Good Fun Going Over The Fiscal Cliff

[Amskeptic]

I have been amused by the dire flapping about of the punditry, are you worried that the fiscal cliff may rush up over us?
Colin

[Bleyseng]

Actually, I think it might be a good thing to do. It cuts the military by $500 billion and other government programs by I think 10%. Plus it raises taxes back to the pre-Bush levels where we can actually pay for the Federal spending, deficit and the two GOP wars.
And we can Blame the GOP for this as they insisted on it to raise the debt ceiling last year which was really stupid.
I think the GOP will come to a agreement before this happens are the "Rich" don't want to lose all the special tax cuts. ie the investment cuts and treating dividend income as ordinary income.

[Hippie]

Actually, I think it might be a good thing to do. It cuts the military by $500 billion and other government programs by I think 10%. Plus it raises taxes back to the pre-Bush levels where we can actually pay for the Federal spending, deficit and the two GOP wars.
And we can Blame the GOP for this as they insisted on it to raise the debt ceiling last year which was really stupid.
I think the GOP will come to a agreement before this happens are the "Rich" don't want to lose all the special tax cuts. ie the investment cuts and treating dividend income as ordinary income.

^^^This^^^

[yondermtn]

These guys are just playing a big game with the hope of blaming the other guy down the road come election time. Nobody is really looking out for our best interests here. And dividends should absolutely NOT be taxed as ordinary income.

[RussellK]

And dividends should absolutely NOT be taxed as ordinary income.

Many people subsidize their income with dividend or investment income. It was not just the wealthy that benefited from these tax cuts.

[Velokid1]

I get the feeling we'd be better off going over the "fiscal cliff." Even someone who was astute at recognizing when a game, some game, is going on but had no real knowledge of economics can see the conspicuous red flags pointing to the fiscal cliff as nothing more than a toothless fabrication. I'm glad it's imaginary... but bummed that it will surely motivate a hasty change and compromise with the GOP, as intended.

As for taxes, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one perfectly happy to contribute taxes on any type of income I should ever ENJOY. It's like a guest on The Daily Show said last week, "John, if I called you and told you that I have a venture I want to partner with you on, guaranteed to make us both a million dollars, would your response be 'No thanks... I'll have to pay taxes on that'?"

[Bleyseng]

And dividends should absolutely NOT be taxed as ordinary income.

Many people subsidize their income with dividend or investment income. It was not just the wealthy that benefited from these tax cuts.

Actually I do benefit from these tax cuts and subsidize my income BUT I am not a Romney who has a $250mil nest egg and generate my income from dividends.

[Amskeptic]

nothing more than a toothless fabrication.

=D>

sometimes I feel like I'm the only one perfectly happy to contribute taxes on any type of income I should ever ENJOY.

I like paying taxes for the simple reason that I am amazed that civilization even works.
Pay some money and the lights turn on? the roads are repaired? water comes out of a faucet? I don't have to build the bridge/tunnel that takes me over/under the Hudson?
My taxes help educate kids? research new battery technology?
I just want the people who spend this money to *actually reflect* what We The People want to spend money on . . .
Colin

[Bleyseng]

Colin I totally agree that its amazing how stuff gets done with tax money in the US. Come to a 3rd world country and see what a joke a corrupt government is. Crappy roads, terrible police force, water pressure that is about 1-2lbs and a fire dept that shows up at a fire and watches because the building owner won't pay extra money on the spot to them.

I would love to see our tax money in the US spent more wisely and on local projects instead of huge military bases and wars.

[Hippie]

...Pay some money and the lights turn on? the roads are repaired? water comes out of a faucet? I don't have to build the bridge/tunnel that takes me over/under the Hudson?
My taxes help educate kids? research new battery technology?
I just want the people who spend this money to *actually reflect* what We The People want to spend money on . . .
Colin

That's called "socialism" by today's standards.

Privatize the streets! The Army! Everthing for hire...pay as you go!

[Velokid1]

I would love to see our tax money in the US spent more wisely and on local projects instead of huge military bases and wars.

Yes!

And yet the defense budget is protected by politicians and voters from both ends of the spectrum (and the vast expanse between them) as some sort of sacred cow.

It's a cow, alright.

One other thought on our attachment to the dollars that pass through our hands, especially pertinent during this holiday season: Jesus taught that a wealthy man has a better chance of passing through the eye of a needle than the gates of Heaven.

[Amskeptic]

One other thought on our attachment to the dollars that pass through our hands, especially pertinent during this holiday season: Jesus taught that a wealthy man has a better chance of passing through the eye of a needle than the gates of Heaven.

Not even. He said harder than a CAMEL threading through the eye of a needle.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:23-24

That is actually pretty dire when you think about it. Imagine if that was your brain surgeon's answer to your family's question, "Is he going to talk again??" "Naw, well maybe . . . about as likely as a camel threading through the eye of a needle."

I am amazed at how money stops the big human humble questions and turbocharges the quick flip self-regarding "answers" in those who possess lots of it. And . . . if you are too busy giving small-minded answers, you might not hear the Big question, "where's the gates?" and you might then find yourself very lost.
ColinDollarsAin'tGonnaBeMyDownfall

[TrollFromDownBelow]

I like paying taxes for the simple reason that I am amazed that civilization even works.
Pay some money and the lights turn on? the roads are repaired? water comes out of a faucet? I don't have to build the bridge/tunnel that takes me over/under the Hudson?
My taxes help educate kids? research new battery technology?
I just want the people who spend this money to *actually reflect* what We The People want to spend money on . . .
Colin

Well said! That pretty much sums up how a representational democracy should run.

[drober23]

Our taxes are very low compared to other industrialized nations. Places don't become "nice to live in" without someone investing in infrastructure, services, and education. How do we as a society do this without paying adequate taxes?

We need to get real about balancing the budget, then paying down our debt. This cannot be done without raising taxes.

[Bleyseng]

Our taxes are very low compared to other industrialized nations. Places don't become "nice to live in" without someone investing in infrastructure, services, and education. How do we as a society do this without paying adequate taxes?

We need to get real about balancing the budget, then paying down our debt. This cannot be done without raising taxes.

or cutting a lot of government programs starting with the military.