Keyes has plans for reparations

Chicago Tribune ^ | 8/17/04 | Allison Benedikt and David Mendell

[Aquinasfan]

One day after their first meeting, U.S. Senate hopefuls Barack Obama and Alan Keyes were back on the campaign trail again Monday.

Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, Republican Keyes added to his now familiar talking points his stance on slavery reparations.

Prompted by a reporter's question, Keyes gave a brief tutorial on Roman history and said that in regard to reparations for slavery, the U.S. should do what the Romans did: "When a city had been devastated [in the Roman empire], for a certain length of time--a generation or two--they exempted the damaged city from taxation."

Keyes proposed that for a generation or two, African-Americans of slave heritage should be exempted from federal taxes--federal because slavery "was an egregious failure on the part of the federal establishment." In calling for the tax relief, Keyes appeared to be reaching out to capture the black vote, something that may prove difficult to do, particularly after his unwelcome reception at the Bud Billiken Day Parade Saturday...

[quack]

Heck,send me my checks.I can think of alot of things that "was an egregious failure on the part of the federal establishment."

Hey Alan,need my address?Nevermind,you already have it.I see fundraising brochures all over the house.

I honestly don't think he would ever consider this though.Doesn't sound a bit like Keyes.

[MEGoody]

"I have discussed a similar idea with many liberals and it ties them in knots."

LOL Well, I can see why Keyes would be doing it then. The entertainment value alone would make it all worthwhile.

[cricket]

I am all for getting rid of tax's. For all but if only for blacks that is OK too."

Say what?

[lnbchip]

This would actually be a great idea for reinvigorating the inner cities. Politicians have tried for ages to spend unreal sums of money with thousands of strings attached and have taken the heart and soul away from these people.

Under this idea we would just let the people keep their money and use it however they choose and strengthen their own economies.

When left to themselves, the great people struggling in these inner cities can finance their own charge out of the trap of the social spending "Safety Net". Funny, the safety net has always been over their heads instead of under them.

[Piquaboy]

This would be really hard for the Rats to swallow especially if they made over 20 thou a year.

[Callahan]

As far as "reparations" plans go, it's the only one that makes a lick of sense, especially since it furthers part of the conservative agenda while subtley undermining the idea that only big government programs can help minorities. Oh, and wow--Keyes definitely makes for an entertaining race.

[FITZ]

It does make sense.

[Carolinamom]

In courting votes from the gimmes, Keyes is beginning to resemble the dem politicians.

[Dog Gone]

Well, Keyes just lost the white, hispanic, asian, and aborigine vote.

What else about the Roman Empire does he admire?

[FITZ]

Keyes is for smaller government and fewer taxes --- why wouldn't this sound like him? He's one of the rare politicians who has fresh ideas.

[vollmond]

What an insidiously delicious idea. Once they stop paying income tax, how hard is it going to be to get them paying it again? And how quickly is everyone else going to want to jump on the bandwagon? Loose cannon, fire at will!

(I originally spelled that as "Loose canon, fire at will!", which is funny on many levels. To me anyway :).)

[crusty codger]

Tom Daschele said he was "Shocked" when he heard this. (/joke)

[Kenton]

The Democrats would be up the creek without a paddle if it ever came to debate on the floor -- hmmm, do we alienate the black population by voting against reparations, or do we go down in a flaming heap in the name of taxation-at-any-cost?

Hmmm... you do pose in interesting little scenario...

I'm not sure it would work that way, I imagine a lot of Democrats would be willing to go along with it, as long as they managed to offset the loss of tax income by increasing taxes on white Republicans.

Still, asking the federal government for reparations after the efforts made by the federal government to end slavery makes about as much sense as European Jews expecting compensation for the Holocaust from the allied troops who liberated the concentration camps.

[FITZ]

Bush gave tax refunds to many of us --- why not use tax cuts and tax relief? Those who don't work aren't going to get a tax break.

[FITZ]

Bush gave tax refunds to many of us --- why not use tax cuts and tax relief? Those who don't work aren't going to get a tax break.

[Rutles4Ever]

Exactly.

[Nonstatist]

exemption from the federal income tax would be a huge advantage/incentive for all black people

How do you figure that? Most Blacks pay far more in Social Security and Medicare taxes than they do in income taxes. They benefit greatly from income redistribution and arent going to find this vey appealing.

Incidently, this policy would be a disaster, in that it would completely take about 15 % of the population off of the income tax, making them OFFICIAL wards of the state. You can forget about ever cutting taxes again; there would be a huge lobby with no interest in that whatsoever.

[gopwinsin04]

How about tax relief for everyone VIA the national sales tax!

[Non-Sequitur]

Nice! Before everyone gets all up-in-arms over the word "reparations", think about how a proposal like this would absolutely hogtie the Kennedy-left. What??? A TAX-CUT!??? FOR MINORITIES!!????

Thanks, but I still think I'll get all up in arms about the reparations part. If Keyes wants to promote reparations for those two generations removed from slavery then fine. But only if the tax burden to pay for it falls exclusively on those one or two generations removed from slave ownership. If you can get any of these southron types to admit that their ancestors owned a slave that is.