there game also. Greedy
January 23 at 11:27am
Gospel Politics: I might agree with your first and last sentence. Everything in between those is wrong.
January 23 at 1:28pm
Bill Chambers: Where are your sources for your comment. It doesn't mean diddly-squat if it can't be checked.
January 23 at 8:49pm
Teri Phillips: You are unhinged from reality, Ski.
January 24 at 3:05am
Jim Anderson: You are so wrong about the donated money. Most conservative wealthy don't donate in their own names. They have organizations and PACs to donate to. For instance, the Koch brothers donated close to $400m through conservative think tanks (lol) and PACs. As for Congress, millionaires are equally divided between the two main parties. Obama's increase in wealth comes from $2.4m salary for president over 6 years and income he's still getting from the five books he has written. If you are jealous of him, start writing a book. The Democrats have done more for people making less than $250,000 that the GOP by far. BTW, trickle down doesn't work and never has. That's the agenda of the GOP - give the rich more tax cuts.
January 24 at 11:22pm
Aleatha Carr: Jim Anderson, I was about to school Ski, but I see you've already done a fine job. smile emoticon
January 25 at 2:04am
Roxanne Sheldon Coffelt: As a tax preparer, I have to say I agree with this article. The Bush era tax cuts went primarily to the wealthy, and they were unfunded, meaning they totally added to the deficit. These tax cuts do not stimulate the economy, because the wealthy do not purchase more goods and services with a tax cut. Tax cuts to the poor are immediately spent on goods and services, which does stimulate the economy. Also, if a business is considering expanding or buying equipment, they look at the cost benefit ratio. A higher tax rate makes the after tax cost of that investment less, making it more likely that item
January 23 at 8:04pm
Ski Korschinowski: The only way to make the economy run for everyone, is to get the government on a flat tax rate for everyone, that's a fair system, punish peopel for making money should be made criminal, flat tax 10% or 15% make a dollar pay the tax. Then make the government live on a real burget, cut them off at the seams, if they do not like shit can them and get new folks in, that would be my step two, REAL TERM LIMITS ON THESE LIFERS
January 24 at 4:36am
Gospel Politics Good point Roxanne Sheldon Coffelt about a higher tax rate encouraging businesses to invest in equipment, etc -- so they don't end up with lots of taxable income. I hadn't thought of that. People always say cutting taxes stimulates the economy, you bring up a good reason why it can work the other way too..
January 24 at 10:14am
Christopher Gunderson: They are ALL bought and paid for by the wealthy. Obama makes his most progressive proposals when the Republicans control both houses of Congress. In 2009 the Dems controlled both houses and none of these things were proposed.
January 23 at 10:08am
Gospel Politics: pretty good point. But, in any event, are the things he is proposing good ideas or not?
January 23 at 1:29pm
Scott Easterly: They are. This is, in fact, the Obama I voted for!
January 23 at 10:34pm
Teri Phillips: If you think it's Obama's fault, you don't understand the problem.
January 24 at 3:05am
Dan Smith: It's fairly simple to understand actually -- virtually everything the poor and middle class earns (which again is in decline) is taxed because they spend virtually all of it on living expenses. The rich meanwhile do not spend most of their income because they don't need to. Instead they put most of it into tax sheltered investments that pay lower tax rates. this is why (as warren buffett famously explained) buffett pays lower tax rates than his secretary. most income for the wealthy is earned through capital gains which is taxed at a much lower rate than income earned from work. Obama is trying to fix this injustice.
January 23 at 1:33am
Aleatha Carr: You don't even have to consider state, local, property, sales taxes (although it is completely reasonable to). We now live in a time when the actual in-fact tax rate paid by the working poor has surpassed the actual in-fact tax rate paid by billionaires.
"Last year, the Waltons raked in about $3.16 Billion in Wal-Mart dividends but they paid less in taxes on those dividends, percentage-wise, than a typical working stiff on their wage and salary income.
The President’s proposal would cut into the Waltons’ tax avoidance a bit by increasing the top rate on capital gains and dividends to 28% (still lower than the top rate for wage and salary income)."
http://walmart1percent.org/2015/01/20/the-waltons-are-the-secret-stars-of-the-2015-state-of-the-union/
January 25 at 1:53am
Bob Corbin: Bush started the bailouts because the overwhelming consensus of economists studying the great depression for decades is that it works.
January 25 at 12:34am
Francis Francesco Jr.: This after 6 years of Obama in the White House. If he really cared about the poor and middle-class, this would have been the FIRST thing on his agenda, not green energy and corporate bailouts. WAKE UP LIBERALS ! The top 1% now control 50% of the wealth in this country. This was NOT the case when Bush was President. Facts can be a bitch when one opines from the Left.
January 25 at 12:13am
Dennis Hasty: Please someone pm me this post. I wish to copy and share
January 24 at 9:34pm
Bob Knutson: Ancient Israel had the equivalent of a 13% flat tax, 10% of which funded the Levites who did not have land. They also set aside 10% for the Sukkoth.
January 23 at 7:00pm
Carolyn Pascoe: What the hell is Gospel politics? Misconceptions?? Hell they are out and out lies to decieve Americans to vote for policies of the very wealthy the lies do nothing to benefit working americans only the damned investor class and you know it!!! Do not cuddle taxpayers with BS !!!!
January 23 at 1:26am
Gospel Politics: not sure what you are saying here, if you want to clarify, that'd be great.
January 23 at 1:30pm
Jennifer Wagner Pavia: fairsharetaxes.org
January 22 at 11:47pm
Gospel Politics: Thanks for the link. I need to spend some time on that site!
January 23 at 1:39pm
Edgar Alain Flotte Millan: do it like texas. no income tax just sale tax and we all pay the same percentage.
January 23 at 9:03am
Gospel Politics: very regressive (figures Texas would be). What that means is the poorest folks pay the highest tax rates since they have to spend all their income to survive.
January 23 at 1:36pm
Edgar Alain Flotte Millan: yeah but it is only 8.25%. the rich spend more so they pay more. no loopholes.
January 23 at 5:31pm
Mary Brink Noonan: Honestly....making regressive tax fair????
January 24 at 3:34am
Rick Lindsey: It can be viewed as regressive but groceries and the like are not taxable in Texas so this takes away the regressive bite. Texas also has franchise tax for business so we have business income tax but it is unconstitutional to call it income tax.
January 24 at 7:35am
Edgar Alain Flotte Millan: Plus in addition that groceries are not taxed. Poor people can have food stamps assistance. Nonetheless, Texas model and economy has worked so well that anyone who works hard can have a substantial income, including illegals because the cost of living is cheaper than many other states.. You would really have to have some sort of handicap to be poor. I live in Georgia and it sucks compared to Texas. Seriously can't wait to go back.
January 24 at 11:31am