Posted on 09/23/2004 5:28:18 PM PDT by frog_jerk_2004
WASHINGTON Congress on Thursday approved a $145.9 billion package of tax relief to extend three popular middle-class tax cuts, giving President Bush his fourth major tax victory since taking office.
The Senate approved the measure 92-3 Thursday night less than an hour after it cleared the House by a similarly lopsided 339-65.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Wow. See, I said things would run better if Congress were only in session for a couple of months per year. A lot is getting done now that we're only a couple of months from the election. Let's hold elections every year and limit the Congressional and Senate terms to 60 days prior to the election. LOL, who knows, it may woik.
Please refresh my memory. What is "middle class" in terms of income?
Giveaways? Well look at the Mississippi flood plane... the government sunk billions of tax dollars into rebuilding homes there. I mean, it was like an act of God that these poor folks homes got washed out there in the flood plains that they'd rebuilt them in... and down in Florida on the coastline, shore and tidal basin areas, huh?
Hell, it ain't like you have recurring hurricanes or annual floods in Reno or Salt Lake is it? Spread the wealth, you know, from those with the greatest ability, to those with the greatest need. You having a guilt trip there? Come on... fork it over, some selfless and gracious government giver over yonder needs reelected!
This what the RNC and Bush should hammer Kerry and Edwards on:
BUSH: "I applaud all of the Republicans and Democrats in Congress that voted for the American people and the economy. My opponent, after all the gloom and doom talk about giving your money back in the form of tax cuts, didn't even have the guts to show up and vote against it."
Or change election day to April 16th.
Who were the 3 nays? Kennedy, Kerry, and Edwards?
Now for a big Rose Garden signing ceremony.
Since neither showed to vote on confirming the nesw CIA Director today, I am sure both are no-shows for this, too.
I know Kerry hath a code in hith noeth, and can't drone, so had to cancel Ohio & Iowa speeches; but I thought he could at least press a button or raise his hand.
Guess he was scared to take a non-retractable position. THIS is leadership????
You are kidding, right? An abortion sin-tax? Hasn't America suffered enough from people profiteering by that vile murderous practice?
First, I don't believe a tax would be an effective deterrent against elective abortions (any more than the sur-tax on cigarettes or booze or gambling curtails indulgence in those vices..)
And even if it would discourage a few abortions, it would also incrementally "reward" government for each abortion and thus create a new tax base for them to protect through other legislation -- not good at all!
I think that varries depending on who you talk to. Here's some comments on the subject.
I personally think of around $30 to $70k for middle income. Of course that depends on how many dependents and what the cost of living is where you reside.
If you consider home ownership a test, you'd probably have to increase my scale.
My goal is to eliminate the bottom 10% and the top 10% of the wage-earners in the nation, counting the remainder as middle-income.
I'll be the first to admit, this may be flawed logic. Perhaps others with chime in.
In the mid 90s the democrats wanted to impose a tax increase on the U.S. populace. They promised only the wealthy would be affected by this tax increase. When the increase was implemented, it actually affected people negatively who had under $30k per year income. Thus the democrats went on record that they thought those who had $30k income were wealthy, although they never took ownership of this.
The income needed to qualify for middle-income actually rises each year, as the cost of living increases. My range of $30k to $70k may be way to low. I think it could be argued that a $40k to $100k range might be more appropriate, but I believe that $40k would move you into the 20 to 30% income range, and the $100k income would put you in the top 5% of the population income levels. I may be off on that too though.
Another important factor here is whether you are talking about individual or household income. Two people making $25k each, have a fairly decent combined income.
The power to tax is the power to destroy. Let's use incrementalism back at the liberals...
Is this really a new tax cut? If Anderson Accounting, Enron, or Martha Stewart committed such distortions, I believe most on FR would be calling for jail time.
Not having any?
Okay, okay, accross-the-board tax cuts are better.
Thats what I want to know. I bet John Fraud Kerry wasn't even there.
Well, you don't expect him to mess up his record, do you?
So the Godless jackals have no stomach for a tax battle going into November, 'eh?
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
"So either Kerry was one of the 5 that missed it, or three that opposed it. I'm guesing he didn't bother to vote. Same with Edwards. It's remarkable that a man that promises to fix all our problems cannot even keep that promise in the job he was elected to perform."
If Kerry didn't make it to the vote then their goes the domestic debate. So right now Foreign policy is off the table and so is demestic policy. That leaves the townhall portion.
It would be so much easier for the Bush campaign to just say that they will not debate Kerry until he tells the truth. That this RAT POS isn't worth the time with everythng going on in the world.
"And even if it would discourage a few abortions, it would also incrementally "reward" government for each abortion and thus create a new tax base for them to protect through other legislation -- not good at all!"
I think this is a great idea. The money will go to a "Save the Unborn" campaign. It would work. I mean, you see it every day, Phillip Morris is taxed so that they can produce anti-smoking commercials.
Adding a government sin-tax to abortion is a horrible idea, and would tacitly imply that the federal government had legitimized abortion, which received its power from the judicial branch.
The government doesn't need to profit from human butchery.
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