You are correct, the nazis were socialists.

I cant testify to the meaning of the word conservative or liberal more than 200 years ago. I suspect it has changed over the years. Much like the definition of a life, marriage, man or woman. Im sure it was a progressive that came up with the term transgender.

I really like your analysis of the Reagan years. It sounds like you wanted us to join the bear club and wait for Stalin or Putin or someone to herd us off to the ditch. Most people would rather have the freedom that comes with your own democracy. Not much freedom in Communist China or Cuba or Russia. Weve actually had states break off form each other to form new states. Long before Reagan. Much of the nation belonged to other countries. Or would you rather have Russia still owning Alaska. Its not the TV its the channel.

I have a union card and todays unions dont represent members like they use to. Theyve sold out for their own dollar, got involved with the mob and their elections are more nasty than a presidential race. They played a role in getting better working conditions, but most federal and state laws cover most people. The unions are behind every minimum wage fight, because union wages use MW as the baseline. But, older members work all the overtime and new members make less and are put on casual status for six month or more. All the icing goes to the senior members. Ive also been on the receiving end of the teamsters in a non union shop who didnt want to join. We were treated by pickets at every stop and made to go around back to cost the company time and money. Thats not a brotherhood. Thats a mob style dues eating machine, that wont actually fight for the workers jobs. They cant even prove their worth to a bunch of truck drivers. I went to walmart for eye glasses and they told me the union wont reimburse me. So much for freedom.

You are completely wrong about business and republicans. Business donates to both parties. Warren Buffets stock is over 100,000 dollars per share and it doesnt pay dividends. He will leave his family nothing. He donate billions to the gates foundation to avoid death taxes. His income is take as capital gains at the lower rate than his secretary and so he says tax him more. Right...... Democrats want to raise taxes on dividends and that means everyone who wants to retire. So tell me, if two men have the same rights, how come one is paying the other thru a govt pimp? Would you give up your A grade and part of your term paper to help out the lazy drug tweaker in the class? Not me. But the lazy drug tweaker will vote for the democrat to take the money i earned to give it to him.

I even know a democrat that never offered his employees health care and when things got tough, he paid everyone under the table. I lost about 2 dollars an hour after declaring the income. No way was I going to look over my shoulder for seven years. One fall, they all fall.

If american business hires illegal aliens, its because they told congress to open the gate and let them in. The same democrat employer also hired illegal aliens. Its not the democrats who want the border closed. If you had actually run a business, like I have, you would begin to see the cost of labor and govt (Gary lock calls is the partner) I call it the brother inlaw that never moves out. Its not just the united states that has a shifting of labor force. Not many japanese cars are made in Japan anymore. Unions are not entitled to anything. They bargain. If they are not competitive, dont expect employers to just keep taking punches in the face. Ever complain to John Kerry about where Heinz catsup is made? Business move out, when its no longer competitive to remain in the states. Some jobs, such as steelhead jigs are mostly made overseas, because they cant find enough people here to do the work. But thats your fault because you wont pay 10.00 per jig. That would require a union member not on sick leave, at lunch, or out campaigning and driving homeless people to the voting booth.

Since american business cant support enough union members, they just took over the state and federal govt. Its much easier to steal your dues and support the union candidate. Imagine that teamster dues went to elect Reagan.

Ronald Reagan speaks from the grave!

Count down to Sept/Oct debates....Mr. above my pay grade....classic stuff.

Mf

"Democrats want to raise taxes on dividends and that means everyone who wants to retire."

Mr. Uber rich who owns 5 million shares of XYZ which pays a dollar dividend per share per year and has no other income pays...drum roll please...15% tax. You think that's fair?

Warren Buffet also has said if the top corporations paid taxes at the current corporate rate then no US citizen would have to pay any tax.

Offshoring is not just about cheap labor. It also includes lax environmental laws and sheltering $$ from US taxes. In other words we lose jobs, the tax revenue and the infusion into social security. Bottom line it's greed.

Mr. Uber Rich already paid tax on the income it took to buy those 5 million shares. and at a higher rate most likely.

I look at people's tax returns every day. I know what the affluent pay.

So your argument is he should receive $5 mil free and clear until the end of time? The rich get even richer. Good one.

"Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway." Warren Buffett.

"Tax breaks for corporations -- and their investors, particularly large ones -- were a major part of the administration's 2002 and 2003 initiatives," Buffett said. "If class warfare is being waged in America, my class is clearly winning."

Dont mention that dogfish. That just does not fit into the "those dirty rich get all the breaks" politics. The ubber libs dont like to tell people that those that pay 35% of their income(soon to be 42% or higher under OB's plan) already paid the taxes on the money they invested. Then you pay fees to invest it, fees to manage it, taxes to take it out, penalties if it is to soon, then higher taxes if you profit.
Funny that if you make a profit the govern wants a share on investment but if you loss money they dont share that burden with you. If you lost your a$$ last year for 50K it is your own tough luck but if you made 10k this year......we want our 15%. Why dont they pay 15% of the loss if you take 15% of the profit. And worse yet, if you lost money huge money last year but changed to better invest this year.....why get taxed on it....you are still in the RED, just a little less.
Those in the Lib party....the people looking for a govern handout, the mafia, I mean union, and those silver spoons who inherited fortunes, never worked a day in their lives and feel guilty about it, need to realize they are not entitled to all I worked hard for. They need to realize the money I EARN is not theirs to take and 35% is plenty for the fed considering we pay tax on all our purchases as well. This isnt a country of fee rides and no I do not want to give part of my "A" grade paper I stayed up all night working on to the frat boy that smoked a little to much and decided to midnight tacobell run was more important to him. If he gets an "F" that is unfortunate but he might learn something about work for next time. Taking half of my grade so we each get a "C" teaches him nothing and shows me that next time I might as well take the toke adn enjoy myself rather than working so hard. As a matter of fact that sound pretty good after reading many of these comments.

I didn't say that. Capital gains tax is fine by me, but it should be lower than the standard tax rate. I was just alluding to what is essentially double taxation. They paid the tax to earn the money, then pay tax on the interest or dividends that money earns. There needs to be an incentive to invest and take risk. (Opportunity cost argument, for you other economists out there) That is how new industries are born and technology improves.

C-Corps pay tax on net income, in addition to other taxes like B&O, etc. Then, as that net income is shared with the owners, shareholders or owners of closely held businesses, the owners get to pay tax on that income again.

S-Corps, Sole Propreitorships & LLC's shift profits to their owners and pay income taxes their, avoiding double taxation to a certain extent.

I am in favor of a flat tax, plain and simple. Evens out the playing field right away, and gets rid of a huge waste of funds at the IRS.

I''m neither right nor left. I make fun of everybody, and over the top liberals are easy pickings, just like over the top conservatives.

"I stayed up all night working on to the frat boy that smoked a little to much and decided to midnight tacobell run was more important to him. If he gets an "F" that is unfortunate but he might learn something about work for next time. "

Hell, in this country with the right family connections he can be elected president. Why should he study?

Not just that Chuck......but if your great grandpappy was an oil tycoon or railroad baron, or maybe owned hotels, then the next umpteen generations of that family can be worthless pieces of sh!t who do nothing but spend all their f'n money that their great grandpappy would be horrified to hear he supplied to them.

----------------

If you want taxes controlled, then the spending has to be controlled. Remember that the next time you're ballwashing your candidate and defending the obscene amounts of money they spend, and lose and waste.

How many people pay their entire tax burden to cover 40 billion dollars "lost" in Iraq? And nobody's head has rolled. Yet the Republican ballwashers still defend Bush.

How many people pay their entire tax burden to cover the 124 billion Savings & Loan scandal? Yet Democrat ballwashers were defending Cranston, Glenn and DeConcini.........and Republican ballwashers still defend McCain. How?

Until we hold responsible those who squander our money, nothing will change, and the Republic will crumble just like all that came before us. Don't think it can happen? Neither did the Romans.

Yeah, we shouldn't reward hard work or intelligence as a society, instead we should look forward to paying for Shaquanda's illigetimate kids, drug rehab, and countless other worthless social programs.

Pensions are great, but they are also what is leading to the collapse of many american companies as there work force gets older..

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/opinion/10lowenstein.html?pagewanted=print

So instead of expecting people to take care of themselves, (novel f'in thought huh) we get to burden everyone with corporate and social welfare!

Pensions are leading to the collapse of many American companies? Or poor management of pensions is leading . . .

Pensions are part of employees compensation, as in deferred compensation. If pensions are collapsing companies, then those companies really couldn't afford, and shouldn't have been hiring labor with the promise of the deferred comp.

Dividends are different from interest in that they still own the shares which can grow in value as well. The same argument can be made for rental income or just about anything you wish.

Why should I pay tax out of my paycheck? Wasn't it already taxed somewhere somehow?

Corps pay taxes on net income, unfortunately there are so many deductions and write downs, what remains to be taxed is a nit.

I too am in favor of a flat tax but with zero deductions for anybody or any entity. No more depreciation, no more R&D deduction. No more deducting children or yachts or second homes. No more corp subsidies. No more off shore money laundering. True capitalism without corp welfare on the backs of the taxpayer.

Docspud, I think you are thinking of capital gains and yes it does suck if you made $20K selling a stock only to lose $20K on another in the same year you are taxed as if you saw a $17K profit because of the $3K limit on losses. I pay a butt load of taxes mainly because I don't qualify for any deductions like most of America. Rarely has a tax cut ever benefited me.

There is a nice bar graph in the latest edition of Mother Jones magazine showing that during BushCo the only income bracket that has not dropped in real dollar value due to tax schedules, inflation, etcetera, are those making $168k/year and up.

Hmmm, no wonder my paycheck hasn't benefitted from Bushco's policies then. And to think I live with the delusion that I earn a decent living.

"Yeah, we shouldn't reward hard work or intelligence as a society, instead we should look forward to paying for Shaquanda's illigetimate kids, drug rehab, and countless other worthless social programs."

So Paris Hilton worked damn hard for what she was born into?

It's an absolute travesty of justice that Corps are able to renege on their pension obligations. It should be a class action lawsuit to sell off it's assets if necessary in order to reimburse those effected. Try reneging on the CEO's stock options and see how fast a lawsuit is filed. Or, even corps who don't renege are pulling promised retirement healthcare sending those retirees to the taxpayer to foot their bills.

Depreciation needs to stay as a deductible item. Sure, nobody ever writes a check for it, but is an incentive to invest in newer equipment and technology. It is akin to replacement reserves. It allows companies to invest in their companies to make them stronger. Some companies actually set this aside. Not all, but maybe 20% of the companies I deal with do in some form or another.

These same companies also pay sales tax on the new equipment, as long as it isn't manufacturing equipment (very broad generalization), and then they pay personal property tax on the equipment at a local level as well.

I feel similar about amortization.