Everything You Wanted to Know About Ted Cruz But Were Afraid to Ask

Fortune ^ | March 8, 2016 | Chris Matthews

[saywhatagain]

The most radical aspect of Ted Cruz’s policy platform is his tax reform proposal. He wants to completely eliminate the IRS, corporate taxes, payroll taxes, and institute a value-added tax of 16% and a flat tax on income of 10%.

[saywhatagain]

Am pretty sure its all wrong, cause many FR write otherwise, however the article continues with:

Immigration:

Cruz wants to build a border wall that “works,” triple border security, as well as put in place other types of security measures, like biometric tracking. He also would like to put the nation’s skill worker H-1B visa program on hold, and “halt any increase in legal immigration so long as American unemployment remains unacceptably high.”

TPP:

Cruz’s hardline on immigration, combined with his withdrawing support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, is evidence for Fortune editor Alan Murray’s thesis that the big loser this election cycle is big business. Although America’s largest companies are spending as much as ever on lobbying, they’ve been largely ineffective at getting any of their biggest priorities pushed into law. It doesn’t appear that a Ted Cruz presidency would change that dynamic.

Entitlements:

Though Ted Cruz’s tax plan would almost certainly necessitate deep cuts to entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, Cruz has offered few specifics on how he would manage to cut both taxes, and defend those popular programs. He has pledged his support for Medicare, saying, “There is a broad, universal consensus that Medicare is a fundamental bulwark of our society,” and that “we have got to preserve and reform Medicare.”

He’s also argued that we should gradually raise the retirement age at which people can receive Social Security and to slow the rate at which benefits grow. For people who are not “at or near retirement” Cruz wants to set up individual retirement accounts similar to how George W. Bush tried to reform the program a decade ago.

[Pearls Before Swine]

1) No, it's not THAT Chris Matthews, and

(2) "As the nation turns its focus to the delegate-rich primary contests in Michigan on Tuesday, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Republican party establishment’s only hope of denying the nomination to Donald Trump will be to hand it to Texas Senator Ted Cruz."

I think Cruz is dreaming, or at least optimistic, if he thinks the GOPe will align behind him in a brokered convention. They'd be happy to stab him in the back and slide Romney in, if they think they can pull it off. Conniving traitors cannot be trusted. These are dishonest politicians. "Honest" politicians stay bought, or at least have some discernable principles.

[GailA]

Medicare is already a pre-paid tax, and DUMBO has already gutted it and Tricare Life for Ret. Military over 65.

They are NOT ENTITLEMENTS like welfare, food stamps, housing or any of the other FREEBIES the government hands out. THEY WERE either PRE-PAID or EARNED.

Welfare needs to be turned into WORKFARE and only to US Citizens and be a set time limit. NO extra for more kids. Food Stamps limited to only nutritional foods. NO JUNK FOOD. NO CASH BACK.

[Donglalinger]

He also likes to use the IRS as a weapon against political opponents and use the race card.

[a fool in paradise]

Welcome to FR!

[Psalm 73]

You have said nice things about Ted Cruz - prepare to be flamed.
I agree with you, but this isn't a Ted-friendly environment. If you don't absolutely love, love, LOVE the Donald......

[tacticalogic]

Medicare is already a pre-paid tax, and DUMBO has already gutted it and Tricare Life for Ret. Military over 65.

They are NOT ENTITLEMENTS like welfare, food stamps, housing or any of the other FREEBIES the government hands out. THEY WERE either PRE-PAID or EARNED.

If it's pre-paid or earned, how can they file a claim against your estate for benefits received?

[chesley]

I don’t want a value-added tax. Too much room for chichanery. Make it a Straight sales tax on the final consumer.

That way everyone knows what they are paying, and to whom.

The only exception, maybe, would be on interest and dividends sent overseas, as there would be no other point to tax that money.

[babygene]

“Medicare is already a pre-paid tax, and DUMBO has already gutted it and Tricare Life for Ret. Military over 65.”

“If it’s pre-paid or earned, how can they file a claim against your estate for benefits received?”

They can’t file a claim against your estate for medicare. Your thinking medicade...

[jospehm20]

I think a VAT is a horrible idea for the US.

[bramps]

Ted’s depth as far as family and religion isn’t stressed nearly enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqpHTFJO4mE

[tacticalogic]

They can’t file a claim against your estate for medicare. Your thinking medicade...

You might be right about that. Nevermind.

[NEMDF]

HUH? They can’t recover benefits that were received, assuming the person was entitled to the benefits. If benefits were received after death, then they SHOULD recover those benefits. What are you talking about?

[tacticalogic]

HUH? They can’t recover benefits that were received, assuming the person was entitled to the benefits. If benefits were received after death, then they SHOULD recover those benefits. What are you talking about?

I misread it. They can file a claim against your estate for Medicaid benefits received.

[sportutegrl]

Maybe we should stop paying medicare to people who just happened to be in the U.S. when they turned 65 without having paid a penny into the Medicare fund.

[Kay Ludlow]

I think a VAT is a horrible idea for the US.

Worse than a horrible idea. VAT is EVIL. The whole idea is to make sure the end consumers (who pay ALL the tax,since each level includes it in their sale price) doesn't have any idea how much they are paying in taxes. The rate sound low, but for products that have multiple middleman processes, it becomes a huge tax.

[Redmen4ever]

If we’re going to use words like “evil” to describe taxes, perhaps we should consider Christian teaching on “just taxes.” We are commanded to pay taxes that are just (Romans 13), but, just as “natural born citizen” isn’t defined within the Constitution, neither is “taxes that are just” defined in the Bible.

For a long time, it was argued that since the role of government is to protect us in our lives and property, that taxes we owed the government to serve in the defense of the community, and to pay taxes in proportion to our wealth. So, something like a flat tax would be just. Or, a combination of taxes on real property and excise taxes (taxes on luxuries) as an approximation.

Then came Communism, and the argument that government should redistribute income (as opposed to merely relieving the needs of those who could not provide for themselves). This corrupted many in the church, and we wound up with progressive income taxation and the welfare state.

Those who do not see the real argument is between the traditional approach to just taxation and the essentially Communist idea masquerading as progressivism, only reveal they do not know who is the real enemy.

Mike Huckabee (fair tax), Ted Cruz and Rand Paul (business income tax/flat personal income tax) and Jeff Sessions (a 2-rate “flat” income tax) have tax proposals that would take a major, major step in the direction of just taxes. Donald Trump’s proposal (which is pretty much what G.W. Bush proposed during his second term) (significant flattening within the current system) also, but not as big a step.

There are lots of details that would have to be examined, and that the Congress will examine in its process. I have some reservations about Cruz’ and Paul’s plan myself, while I think they’re the best ones.

[mumblypeg]

VAT: no, no, no.
This is a HUGE tax INCREASE at the FEDERAL level!!!
Federal sales tax in ADDITION to federal income tax?
On top of local sales tax and property taxes?
Are we insane?
This would crush small businesses by reducing cash needed for startup and equipment. It would push more middle class into poverty, and expand DC control over the people.
The real problem is too many redundant Washington DC bureaucracies.
We send money to DC to pay salaries of thousands of bureaucrats, whose only job is to redistribute the money back to the states.
Eliminate many of the ABC agencies in DC—start with HUD— lower taxes, and keep the money in your state.

I liked Trump’s plan. Raise the personal exemption to $25K.
If this were combined with reductions in entitlements, along with time limits for receiving benefits and kicking illegals off the dole altogether, it would save billions and re-incentivize work.
After all, many low income workers opt for the better lifestyle of entitlements because the entitlements are not taxed.
Raise the exemption and reduce the entitlements, slashing programs and bureaucrats in the process.

[JAKraig]

The Federal Government has Millions of employees whose only function is to make business and individuals tow a line that some politician says they should tow.

The first thing the Federal Government should do is get rid of all business tax, all of it. In reality there is no such thing as a business tax. A business tax simply causes businesses to raise their price to cover the tax and then the end consumer ends up paying the tax. When we tax business it sounds good but we are only taxing ourselves.

I don’t think I care what the tax rate is as long as everybody pays it. Redistribution is Socialism, it promotes dependence on the State. Lets bring back good old fashioned charity and let those who want to help others do so. Perhaps the Federal Government could participate by helping fund some charities. The cost of people helping others would drop dramatically.

I’m sick of being a slave of governments where I give half or more of my money to go to people who waste it and don’t earn it.

[Leo Carpathian]

Non eligible, not Natural Born Citizens, Cubans, Chihuahua Prespiration Marko and Pinocchio Desperation Ted attacking Big Donald at CNN freestyle match.

Cruz "character":
1. Phony summonses mailed out, scaring people to vote for Cruz.
2. Claiming Carson quit, presinc captains told voters "vote for Cruz"
3. Campaigning in the 800 churches, showing video "vote for me" with his preacher/father stomping for him. Rafael Cruz is a 7 Mountain Dominionist and believes his son is the anointed one.
4. "Brilliant" lawyer, did not know he was Canadian citizen and that he is not Natural Born Citizen, not eligible for office of P or VP.
5. Making phony video advertising with lies about opponents.
6. Phony video about Rubio - Obama.
7. 7 Mountain Dominionist Church = Christian???
Just enough to beat Trump in IA, apologize, rinse and repeat? Liar is the polite term for this Cuban. His father was pro-communist in Cuba, imprisoned by Batista, but now he is refugee?

IRREFUTABLE AUTHORITY HAS SPOKEN
(Oct. 18, 2009) The Post & Email has in several articles mentioned that the Supreme Court of the United States has given the definition of what a "natural born citizen" is. Since being a natural born citizen is an objective qualification and requirement of office for the U.S. President (and VP), it is important for all U.S. Citizens to understand what this term means.
http://www.thepostemail.com/2009/10/18/4-supreme-court-cases-define-natural-born-citizen/
Applies to Cruz and Rubio, both at the time not born to US citizens and on US soil.