[from occupied ga]

What I've said all along. Bush is just a Republican, NOT a conservative

[Kaslin]

Bull

[LibLieSlayer]

Bullsh!t!

LLS

[Chi-townChief]

Mark Brandly = rat shill

[StoneColdTaxHater]

Damned Right!

If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals — if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is. Now, I can’t say that I will agree with all the things that the present group who call themselves Libertarians in the sense of a party say, because I think that like in any political movement there are shades, and there are libertarians who are almost over at the point of wanting no government at all or anarchy.

* Interview published in Reason (1975-07-01)

[alloysteel]

Lower tax RATES have been in effect for several years now. As a result, no matter how counter-intuitive it may seem, tax revenues are UP, because of increased economic activity.

And with fewer “loopholes”, there is less strategy in planning for taxes, and more effort directed at maximizing overall cash flow. Maximized cash flow equals even greater economic activity, thus further expanding the tax base.

But perhaps it is time to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, and examine its entrails to determine what it is that caused the goose to lay the golden eggs to begin with. Of course, it shall be impossible to resurrect the goose afterward.

All in the interests of science, right?

[LibLieSlayer]

"Clever"... much more accurate than the "tripe" inside this crap that you posted. Being that I own three businesses and deal with the tax code in DEPTH... I can tell you that The BUSH Tax cuts has saved my companies and my employees $$$$$$$$$. If we can see and feel the effects in our lives every day... why can’t this leftist? I’ll tell you why... ‘toon propaganda... lie about the truth and spin it as 180 degrees from reality. Deny that which you will soon take away.

Markets will crash and catah styled times will come again if the TAX CUTS are allowed to expire. Jobless rates will soar... interest will skyrocket... an already depressed Real Estate market will collapse. Oil will be unaffordable. This will be the nightmare scenario that would prove this article wrong. I pray a TRUE CONSERVATIVE is elected... one that will extend the REAL AND WORKING "BUSH TAX CUTS"!

This leftist propaganda has NO PLACE on a Conservative board. Are you willy green?

LLS

[BlackbirdSST]

What I've said all along. Bush is just a Republican, NOT a conservative

It appears a couple of passers by this morning haven't upgraded their kneepads yet, but no W is NO Conservative.

Then there's this:

The Republican Party claims to be the party of limited government and economic freedom. Don't believe it. Republicans have shown that when they are in power they are even more fiscally irresponsible than their Democratic counterparts, and that takes some doing.

I don't care who is saying it, this is spot on. Blackbird.

[ovrtaxt]

Care to chime in on this? lol

[Toskrin]

Surely by now you would have realized that the Ludwig von Mises is a front for liberals? /sarc

The article is right, but I'm not a big fan of this sort of gross oversimplification. Not everything is taxes. Taxes are taxes, and spending is spending. Both are equally bad, but trying to turn government spending, debt issuance, expansion of money supply, into taxes is just, well...confusing to some people.

[AmericaUnited]

Republicans have shown that when they are in power they are even more fiscally irresponsible than their Democratic counterparts, and that takes some doing.

That statement is an absolute, BALD FACED LIE!

[AmericaUnited]

in the first six years of Bush's term in office, federal income tax revenues have increased 18% and payroll tax revenues have increased 26%,

Yes Martha, tax revenues do go up when you cut taxes and hence generate increased economic activity.

[AmericaUnited]

In seven years, from fiscal year 2001 to the proposed budget in fiscal year 2008, federal spending will increase from $1,863.2 billion to an estimated $2,901.9 billion, an increase of 55%.

Yes, yes the GOP/Bush have spent $$$ but it is completely DISINGENUOUS to not mention that during the time frame used above, we have been AT WAR. WAR IS EXPENSIVE.

[WhiteGuy]

The most appropriate measure of the level of taxation is government spending. In seven years, from fiscal year 2001 to the proposed budget in fiscal year 2008, federal spending will increase from $1,863.2 billion to an estimated $2,901.9 billion, an increase of 55%. Actual spending in 2008 will probably top $3 trillion, so it's likely that federal spending will increase more than 60% in the first seven years of Bush's reign. The president has supported these spending increases and is pushing for even higher levels of spending.

Indeed!

[sr4402]

Given the promises made before the war on and occupation of Iraq, promises that revenues from Iraqi oil sales would fund US spending on the war

NO SUCH PROMISE, THAT I KNOW OF.

I Smell a Rat!

[The_Eaglet]

This is a lot of good food for thought.

Thanks.

[Larry Lucido]

Bump for later reading.

[Jack of all Trades]

According to this view, Reagan wasn’t a conservative either because he cut tax rates, increased revenue, lost control of spending and increased the defecit.

Since President Bush took office I have more of my own money in my pocket. To me that’s what’s most important because sooner or later the music is going to end and a lot of people are going to be without a chair. I’m banking on it being sooner than later.

The President has become the default punching bag for childish complainers. Here’s the formula: summarize any half century old growing problem, adopt an indignant lather, Blame Bush!

Illegal Immigration! Free Trade! The levee’s in New Orleans! The budget! The Environment! Middle East unrest! and on and on.

[Badeye]

I’m paying less today than I was before the tax cuts, both personally and in my various businesses.

Anyone that tries to pretend the man didn’t cut taxes is doing the same thing the MSM does daily concerning the state of our economy. Focusing on a perceived negative for partisan reasons.

[snowsislander]

Bush should not be credited with cutting our tax burdens. He has engaged in tax shifting and in hiding the burdens of his expansions of the welfare and warfare state, and he has demonstrated that he's opposed to lowering our tax burdens.

This is bunk.

The writer is conflating "tax revenues" with "tax rates".

Tax rates did in fact decrease, and tax revenues did increase.

The author's argument is that the increase in tax revenues must have been due to "burden shifting", which is absurd.

The increase in tax collected was due to increased economic activity. Since the government took a lesser percentage of our economic activity as taxes, that in itself had a strong positive effect on our economy, thus increasing the total amount that could be taxed at the new lower rates.

As to his points about the profligate spending by the Republicans, that is certainly true. The drug "benefit" in particular was a dangerously expensive folly. The Republicans had a wonderful chance to make meaningful cuts, such as by shutting down the federal Department of Education, and they failed to take advantage of that opportunity.

[Let's Roll]

Mine definitely went down but then I’m poor and in the lowest bracket.