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We've got too many blue dog Dems who pride themselves on being Republican-light. Extending ANY tax cuts is dumb at this point...but that's just the way it is.
raising taxes is generally not a platform that any politician wants to run on.
i'm on the fence. on one hand, people say that these taxes would inhibit job creation, due to affecting small business owners. everyone seems to believe this because the republicans say so. however, i have not seen any data that shows this is the case. For one, I don't think this discussion should be limited to just the "Bush tax cuts." We can pass any style of tax law that we want. We can change the tax law to differentiate between "small business owners", and billionaires; it isn't rocket science. Looking at the bigger picture outside of just the one tax expiry issue, I remain a skeptic that taxing the ultra-wealthy will inhibit job growth.
furthermore, not all economic activity is equal. economic activity that fosters class mobility, helping the poor become middle class, and the middle class become wealthy, is fundamentally better than economic activity like a garage full of parked Ferrari's, and one guy owning 5 vacation homes. I'm sure the rich guy with the Ferrari's is stimulating quarterly GDP growth in the short-term, though, right?
what i have seen is that income and wealth inequality has grown significantly, not just over the past 5 or 10 years, but over the past 50 years. There is class warfare going on, and right now the ultra-rich are beating the snot out of the wealthy and the middle class.
I could not agree more. THey compromised to get the jobless benefits extended. They should have made the republicans vote on extending jobless benefits. There are a lot of unemployed Republicans right now. Undoubtably the Republicans took a poll and found that extending benefits was popular On the other side, the Republican idealogues must be irritated that the jobless benefits were increased.
We've got too many blue dog Dems who pride themselves on being Republican-light. Extending ANY tax cuts is dumb at this point...but that's just the way it is.
People like you need to understand that the only reason you have Democrats in a lot of districts (the ones with the blue dogs) is because those are districts that have never and will never subscribe to extreme left philosophies. The Democratic party trotted the Blue Dogs out in these districts because that was the only way they were going to claim a seat. Personally I'm very grateful for the Blue Dogs, because for as inept as the Democrats have been in the 4 years they've been in power, and for all the bad legislation they've passed, the Blue Dogs have prevented it from being much worse.
This most recent issue (the tax cuts) is yet another example of it, seeing as how populists like yourselves seem to feel that you're entitled to keep your tax cuts, but those of us who are more successful should not be able to keep ours. Why? Because you want us to pay your way for you.
The Dems got what they wanted. The Repubs demonstrating, very clearly, that they all agree, that we must payoff the "special" people first and foremost. Then, and only then, will the Repubs will allow for helping the unemployed and middle income minions.
The Dems got what they wanted. The Repubs demonstrating, very clearly, that they all agree, that we must payoff the "special" people first and foremost. Then, and only then, will the Repubs will allow for helping the unemployed and middle income minions.
On the contrary, the Republicans have simply stated that if the middle class gets extended, so does the upper class. Fair is fair.
On the issue of unemployment, these tax cuts have never been specifically tied to extensions. All the Democrats ever had to do was cut spending in other areas to make extending the UI benefits cost-neutral, and it would have sialed through the house. But, like with most things the Democrats touch, they preferred to instead turn it into a political football and let the benefits expire.
Unfortunately this is what has been predicted from the beginning. I posed this before but this pretty much sums it up
heavily likely the outcome i've been reading and hearing from political analysts on both sides of the isle saying it will come down to the 11th hour with the right giving the dems an unemployment extension in exchange for keeping the tax cuts for the rich. It's the worst thing that can be done but both sides are going to come out as a political win/win but a lose/lose for america.
I guarantee Obama is going to give a speech to the extent "We are extending the tax cuts for only two years (insert outrage) I know, I know, but it's only temporary and raising taxes right now on the middle class would be the absolute worst thing we can do. We also have won an unemployment extension which we direly need.
While McConnell will say: We have kept our promise to offer absolutely no compromise and have succeeded. We have won a two year full extension (insert outrage) though we agreed to this only as in two years, we will have a republican president and we can sign permanent the tax cuts or even give more to the top earners.
I could not agree more. THey compromised to get the jobless benefits extended. They should have made the republicans vote on extending jobless benefits. There are a lot of unemployed Republicans right now. Undoubtably the Republicans took a poll and found that extending benefits was popular On the other side, the Republican idealogues must be irritated that the jobless benefits were increased.
I dont know anyone that would be irritated at extending unemployment benefits. Long as they are paid for. Which I dont understand why making sure they are paid for with cuts somewhere else is such a problem for democrats. Why do you think that is such a problem? Do they not have a problem with increasing the debt? Do they want more people to pay taxes, which cause people to have less money in their pocket and needing the gov to help provide for them?
Unfortunately this is what has been predicted from the beginning. I posed this before but this pretty much sums it up
heavily likely the outcome i've been reading and hearing from political analysts on both sides of the isle saying it will come down to the 11th hour with the right giving the dems an unemployment extension in exchange for keeping the tax cuts for the rich. It's the worst thing that can be done but both sides are going to come out as a political win/win but a lose/lose for america.
I guarantee Obama is going to give a speech to the extent "We are extending the tax cuts for only two years (insert outrage) I know, I know, but it's only temporary and raising taxes right now on the middle class would be the absolute worst thing we can do. We also have won an unemployment extension which we direly need.
While McConnell will say: We have kept our promise to offer absolutely no compromise and have succeeded. We have won a two year full extension (insert outrage) though we agreed to this only as in two years, we will have a republican president and we can sign permanent the tax cuts or even give more to the top earners.
Compromise seems to mean the further in the hole we go. The compromise puts us more and more into debt. Gridlock would be the best possible thing at this point. quit compromising.
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