WSJ: Giuliani Targets Conservatives With Tax-Cut Plan

Wall Street Journal ^ | Jan. 10, 2007 | SARAH LUECK

[FocusNexus]

Mr. Giuliani proposed many ideas common among the Republican candidates: extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, repealing the estate tax, and eventually eliminating the alternative-minimum tax for individuals. He also backed reducing the corporate-tax rate to 25% from 35% and dropping the capital-gains rate to 10% from 15%.

Among the Republican candidates' plans, Mr. Giuliani's appeared most similar to that of Fred Thompson, who has been a favorite of conservatives but is lagging behind in the polls. The conservative Club for Growth praised both candidates' plans. Both Messrs. Giuliani and Thompson proposed voluntary, simplified methods for individuals to file their taxes.

Mr. Giuliani's plan is "exactly the kind of plan economic conservatives should embrace," Club for Growth President Pat Toomey said. He said the proposal would "reward hard work, encourage investment and promote economic growth for Americans across the economic spectrum."

The antitax group Americans for Tax Reform also praised the Giuliani plan.

Mr. Thompson's proposal would go further than Mr. Giuliani's. The former Tennessee senator proposed a flat tax with two rates. He also would eliminate the deductions and credits in the tax code. Mr. Giuliani would retain deductions for mortgage interest, charity, and state and local taxes, among others.

[KantianBurke]

WHAT ABOUT REDUCING SPENDING???!?!?

[FocusNexus]

Giuliani touts cuts in taxes, spending

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/011008/met_234567242.shtml

Giuliani would pair his plan with cuts in government spending - 10 percent to all government agencies except the military and to homeland security. In Giuliani’s estimation, the last effort to restrain government spending happened in Ronald Reagan’s administration.

He also suggested hiring only one government employee for every two who retire.

“It starts to create fiscal discipline,” he said. “It starts to say, from the top, this is not our money. It’s the public’s money and it’s got to be spent very carefully.”

[Senator Goldwater]

If Rudy wins Florida, he’ll be the next president.

[patriciamary]

It’s a good tax plan,like him or not

[SoConPubbie]

Translation:

Rudy trys to buy the conservatives off by giving them only two things (based on his campaign rhetoric and past history) out of a least eight they really want.

The eight being:

1. Anti-Abortion
2. Anti-Illegal-Immigration
3. Anti-Gay Agenda
4. Cut Spending
5. Anti-Global Warming
6. Tax cuts
7. Fix Social Security
8. WOT

[SoConPubbie]

He also suggested hiring only one government employee for every two who retire.

That is a really good sound-bite, but it makes no sense at all in the real world.

How do you actually enforce such a policy or, more to the point, what does the legislation look like that actually enforces this policy?

This is like the promises that student body president would make to make water fountains dispense coke. Sounds good to everyone, however, it can never be accomplished.

A better approach would be for Rudy to outline which government programs and/or departments he feels are a waste of tax-payer money and make promises to do everything possible to get congress to send him a bill that accomplishes his goals.

What Rudy proposes is a bunch of nothing!

[FocusNexus]

Please explain the logic that when Fred proposes it, it’s good, but when Giuliani proposes the same thing, it’s bad.

“Among the Republican candidates’ plans, Mr. Giuliani’s appeared most similar to that of Fred Thompson, who has been a favorite of conservatives but is lagging behind in the polls. The conservative Club for Growth praised both candidates’ plans.”

[roses of sharon]

And the personality to knock heads, and say it out loud if need be, and Harry Reids head does need to be smashed, lol!

[patriciamary]

Have a question for all you intelligent Freepers,Hucklebee
stated that him wanting to close Gitmo is a mute point because of the supreme court.He is correct?

[roses of sharon]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118394444349560536.html?mod=opinion&ojcontent=otep

Here is a good article from July 2007.

[Beagle8U]

The article title should have been.....

Ghouliani takes Thompson’s tax plan and says...Me Too!

[byteback]

It makes sense no matter who proposes it. There are a lot of gov’t employees who are just hanging around for retirement. The retirement plan is too good to just give up on so it makes perfect sense that they do so. Most of the real work is being done with contractors anyway because they have to stay up with technology to stay employed.

[Kellis91789]

But it could be so much better.

How about something really bold ?

5% tax on all income with no deductions, exemption, credits or loopholes. An additional 5% tax on all income above poverty level.

The max anyone would pay would be slightly less than 10%, yet it would bring in the same revenue as the current income taxes do, $1.3 Trillion.

I think it would be a revelation to people that such low tax rates would be enough — if we just eliminated all the BS social engineering that makes up the 60,000 pages of income tax code.