The Most Unpopular Tax Policy Ever

[Aargh]

Taxes have to be raised. For everybody. Now.

That's the only way we can possibly get past the perpetual raising of the debt ceiling. If you think the economy can recover to the point where the debt can be reduced without taxes, then I'd like to sample some of what you're smoking.

If you think that government taking your money is Socialist and reprehensible, well, I'm sorry, but that ship sailed a long time ago. If it weren't for our national debt and the government spending more than they have every year, many of your investments and the companies you work for wouldn't have the capital they have today.

WalMart is the overworked, but very obvious example. The family of Sam Walton is worth something like $100 billion dollars. Their employees qualify for government assistance.

Our government must stop assisting employed people. Without the government assistance, WalMart would find it more difficult to hire employees. That would cause them to raise what they pay new hires, which would eliminate the need for the government to subsidize WalMart's employees.

If that had been the government policy all along, maybe the Walton family would only be worth something like $50 billion instead of $100 billion. Is that morally unethical in a Capitalist society? Or is government spending to increase corporate profits a good thing?

[tropicalshox]

People I know who work for low wages many times have two or three jobs and do not get government assistance. If you work in the service industry here, that's what you do to make it from week to week. Is that morally unethical?

[wufan]

People I know who work for low wages many times have two or three jobs and do not get government assistance. If you work in the service industry here, that's what you do to make it from week to week. Is that morally unethical?

No. That is to be respected. That was also what I found to be the case when I worked at Wal-Mart in high school. The "career" employees were either working part time with another full time job, or they were department managers with or without a second job depending on their family situation.

My niece is 20 with a baby and no child support from the father (who took off the week before the delivery). She works two jobs and has child care and a one bedroom apartment. No government assistance. She is also without car payments (drives a wreck), cable, or smart phone.

[wufan]

Taxes have to be raised. For everybody. Now.

That's the only way we can possibly get past the perpetual raising of the debt ceiling. If you think the economy can recover to the point where the debt can be reduced without taxes, then I'd like to sample some of what you're smoking.

If you think that government taking your money is Socialist and reprehensible, well, I'm sorry, but that ship sailed a long time ago. If it weren't for our national debt and the government spending more than they have every year, many of your investments and the companies you work for wouldn't have the capital they have today.

WalMart is the overworked, but very obvious example. The family of Sam Walton is worth something like $100 billion dollars. Their employees qualify for government assistance.

Our government must stop assisting employed people. Without the government assistance, WalMart would find it more difficult to hire employees. That would cause them to raise what they pay new hires, which would eliminate the need for the government to subsidize WalMart's employees.

If that had been the government policy all along, maybe the Walton family would only be worth something like $50 billion instead of $100 billion. Is that morally unethical in a Capitalist society? Or is government spending to increase corporate profits a good thing?

As pointed out, one of the problems with the current system is support for working folks. The idea of welfare should be as a safety net, not a bonus. Tax increases with decreased spending is something I could get behind.

[Kung Wu]

So if you need to use a bucket with a huge hole in the bottom of it, the "obvious" solution is to simply fill the bucket faster, not to patch the hole?

[im4wsu]

Spending, not taxation, is the problem. Taxation is a solution only AFTER the problem has been satisfactorily addressed.

[SB Shock]

Taxes have to be raised. For everybody. Now.

"The federal government collected a record amount of taxes in fiscal year 2015, totaling $3.25 trillion in revenue, according to the latest monthly Treasury Department statement. The federal government ran a deficit of $438 billion despite the record revenue."

So your solution is increase the revenue so much that the politicians can't spend it fast enough? I don't think it will work.

[WuDrWu]

If you don't realize that spending is the problem, then I don't know what you are smoking.

I realize we want to care for the homeless, youth, sick, elderly, handicapped, out of work, minority, oppressed and every other challenged group out there.

I realize we feel the need to defend everything, protect everything, educate everyone, cure everything and discover everything.

I realize we feel the need to make everything for everyone an even playing field with the best the world has to offer from cradle to grave.


What too many people don't realize is that the minority can't pay for all of it. The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot sustain healthcare and social security. Can't be done. You can extend and borrow, but they are unsustainable in their current form.

We can talk about everything else until we're blue in the face, and I'm happy to. Federal spending is a complete joke from NEA to education to condom preference.

Our political leaders are a joke from Congress to the White House. The problem isn't that life is too hard, it's that life is too easy. We've made SO many mistakes, and it's time to pay up so our grandkids won't have to...at least quite as much.

[ShockBand]

If you don't realize that spending is the problem, then I don't know what you are smoking.

I realize we want to care for the homeless, youth, sick, elderly, handicapped, out of work, minority, oppressed and every other challenged group out there.

I realize we feel the need to defend everything, protect everything, educate everyone, cure everything and discover everything.

I realize we feel the need to make everything for everyone an even playing field with the best the world has to offer from cradle to grave.


What too many people don't realize is that the minority can't pay for all of it. The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot sustain healthcare and social security. Can't be done. You can extend and borrow, but they are unsustainable in their current form.

We can talk about everything else until we're blue in the face, and I'm happy to. Federal spending is a complete joke from NEA to education to condom preference.

Our political leaders are a joke from Congress to the White House. The problem isn't that life is too hard, it's that life is too easy. We've made SO many mistakes, and it's time to pay up so our grandkids won't have to...at least quite as much.

I know the total problem is huge and complex, but I've always respected your thoughts you post on these matters. If you had the power, what would you propose as the FIRST step towards fixing the problems, knowing it would just be step one? Would you favor something like an equal percentage cut across the board to start out, even if relatively small, if that were possible?

[1979Shocker]

The only reason there are government programs to help the poor and needy and elderly is because the majority of people only cares about one thing, themselves.

[WuDrWu]

Hey, I'll be the FIRST one to say I don't have an answer to the healthcare issue. You talk about complex!

Let me address Social Security first. And simply, yes, across the board cuts. Maybe you don't hit current retirees much, if at all. Early retirement goes up or disappears.

We're living longer, so the benefits age has to go up, probably on a continuing sliding scale. Someone like my father probably shouldn't be collecting Social Security. At 85 he's still making 60-80k a year but collecting somewhere around $2000. I understand he's paid in a lot. Maybe we can create a total "cap" for people still earning income. I HATE to make ANYTHING "needs" based, but I feel confident we can set thresholds that make common sense. You have income of 50k you max out at 5k a year...something.

It must stop being retirement for life. No more colas. That would be at least a start.

I'll be honest, I'm not totally against big government. I'm against expansion of the federal government.

I'd be for the elimination of ALL (as much as possible) rights and options for anyone taking government assistance. For instance, food stamps. Here's what you get. I'm sure we have plenty of health nutritionists and economists that can put together a healthy and affordable package, based on seasonal availability, locale and marketing to provide for those that need. You don't think competition for that business would create some good pricing? And if you didn't like chicken and apples and rice or whatever, then don't take it! Figure something else out. I realize that's small, but everything has to change course from "what more can we do for people" to "what can people do more for themselves".

Same thing with healthcare. Taking Federal Aid should require time spent at free healthcare facilities. You're on federal healthcare assistance, you're off any kind of financial damage claim or at least limited, hugely. Tort reform is a sizable piece of the puzzle.

Those are just a few of the off the cuff thoughts.

You asked for FIRST though, I just read, instead of me blabbering (and your words are too kind by the way).

The very first thing I'd do is freeze EVERYTHING at current levels, and that means EVERYTHING. None of this "freezing at current increases already built in" crap.

Everything, every government benefit, salary, retirement, pen paper EVERYTHING. Not 1 penny gets spent more than today. No cola increases, NOTHING.

That's move 1.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

The problem isn't that life is too hard, it's that life is too easy.

That is just about the most politically incorrect, yet accurate, statement one could make. It would absolutely kill any politician who said it, but it is the truth.

For all of human history, life has been hard. Poor decisions have led to bad consequences. Really, really, really bad consequences.

It is wonderful that the standard of living is so much higher now than it has ever been, but only in the last century, maybe just the last few decades, has a person ever been able to live comfortably while making awful decisions on a daily basis. When a person can have a flat screen TV, A/C, heat, an iphone, and 3 meals a day, and yet be given government assistance with virtually no strings attached, I say we have gone too far.

Life is indeed too easy these days.

[Aargh]

I'm definitely on the side of less spending. I've given up on Congress ever doing that. Even the more conservative members seem to be more conservative in other people's districts, but less conservative in their own.

We've known we have to cut spending for 50 years, but it's never happened. Maybe I've just become cynical, but it seems like those who want less government tend to want less government for someone else.

I like Doc's Move 1.

[SHOCKvalue]

The only reason there are government programs to help the poor and needy and elderly is because the majority of people only cares about one thing, themselves.

Do you live in an alternate reality where charities and 501c3's don't exist?

[Kung Wu]

When a person can have a flat screen TV, A/C, heat, an iphone, and 3 meals a day, and yet be given government assistance with virtually no strings attached, I say we have gone too far.

It strikes me that sans the iphone, you just described prison. The US Poverty Guideline for a family of 4 in the US is $24,250. The average cost to house a single inmate for a year in the US is $31,286.

My recommendation if you are destitute is to risk it all and rob a bank. If you get caught, you'll get to ditch the responsibility of having to work for your family and get a quality of life upgrade. If you don't get caught, you get a lot of money! If you don't get caught for a while ... you get to have a good time UNTIL your quality of life upgrade! :)