Romney's tax rate: 13.9%- Page 4

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:01pm

God LORD. Do you see how easy it is for people to link to sources? Read them! For a graduate student, you show the intellectual curiosity of a sockful of pennies.

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:03pm

Newt IS Running for president and he has no idea what to do about food stamps either. I work with families every day who depend on their SNAP- Here in Illinois, their LINK card- and the $100 a month or so of food it provides. And the total cost to the US government is a teeny-tiny percentage of the federal budget- this years SNAP is something like 1/1000th of the cost of equipment damaged in the Iraq war-- NOT the total cost, juts the cost of damaged equipment.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:07pm

I'm afraid Mr. Gingrich may just be making flat-out false statements that fit the scenario he's presenting. I haven't heard him say "According to . . . "

The figures I quoted came from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.
Lots of interesting Food Stamp info

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:12pm

Removed for unnecessary snark.
Updated On: 1/25/12 at 03:12 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:19pm

AMH is disagreeing with six or seven of us on this thread. That can't be easy. She's done so without name-calling or hysterics. I see no reason for anyone to be disrespectful.

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:23pm

Great link Reg! The interesting stats:

47% of beneficiaries were children under age 18.

•8% were age 60 or older.

•41% lived in a household with earnings from a job — the so-called "working poor."

•The average household received a monthly benefit of $287.

•36% were white (non-Hispanic), 22% were African American (non-Hispanic) and 10% were Hispanic.

That backs up my experience. Look at that first line especially. I want Newt to explain what will happen to those kids living in poverty when they no longer get food assistance.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:25pm

Madbrian, I agree. I think AMH is a great addition to the boards. I find well-conducted discussions like this both interesting and helpful.

This is how grown-ups should disagree.

[romantico]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:25pm

AMH, please watch this and let us know what you think

http://newsone.com/nation/associatedpress3/newt-gingrich-called-spanish-language-of-living-in-the-ghetto/

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:38pm

For years we've chided dissenters, often justifiably, who have been unresponsive or resorted to lower forms of rhetoric. It takes a lot for someone to stand up to a rather intense group like us. I can't imagine how well any of us would take to "Go to this link and change your opinion".

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:40pm

Politico has a very informative article about how Romney's admission about his tax rate may be shining a light on the benefits to the wealthy of the Bush tax cuts--a light that Republicans never wanted to shine.

And, somehow, it was not the Democrats that were able to shine this light, but the Republicans primary process.

And now that the light is on, it can't be shut off.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71957.html

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:40pm

"Look at that first line especially. I want Newt to explain what will happen to those kids living in poverty when they no longer get food assistance."

Hasn't he already told us they should be cleaning their schools?

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:59pm

Yes- Newt suggests they get jobs as janitors. He is also very pro-orphanage.

Or as scrooge put it: Are there no workhouses?

[AMH]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 4:00pm

Thank you, Madbrian and Reginald! It's been a pleasure discussing this topic with you gentlemen.

There are far too many comments here for me to respond to, so I'll just end it with this post. Plus, I like a good debate, but the name-calling just doesn't add any value to the discussion.

Take care!

[romantico]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 4:14pm

AMH said this:

"I haven't heard Newt say this so I can't really comment. I would need to read the comment in its proper context."

SO, I was not trying to change his mind but was curious to hear AMH's thoughts on the matter.

Posted: 1/25/12 at 4:26pm

I agree with all the above. I'm glad to see AMH attempt to respond to the questions.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 4:53pm

I was snarky and I'm not taking it back. I have no problem, AMH, with your belief system being entirely different from mine. That, like money, makes the world go round. I do have a problem when someone suggests that because they didn't hear or read the words, then it may as well have not been said. And when provided with the information, said information was not remarked upon.

I find that to be a frustrating rhetorical dodge, not matter if I agree with a person's point of view or not.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 5:04pm

You're right, it is frustrating.

Of course, no one's required to accept reading assignments. But then you're not required to accept their opinion.

[Yawper]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 5:06pm

"Food Stamps are on of those those "entitlement" plans that actually directly benefit the middle-class."

Wha???

The middle class isn't eligible to receive food stamps (perhaps you mean 'the former middle class'?) and when the money gets spent it usually just goes into corporate pockets.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 5:14pm

I'm happy to report the farmers markets in my urban area accept food assistance programs.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 6:12pm

I think we can all agree that the last thing anybody wants is poor kids getting nutrition AND helping local farmers.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 6:16pm

And, Namo, I don't believe it's crass or greedy to want a favorable tax position for one's self.

Though I'm not Namo, I do have to say it really is pretty greedy. You don't want to pay taxes, but you probably want to benefit from the services provided by the tax dollars. Perhaps we should come up with a new plan. If you don't pay your taxes or enjoy tax shelters and loopholes they you don't reap some of the benefits like, say, 911 services. Or an automatic guilty plea to save on trial expenses.

Posted: 1/25/12 at 6:48pm

I guess it depends where you draw the "Middle Class" line. In Illinois, you have to make less than 130% of the poverty line to be eligible. I know a lot of families who have gotten them temporarily while on unemployment. And it is a sliding scale- a family of 4 making $1000 a month gets a higher benefit than a single woman making $800 a month. And I'm not sure what you mean by the money going into corporate profits- Most LINK users continue to shop at their old grocery store- unless they were habitual whole foods shoppers or whatever. You can shop at pretty much any grocery store that takes debit cards. My farmers market takes LINK.

[Yawper]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 8:51pm

Who do you think owns grocery stores? (and, for that matter, the processed food suppliers)?

The farmer's market use is a new development, just within the last year or two, in my area.

[dented146]

Posted: 1/26/12 at 2:21am

madbrian, I have been following this thead quietly and your remark about respectfulness cuts to the center of this debate.

My father a WW2 vet used to say " I may disagree with that man's opinion but I'll fight to the death his right to say it."

That belief that people could solve problems by engaging each other has become history in this age of cable TV.

When I voted for Obama and he won, I had tears of joy in my eyes. And when he had to take action to help the failing economy he blew it all by handing the problem to a partisan Congress which pretty much distroyed his credibility and wasted most of a trillion dollars which ended up in the pockets of the people who caused the problem. They created both the Tea Party and OWS.

Mitt's 15% rate is simply the law and everyone should be reminded that the 15% rate is a tax on money which was all ready taxed at a higher rate when it was earned. It is that way to encourage investment and it does.

I have many wealthy patients and friends. In spite of the prevailing wisdom, I KNOW that the only reason they CURRENTLY object to a slightly higher rate is because they know that THIS Congress will piss the money away on nonsense.

Virtually all critisism of Obama is contrued by many as racist and that is unfair. MSNBC branded the Tea Party a bunch of racists every night and then their first popular candidate was Herman Cain.

We need compromise and reasonable thought but what we have are people like Gingrich and others, including Obama, who are set to pit one side against the other.

[Yawper]

Posted: 1/26/12 at 7:31am

"I KNOW that the only reason they CURRENTLY object to a slightly higher rate is because they know that THIS Congress will piss the money away on nonsense"

And what, exactly, do they consider 'nonsense'?