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Here's the White House math behind why "tax reform" can't replace all the income from letting...
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Thursday, November 29, 2012, 6:55 PM ETHere's the White House math behind why "tax reform" can't replace all the income from letting the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire: Limiting a cap in deductions to incomes over $250K leaves only $800B in revenue; phasing in a cap to avoid a "cliff" reduces revenues to $650B; excluding the charitable deduction reduces it to $450B. That's why the likeliest outcome is a hybrid approach that combines an increase in marginal tax rates with a cap in deductions.
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What you earn = what we need.
Programs we design and run = How you should live.
Current Spending - Spending Cuts = Higher Spending
Bureaucrats + More bureaucrats + More Regulations + More Social Programs + More Regulations + More Bureaucrats - Freedom - Liberty = Nirvana
My Math:
Government Bureaucrats + Politicians + Financial Elite = Tyranny
Freedom + Liberty = Greatest Threat to Big Brother or /and
Freedom + Liberty = Foundation for all the wealth created
You take away lobbyists, withhold for a few years taking a private sector job after you leave public service, and place a term limit on holding office when there is anything other than a minimal deficit, and this mess which Washington created would get solved tonight.
I am starting to seethe when i hear these assholes come out and say 'we have a spending problem.' No, YOU have a spending problem. You put us in this position, You benefited from it personally every time a government program was let, and YOU will suffer the consequences of Your actions.
Stop trying to shove it down the throats of the great unwashed. We don't hear from assholes like Schumer for months on end, and all of a sudden there's a chance to be on camera 'saying the right things' (while shoving it up the taxpayers ass), and voila, there he and the rest of these traitors are.
I am sick of the pretend 'horror' from guys like McConnell and Boener--Democrat or Republican. If they want to shed their crocodile tears for this country, then let them do something real. Like the fisherman said this morning, when i have a problem, i fix it.
Fix it, you fucktards. Every family in America does it, and the supposedly 'best and brightest' which we send to Washington can't balance a budget?
Everyone of them ought to be sequestered until they get it done correctly without shenanigans and mirrors. Real simple: we take in this; we owe that; we can spend this.
I cant tell you how much it hurts to see people like this driving OUR Country over the cliff. When does it stop?
But I could not. For I agree 100% with your comment.
1) gradually raise the government-subsidized retirement age to age 76 (any individual can retire whenever they want if they want to pay their own way) - receive Medicare & Social Security when you turn 76.
2) cease government payment for the last 5 days of inpatient care prior to death - the cost of the last 5 days of hospitalization falls on the estate of the deceased - this is a government savings of about $200 billion. If you want to die in the ICU connected to machines, weighing 90 pounds - you pay for it. Heroic clinical intervention for end-stage, terminal disease in the US is uber expensive and results in the death of the patient.
3) pay for performance across the board - pay doctors / hospitals / nurses for good outcomes, not bad ones.
4) Adhere to evidence-based guidelines with no deviation.
5) Force individuals with bad habits - smokers, obesity, poor exercise, poor nutrition, alcoholics ... to pay more for their own bad habits...
The debt is a joke compared to the massive unfunded entitlements that we have "promised" people. Remember, the government has no contract with you that they must pay for your retirement. It is your body, your life and your destiny. I want the government as far away as possible from my life. If I could discharge Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid I would do that in a heart beat. If you need a liver transplant, pay for it yourself! Imagine a society where our own personal actions directly impacted us without a government constantly paying for our unemployment, the diseases arising from our obesity and smoking...!
I doubt President Obama will analyze my recommendations but it is worth a shot.
Now you show me one country that has grown the economy by piling up the debt to over 100% of GDP.
South Korea got hit hard by the Asian crisis and had spending curtailed hardcore in order to receive aid through the IMF. Look where they are at today. A perfect example of what getting one's fiscal house in order can do.
6) Drop out of high school and forever forfeit all forms of welfare and social assistance.
Also, how about we weight our votes according to the amount of federal taxes paid. Those who contribute the most, get the most say. Don't pay taxes and you can't vote. It would never fly, of course, but oh what a change it would be.
So... those who pay taxes get a vote and those who contribute - NOTHING - receive no vote?
Obama got elected by people who depend on his policies of dependence. This will perpetuate itself unless we have a real public debate on what our values are.
Kids in America are not scared at all. They have no concern that there are more engineers in China than all of the rest of the world combined.
They were spending themselves into oblivion. I believe their Debt to GDP was approaching 90-100%. They cut back some social programs, cut government spending, told people the truth, and miraculously in a couple of years debt/GDP was declining (I think today its down in the 30-40% area), economic growth was HIGHER than USA, and things are generally good.
I can't speak to the specifics of South Korea, but I know Thailand faced similar problems during the crisis and they cut government spending. And they are thriving today despite a couple of severe natural disasters along the way.
See we don't live in a static world - when the government is reduced people devote some of their resources to their communities - other institutions step up to provide social services - neighbors look out for their neighbors - families take care of families. We perpetuate this myth that someone only Government bureaucrats can help people - when in fact they are the LAST people that can truly help people.
But rather than take my word for it you should do some reading. I think Canada is a good example of a developed country taking their medicine and setting the stage for longer term growth. Thailand is at a different stage in their economy than Canada/USA.
As the Debt/GDP level falls more money is then actually spent on things like infrastructure and social services. Think about our government - it hasn't been changed since I was born!!!! (and I'm old). Just added to and added to and added to. Its supposed to be called public service - slash the bureaucrats salaries and benefits - don't like it - quit. Downsize agencies - combine agencies - cut military especially overseas. Raise retirement ages. Clean out the disability rolls, etc, etc, etc.
Think about this - FDR - the supposed liberal giant - introduced social security to provide for a minimum level of income in old age - and HE defined it as the average life expectancy. Now we live 15 years longer but the retirement age is only what - 2 years more??? Why? Was FDR a hateful person? Did he want Grandma to starve or die? No - he expected people to work!!!!!
-Ronald Reagan