Rangel: Tax Increases on the Table if Democrats Win

[ice-nine]

Congress Daily reported today that the Democratic Party's ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Rangel (D) of New York, all but guaranteed tax increases in the Democratic agenda if they take back the house in November. When approached about whether tax increases across the income spectrum would be considered, Rep. Rangel responded, "No question about it."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060926/pl_usnw/rangel__tax_increases_on_the_table_if_democrats_wi n__possible_tax_increases_on_the_horizon323_xml

[stevekaw]

Let's see:

the President of the United States has indicated that this nation is at war with forces that are at least as dangerous to our freedom as the Nazis of World War II;
In Iraq and Afghanistan, our armed forces have suffered about 3,000 dead and over 20,000 wounded and we're asking military personnel to take their second, third and even fourth rotations in combat;
The Army Chief of Staff just refused to submit a budget because he needs billions more than the Administration will let him request; and
Republicans still feel the need to give the top 2% of the wealthiest people in this country hundreds of billions more in tax breaks on top of what they've already received?I'm too old and fat to go pick up a rifle and defend this country. Maybe it's time that all of us faced up to our obligations and realized that the LEAST we can do as Americans is to pay a FEW more bucks in taxes and make other SMALL sacrifices toward the common defense.

THIS COUNTRY IS AT WAR!

[Boogyman]

Perhaps if the Republicans would quit putting us up to our eyeballs in debt every time they're in control, then the Democrats wouldn't have to raise taxes to get us out.

[ice-nine]

Let's see:

the President of the United States has indicated that this nation is at war with forces that are at least as dangerous to our freedom as the Nazis of World War II;
In Iraq and Afghanistan, our armed forces have suffered about 3,000 dead and over 20,000 wounded and we're asking military personnel to take their second, third and even fourth rotations in combat;
The Army Chief of Staff just refused to submit a budget because he needs billions more than the Administration will let him request; and
Republicans still feel the need to give the top 2% of the wealthiest people in this country hundreds of billions more in tax breaks on top of what they've already received?I'm too old and fat to go pick up a rifle and defend this country. Maybe it's time that all of us faced up to our obligations and realized that the LEAST we can do as Americans is to pay a FEW more bucks in taxes and make other SMALL sacrifices toward the common defense.

THIS COUNTRY IS AT WAR!

Here is the mailing address:

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 6D37
Hyattsville, MD 20782

[stevekaw]

Here is the mailing address:

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 6D37
Hyattsville, MD 20782

That's right. Let's keep yukkin' it up while this country goes to hell in a handbasket...

:samurai:

[ice-nine]

If you want to argue Defense is underfunded so be it.

but working 116 days for the government per year is more than enough for me.


http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday/





http://www.taxfoundation.org/UserFiles/Image/Tax-Freedom-Day/2006/Figure1large.jpg

[BlenderWizard]

Let's see:
Republicans still feel the need to give the top 2% of the wealthiest people in this country hundreds of billions more in tax breaks on top of what they've already received?I'm too old and fat to go pick up a rifle and defend this country. Maybe it's time that all of us faced up to our obligations and realized that the LEAST we can do as Americans is to pay a FEW more bucks in taxes and make other SMALL sacrifices toward the common defense.

THIS COUNTRY IS AT WAR!

I don't feel the need to "chip in" any more money as long as that is going on, and this country is spending billions in foreign aid each year.

We get our **** straightened out at home, then we can help others, if that makes us feel better. Quit sending money overseas, and get someone to "clean house" in D.C. so that some of this excess spending is curtailed.

By the way, though, I don't recall any democrats removing those tax breaks for the rich, either.

[stevekaw]

By the way, though, I don't recall any democrats removing those tax breaks for the rich, either.
It's hard to do anything when the other party basically controls every other branch of Government...

[Zen900]

That's right. Let's keep yukkin' it up while this country goes to hell in a handbasket...

:samurai:

He's not yukin it up. Why don't you write a check to the IRS and mail it to them? What's the problem?

[stevekaw]

He's not yukin it up. Why don't you write a check to the IRS and mail it to them? What's the problem?
Because it's a cop-out.

In a democracy when all is said and done, citizens need to come together in order to support the functioning of the government, even in cases where they might disagree with certain aspects or policies. What kind of chaos would ensue if we all started acting on own :

"Well, I don't have kids, so I don't want to pay to support public schools";
"Gee, I don't support the war, so I'll withhold part of my income taxes";
Etc., etc.Democratic government is not a free-for-all, a la carte thing where we can choose to participate on some days and not on others.

If you disagree with me as to whether there is a need to raise taxes or not and can provide cogent reasons to support your position, that's fine. But if your proposed solution is that I should just send a check someplace, that's really not a position...it's avoiding the issue.

[JimS]

I don't feel the need to "chip in" any more money as long as that is going on, and this country is spending billions in foreign aid each year.

We get our **** straightened out at home, then we can help others, if that makes us feel better. Quit sending money overseas, and get someone to "clean house" in D.C. so that some of this excess spending is curtailed.

By the way, though, I don't recall any democrats removing those tax breaks for the rich, either.

BlenderWizard

Anytime taxes are cut the top contributers and income earners will get more total dollars back - but the percentage is not different. These are the games our politicians play to win elections. Republicans cut taxes across the board and say - see everyone got their taxes reduced the same (i.e., same percentage cut). Democrats look at it and say - hey the Republicans just cut taxes but the Rich got more money back (i.e., total dollars - one that pays more will get more back when percentages are the same). So the question is - do you support taxing productivity - which is what income taxes do or should we tax consumption.

One other thing - I can not remember the exact numbers but it is something like the top 10% of earners in the U.S. pay well over 50% of all income taxes in the U.S. I will stand corrected on the numbers - but they should be very close to the actual published numbers.

Personally, I think taxing production is counterproductive for the economy - taxing consumption would make more sense - that said taxing production is easier and generally more stable and easily predicted.

JimS

[JimS]

Let's see:

the President of the United States has indicated that this nation is at war with forces that are at least as dangerous to our freedom as the Nazis of World War II;
In Iraq and Afghanistan, our armed forces have suffered about 3,000 dead and over 20,000 wounded and we're asking military personnel to take their second, third and even fourth rotations in combat;
The Army Chief of Staff just refused to submit a budget because he needs billions more than the Administration will let him request; and
Republicans still feel the need to give the top 2% of the wealthiest people in this country hundreds of billions more in tax breaks on top of what they've already received?I'm too old and fat to go pick up a rifle and defend this country. Maybe it's time that all of us faced up to our obligations and realized that the LEAST we can do as Americans is to pay a FEW more bucks in taxes and make other SMALL sacrifices toward the common defense.

THIS COUNTRY IS AT WAR!

I have no problem paying more in taxes to help the War effort - but you are assuming increasing taxes increases the Governments income - it does for a short period of time - but eventually as the burden draws down cash reserves production decreases in the market place, jobs go by the way and tax revenues go down. This may be one of the reasons (though I am sure not all of the reason) that the economy had already turned south before Clinton left office (remember the stock market was already headed down).

JimS

[JimS]

Because it's a cop-out.

In a democracy when all is said and done, citizens need to come together in order to support the functioning of the government, even in cases where they might disagree with certain aspects or policies. What kind of chaos would ensue if we all started acting on own :

"Well, I don't have kids, so I don't want to pay to support public schools";
"Gee, I don't support the war, so I'll withhold part of my income taxes";
Etc., etc.Democratic government is not a free-for-all, a la carte thing where we can choose to participate on some days and not on others.

If you disagree with me as to whether there is a need to raise taxes or not and can provide cogent reasons to support your position, that's fine. But if your proposed solution is that I should just send a check someplace, that's really not a position...it's avoiding the issue.

I have to disagree. You have the opportunity as do all like minded individuals to give the Government extra - that is your right and has had been accomodated. The ideas you interject above are not even similar. In the cases you cite - a person would be breaking the law - in the case of you volunteering funds (which is what I did for Hurricane Katrina, my Church, Gideons, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, etc.) - not being required. So the first is really no choice the tax rates have been set (I suppose if one wanted to risk it - they could try to withhold on moral reason and not pay taxes - but that has rarely been successful). I agree that our country's form of Government is not a free for all (as it is a Republic).

JimS

[BlenderWizard]

Personally, I think taxing production is counterproductive for the economy - taxing consumption would make more sense - that said taxing production is easier and generally more stable and easily predicted.

JimS

If I'm following you, you're talking about a national sales tax. If so, I'm with you 100%