With Budget shortfalls in many states, liberals are lookin to raise taxes. Lets give them some ideas

me

[Clemenza]

Easy. Cut spending across the board. Problem solved.

[Grit]

don't forget 'for the children' and 'The American People want...'

[Mr. Bungle]

"Here's the discredited liberal ideal embraced by Democrats and libertarians: "Allow me to be irresponsible, and I'll allow you all to pay for the consequences of my irresponsibility."

Um, libertarians are generally hostile, to put it mildly, toward ideas of government welfare programs and confiscatory tax schemes. Those being the primary methods by which the state attenuates personal responsibility for behavior, you ought to exclude libertarians from that statement.

[Clemenza]

From our friend eagleeye: News/Activism | Wellstone's Folly (CFR) To jwalsh07 From eagleye Apr 4 9:56 PM #6 of 8 jwalsh, How do you promote "political diversity" when it costs millions upon millions of $$ to buy a Senate seat? What you get under the present rules is mostly a chamber full of rich, middle-aged white guys. You call that political diversity?

The racist eagleeye should become quick friends with Murrymom.

[N. Theknow]

They aren't going away unless we come up with some answers. It is worth remembering that the Bush administration inherited the biggest budget surplus in U.S. history, and it has been entirely pissed away in a little over one year. This fact will not be overlooked by the Democrats and the voting public next election cycle.

Quick Quiz Time:

Q: When did the budgetary surpluses happen?

A: When Republicans controlled Congress.

Q: When did the budgetary surpluses disappear?

A: When Democrats and RINO's controlled the Congress.

Budget surpluses happen when government spending is used for things other than rewarding Democrat constituents to vote for Democrats. But they mainly happen when taxes are CUT. When money flows into the economy, growth (jobs) and revenues (income AND tax receipts) rise.

[Phantom Lord]

We all know that cutting spending is the proper answer. We also know that liberals are not going to propose cutting spending. We do know that they will propose tax increases of innumerable amounts and methods. So, the base purpose of this thread is to generate counter proposals to throw at them when they come out with their stupid ass ideas of "taxing soda" and "taxing bullets" and other such schemes.

The left loves raising taxes for OTHER people. We need to throw ideas at them that will cause THEM to pay more taxes. This could have the effect of actually preventing tax increases from happening.

[conserve-it]

You forgot to tax

Saabs
white wine
Croissants
Hollywood movie studios

[knews_hound]

you need to get out more...

but then again, how would you know if they were?

[Uncle George]

Put a tax on: toilet paper, sexual intercourse, Condoms, imported clothing, imported liquors, sleeping(by the hour), laughing, personal responsibility.

[Cultural Jihad]

Um, libertarians are generally hostile, to put it mildly, toward ideas of government welfare programs and confiscatory tax schemes.

Yes, that's a reasonable dissembled description of the scam they try to pull. They think we ought to just allow people to lie there and die in the gutters so as to teach them all a valuable and permanent lesson in the efficacy of social-Darwinism.

[tcostell]

As I posted before, since the low IQ people are exempt from responsibilty, high IQ people should get a benefit to offset it. I propose a multiplier for taxation based on IQ. (Calculated tax at the current rate) X (1/(IQ/100)).

2 people have IQ's of 80, and 120 (guess which one is a conservative) they each have a 10,000 tax liabilty. Under this system it becomes 12,500 for the 80 IQ and 8,333 for the conservative....ugh... the intelligent one.

Does anyone doubt that this will cause immediate surpluses in all areas of government?

[conserve-it]

"personal responsibility"

We already have a tax on personal responsibility. It is the income tax, which is taken from us so the government can hand it out to the millions who demonstrate NO RESPONSIBILITY.

[antidisestablishment]

I did this once a while ago, but I couldn’t find my post. I suggest the following schedule:

1. $10,000 fee for raising any existing tax rate. Fee is $50,000 if increase is attached as a rider.
2. $20,000 for any new tax proposal. $100,000 if increase is attached as a rider.
3. $100,000 building fee for any new government facility.*
4. $250,000 proposal fee for any new government agency or program. Fee would automatically be quadrupled if new program or agency is shown to be redundant with any governmental, commercial or non-profit agency, program or service.
5. $5.00 fee for lying by politicians or government service workers. Fee would increase on an exponential basis for the length of term. **

All fees would be paid individually by those responsible for the actions. Using government monies to pay these fees would be punishable by a five year minimum sentence in a federal penitentiary.

*Separate cost differential fee applies when cost per square foot exceeds area median building costs. Cost differential is the difference between the median and government cost multiplied by the square footage of the building and again multiplied by 1000.

**Studies indicate that implementing just this one fee would repay the national debt in less than three days.

[b4its2late]

Right to Vote Tax

Fat A$$ Tax

[harpseal]

I suggest the following items to be taxed.

1. Tofu
2. Legal sevices
3. Herbal supplements
4. Volvos
5. Lattes
6. Designer labeled items
7. Absolutely anything having to do with soccer.
8. Personal ads.
9. Homosexual behavior
10. Prostitution.

11. Hypodermic needles for other than medically necessary use. 12. Hourly rental motel rooms.

Although some of these taxes may affect conservatives they will primarily fall on liberals and they will scream. I also endorse many other proposals I have seen here.

Stay well - Stay safe - stay armed - Yorktown

[Phantom Lord]

How long before a "tax conservatives" thread shows up on DU in response to this thread?

I know it is going to happen. They practically live here as lurkers. Every other thread over their is "Freeper this" and "Freeper that"

[chs68]

To continue my earlier list:

1. A Tax on the windfalls of stupidity.

Some here have suggested that we tax stupid people. My own thought is that that is unnecessary. I suggest instead that we simply propose the taxation of winmdfalls that go to people as a result of their own stupidity.

An example?

Remember the woman who got some outrageous sum of money from McDonald's -- because she put a cup of hot coffee between her legs and then drove her car?

I say a tax of, oh, say, 200% on her windfall from McDonald's would help to close some budget shortfalls.

2. An "Excess Profits Tax" on Lawyers at the Tort Bar.

This would be a tax that liberals ought to love -- progressive and falling only upon "the rich".

It would tax any lawyer who takes a case on contingency basis.

The tax would be 100% of all earnings in excess of $250,000 per year.

We would either get rid of a lot of frivolous law suits, or we would solve the budget sh ortfall problem overnight.

I'd say it's a "win-win".

[NC_Libertarian]

It was a joke.

OK :) Just trying to make the point that the stereotypes aren't allways reality.

Seems like I hit a nerve.

No worries, I'll medicate it this weekend.

[chs68]

My guess is that our newbie poster, eagleye, is a lurker from DU-land.

He (or she) probably even has posting privileges over there.

[tcostell]

I'd like all the liberal lurkers to pay special attention to my post #71. Finally here is a way for you to tax conservatives (alegedly) without actually saying so. We conservatives are all idiots right? Well here's your chance to make us prove it. I for one will happily put my money where my ...brain is.