How will the Dems manage to muck THIS up?

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:06am

Current polls say that > 70% of Americans are in favor of increasing taxes on high earners, and about 2/3 are against dissolving Medicare as we know it in favor of a voucher system. Despite these numbers, the GOP House recently passed the 'Ryan Plan', which destroys Medicare and cuts taxes for the wealthy even further. Ryan, who retained his seat with 68% of the vote last November, was booed at a town hall in his district.

Despite all this, we know the Dems will find a way to fumble this issue, and fumble it in a big way. This should be a no-brainer albatross that they should be able to pummel the GOP with, but we know somehow thay won't.

Updated On: 4/21/11 at 10:06 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:32am

"Current polls say that > 70% of Americans are in favor of increasing taxes on high earners"

Source please?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:37am

You seriously need a source to tell you that the majority of Americans who are barely scraping by are in favor of those people making so much money they don't know what to do with it having their taxes raised?

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:43am

"Source please?"

The Washington Post/ABC News survey asked American adults whether they supported or opposed a list of proposals to reduce the deficit. Seventy-two percent of all respondents said they supported raising taxes on annual income over $250,000, including 54% of respondents who said they "strongly" supported that position. Democrats were most supportive of that proposal (91%), but so too were a majority of independents (68%) and Republicans (54%.)

Updated On: 4/21/11 at 10:43 AM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:46am

wapost 72%

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:49am

Goth, this is where you say, "I'm sorry. I apologize for doubting you." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 10:54am

LOL

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:08am

Maybe Goth was asking for the source because that number is outrageously low -- everyone but maybe the top 5% should be in favor of increasing taxes on the wealthy!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:12am

LOL.

I believe Goth just got....LuPwned.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:35am

Yes, we should make US policy based on calling 1,001 homes. Let's see a breakdown of responders by income. I bet they didn't even poll anyone making over $100,000.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:38am

Actually Goth, I was part of the poll and I make over $100,000. This is where you say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:49am

If you make over $100,000, then write a check to the government and stop trying to steal everyone else's money. What is it with liberals that they always want to tell rich people how to spend their money?

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:52am

As a single gay man I pay more than my fair share of taxes without the benefit of loopholes, sweetness.

Oh, and PS, how do you know I'm a liberal? I've never interacted with you before. You can say, "I apologize. I misspoke" now. Updated On: 4/21/11 at 11:52 AM

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:52am

Personally, I'm finding it exhilarating to see the vehemence of the opposition to the "Paul Ryan Road-map" bubble up from the streets. Even Republicans are balking.
Seniors heckle Paul at his own town hall

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:02pm

And what is it with Republicans that they keep wanting to steal MY money?

At least the rich can afford it.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:14pm

Since Reagan took office, the gap between the haves and havenots has increased dramatically. Income for the top 1% of earners increased during the Bush years, while income for the rest of us remained flat. I may disagree with everything Paul Ryan proposes, but I give him credit for being open and honest about his plans. While so many people limit themselves to soundbites, he at least has the courage to speak in specifics. What confounds me is that so many Americans buy what the GOP is selling, when it is so clearly contrary to their own best interests.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:19pm

Can we all just agree....that Goth is a Conservative moron?

Anyway, the Ryan video is hysterical. I think people are starting to realize that the GOP is out to screw people.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:31pm

We're getting to the point where soundbites are being replaced by substance. Polls show that many Americans want to cut spending in the abstract, but when asked about specifics, there is no majority for any of the major pieces of the budget (defense, SocSec, Medicare). So, the politicians are afraid to touch them, and they wind up squabbling over inconsequential expenditures that have no significant impact on the deficit.

Updated On: 4/21/11 at 12:31 PM

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 12:50pm

So Goth...aren't you going to thank ANYONE for the source that you asked for?

Nah...I didn't think so...that would be totally out of character.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:54pm

There's something about Paul Ryan's eyes...

Posted: 4/21/11 at 3:01pm

Madbrian Ryan is ANYTHING but open and honest with his plan- he gets quite vague when it's time to talk about the Tax side of the equation:

"The broad outlines of his tax plan are to:

* Maintain the Bush-era tax cuts beyond their expiration in 2012 and cut the top individual tax rate down to 25 percent from 35 percent
* Consolidate the current six tax brackets into some, unspecified, fewer number of brackets
* Keep overall tax revenue levels the same
* Pay for the enormous tax cut for the top by eliminating or curtailing some, unspecified, tax expenditures

Without the missing details this is nothing but pure political boilerplate. Which brackets are going to be consolidated? What will the new rate structure be? Which tax expenditures will be eliminated? Which will be limited and how? Rep. Ryan doesn’t tell us. There is no plan here.

That’s probably on purpose since any detailed description of his ideas for tax “reform” would reveal a massive tax hike for the middle class. For Rep. Ryan to cut the top rate by nearly one-third and still keep tax revenue the same as it would have been under President’s Bush tax-cut regime means he’s going to have to raise taxes somewhere else. And though he pointedly refuses to tell us where those tax hikes will come from, we can make an educated guess.

For one thing, the basic math makes a middle-class tax hike unavoidable. The rate cut at the top, of course, benefits only those in the top brackets (the richest 2 percent of Americans), but to pay for this, Rep. Ryan says he will “broaden the tax base.” Broadening the tax base means removing some tax expenditures that currently benefit both the middle class and the rich—though remember that the rich are getting a huge rate cut. For another, Ryan’s previous budget plan, the “Roadmap for America’s Future,” includes a massive tax cut for the rich paid for by an equally massive tax increase for the middle class."
Lies, damned lies and Paul Ryan

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 9:09pm

Seeing as how the top 2 % pay 40 % of the taxes while a good percentage pay no tax at all by all means let us tax the rich. Forget the fact that it still will not come anywhere near wiping out the deficit why not a little class warfare. The fact that this money will be taken out of the economy & will hurt other sectors facts be damned. God forbid we should cut. Let us tax the productive so they find new ways to hide it in the name of tax fairness. Our public officials are spineless.

The most obnoxious word in the english language - entitlements. No one should be entitled to anything. Why not free housing , free food, free clothing? Hey how about free broadway show tickets? The only problem is free simply means someone else must pay for it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 11:01pm

By a "good percentag"e do you mean corporations and their CEOs like GE? Who exactly are you talking about? Why not just return to the levels of taxation during the Nixon era? Or even better, the Eisenhower era?

Why not, Roxy?

Posted: 4/22/11 at 12:50am

Roxy I could take apart every single line in your post but I learned a long time ago- why bother? Suffice it to say, your post is a medley of Republican talking points that have not a shred of truth.

You do at least admit that taxes on the wealthiest Americans are at their lowest since the 1940's, right? You are free to maintain that they are too high, but I would like you to at least acknowledge that fact.

Taxes on the wealthiest Americans are at the lowest point since the 1940's. Paul Ryan's tax cut will make them the lowest ever since the income tax was instituted. People have survived and indeed FLOURISHED pay twice what they do now.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/22/11 at 4:56am

Cher and Stephen King have both basically said publicly, "I make more money more easily than the average American. I should pay more taxes." I can't help but to agree. A CEO making millions isn't working harder than the mother of four I know who just had to take an 8PM-4AM shift at McDonald's to make ends meet.

The fact that there are large for-profit corporations that pay NO taxes is baffling. The US can't provide healthcare to their citizens. People are DYING because they can't get coverage. Others are fighting to put food on the table. What they can afford is so full of preservatives and growth hormones that 50% of the country is obese. The more you make, the more you should be taxed.