Search Results for 'cU'

[WorldCitizen]

Still no excuse to state tax cuts are the primary driver of our national debt. The point is that the data is out of date. They did a good job forecasting out a year and a half…cool. Still not valid. I want info based on the real world, not 4 year old inaccurate estimates. I think that by putting out information that is inaccurate and claiming it’s accuracy is in effect doing what the other side does. I want the progressive section of this country to live in the real world. I want policy and ideas based on actuality.

HMC Rich:

Ignoring entitlements may not be the answer but they are not worth looking at at this juncture. With the explosion of deficit spending, cutting back on entitlement programs won’t do shit, as they make up an even smaller portion of the problem. How people tithe to their religious institutions or donate is their own personal choice and isn’t the Government’s problem.

The ideas needed to turn this country around actually seem pretty clear, regardless of what the talking heads say.

1) Close all tax loopholes for everyone (businesses as well as individuals) (that includes religious institutions)

2) Implement a flat tax (because it’s the only fair way to do it).

3) Cut defense spending by at least 15%

4) Re-introduce Glass-Stegall in it’s original form.

5) Implement universal healthcare (not required health insurance)

6) Make private financing of elections illegal.

7) Legalize Marijuana.

8) End any and all criminal mandatory minimum sentencing.

9) Deny unions’ ability to keep workers employed who’s skills are not up to date in their position, while introducing a performance based system of compensation as their standard.

10) Invest in research and development of renewable energy sources.

The title of the original post is ‘Cut spending and raise taxes?” The answer is: yes and no. Cut certain spending. Create an equitable tax system. Don’t cut them, but use them well.

Easy to say. Hard to pull off in the real world.

[nighthawk]

We have Qwest for phone and that’s it. When we first moved here we were going to get Qwest DSL. We specifically ordered the highspeed DSL. It turned into this crazy thing because there computer says one thing but actual distance from the junction box is another. When the tech came out (who was really helpful and clued us in on the real situation even though the rest of customer service was clueless) was that we would only ever get slow speed if he could get it to work…needless to say we have Comcast now.

[HMC Rich]

I have to agree with World Citizen that more current data is needed. But, if numbers are true then we should look at how we can turn the negative to a positive. Ignoring the entitlements is not an answer.

47% of citizens pay federal taxes. 50% of what is taken in is paid by 10%. Bush tax policies made less citizens pay taxes. How could he?

If we want everyone to pay their fair share (whatever that is), we should close all loopholes, adjust the rates properly, and quit spending so much?

I know the Statist and Federalist have differing opinions on what to do. So we will always be able to argue with each other. (wink)

We obviously need to tax people for our infrastructure and to help certain people and some programs. But I don’t think the government (local, county, state, and Federal) should be able to take 50% of what everyone makes. Maybe you do. I work for my family first, not the government. They can hire me if they want, but that means I am paid by the citizens.

Think about this. If you are a citizen, you pay your taxes, then you give to charities, and if you are religious you tithe 10% to your church. That doesn’t leave a lot left over, so you have to cut back. But I can’t just cut back on taxes, can I? Anyhow, the secularists should have more money! Just kidding. I may believe in God but I worship Zippy’s burgers and a few other establishments that happily accept my discretionary spending. MMMMMM. Zippy’s

[Abanna]

WEST SEATTLE: Part-time Preschool Teacher, Benefits eligible

Intergenerational Learning Center

Providence Mount St. Vincent

4831 35th Ave SW (just south of Alaska St.)

West Seattle

Position# 73754

Position hours: Monday through Friday, 12:30-6pm

More about the Integenerational Learning Center:

http://www2.providence.org/kingcounty/facilities/providence-mount-st-vincent/Pages/child-care.aspx

For a job description and to apply, go to:

http://www.providenceiscalling.jobs/search/index.html

Click “I want to work for Providence”

Click “I do not have a profile”

Scroll down to 2nd field from the bottom where it says, “Keywords or Job Requisition Number” and enter 73754.

Press “Enter”

Under “Posting Title” click “Preschool Teacher.” You will see the complete job description. At the bottom of the job description is a button to click to apply.

If you encounter any difficulties locating the position or applying online, kindly call Kenexa Help Desk at 1-877-560-4084 for assistance.

[c@lbob]

You wanted the CBO to hit the number on each year since 2003? I don’t think the advertise themselves as clairvoyent. No one could predict anything about the economy for more than five years very accurately.

Actually, they overstated the cumulative increase in public debt from 2002 to 2009 by about 20%

The yearly numbers they predicted actually track the real deficit (the increase in the national debt from year-to-year) pretty well through 2007. Then the real defict doubled then tripled the projection.

There are none so blind . . .

[jissy]

dhg — my husband brought home some of those tamales from the Burien Sunday market, too — FANTASTIC!!! Not West Seattle but I have also gotten great tamales in a variety of flavors at the Mexican grocery next door to the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market.

I get my hair cut right by there and make my rounds, tamales and pico de gallo @ the Mexican grocery, the Piroshky bakery a couple doors down, Sur of course, Beecher’s for the most amazing Mac ‘n Cheese & flowers at the Market!! It’s a good thing I only get my hair cut quarterly!

[DP]

As Yogi Berra famously never said: “Making predictions is hard, especially about the future.”

Nevertheless, I’m going to make a prediction right now. About the future of I-1098. Fortunately, there’s something to please everyone in my prediction. Alas, there’s something to aggravate everyone as well. But then, life would hardly be interesting without a little aggravation now and then, would it?

Prediction the First: I-1098 will pass by a sizeable margin, perhaps ten points or more.

Here’s why:

• Washington’s state government is in a period of protracted fiscal crisis and everyone knows it. These days, you can’t hardly pick up a paper or turn on the TV without hearing about budget cuts.

• Most Washington voters see raising taxes (along with budget cutting) as one of the things we need to do to get ourselves out of this hole. Since the vast majority of voters will not be subject to the proposed new income tax, for them, 1098 is a no-brainer.

• Voters will not be swayed by the opposition’s threats of a mass exodus of small businesses. Although they might be skeptical of what the Legislature will do with an income tax down the road, voters are even more skeptical of the Business position. Rightly or wrongly, voters will perceive that Business’s interests do not align with their own on this.

Prediction the Second: After 1098 passes, it will be overturned in court.

The sponsors of 1098 thought they were being clever by calling 1098 an “excise tax” rather than an income tax, but I doubt this will pass muster even with a liberal-leaning Supreme Court. An excise tax is a tax imposed on the production or sale of a specific good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excise_tax

Although the definition of an excise tax can be stretched a bit, it cannot be stretched to the point where it covers earned income (or the receipt of earned income) — the moreso in the face of a state constitution that explicitly forbids a graduated income tax. Calling 1098 an “excise tax” is clearly a ruse. To allow 1098 to stand, the Court would have to willfully disregard the intention of the framers of that constitution, who clearly wanted the government of this state to live within whatever means it had — SHORT of a graduated a income tax.

Prediction the Third: After 1098 is invalidated by the Court, there will be a period of hand-wringing, followed by successive waves of budget cutting.

Where will it all end? Who knows? Maybe it will end with a change to the Constitution. Maybe it will end with a flat tax (which is legal according to the Constitution). Or maybe we’ll go into a period of forced deficit spending (which, like an income tax, is NOT legal, according to the Constitution).

In the near term, we could be headed for some kind of crisis, but I’m not going to go so far as to predict that. Supposing a crisis should happen, though, it will probably have one of two outcomes. We will either be drawn closer together as citizens. Or we will be pulled even farther apart.

[WorldCitizen]

c@lbob:

Yes I know what the CBO is (no need to get shitty about it, man). Yes, I understand what the graph is. No I don’t see how it’s related to 2010. There’s a ramp up in the involvement in Afghanistan, TARP, the implementation of Healthcare reform legislation, (which will actually help lower the deficit) and CHIP just to name a few differences.

The graph on the site has an estimated budget deficit as of 2009 to be just below 600 Billion dollars. In 2010 the actual budget deficit is roughly 1.3 TRILLION dollars. So, yes, I think there is a discrepancy in the numbers. I also see no useful info to help graph out the numbers comprising the percentage of the national deficit. This is why I am asking for updated and accurate info from those of you putting out these links/numbers.

I would like to believe the primary driver for our national deficit is tax cuts (or deferrals), I just see no such info online to support this. So I actually can not graph it myself. I will, however continue to ask for people to verify the claims they make online.

[c@lbob]

WorldCitizen:

You do know that the Congressional Budget Office is, right? The graph is just a representation of their reports. If you don’t trust it, go the the CBO site and graph it yourself.

What has changed between 2006 and now? The graph mapped out the projection, what is different? The budget numbers are available for all to see.

To review, the CBO made a projection, time passed, the projection was proven true by the numbers. Don’t expect the CBO to came back now and rub it in. They are a part of Congress, you know. Wouldn’t be prudent.

[WorldCitizen]

C@lbob & JoB:

I like these points. I’m just concerned you’re making an argument from 2006 (the date of that chart in the link you provided). I’ve looked to find more recent info to back up these statements but haven’t found anything. Do you have a link to something more recent from a reliable source to quote?

[WSB]

Announcement received tonight:

<<On Saturday, September 25, 2010, The Log House Museum will join participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.

Museum Day 2010 is poised to be the largest to date, outdoing last year’s record-breaking event. Over 300,000 museum-goers and 1,300 venues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico participated in Museum Day 2009. Last year, two million visitors logged on to http://www.smithsonian.com/museumday to learn more about the program.

The Log House Museum is a project of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and collects, preserves and shares the history of the Duwamish Peninsula. This is the society’s third year of participation, and the first with a walking tour included. The 50 minute tour will include the historic area surrounding the museum and begin at 10:45 am. The museum is open on Saturday 11-4 and located at 3003 61st Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116. http://www.loghousemuseum.info

For your free Museum Day Ticket visit http://www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to participating museums and cultural venues. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. Listings and links to participating museums’ and sponsors’ sites can be found at http://www.smithsonian.com/museumday. >>

[StephB]

I’m sure that there are perfectly nice people out there scraping who are honest and polite. I wasn’t clear about the problem with THIS particular troller. The neighbors were suspicious when they saw him get out of his truck and look in the windows of our old pickup that was parked off of the alley. I wasn’t there for the initial “confrontation”, but my understanding is he didn’t seem to have any good explanation of why he was there, or what he was looking for, so their impression was that his intentions weren’t good and that he was scoping out the property…not because he intends to move in nearby. (There are no homes for sale on our alley). He’s been spotted lurking around other people’s vehicles and property and seems to always have truck load of stuff. Big tan colored pickup. Perhaps he’s a total innocent, and it’s all a big misunderstanding, but somehow I doubt it. Like I said, I’m grateful to my neighbors for chasing him off of our property and don’t consider them vigilantes for doing so…isn’t that why we have a block watch? I think I mentioned that they called the police, but I’m glad that they confronted him rather than sit inside watching him lurk around and wait for the police to maybe show up. There have been a few car break-ins in the area and one neighbor had quite a bit of work equipment stolen from his car, so everyone is a bit more aware of unusal activites going on. We did have some people once ask us if they could take some metal from our property. But we have had things taken in the past that were clearly not set out for the taking.

[JoB]

redblack..

i suspect republicans won’t get the october surprise they are hoping for here…

if democrats make the effort to vote

and that is a big if…

but i fear they may do better elsewhere :(

i want you to know i am really open to being totally wrong about this.

[c@lbob]

redblack,

You’ve introduced a very good point to stress when talking about ending the Bush billionaire pampering.

Of course the richies won’t like it if they are required to do something, they never do. That’s why they don’t want their capital gains taxed, or to pay their workers.

We are always treated to the promise of a big payoff in jobs and infrastructure by businesses seeking tax breaks. I’d like to see a great deal more proof of the actual bang for the buck.

So, all those mostly mythical “small” businesses, like Bechtel Engineering for gods sake, put that excess cash you are all salivating for into jobs and infrastructure for real. Keep that taxible income under the limit and you can keep the benefits of a larger business.

[redblack]

this debate is subject to so much ideology that sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s not necessarily a class warfare argument.

if you make over $250K per annum, anything over that $250K is taxed at a higher rate.

the smart thing to do – and i think what the administration is trying to emphasize – is to invest any income over your first $250K back into the economy instead of taking it as income. win/win. you avoid higher taxes on income over $250K, invest that money into your business, and stimulate the economy.

the corporate media is patently ignoring new legislation that gives incentive for businesses to do just that by hiring new workers, investing in new technology, increasing energy efficiency, etc.

instead, we get diatribe and tired, old supply-side rhetoric. i don’t think it’s going to fly in the mid-terms, and i think republicans are going to hand themselves a nasty october surprise.

[TKDguy]

I’m just curious who will actually use the tunnel. As I understand it, it will cost $3.50 each way ($7 round trip) and there are no exits to downtown. It seems like everyone will just take I5 or use the smaller downtown streets to get anywhere. I don’t think anyone will have the money to pay the tolls anyway after we get done footing the bills for the tunnel cost overruns.

[c@lbob]

Yes, Jo, you are right.

Our income wouldn’t be within 20% of the amount of adjusted gross income threshhold necessary for a couple to qualify for that expiring (I hope) tax benefit.

Which begs to question of the contributors to this thread who favor the economic strategy of the Republics: Obama’s tax policy is good for me, are you so rich that you’re not in the same boat as me, did you not pay less federal imcome tax last year?

[JoB]

c@lbob

and i am guessing that like ours.. yours’ won’t go away if they extend the tax cuts for the middle class and let those for the top 2% expire…

[c@lbob]

JoB

Your use of the percentages in relation to tax policy benefit hits home with me.

In April, I was fully expecting to send a check for a couple of thousand dollars to the IRS. Instead, we got a refund of $750.

I have been doing the federal taxes since 1966. At no other time during that 43 year period did I realize a larger tax benefit – in either dollars or percentage.

Thank you, Barack Obama.

[JoB]

i got stopped by the police for casing the neighborhood before i moved into our current home.

the policeman and i had a good laugh.. the woman who reported me was right…i was driving by regularly at odd hours.. i was looking for evidence of illegal or inappropriate behavior before moving to the neighborhood.

it is good to look out for yourself and your neighbors as long as you remain aware that things are not always as they seem.

[c@lbob]

Elizabeth Warren is an amazing person. I am very glad that Obama has decided to put her in the posisiton to create the consumer protection in the financial reform law. The confirmation zoo that would result from nominating her the head of that new agency would only slow her important work. It is wise to bypass it.

In the thread “Cut spending and raise taxes?” I posted my take on what has happened during the past 40 years. I think Warren’s research explains the reason for the decline I believe the United States has experienced.

Thanks for providing the link, Escondido.

[JoB]

smitty..

i can see why you would want to save yourself from the folks who saved your bacon…

ok.. so i can’t see why you would sign on for another roller coaster con job brought to you by the people who don’t have your best interests in mind…

unless, of course.. you are one of the top 1.5% whose wealth rose exponentially during the downturn and would like that trend to continue indefinitely…

the other 98.5% of us would benefit from a genuine recovery that includes American factories and American jobs.

I am so liking that idea.

[c@lbob]

The Democrats and Obama have averted another Great Depression. Their financial recovery is transforming our economy and providing credit for new business that the vaunted market is not providing. Smart people, like Elizabeth Warren have been put into positions where the are benefitting people like me.

The only thing Republicans have done for thirty years is line the pockets of the rich.

[Smitty]

The D’s have controlled both houses for four years and the oval office for two.

So yes, I am just searching for some hope, change, or both.

[JoB]

Smitty…

poverty isn’t trickling up.. it is surging up.

and it’s brought to you by those wonderful folks who are trying to capitalize on your anger to propel themselves into a majority in congress so they can sell you another slogan to distract you from the hand in your pocket.

are you buying it this time?