Posted on 11/23/2012 10:58:46 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Former Obama Chief Economist: Let's Tax Carbon and Snacks
by Ben Shapiro 23 Nov 2012, 10:29 AM PDT 1 post a comment Always looking for new ways to slice its pound of flesh from American business, Obama allies are suggesting improvisational taxes. Give them points for creativity. Former Obama chief economist Larry Summers said that carbon taxes and taxing fatty foods should be on the table, but only once economic stasis has been reached. Of course, this begs the question of why we should ever tax products if we know those taxes will harm the economy, but that’s a question the left never feels the need to answer. Said Summers:
“It’s immensely important that the U.S. not fall off the fiscal cliff … Why aren’t we talking more about raising taxes on carbon and energy?”
The purpose of such taxes, said Summers, would be “corrective,” designed to prevent events like Hurricane Sandy.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Let’s have states impose a 99¢ bookkeeping fee for every dollar in federal revenue they send to Washington. Then next seize all federal property under the Kelo decision to pay for obamacare. Finally, appoint a State Overlord of Bureaucracy to write reams of rules that regulate the actions of all federal bureaucrats in states. Each rule, which will be written in ancient Pict, will change from moment to moment, depending on the Overlord’s mood, and fines will begin at $1 billion per violation, per hour.
If taxing stuff causes there to be less of it, then why do we tax wealth and income?
Let’s just cut to the chase and let the Republicans can propose a 100% income bracket starting at $250k. Obama and friends would then be forced to explain why they will not raise taxes on “the wealthy.”
Why not put a bounty on them instead and sell licenses.
I am very impressed that Larry Summers and his ilk can pretend that a “carbon tax” is something new without actually laughing in our faces. Anyone notice how much “carbon tax” you pay on every gallon of gasoline?
When they say “carbon tax”, what they mean is:
“let’s raise excise tax rates to infinity”;
“let’s expand the list of taxed items infinitely, so we can micromanage every business and control the entire economy”;
“let’s rip the last pennies from the pockets of working and middle class families, so we can redistribute them to our dependency voters”.
US “greenhouse gas” emissions could be cut almost in half by simply encouraging production and use of natural gas, which is cheaper than oil anyway. But why solve a “problem” when it can be used for political purposes?
I heard a great progressive admission recently. The man was describing the virtues of Cap and Trade.
The tax on carbon is paid by fuel users. Those are actually producers who pass the tax onward to customers on a per usage basis. That is everyone pays, even kids.
That means Cap and Trade is actually a scheme to extract taxes from those now paying no income taxes. The once removed payment device provides political cover and deniability for raising taxes on the poor. It can be argued that Cap and trade is in fact a fair tax in that everyone pays on the basis of energy consumption
That’s right. If we levy a high enough tax on snack food, we’ll never have to worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, or rising sea levels ever again. (Insert sarcasm tag here.)
That’s right. If we levy a high enough tax on snack food, we’ll never have to worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, or rising sea levels ever again. (Insert sarcasm tag here.)
I’m so sick of these clowns like Summers!
FULS!!!!
The irony of that gif is that Penn Jillette believes in man-made global warming. I’ve seen him talk about it and, in his typical fashion, he arrogantly looks down his nose at people who’d believe otherwise. Oh how he’s convinced of his own superiority and cleverness.
Anyway, I literally laughed out loud at the line about Summers saying further taxes would prevent events like Hurricane Sandy. I know that’s what these scum are proposing but to see it in print is so absurd the initial reaction has to be laughter.
I found some of the replies on this thread to be not only entertaining, but instructive. Even though some may be hyperbolic or sarcastic in intent, their impact (as implemented in my fantasy world) would actually address the *real* problems.
dismal science bump for later...
They don’t deserve our money.......
Theme for the next election..
I believe I read 8 out of the top ten income zip codes voted for Obama in 2012. Most of the super rich have gone over to the Dems - the trust fund babies, the hollywood elite, the Harvard educated financiers.
They support higher income taxes because they’ve already amassed their wealth and won’t feel a few extra percent taken from income. Let’s give them an federal property tax they can feel. For all billionaires, let the federal government take 4% of net worth per year. Warren Buffet has an estimated net worth of $46 billion. At 4% he will pay $1.84 billion, some serious money. Soros, Bill Gates, Jeffrey Immelt, Oprah, Tom Hanks, and the other super rich demanding higher marginal tax rates their tax shelters will let them avoid might change their tune with a real wealth tax - a tax on accumulated wealth for billionaires. If the Dems hate wealth so much they should be happy to sign on to this.
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