Please Defend This!

[Wayne SW/MO]

Elitist myth? You're taking away the incentive for the average person to be succesful in this country by taxing them at a higher rate.

I believe that is a myth. While I believe that it was right to include all in tax breaks and it should include all in a hike, the percentage difference isn't the incentive killer some believe. If you don't believe that simply look at how long it has been in affect.

Our present situation isn't a lack taxes, it's a lack of government financial discipline. If it's not bad enough that they spend more than they get, they print funny money with our name on it to make up the difference!

[Guest P. owensby]

One of the biggest problems with the tax code is we add incintive on both side's to try to pay for as little as possible, get the maximum bennefit, put forth minamal effort, legitimise questionable behavior, at the peril of the tax-payer citizen. For example on the right, certain republicans have no problem bitchin' if someone recieves unemployment for a few weeks, (although I can understand people questioning the folks that are on it for years) or recieving emergency food stamps (if the situation warrents) for a limited time ( certainly not from the craddle to the grave as MOST DEM'S DO) if the situation ever came up. At the same time however, oil companys while reporting record proffits have no prob. asking the gov. for tax breaks when it comes to their endevors abroad, or don't have no problem with giving tax-breaks to companys one day, while the next, their moving their manufacturing jobs to Calcutta or some other third world city etc. And as far as the left, wow, where can I start? Lets start with this, I as tax paying citizen don't want to pay for people's poor decision's in life and have them on womb to the tomb welfare. And how that is payed for is by the ABSOURITLY high tax rates in this nation by people who are most likely on the right (or at the very least a moderate, who is fiscally responsiable)and most likely not sucking the lifeblood out of the budget when it comes to entitlement (the well is running dry people) programs. And since were on the subject, and since lefty's love spending other peoples money, let's ask the question and lay out on the table, what's enough? Is the second highest corparate income tax in the world (next to Japan at 35 %) enough? Guess not. Is the fact that the bottom 52 % of the tax bracket pay's about 3 % of the overall federal income tax enough? Guess not, while at the same time being privied to huge tax returns for them and their children at income tax return time and I, as a single individual who works my butt off, pays Jeff City. a hell of alot, and gets a very minimal federal return, hmmm, thats fair. Point is that this isn't limited Gov. which the framers of our nation intended.

[Brian Sloss]

Man, all these years I have been paying taxes I was a right winger and did not even know it...and all this time I thought I was left of center. Thanks for setting me straight.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Chief: Actually, it costs more to make ethanol than gasoline. Massive subsidies hide the true costs. Also, most ethanol generation processes require more oil-based fuel as an input than what is gained as an output in ethanol, not to mention the drain ethanol production has on water resources. There are a few fledgling techniques that show great promise to reduce this trend, but they are extremely new and relatively unproven on a mass-scale. What's more, most car engines cannot run on ethanol without burning out seals and other internal parts.

That is not entirely true. You are basing a long established infastructer and supply system against a brand new one.

You will always have highe production cost for a new product. And that price will steadily decrease. Can you imagine

what the cost of oil production would be if all facilities were being built new today?

And there are more effecient forms of ethonol than corn. Switchgrass for instance is a one time planting and is

havested like hay. No replanting cost. You don't need many specialized peices of equimpent like crop production.

And as an added benifit, it produces more energy units per acre than corn.

Then you can weigh in all the reduced erosion. There is a huge savings just in that. Then you can also weigh in the

fact that many of our prairie species that are having a tough time surviving will be able to make a come back.

I knew the part about the enigines would come to play. We have the technology to correct these problems. We can look

no further than Formula 1 racing. They have been running that for years. Yeah I know the motors are rebuilt everytime

but, the tech is there. We just have to quite sucking up to the oil companies and learn to breath for ourselves.

But that will be very hard to do when our very own president rips the solar panels right off of the Whitehouse and

the new Speaker of the House trashes every green tech option the previous speaker installed. With help like that on

Penn. Ave, it is no wonder this country can't get green.

[flytyer57]

One of the biggest problems with the tax code is we add incintive on both side's to try to pay for as little as possible, get the maximum bennefit, put forth minamal effort, legitimise questionable behavior, at the peril of the tax-payer citizen. For example on the right, certain republicans have no problem bitchin' if someone recieves unemployment for a few weeks, (although I can understand people questioning the folks that are on it for years) or recieving emergency food stamps (if the situation warrents) for a limited time ( certainly not from the craddle to the grave as MOST DEM'S DO) if the situation ever came up. At the same time however, oil companys while reporting record proffits have no prob. asking the gov. for tax breaks when it comes to their endevors abroad, or don't have no problem with giving tax-breaks to companys one day, while the next, their moving their manufacturing jobs to Calcutta or some other third world city etc. And as far as the left, wow, where can I start? Lets start with this, I as tax paying citizen don't want to pay for people's poor decision's in life and have them on womb to the tomb welfare. And how that is payed for is by the ABSOURITLY high tax rates in this nation by people who are most likely on the right (or at the very least a moderate, who is fiscally responsiable)and most likely not sucking the lifeblood out of the budget when it comes to entitlement (the well is running dry people) programs. And since were on the subject, and since lefty's love spending other peoples money, let's ask the question and lay out on the table, what's enough? Is the second highest corparate income tax in the world (next to Japan at 35 %) enough? Guess not. Is the fact that the bottom 52 % of the tax bracket pay's about 3 % of the overall federal income tax enough? Guess not, while at the same time being privied to huge tax returns for them and their children at income tax return time and I, as a single individual who works my butt off, pays Jeff City. a hell of alot, and gets a very minimal federal return, hmmm, thats fair. Point is that this isn't limited Gov. which the framers of our nation intended.

First off, nobody (including most Dems) in this country is for welfare payments from birth to death. Not for the poor and certainly not for the corporations (although that depends on what side of the aisle you stand on I guess.)

Should the lowest paid earners in this country pay all of the taxes and let the rich and the corporations off the hook because they have paid so much in the past? How much blood money do you think the government would get if we only taxed the lowest 50% of earners in this country? Certainly would not even pay the salaries of those in the government.

Corporate taxes. (Not talking small buisness here either.) How many billions of dollars do the major corporations withhold from entering this country just to avoid paying taxes? If they would bring that money back into this country and pay their fair share of taxes, we probably wouldn't be in the financial mess we are in today.

Finally, the left is always so high and mighty about their "Christianity" but are the first to put the bible aside if it helps them get richer. Jesus did not say take from the poor and give to the rich. He in fact said "give to the poor." And if taking from the rich and giving to the poor is "communist" then Jesus was the biggest "communist" of all. So when you start bashing liberals and calling them "socialist" and "communist" as a means to belittle them, you are in fact belitteling Jesus.

[Guest P. owensby]

Man, all these years I have been paying taxes I was a right winger and did not even know it...and all this time I thought I was left of center. Thanks for setting me straight.

I realize that liberal's pay income taxes as well. The point is that the top earner's in the tax bracket are probibly right of center, would you not agree?

[Guest P. owensby]

First off, nobody (including most Dems) in this country is for welfare payments from birth to death. Not for the poor and certainly not for the corporations (although that depends on what side of the aisle you stand on I guess.)

Should the lowest paid earners in this country pay all of the taxes and let the rich and the corporations off the hook because they have paid so much in the past? How much blood money do you think the government would get if we only taxed the lowest 50% of earners in this country? Certainly would not even pay the salaries of those in the government.

Corporate taxes. (Not talking small buisness here either.) How many billions of dollars do the major corporations withhold from entering this country just to avoid paying taxes? If they would bring that money back into this country and pay their fair share of taxes, we probably wouldn't be in the financial mess we are in today.

Finally, the left is always so high and mighty about their "Christianity" but are the first to put the bible aside if it helps them get richer. Jesus did not say take from the poor and give to the rich. He in fact said "give to the poor." And if taking from the rich and giving to the poor is "communist" then Jesus was the biggest "communist" of all. So when you start bashing liberals and calling them "socialist" and "communist" as a means to belittle them, you are in fact belitteling Jesus.

So I guess you're saying were not taxed enough, lol....

[Guest P. owensby]

First off, nobody (including most Dems) in this country is for welfare payments from birth to death. Not for the poor and certainly not for the corporations (although that depends on what side of the aisle you stand on I guess.)

Should the lowest paid earners in this country pay all of the taxes and let the rich and the corporations off the hook because they have paid so much in the past? How much blood money do you think the government would get if we only taxed the lowest 50% of earners in this country? Certainly would not even pay the salaries of those in the government.

Corporate taxes. (Not talking small buisness here either.) How many billions of dollars do the major corporations withhold from entering this country just to avoid paying taxes? If they would bring that money back into this country and pay their fair share of taxes, we probably wouldn't be in the financial mess we are in today.

Finally, the left is always so high and mighty about their "Christianity" but are the first to put the bible aside if it helps them get richer. Jesus did not say take from the poor and give to the rich. He in fact said "give to the poor." And if taking from the rich and giving to the poor is "communist" then Jesus was the biggest "communist" of all. So when you start bashing liberals and calling them "socialist" and "communist" as a means to belittle them, you are in fact belitteling Jesus.

I also remember Jesus talking about self sufficentcy. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach him, he eats a lifetime. (as long as it isn't smallies)

[flytyer57]

So I guess you're saying were not taxed enough, lol....

No. All I am saying is that during a time of financial crises for this country, we should not be looking to cut taxes. We should be raising taxes. No matter how much that's gonna hurt, it needs to be done in order to stabilize the debt and also the economy.

And I really don't think it was Jesus who said anything about teaching a man to fish...

[Guest P. owensby]

First off, nobody (including most Dems) in this country is for welfare payments from birth to death. Not for the poor and certainly not for the corporations (although that depends on what side of the aisle you stand on I guess.)

Should the lowest paid earners in this country pay all of the taxes and let the rich and the corporations off the hook because they have paid so much in the past? How much blood money do you think the government would get if we only taxed the lowest 50% of earners in this country? Certainly would not even pay the salaries of those in the government.

Corporate taxes. (Not talking small buisness here either.) How many billions of dollars do the major corporations withhold from entering this country just to avoid paying taxes? If they would bring that money back into this country and pay their fair share of taxes, we probably wouldn't be in the financial mess we are in today.

Finally, the left is always so high and mighty about their "Christianity" but are the first to put the bible aside if it helps them get richer. Jesus did not say take from the poor and give to the rich. He in fact said "give to the poor." And if taking from the rich and giving to the poor is "communist" then Jesus was the biggest "communist" of all. So when you start bashing liberals and calling them "socialist" and "communist" as a means to belittle them, you are in fact belitteling Jesus.

One other Thing, If you feel so strongly about a redistributive form of economy like the two other ones you cited, lay it out on the table and let people know. I know I'm not ashamed when I say that federal government should be limited and that I'm a free market believer. Lastly, I've pointed the finger quite a bit at Republicans today in various essay's. What a great feeling to be part of a political movement that is perfect like liberism. Point is this, I've been down the line on both sides as far as criticism, but you, in the one year of reading this website, have never pointed out one flaw specificaly that you find with you're political philosophy or you're left of center geo-politcal view. Just a thought...