http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/28/fiscal-cliff-diving Comments On: Fiscal Cliff Diving by Goldy en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Sat, 25 May 2013 23:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
Trade places, after a fashion.

The productive Middle Class, especially small business owners, are weary of struggling to make it work in the face of an oppressive regulatory confiscatory socialist robber baron humanistocracy.

And especially irked by having the 47% wag their greasy fingers in our faces chiding us for not paying our fair share.

There are many ways small business owners can reduce their tax bill.
Expect all across the land for the Productive Class to focus on making themselves smaller targets for Obama's tax knife.
Expect to get a smaller and smaller haul out of the hide of Middle Class America.

If the 47% is how the game is played deal us in .......
Posted by Keep Your Stinking Tax Bill, Bitches]]> Sat, 29 Dec 2012 06:24:15 -0800 The Stranger let's dig in.....

@24
Try to keep up dear.
We are talking about the Federal deficit.
If by 'payroll' (taxes) you mean SS and Medicare those are, as the Democraps assure us, Trust Funds, not 'taxes'.
The Federal government is financed by Federal Income tax, which 47% of American households pay NONE.

@26
As long as it took your brain to die?
The "47%" figure is for HOUSEHOLDS, not individuals.
47% of all HOUSEHOLDS pay ZERO Federal Income tax.
a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
have you considered using your's as a door stop?

@29.
Yes. Skin. In the game.
Too many people in this country consume federal funded benefits but pay no Federal Income taxes that fund those services.
They naturally see voting for more benefits as a swell deal, since they are not going to have to pay for it.
Taxing their asses may give them pause the next time they are tempted to vote for someone who promises to fund their goodies by taxing 'the other guy'.
BTW you will find in American't the number of folks making $200,000 dropping. The Moocher Class has a strangle hold on the poor goose and the supply of golden eggs is shrinking.

Enjoy the Goose Dinner.

it will be your last......
Posted by Puff and Stuff]]> Sat, 29 Dec 2012 06:17:47 -0800 The Stranger

Posted by sarah70]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:36:43 -0800 The Stranger
I listen to a lot of people who say:

"Its not fair that I have to pay taxes on my really nice home and that almost-homeless guy gets his rent subsidized!"

"Its not fair I have to pay $15 co-pays for my insurance. Look at all the free emergency medical care we hand out to immigrants and the destitute."

"Its not fair!"

I never hear:
"I'd totally trade places with the poor if I could"
Posted by six shooter]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:58:30 -0800 The Stranger Another transit related death...

Woman Struck and Killed by MTA Bus in Midtown

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121227…

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:36:20 -0800 The Stranger
That expression implies that the person with the skin will be incentivized to strive for a better game outcome for all involved. For example, when employees own stock, having that particular skin in the game will make them work harder to ensure that the company does well, thus raising the stock price.

How does that expression relate to a single mother of two making 20K a year? I don't see how suddenly getting less take-home pay would empower her to improve the economy (the game in this context?). In fact it would do the opposite, as she would be forced to consume less.

Or is it an incentive to improve her own lot? It seems like living near the poverty rate is already a huge incentive for that.

I've heard a lot of conservatives use that expression in this context, but really it's just sour grapes. If they make $200K and pay federal taxes, it seems unfair to them that someone making $20K doesn't. (Maybe they should trade places.) So they throw out this bullshit expression as a justification for taxing the working poor.
Posted by Free Lunch]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:45:14 -0800 The Stranger Posted by anon1256]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:52:53 -0800 The Stranger Posted by WestSeven]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:51:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by CbytheSea]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:27:54 -0800 The Stranger http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the…
Posted by dbgill56]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:55:34 -0800 The Stranger Posted by anon1256]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:43:44 -0800 The Stranger
What a worthless fuck excuse for a man he is.....
Posted by shit has more integrity than goldstain]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:20:22 -0800 The Stranger Posted by kk in seattle]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:07:55 -0800 The Stranger Posted by laterite]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:58:55 -0800 The Stranger Posted by quix]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:56:23 -0800 The Stranger Posted by imbecile]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:47:41 -0800 The Stranger
For once I agree with you on something.

I never liked the way the Bush tax cuts were structured. (Don't get me wrong, I'm for lower taxes, but he accomplished them, in part, by completely removing lots of people from the tax rolls (in part, creating the 47% we've heard so much about)). When we fly off the cliff (or curb) those people will find themselves back on the tax rolls (with some skin in the game). Having them there may help us get real tax reform which I hope will result in a simpler, flatter code where more people participate but pay less across the board.

Also, have you looked at all the ridiculous farm subsidies bills that will suddenly be laid out naked for everyone to enjoy? The first will cause the price of milk to double almost immediately.

The more the public is aware of (by being made victim to) the Federal governments chicanery, the better. I'm sincerely hoping that by flying off of the cliff (or falling off the curb) we will get some real and lasting reform in several areas instead of more barnacles on bad bills that should have been taken off the books 70 years ago.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:36:09 -0800 The Stranger
Let me just add one thing. I'm going crazy listening to people describing those who make over $1,000,000 a year as millionaires. While they certainly are, that's not the original meaning of the word. "Millionaire" is a word that describes total wealth, not annual income. In fact, you don't need any income at all to be a millionaire. All you need is a million in the bank, or in other assets.

And you know what else? Those people with incomes of $250,000 a year? They might be middle-class by some definitions, but they're definitely UPPER middle-class. And you know what else? They're not going to shrivel up and die if you tax their incomes at higher marginal rates. Worse comes to worse, they could join a less-expensive country club, keep the Range Rover for 5 years instead of 3, or rent out their summer vacation home over the winter. Sheesh... Such hardship!
Posted by Brooklyn Reader]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:34:09 -0800 The Stranger
While Goldy is probably right that the Ds are likely to get what they want on taxes by going over the cliff, @9 is also right that they are unlikely to get what they want on UI by doing so. UI extensions have been part of the pre-cliff compromise proposals that have been going back and forth for the past month. But post-cliff, if the house sends the senate a bill lowering all but the top rate, that bill won't include UI extension, and there is no way the senate will refuse to pass it. At that point UI extension will be dead, because there is no political pressure on Rs to extend UI as an independent decision.
Posted by David Wright]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:20:53 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Goldy]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:09:15 -0800 The Stranger Posted by dwightmoodyforgetsthings]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:08:19 -0800 The Stranger Posted by blip]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:00:16 -0800 The Stranger Posted by CbytheSea]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:58:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Sargon Bighorn]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:53:38 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Rotten666]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:49:31 -0800 The Stranger