Breaking up with Norquist

[HiAngle]

“I agree entirely with Saxby Chambliss,” King said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “A pledge you signed 20 years ago, 18 years ago, is for that Congress. … The world has changed, and the economic situation is different

Now I never understood the whole pledge thing to begin with-- seems to be a silly principle. However, I am surprised at how many are breaking ranks and being very public about it. There are some folks who are not going to get Christmas cards from Norquist this year.

Obviously we have a debt problem and it didn't start a few years ago. But before my pockets get picked again, how about some economic rehab. How about demonstrating that we aren't going to continue to spend more than is taken in?

Source-
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...fiscal-crisis/

[boston62]

Originally Posted by HiAngle

Now I never understood the whole pledge thing to begin with-- seems to be a silly principle. However, I am surprised at how many are breaking ranks and being very public about it. There are some folks who are not going to get Christmas cards from Norquist this year.

Obviously we have a debt problem and it didn't start a few years ago. But before my pockets get picked again, how about some economic rehab. How about demonstrating that we aren't going to continue to spend more than is taken in?

Source-
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...fiscal-crisis/

Yes your right, I say let's go over this cliff and pay down this dept. It will hurt everyone, but in a few years well be in good shape. Can you pay $2000.00 a year more in taxes? I don't mind, if everyone pays middle class and the rich.

[claytp1]

Some of the lefties on here say we should be like Germany. Here are their income tax rates....

Tax % Tax Base (EUR)
0 Up to 8,004
14% 8,005-52,881
42% 52,882-250,730
45% 250,731 and over


http://www.worldwide-tax.com/germany/germany_tax.asp

They also a few years ago passed a measure that they would balance their budget by 2016 and they're well on their way from what I read. This required spending cuts.

[thrasher]

All that break rank with Norquist will be labeled RINOs by the rightwingnuts. I'm not surprised that so many are breaking rank... common sense takes over at some point.

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by boston62

Yes your right, I say let's go over this cliff and pay down this dept. It will hurt everyone, but in a few years well be in good shape. Can you pay $2000.00 a year more in taxes? I don't mind, if everyone pays middle class and the rich.

The U.S. Treasury increased the net debt of the United States $24 billion on the day after Thanksgiving.

I have no interest in paying a penny more in taxes to those spendaholics. In fact, I look for ways on how to pay less.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/blac...r-thanksgiving

[claytp1]

Originally Posted by thrasher

All that break rank with Norquist will be labeled RINOs by the rightwingnuts. I'm not surprised that so many are breaking rank... common sense takes over at some point.

I wonder what the leftnuts will call Dems that dare to break with Norquist equivalent of the entitlement mob that is holding them hostage.

[DJW]

The pubs will have to agree to raise taxes, and the dems will have to agree to cut entitlements.

One side has apparently made the first move - agreeing to a tax increase...as for the other party of "no"...well <crickets> <crickets>

It's the same deal that was on the table the last time...the one that the Dems walked away from. In fact it's the same deal that Ronald Reagan made with the Dems 30 years ago...cut spending and raise taxes...only after agreeing to the tax increase the spending cuts never happened.

History repeats itself, and Americans never learn from it.

[bill corkey]

Originally Posted by claytp1

Some of the lefties on here say we should be like Germany. Here are their income tax rates....

Tax % Tax Base (EUR)
0 Up to 8,004
14% 8,005-52,881
42% 52,882-250,730
45% 250,731 and over


http://www.worldwide-tax.com/germany/germany_tax.asp

They also a few years ago passed a measure that they would balance their budget by 2016 and they're well on their way from what I read. This required spending cuts.

Yeah. and Europe is such a financial success story.

[Fred1369]

Originally Posted by bill corkey

Yeah. and Europe is such a financial success story.

50% of the workforce in Greece was on gummint payroll of some type and they could retire at 50 or 55. Eventually they had more pensioners than workers. A "robust economy" can not fix that problem.

[boston62]

Originally Posted by HiAngle

Now I never understood the whole pledge thing to begin with-- seems to be a silly principle. However, I am surprised at how many are breaking ranks and being very public about it. There are some folks who are not going to get Christmas cards from Norquist this year.

Obviously we have a debt problem and it didn't start a few years ago. But before my pockets get picked again, how about some economic rehab. How about demonstrating that we aren't going to continue to spend more than is taken in?

Source-
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...fiscal-crisis/

That's a good idea, but how do you fix damage from Sandy. It takes a lot of money, we need to raise taxes and quit spending money crazy like subsidizing oil companies, closing loopholes. **** this Cliff they keep talking about, isn't that what we need to get this Country going again. GOP signed this pledge with Norquist, The President signed a pledge with The American people to not raise taxes on the middle class, or hurt the elderly with SS and medicare. Who's correct?

[boston62]

Getting back to the norm....

[RGRider]

Originally Posted by boston62

like subsidizing oil companies,

How exactly are oil companies subsidized?

[Uncle Salty]

Originally Posted by boston62

That's a good idea, but how do you fix damage from Sandy. It takes a lot of money, we need to raise taxes and quit spending money crazy like subsidizing oil companies, closing loopholes. **** this Cliff they keep talking about, isn't that what we need to get this Country going again. GOP signed this pledge with Norquist, The President signed a pledge with The American people to not raise taxes on the middle class, or hurt the elderly with SS and medicare. Who's correct?

Been drinking the Kool-Aid eh? The oil company "subsidies" that Obama and other Democrats campaigned on are actually tax deductions that other manufacturers, mining companies and businesses get. Oil Change International is an organization focused on exposing fossil fuel subsidies. On their site they have a page on fossil fuel subsidies. The summary of oil-related subsidies in the U.S. for 2010 totals $4.5 billion for those greedy oil companies. The single largest expenditure is just over $1 billion for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is designed to protect the U.S. from oil shortages. The second largest category is tax exemptions to farmers for for farm fuel. The third largest category, $570 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This program is classified as a petroleum subsidy because it artificially reduces the price of fuel, which helps oil companies sell more of it. Those three programs account for $2.5 billion a year in “oil subsidies." Meanwhile the Obama administration has doled out many times that amount on wind and solar companies. Al Gore invested in many of these companies and made huge profits. The Democrats sold us a lie while giving our money to their friends. That's OK though, Republicans do it too. That's why were in such a mess.

[Mohead1]

Make it a cross the board flat tax of 15-20% for EVERYONE and it will turn around....I am totally against getting it in the shorts cuz the guvment cant get their sh!t together.....

[Uncle Salty]

I was once an advocate of a flat tax but I don't support that idea now. The people that are truly struggling to make it shouldn't pay the same as wealthier citizens. But we should not support them with programs such as EITC either. We have created programs that promote dependence on the government. That not only takes tax money out of the system but more importantly it keeps the low wage earners poor. Poor people don't spend and that doesn't help our economy. We shouldn't subsidize people to remain poor, we should encourage them to be successful.

We don't need to tax the hell out of any group of citizens to keep our government functional. Income taxes were originally implemented to fund war. Now taxes are wasted on many things which suppress free enterprise, opportunity and success. Our government has assumed responsibilities and gained powers that are beyond the scope of our founders intentions. The more programs and power they have, the more corruption and waste we get.