I am sick of these right wing political organizations – like the CC and various evangelical groups – being allowed to evade their taxes, as if they were qualified to do so. As a matter of fact, about the only people NOT allowed to evade at least a substantial portion of their taxes are working stiffs, who have them ripped out of paychecks before they even see them.

I guess they aren’t troubled at all about chain of title questions.

What is the status of that situation, DDay?

The DNC is no happier about popular uprisings than the RNC.

Make some kind of argument other than the straw man you just presented, and I’ll respond. I never said the majority here were against “some kind of change” to the tax system. I said that the silence regarding the only change that can end the plutocracy is deafening.

Another thing about Buffet’s taxes: Virtually all of Buffet’s 50 million or so in income was “disposable income.” IOW, even if he has a million or so in annual expenses – unlikely in Buffet’s case – that leaves him 49 mill to buy a yacht, or an island, or build his own amusement park – whatever.

Whereas his secretary – and the rest of us – have monthly expenses that make a significant dent in that income. In many cases, they have no “disposable” income at all; they’re struggling just to stay afloat.

If politicos were serious about “middle class” tax cuts, they would simply raise the standard deduction. About 10 years ago, I read that the standard deduction in Japan was 35,000 dollars! Of course, we would actually have to tax corporations and the rich to be able to afford that, (sigh)

Until we break up the incredible fortunes of the plutocrats, we are going to live in a plutocracy; it’s as simple as that.

As long as we live in a plutocracy, conditions are going to get worse for the 99%, and that’s just a regrettable fact.

The only way to break up those fortunes (while restoring and expanding the safety net) is through a wealth tax. My suggestion would be a tax kicking in at 1% on a net worth and increasing to 20% annual on a net worth of a billion or more.

This suggestion is generally met with resounding silence – even when presented to the most progressive of audiences, such as FDL.

So enjoy the plutocracy folks. You must secretly like it.

This is by design. Obama hasn’t lifted a finger to help distressed homeowners – or to punish guilty bankers.

Only to convince the 99% that they still have representation.

Sometime prior to Clinton’s election, I heard a news report about Clinton’s fundraising – that he had amassed more money than Bush. Other Democrats were crowing, but I was appalled. Back when we had real Dems, they never outraised the Republicans.

The Democratic party of the working class is no more.

What we need to fix things is actually fairly simple: Lower the payroll tax (for SS and Medicare) – after lifting the cap, Institute a wealth tax 1% annual at 5 million, increasing to 20% annual at 1 billion, and fix the damned infrastructure. That’s for starters.

And we need politicians and a party that is willing to do these things.

lower the payroll tax

Jimmy Carter made a timid attempt to keep his campaign promise – to decriminalize pot – then immediately backed off at the first pushback.

How was that second term, Jimmy?

Heard him on the teevee talking about that one time (this is from memory, so may be inexact). He said, “One thing I have learned is that you can’t win reelection (to the presidency) as a Democrat without the left wing of the party.”

Obama just may prove him wrong on that; looks like he may win without my vote. But I don’t vote for people who treat me like a criminal. So we’ll see how Obama does without the fucking retards.

Hell of it is, the second amendment is a functional dead letter and has been ever since Nixon launched the “War on drugs.” If you have no right to shoot someone who comes crashing through your door, the ability to own a gun is a meaningless right.

When Nixon gutted the fourth amendment, it was the death knell for the second.

As a fellow Houstonian, let me point out that we have an Out lesbian mayor. And even though every city in the state has Democratic leadership, somehow the Republicans and Diebold win every statewide election.

Houston, BTW, is the fourth largest city in the nation.

After the stolen election of 2000, I thought this would be the major Democratic priority. Instead, the theft of more elections became the major Republican strategy and Democratic legislators simply sat around with their thumbs up their collective asses.

It’s got to be stupidity; simple self-preservation would demand action otherwise, and I can’t even imagine an excuse for allowing this persistent fraud to continue.

Ya, lemmie see: I’m gonna donate money and work to reelect somebody who wants to toss me in jail for something he admits doing, is “Drill Baby, Drillin’” more than the Repukes would have dared, has pushed three “free trade” bills that Bush couldn’t get past the Dems thru the senate – and is currently negotiating one that would make a Republican blush (It gives any foreign corp the right to violate US environmental law with impunity – and has been described as “NAFTA on steroids” (TPP Trans Pacific Partnership), just found another way to deregulate/legalize Wall Street theft….

Then I’m gonna go outside and whack my peter with a hammer – actually a far more rational course of action.