Posted on 12/23/2011 10:20:34 AM PST by Qbert
Flush from last night’s victory, Harry Reid floated the possibility at a press conference this morning that Dems could revive the idea of a millionaire surtax when the talks begin over the year long payroll tax cut extension next year.
“I’ve talked to Senate Republicans, plural, who think there should be a fair tax on rich people,” Reid said. “I’m going to make sure that my conferees understand that this could be part of what we try to do.”
Given that Dems dropped the millionaire surtax during the talks over the payroll tax cut earlier this month, you’d be forgiven for concluding that Dems may not take it up again. But when it comes to paying for the year-long extension, the two parties remain far apart, and Republicans are going to push for still more spending cuts.
It wouldn’t hurt if Dems went into next year’s negotiations with a strong opening bid — i.e., a demand for a tiny surtax on a tiny minority of Americans (millionaires and billionaires) in order to pay for a modest tax cut for 160 million working Americans. After all, this skirmish may have weakened the Republican position on this issue — polls suggest that Obama and Dems effectively captured the moral high ground in this fight, and that the public has come to believe that Republicans favor the interests of the wealthy over those of the middle class.
[Snip]
So another round of “class warfare” might be advisable for Dems to venture. After all, Republicans won’t hesitate from starting from a position that’s unacceptable to Democrats — more spending cuts and conditions attached to unemployment insurance, to name two.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Will Democrats revive millionaire surtax?
Considering that Greg Sargent is the unofficial propaganda minister for the Obama administration, the answer is yes.
Thank you, Senator Reid, for clarifying that an "s" on the end a word makes it plural. I've always been confused by that.
A Fair Tax on rich people is a good idea.
That is, Rich People derive no more than anyone else from goverment services; moreover, in providing jobs for others and additional revenues for retailers and others in business, rich people ALREADY pay more into the economy than anyone else.
A “Fair Tax,” then, would be a far LOWER tax than that assessed on any other citizens.
Yes, THAT sort of fair tax is the only TRULY “fair” tax to be assessed on the rich.
But, of course, that isn’t what everyone is screaming about; Americans want the rich to be penalized for “having more than I have, and I’m jealous, wah wah wah.”
And that’s the whole story.
Period.
I’m so happy; in two months we will have no pipeline and the RATs spouting soak the rich nonsense. Dumb, spineless GOP is the gift that keeps on giving.
So they paid for the 2 month extension with a forever tax on new homebuyers and refinancers, and will pay for the 10 month extension with a forever tax on millionaires and billionaires.
Makes sense to me. lol
I’d like to see a REAL fair tax:
The Government spent about $3.6 trillion dollars. There are 310 million Americans. Thus every man, woman, and child has an $11,600 tax bill. Fair, even, consistent!
I agree. Whenever I hear that “fair share” cr*p I say “ Yes, I agree, the rich should pay what is fair. As long as I am the person that gets to define “fair”. So everyone should pay 10%....that would be fair.
"I’m so happy; in two months we will have no pipeline and the RATs spouting soak the rich nonsense. Dumb, spineless GOP is the gift that keeps on giving."
Yep. Hugh Hewitt says there's talk this might be it for Boehner:
"There is a lot of buzz this morning that Speaker Boehner won't survive the next meeting of the GOP caucus, but he is lucky that the troops have scattered and that Christmas cheer will first obscure and then Iowa-New Hampshire frenzy will erase memory of this week's utter smash-up.
...It is widely agreed that the Speaker is a nice guy and a wonderful, loyal friend, but the election of 2012 is about the future of the country, and the leader of the House has to know how to lead during such a crucial moment."
http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/d80f8163-125b-4a77-b68f-7ed5d44a326c
Every single day, the corrupt Harry Reid proves that his mouth and his anus are interchangeable parts. Is Reid going to offer to pay more tax on the money he received from his insider stock trading and crooked land deals?
If the top 1% earn 20% of the nation’s income, why are they paying 40% of the federal income tax?
The top 1% should have their federal income taxes cut by 50%. That would be fair. They would then use that money to expand existing business or start new ones.
80% of millionaires are self-made.
No surprise here, this is exactly what I said they would do and continue that call all election year.
The bill passed today by the Senate(unanimous consent without the Senate being present) and house was agreed to by Republicans for one single purpose : To push the problem out two months away from today. McCain and the WSJ and the others who called for surrender the past week have no serious plan for taking on Obama in two months up till the election. Just delay the pain.
"McCain and the WSJ and the others who called for surrender the past week have no serious plan for taking on Obama in two months up till the election. Just delay the pain."
In a way, by a sick irony, we now have the same feckless dud who lost in '08 because he had no clue how to counter Obama... dictating how to counter Obama in '12.
How did McCain get re-elected anyway?? Oh, never mind :)
Big mouth McCain just had to beat up on the already cornered House Republicans to gain praise by the MSM. Well lets see his plan now since he's so f... smart. He and Obama won, let's see his plan to use this to take on Obama.
How about a Jew tax?
Where did that come from?!
"Where did that come from?!"
I think he means this:
'If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew... uh... a janitor makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor. I have no problem with that."
- Barack Hussein Obama (September, 2011)
Oh... I get it. I’d forgotten that little slip of the tongue.
Thanks for the translation!
Yes.
Thanks sickoflibs.
I'm beginning to think that the GOP Senators like being in the minority. No responsibility to lead, just the ease of being a follower. All the perks, none of the worries.
Is there one GOP Senator who has voiced an iota of concern for the abortion of a bill they just voted for? Or the box they put the GOP House into?
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