Posted on 08/17/2004 5:58:48 AM PDT by 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...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
OK, I qualify. Sounds good to me. Wait, does that include indentured servants? Can my ancestor be from Ireland?
This would be a miserable idea.
I can offer a good illustration of where this has been "unofficially" implemented here in the U.S., and believe me -- the results are a mess.
Essex County, New Jersey is home to some of the worst urban rat-holes in the state (Newark, Irvington, East Orange, etc.), but also has some very wealthy suburban areas (West Orange, Millburn, etc.). The "inner city tax exemption" you suggested has effectively been implemented there, in an indirect manner. The urban sh!t-holes receive most of their revenue from the state and county governments. State revenue is derived mainly from income tax revenue, which is paid primarily by high-income earners . . . there probably hasn't been a 1040 form filed with the IRS with a return address in Irvington in decades. County revenue is derived from property tax assessments, and a place like Newark has been permitted to assess their property taxes based on assessed property values that date back at least 30 years.
Go take a ride through these areas and tell me how well this "tax exemption" has worked.
All of us whose ancestors came before all the welfare programs and free health care existed for immigrants should also get some kind of reparations. Was it fair that my ancestors had to pay their own way but you see our newest immigrants filling up the welfare offices and getting food stamps? Make them pay reparations to all the rest of us.
Well, reparations for one civil war will lead to another civil war. Even DemocRATs know this is extremely dangerous territory.
Dollar wise it would be a small tax cut in perspective. Dangerous road to go down. Eventually people will come to understand that financially, the only thing worse than paying taxes is not making money to owe any.
The majority of blacks pay no income taxes anyway.
Reparations is a fresh idea?
LOL - Stupid is as Stupid does. Basically Howard Stern has and will endorse Kerry. He has made it abundantly clear that he hates Bush. But who the heck cares about Howard Stern and if people follow him that much than they need to get a life!
Yep.... wait until some organization puts a pencil to it and finds out that eliminating taxes on minorities is a much smaller tax cut than cutting by 25% the taxes on the wealthiest 2%.
When are people going to get reperations for having to listen to rap music, the #1 cause of the music holocaust for the past 20+ years?
Yeah, it's true. It's also reported in the Chicago Sun Times:
On another issue, Keyes on Monday said he supported reparations for descendants of slaves -- an apparent switch in his position.
Keyes suggested descendants of slaves should be exempt from paying federal income taxes. But in a March 27, 2002, transcript of his show "Making Sense," Keyes -- who wants to abolish the federal income tax for everyone -- suggested that reparations were an insult.
"You want to tell me that what they suffered can actually be repaired with money?" Keyes asked at the time.
Keyes, through a spokesman, said late Monday he does not support reparations if other people's money is used. "If you couldn't get the income tax abolished totally, that [exemption for slave descendants] is incremental progress," spokesman Bill Pascoe said.
I notice Keyes has been bringing the issue of slavery up too much lately. He is trying to out Obama on the slavery issue as far as their ancestors are concerned and now this??? What about the issues? The important issues. Keyes needs to stick to the issues.
I can think of no initiative more likely to increase resentment between the races than to create a preferred class of citizens.
I am simply amazed that anyone at this forum thinks this is a good idea.
OK - I'm feeling better. I'm not the only one.
Paying less taxes means you get to keep more of what you earn, creating a greater incentive to work hard and succeed. Isn't that the theory behind the entire conservative movement? Slash all those federal programs. Lets see if blacks, given an incredible opportunity, can make it under their own steam. Keyes thinks they can. Obama thinks they cannot.
My first surname ancestor to reach America came in 1659 to Prince Georges County, Maryland, to be a planter, and he was quite good at it. I bet my forefathers lost a whole lot with the 13th Amendment. No justice, no peace!
: )
"My world is spinning. I saw a poll (probably non-scientific) this morning that said that 80% of Howard Stern listeners would vote for Kerry if Stern told them too. I think I will go back to bed."
Are you surprised? Stern's show appeals to the lowest common denominator. I laugh my ass off when I hear Savage doing his imitation of Stern.....
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