Daily Poll: Are Your Taxes Too High?

[bigbaldben]

Vote, dammit.

[Delfos]

americans need to pay more tax. fix them roads goddammit

[bigbaldben]

americans need to pay more tax. fix them roads goddammit

I think they just need to allocate the right amount for infrastructure - move some out of corporate welfare, war on drugs,  and other stuff that aren't effective regardless of the amount of money we throw at them.

[Allama]

americans need to pay more tax. fix them roads goddammit

If we gradually but significantly reduced "defense" spending and funneled those tax dollars into infrastructure projects, we'd have more than enough to fix all of our roads and bridges. That's based on repair estimates from both private groups and the government, which vary wildly but which we could cover even in the worst case scenario cost-wise.

Not that I oppose raising taxes, however. I believe we need a much more progressive taxation system so those who benefit most from labor/society ("rich" people) pay back into the system proportionately. Heck, I'd be happy to pay higher taxes myself if the extra money would go to making college free for all citizens, increasing welfare programs such as food stamps, taking care of our disabled and elderly, housing the homeless, providing universal health care...

Yeah, I'm a hippie.

Anyway, tax law here is also unbelievably complicated. We need much simpler rules in place. When a normal family can't figure out their own taxes and need an accountant, that's a problem.


EDIT: Whoops, posted without seeing the above!

americans need to pay more tax. fix them roads goddammit

I think they just need to allocate the right amount for infrastructure - move some out of corporate welfare, war on drugs,  and other stuff that aren't effective regardless of the amount of money we throw at them.

Hell yeah, we spend on a lot of ineffective and/or completely idiotic things.

The "war on drugs" is a particularly offensive budget item, IMHO. It's more like a "war on poor people".

[Delfos]

there was a premise somewhere sometime that if they'd shut down half of the foreign military bases they'd have the money for universal healthcare system. Well fist demilitarize the middle-east and Russia, then demil- yourself.

[Allama]

there was a premise somewhere sometime that if they'd shut down half of the foreign military bases they'd have the money for universal healthcare system. Well fist demilitarize the middle-east and Russia, then demil- yourself.

Maintaining permanent military bases in other nations isn't just expensive: it's unjust unless the people truly want us there. I'd shut down most of them were it up to me. Maybe even all of them. A lot of research would need to be completed first, see if the locals actually want us around in some countries. I doubt that many do but hey, I've been wrong plenty of times before!

[The Empire]

And I in Sweden actually pay a higher percentage off of my wellfare Insurance income as unemployed than the people who work do on their wages!

[bigbaldben]

there was a premise somewhere sometime that if they'd shut down half of the foreign military bases they'd have the money for universal healthcare system. Well fist demilitarize the middle-east and Russia, then demil- yourself.

Maintaining permanent military bases in other nations isn't just expensive: it's unjust unless the people truly want us there. I'd shut down most of them were it up to me. Maybe even all of them. A lot of research would need to be completed first, see if the locals actually want us around in some countries. I doubt that many do but hey, I've been wrong plenty of times before!

I suspect many foreign areas do not want to close bases for the simple reason that those bases employ so many civilians in the immediate areas and indirectly help fuel the local economy. That's why you don't often hear countries demanding we leave, unless there's a popular anti-American sentiment currently sweeping that country.

It's also why politicians won't even allow the DoD to close bases domestically.  That's a butt ton of people out of a job in some politicians' district.  During the hubbub about the spending cuts, DoD proposed base closures and realignment and were told unequivocally no - critics (politicians) say it's because they aren't effective enough.  I'm cynical enough to wonder if that was a bluff  by the DoD, but the fact is that there are way too many people that make a living or career based on the presence of a military base alone.

[bigbaldben]

And I in Sweden actually pay a higher percentage off of my wellfare Insurance income as unemployed than the people who work do on their wages!

Really? I had no idea.  You get money from the government, part of which you have to pay back to the government??  That's bonkers.

[Allama]

there was a premise somewhere sometime that if they'd shut down half of the foreign military bases they'd have the money for universal healthcare system. Well fist demilitarize the middle-east and Russia, then demil- yourself.

Maintaining permanent military bases in other nations isn't just expensive: it's unjust unless the people truly want us there. I'd shut down most of them were it up to me. Maybe even all of them. A lot of research would need to be completed first, see if the locals actually want us around in some countries. I doubt that many do but hey, I've been wrong plenty of times before!

I suspect many foreign areas do not want to close bases for the simple reason that those bases employ so many civilians in the immediate areas and indirectly help fuel the local economy. That's why you don't often hear countries demanding we leave, unless there's a popular anti-American sentiment currently sweeping that country.

It's also why politicians won't even allow the DoD to close bases domestically.  That's a butt ton of people out of a job in some politicians' district.  During the hubbub about the spending cuts, DoD proposed base closures and realignment and were told unequivocally no - critics (politicians) say it's because they aren't effective enough.  I'm cynical enough to wonder if that was a bluff  by the DoD, but the fact is that there are way too many people that make a living or career based on the presence of a military base alone.

Quite right, those living in the immediate vicinity of a base may wish it to remain simply because it provides so much stimulus for the local economy. I'd be more interested in how people across the entire nation felt about it.

Politicians never want to make their constituents angry. It makes cutting spending very fucking difficult. Yeah, some jobs will be lost whenever a base closes but that money could instead go to infrastructure projects that would create jobs in turn.

I wish people with true ethical integrity would win more elections so they could do the right thing instead of the thing that makes them popular... Fuck getting re-elected if it means selling out to immediate business interests over looking out for your people in the long run! Alas, our system doesn't elevate people with souls to these positions very often. If you're not deeply self-interested and ready to kiss a LOT of asses, you don't usually get far up the government ladder.

[Delfos]

there was a premise somewhere sometime that if they'd shut down half of the foreign military bases they'd have the money for universal healthcare system. Well fist demilitarize the middle-east and Russia, then demil- yourself.

Maintaining permanent military bases in other nations isn't just expensive: it's unjust unless the people truly want us there. I'd shut down most of them were it up to me. Maybe even all of them. A lot of research would need to be completed first, see if the locals actually want us around in some countries. I doubt that many do but hey, I've been wrong plenty of times before!

I suspect many foreign areas do not want to close bases for the simple reason that those bases employ so many civilians in the immediate areas and indirectly help fuel the local economy. That's why you don't often hear countries demanding we leave, unless there's a popular anti-American sentiment currently sweeping that country.

It's also why politicians won't even allow the DoD to close bases domestically.  That's a butt ton of people out of a job in some politicians' district.  During the hubbub about the spending cuts, DoD proposed base closures and realignment and were told unequivocally no - critics (politicians) say it's because they aren't effective enough.  I'm cynical enough to wonder if that was a bluff  by the DoD, but the fact is that there are way too many people that make a living or career based on the presence of a military base alone.

Yeah, we have here in Azores that case, the US scaled down their personnel and whatnot and people went nuts "oh the US is cutting ties with Portugal" "oh the US is abandoning Azores without telling us". in reality, they don't have to, and they did tell us, I went on saying I was in favor of the US closing down their foreign bases and somehow I was against Azore's economy lol. Sorry pal, americans are really cool to have around in Azores, and exporting our Azores products into murica, but lets be honest, Azores needs to get their footing through the US some other way. We don't need you in Azores, also most of us do not appreciate all them CIA flights through Azores...nor that it was the stage for the NATO decision to invade Iraq...

[Myroria]

I suspect many foreign areas do not want to close bases for the simple reason that those bases employ so many civilians in the immediate areas and indirectly help fuel the local economy. That's why you don't often hear countries demanding we leave, unless there's a popular anti-American sentiment currently sweeping that country.

It's also why politicians won't even allow the DoD to close bases domestically.  That's a butt ton of people out of a job in some politicians' district.  During the hubbub about the spending cuts, DoD proposed base closures and realignment and were told unequivocally no - critics (politicians) say it's because they aren't effective enough.  I'm cynical enough to wonder if that was a bluff  by the DoD, but the fact is that there are way too many people that make a living or career based on the presence of a military base alone.

Eisenhower famously addressed this in his farewell address (~8 minutes in), but I'm sure you heard it from him firsthand back when you were in your thirties.

Maine's mayor, Paul LePage, recently expressed his plans to eliminate the state's income tax, which the State House pf Representatives Democrats and a bipartisan Senate roundly rejected as absurd. Recently, he and his allies in the House have announced they'll block any legislation coming from Democrats until they agree to the amendment to the State Constitution eliminating the income tax.

The Republicans would rather a sales tax increase to makeup for the lost revenue:

"Rep. Wayne Parry, R-Arundel, said a sales tax increase would allow Maine to collect more from the 32 million tourists that flood the state every year."

Why the legislature couldn't increase sales taxes on tourists and keep the income tax is beyond me.

[The Empire]

It pure bonkers allright, and the former government introduced a "job tax deduction" So effectively, everyone that is forced to live on the public Health Insurance, unemployment Insurance, or wellfare has a higher tax percentage than those who work for a living. And the government fee on mineral extraction is a ridiculous 0.5% with the original land owner having no posession rights at all vs the mining companies with the government as a willing proxy (that's a relic from the pre-constitutional monarchy).

[St Oz]

I suspect many foreign areas do not want to close bases for the simple reason that those bases employ so many civilians in the immediate areas and indirectly help fuel the local economy. That's why you don't often hear countries demanding we leave, unless there's a popular anti-American sentiment currently sweeping that country.

It's also why politicians won't even allow the DoD to close bases domestically.  That's a butt ton of people out of a job in some politicians' district.  During the hubbub about the spending cuts, DoD proposed base closures and realignment and were told unequivocally no - critics (politicians) say it's because they aren't effective enough.  I'm cynical enough to wonder if that was a bluff  by the DoD, but the fact is that there are way too many people that make a living or career based on the presence of a military base alone.

Eisenhower famously addressed this in his farewell address (~8 minutes in), but I'm sure you heard it from him firsthand back when you were in your thirties.

Maine's mayor, Paul LePage, recently expressed his plans to eliminate the state's income tax, which the State House pf Representatives Democrats and a bipartisan Senate roundly rejected as absurd. Recently, he and his allies in the House have announced they'll block any legislation coming from Democrats until they agree to the amendment to the State Constitution eliminating the income tax.

The Republicans would rather a sales tax increase to makeup for the lost revenue:

"Rep. Wayne Parry, R-Arundel, said a sales tax increase would allow Maine to collect more from the 32 million tourists that flood the state every year."

Why the legislature couldn't increase sales taxes on tourists and keep the income tax is beyond me.

Quit being such a bitch, Texas has no state income tax and high sales tax, and we're doing just fine.



oh.

EDIT:

Oh more

[Delfos]

texas is really a good example of a government functioning for it's people...not.

South Dakota doesn't have state income tax and is also "doing fine" but is not a good example of a state caring for it's people. Add proper infrastructure, community development, education and healthcare and you'll be out of money really fast. I disagree it's the private sector's job and I'm more than happy to pay taxes for a social economy, access for all. Infrastructures are really decaying, let them fall or become "socialist".