Is Obama finished?

[couldbemage]

It blows my mind to see anyone wealthy enough to afford a lotus that still believes that the rich pay more taxes. Or that our tax code is full of complicated loopholes that allow people to get off easy.

Nearly all the money drives through one big loophole; buisness expenses. Most of the complications are there to reduce the size of that one loophole. Sheesh.

...and you can't just take it away, every company in the US would fold if taxed at the current rate on their gross, rather than net, income.

The only flat tax idea that makes sense is replacing income tax with sales tax. Though I'd expect there to be consequences....

[Moto44]

People who think with their hearts instead of their mind need to realize that they are part of the problem.

You're confusing sympathy with empathy, although the distiction often gets muddled. Sympathy involves more sharing the feelings of another. Empathy involves more understanding the circumstances of another. You've heard the phrase, "don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes".

Empathy is a skill we aren't born with, and it takes a lifetime to develop. When we are immature, we tend to judge people from our own perspective. It takes a lot of head power, not heart power, to accurately judge another person's circumstance.

[slaughtr]

I think empathy is important. I also think not making the problems of other people worse with bad programs is also important.

When I was a resident after medical school, my sister's husband died. Social security's "Aid to dependent children" kicked in and my sister recieved more money in a government check each month than I was making as a doctor. She recieved those checks for 12 years and drank every penny of it. The local liquor store loved her. She was not an alcoholic before then. I am convinced that government program killed my sister, and it did nothing whatsoever for my niece.

[Moto44]

That is tragic. I'm very sorry.

In our personal lives we can be discriminating about who and how we help people. Government, like corporations, doesn't have that luxury.

[slaughtr]

One other story that has perhaps molded my thinking.

When I was in college, I worked my way through school at a grocery store in Bryan, Texas (Gig'em Aggies). I went from bag boy to stock boy and finally checker. One day, I was working the checkout stand and this giant, fat lady came up with two full grocery carts. The first was full of every bad food item you could possibly buy. Hot dogs, potato chips, twinkies, you get the idea. She paid for that with food stamps. The second cart was full of cigarette cartons. Hundreds of dollars worth. She paid for that in cash.

I think a saftey net is an imperative, but we have to be careful that those programs work. I paid 34% of my gross income in federal and state taxes this year, excluding Social Security. 34%. Well into six figures. It's hard to swallow when I think, in general, most of those programs do more harm than good.

[LARRY]

Originally Posted by Bgwillyelise

You obviously dont know much about schools.

Kids need better parents not better teachers.

More money to schools will not help that.

That's insane.

Money will improve American schools, add books, add teachers, make classrooms better and less crowded. Add specialized courses like art and music, give sports teams better equipment. Improve libraries, allow for more field trips. Science labs can get better equipment, newer equipment. Every school in the country can be wi-fi equipped, and every student can have a computer.

Modernized, improved schools can teach American kids even better and make them the smartest in the world.

All American kids, rich and poor alike.


(But no. We have to have a trillion dollar war for a bunch of Iraqis for no reason at all.)


We have to get our priorities straight.

Support American kids and their families.

Number one priority.

Obama gets it. Hilary gets it.

[Surferjer]

Originally Posted by couldbemage

It blows my mind to see anyone wealthy enough to afford a lotus that still believes that the rich pay more taxes. Or that our tax code is full of complicated loopholes that allow people to get off easy.

Nearly all the money drives through one big loophole; buisness expenses. Most of the complications are there to reduce the size of that one loophole. Sheesh.

...and you can't just take it away, every company in the US would fold if taxed at the current rate on their gross, rather than net, income.

The only flat tax idea that makes sense is replacing income tax with sales tax. Though I'd expect there to be consequences....

That's a very naive statement. Wanna see my tax bill for last year? I bet I paid a LOT more in taxes than most AND my effective rate is also significantly higher. And it's nothing more than additional welfare. Why should incremental income (each additional dollar I earned last year above a certain level) be taxed at 39% While a person earning $50,000 pays at an incremental rate of 20%?

As for replacing income tax with a sales tax, imagine a recession. Now add that no one is spending money because of the recession. What just happened to your tax base? What in turn just happened to your recession? LOL

[Ian]

Originally Posted by LARRY

We have to spend trillions on nuclear weapons that we will never use.

Do you propose that we get rid of our nuclear weapons?

[LARRY]

Yes. All but a handful.

They are a deterrent to war.

Our enemies need to know we have some.

But we don't need 1000 of them.

We recently flew three active, ready to fire nuclear weapons under the wing of a B-52 across America and NOBODY knew they were there.

Enough is enough.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by LARRY

Yes. All but a handful.

They are a deterrent to war.

Our enemies need to know we have some.

But we don't need 1000 of them.

Do you think we should halt research to create a better weapon?

[fishguy]

american parents are so lacking in skills to raise kids, and the politically correct attidue is a big problem as well.
the politically correct attitude that some enforce on everyone makes it where parents get in trouble for disciplining their little brats.
now the teachers cannot give those same kids a good in school, and things are out of control in the class room.

we dont need more money to fix things in school, just a bit of discipline, and not let the children rule the households and classrooms.

more money is not the fix all, for us to stop being such pussies about everything is a good start....................
but if one really feels so strongly about more money for the schools, perhaps you want to walk the walk and donate it to the schools, not force it upon us through taxes.

I am thinking that people with money send their kids to private schools anyway.....................................

[evomind]

Originally Posted by Surferjer

That's a very naive statement. Wanna see my tax bill for last year? I bet I paid a LOT more in taxes than most AND my effective rate is also significantly higher. And it's nothing more than additional welfare. Why should incremental income (each additional dollar I earned last year above a certain level) be taxed at 39% While a person earning $50,000 pays at an incremental rate of 20%?

As for replacing income tax with a sales tax, imagine a recession. Now add that no one is spending money because of the recession. What just happened to your tax base? What in turn just happened to your recession? LOL

this is what most folks dont understand, jer.....
people in your tax bracket are the folks that usually do things with their money that the middle class cannot do.
people in the highest tax brackets do things like build buildings which puts several dozens of other people to work from bankers to architects to skilled, semi skilled, and unskilled laborers. THAT drives the economy.
now take someone who is paying almost 40% in taxes...that means hes keeping only 60 cents on the dollar after taxes.
at some point these folks become more and more cautious abt investing in the types of projects that puts many others to work because gain/risk becomes less and less attractive.
i guess you can say i believe in trickle down economics. i see it works.

[Eye Candy]

Originally Posted by Nikki

Before returning to Cuba to launch another revolt against Spanish colonial rule after living in exile in New York City from 1891-1894, the Father of the Cuban Revolution, Jose Marti, was asked of his impression of America. He commented, "Its education system is stiffling and its politicians nauseating." Sadly, this rings SO TRUE over a century later. Unlike our political and military leaders who dispacth troops from the safety and comfort of computer-filled "war" rooms, Martí was killed in battle leading Cuban rebels in combat against Spanish troops at the Battle of Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895.

It should be noted that McCain had two sons in Iraq while he was supporting the war.

[LARRY]

Originally Posted by Ian

Do you think we should halt research to create a better weapon?

CURE CANCER FIRST.

[slaughtr]

Originally Posted by Eye Candy

It should be noted that McCain had two sons in Iraq while he was supporting the war.

Plus, he doesn't advertise it to exploit it. His son just came home.

[slaughtr]

Originally Posted by LARRY

CURE CANCER FIRST.

Larry, Larry, Larry...

Why do people always say that.
"Why are we making boner drugs when we should be curing cancer"?

Uhh, because one is possible and one is not, maybe. No magic pill is going to stop people from getting old and dying any more than some fuel additive is going to stop your Lotus from wearing out.

And believe me, if someone does magically come up with a cure, it won't be a government scientist, it will be somebody out to make a buck.

[Eye Candy]

Originally Posted by Moto44

So what's the concern? That Obama is secretly racist? That he cares more about Africa than America? That he is a radical christian? I doubt that many of you honestly believe this.

Churches aren't just about particular messages from a pastor. Churches aren't just about what is written in the bible. Churches are also communities. Like any good community, you have to accept some of the bad along with the good.

The concern is what type of person he might nominate as a Supreme Court Justice if he calls Wright his inspiration and spiritual advisor. The next president may be called on to nominate two justices.

Does anyone think that the most liberal Senator is actually going to be able to mediate the right and left? I find this unlikely. Especially when he is willing to throw his own white grandmother under the bus (revealing she had closet "racist" tendencies) and called her a "typical white person".

Has anyone considered that the most moderate ticket one can currently envision is McCain with Lieberman as a running mate? The far right would hate it, but I see these two as the ones trying to bring the country together more than others. And of course he could help McCain when he has the occasional stumble during a speech.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by LARRY

CURE CANCER FIRST.

Do you believe the government will find (fund) a cure for cancer before industry does?

[LARRY]

Approximately 1500 people die each day in the United States due to cancer. About 3,400 people are diagnosed with cancer each day in the U.S.

You and I will probably lose our loved ones to cancer.

It should be cured by now.

Enough with the fu*king weapons. We have enough fu*king weapons.

We can kill everyone in the world 100 times over.

[slaughtr]

All right Larry, your right. I'm a doctor, a pathologist in fact. I see cancer all the time. I just got through looking at yet another breast cancer. I promise you, I'll get right on it.