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There's been a lot of talk in this thread about federal spending in Alaska, and calling it a welfare state.
I do think that some of you are either forgetting or not realizing the huge military presence that Alaska has, which accounts for a lot of the federal spending. It's also a young state that didn't get in on the buildup of infrastructure that most of the rest of the country did. This article touches on those things:
Their is a difference in paying more taxes because you are rich and paying more taxes because you are rich and then giving it to the poor. I dont mind being tax more to pay off the debt, but it does when you give everybody 40% of the people a $500 check(single) or a $1000 dollar check(family) from my money.
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Despite the fact that he's since flip-flopped on that idea, he still proposes a progressive tax system, where the wealthy pay more percentage wise than the rest of the country. However, the two candidates disagree on a few percentage points.
Yes, he has a progressive tax system, and obama has a progressive plus a welfare tax system. And changing your opinion in 8 is different, Obama has change in only a year.
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If you believe the top tax bracket should be 39% you are now a socialist. If you believe it should be at 36%, you're a Pro-American American.
Well it should be a flat tax on everybody.
If you believe the top tax bracket should be 39% AND THE EXTRA 3% SHOULD BE GIVING TO THE POOR IN A PLAIN CHECK. Then yes, you are a socialist in that idea. Dont try to paint it pretty, but leaving the socialist part out...
And please use real facts about Obama policies and not cut them in half and only writing the better half.
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Considering what the highest tax rate was for most of the 20th century, one can only conclude that we've been a deeply socialist nation for some time now.
Again the US is not socialist, the US does have some socialist programs.
Oh, and what do you think about the list? You havent said anything about it.
Mineral rights were defined by a claim on a piece of unowned land. Today when you purchase a plot of land, many times you will find that someone has paid an option to own or to exploit the mineral rights for a period of time, up to 99 years. After that period of time has lapsed, the option once again rests in the hands of the property owner. Previous owners may have sold this option to any given mining or oil company.
The clause is in most land deeds and states whether or not the mineral rights rest in the hands of the deed holder.
The '49ers staked claims first by placing stakes or a pile of rocks at the corners of the area they were claiming. Mining law at that time stated that the claim had to be "worked" or the claim would lapse after a certain period of time. Now mining and oil companies can actually purchase the options, and NOT work the claim, as long as the option is current.
On the North Slope, Alaska is having problems with the oil companies NOT utilizing the natural gas on the oilfields, as they have the option, and are not exercising said option by sending it out of the oilfields.
Really, can you tell me the states with this law?
My family is in real estate and I owned a few and never seen this on a deed..
Move, I can't live in NYC because I can't afford it. But, I was specifically discussing the tax, not the permanent fund. And since the federal govt is leasing the land, it is ridiculous that we are paying for the leases and Alaska is getting the profits. That is why I consider it federal land, since we are paying for it.
The largest portion of the land in Alaska is Federal, then State, followed by Alaska Naive lands, followed by the public (in the cities, towns, etc.
From every barrel of oil extracted, a portion of the money goes to the Federal Government (taxes), then the State, the cities and boroughs (property tax), and the oil company involved.
It's not as simple as you have implied. In fact, the Federal government, the State, and the boroughs and cities are all making a killing from every barrel of oil extracted from the ground, for every gallon of fuel at the pump, and for every gallon of heating fuel. There are also taxes on every product made from oil:
-plastics for rugs, toys, food containers, etc.
-petrolatum
-a myriad of solvents and fuels
All of these products benefit all, including every one of you in the lower-48 States. One of the reasons why Congress nor Bush did nothing about the high price of oil was because oil is one of the primary sources of revenue to all governments in the US.
There's been a lot of talk in this thread about federal spending in Alaska, and calling it a welfare state.
I do think that some of you are either forgetting or not realizing the huge military presence that Alaska has, which accounts for a lot of the federal spending. It's also a young state that didn't get in on the buildup of infrastructure that most of the rest of the country did. This article touches on those things:
The article states no state sales tax, but neglects to say anything about the state tax on fuel which reflects at the pump, or about borough taxes.
I believe the Kenai Borough passed a referendum and is only going to be taxing food in the summer (tourist season) now, to give a needed break to residents for groceries in the winter.
That's just one of the military bases in Alaska. In another thread, someone tried to compare federal spending in AK to that of Connecticut, which is pretty silly considering that they only have one military installation there.
That's just one of the military bases in Alaska. In another thread, someone tried to compare federal spending in AK to that of Connecticut, which is pretty silly considering that they only have one military installation there.
And the article mentioned maintenance of federal land in Alaska as a big cost, how much federal land is in Connecticut??? though Connecticut may have more roads than AK?
There's been a lot of talk in this thread about federal spending in Alaska, and calling it a welfare state.
I do think that some of you are either forgetting or not realizing the huge military presence that Alaska has, which accounts for a lot of the federal spending. It's also a young state that didn't get in on the buildup of infrastructure that most of the rest of the country did. This article touches on those things:
-Alaska is primarily owned by the federal government
-Huge military installations for all US armed forces
-Nasa conducts operations in several areas of Alaska
-Shuttle landing-capable runways (Eielson)
-HARP
-IARC (the largest international research center in the Northern hemisphere dealing with climate change or "former global warming")
-Missile Defense Shield
-Road the military uses to travel
-Air for the military to travel
-Land for military airfields, and land/space for other operations
-The largest US Costa Guard fleet in the Nation
-International borders (Russian and Canada)
-International fishing operations
-Supercomputers operations (weather, space, etc.) used by the military in Alaska and lower-48 States, NASA, and the the civilian sector as well
-The largest international mining operations in the US (Canada/US)
-Oil production
These are just a few I can remember. So, the the government spends a lot of money in Alaska, but not on me of "Joe the plumber." It spends it on itself, but to the benefit of the US at large. On top of that, the Federal government makes money (taxes) on every barrel of oil, every gallon of gasoline, every ounce of gold and other minerals, and so forth.
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