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Reluctant Class Warriors - Do Dems finally understand the collateral effects of taxing the "rich"?
OpinionJournal.com ^ | August 3, 2007 | KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

Posted on 08/02/2007 9:07:23 PM PDT by gpapa

Back in the hot summer of 1990, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell proudly engineered the infamous "luxury tax," a nasty little tithe on everything from furs to jewelry to yachts. Democrats were proud: Not only were they throwing new dollars at the Treasury, they'd done it by socking it to the rich. The wealthy, in the words of then-House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, would finally pay "their fair share."

Within a year, Mr. Mitchell was back in the Senate passionately demanding an end to the same dreaded luxury tax. The levy had devastated his home state of Maine's boat-building business, throwing yard workers, managers and salesmen out of jobs. The luxury tax was repealed by 1993, though by the look of today's tax debate, its lessons haven't been forgotten. Top Democrats are working to implement a new class-warfare tax strategy, only this time they're getting pushback from those in their party who fear the economic consequences.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, for their part, are steaming ahead with a plan ripped straight out of Mr. Mitchell's 1990 playbook. They're sitting atop years of pent-up spending demand that is now starting to bust free. Their liberal members want to give more money to gentleman farmers, take credit for expanding health insurance for "the children," and write checks to all those struggling renewable energy titans, like Archer Daniels Midland.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: democrats; luxurytax; tax; taxes

1 posted on 08/02/2007 9:07:24 PM PDT by gpapa
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To: gpapa

“Do Dems finally understand the collateral effects of taxing the “rich”?” No.


2 posted on 08/02/2007 9:09:07 PM PDT by RKV (He who has the guns makes the rules)
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To: gpapa

No.


3 posted on 08/02/2007 9:10:02 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: gpapa

And all they have to do to cause the largest tax in history is sit on their hands and run out the clock on the tax cuts.

I hate these people.


4 posted on 08/02/2007 9:10:58 PM PDT by Old Sarge (This tagline in memory of FReeper 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub)
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To: gpapa

Whether they understand is irrelevant. Even if they understood they would still use class warfare to get collected. They don’t care about the consequences of their actions now or statements. They just want to get more votes and more power. they could always undo it later (but probably won’t) means to an end


5 posted on 08/02/2007 9:17:52 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: gpapa

No, they are communist plain and simple.


6 posted on 08/02/2007 9:22:49 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: gpapa
Oh, I think it's just the usual thing with crooks - they're wondering what they can get away with, where the line is. They'll inch up to it as they always do.
7 posted on 08/02/2007 9:32:55 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: gpapa

Will a communist dictatorship ever stop murdering all who disagree with it? See my point?


8 posted on 08/02/2007 9:47:33 PM PDT by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Prov. 25:26)
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To: gpapa

The rat is an odd animal that only understands that if he fools enough people he will get elected. If he craps on the world to get elected, he will get the scumbags in the ratmedia to lie for him and fool enough morons to get him elected again. Does the rat worry about the consequences of what he does? Rarely.


9 posted on 08/03/2007 7:30:19 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (The Islamists plan to kill us.The Democrats and the ratmedia are helping them. Ft Dix proves it!)
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To: gpapa

If people haven’t read the whole article yet, it is a good read.

It shows the difference between Pelosi/Reid/Rangel and individual Dem Senators and Representatives. The Dem leadership wants to advance the socialist ideology which requires higher taxes to pay for it. It is the leadership that alwasy takes the heat from radicals like MoveOn.org for failing to advance the ideology. The individuals are — for the moment — holding out to protect their local constituent industries and voters.

This local focus does have a downside, though, as no true tax reform can happen that won’t hurt one group or another. That means the confusing tax mess we have is not going to improve any time soon. Bad news for FairTax and Flat Tax advocates.


10 posted on 08/03/2007 9:16:52 AM PDT by Kellis91789 (Liberals aren't atheists. They worship government -- including human sacrifices.)
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To: imahawk
Actually, they are Progressives -- and that is just as bad.
11 posted on 08/03/2007 9:25:30 AM PDT by Beckwith (dhimmicrats and the liberal media have chosen sides -- Islamofascism)
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To: Beckwith

I just call them no good commie bastards.


12 posted on 08/03/2007 10:13:58 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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