This is just another example of Trump's blatant dishonesty and malignant narcissism. He and his MAGA sycophantic courtiers take credit for something they had no part in.
AI Overview: "Most economists state that the law did very little to cool the immediate post-pandemic inflation spike, which was instead driven primarily by global supply chains and Federal Reserve monetary policy.
Critics and even some proponents note that the name was largely a misnomer; the legislation was fundamentally a climate, energy, and healthcare package rather than a direct tool to cut consumer prices in the short term."
"The United States national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time in August 2026.
The U.S. is on track to borrow more than $2 trillion this year alone, driven heavily by sweeping tax cuts, military spending, and surging interest payments on existing debt."
You never miss a chance to remind us about former President Biden's government spending, and yet never mention what Trump has done just this year alone.
The Trump Administration & HHS: President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. orchestrated a "grand bargain" with manufacturers. Utilizing the leverage of a "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) executive order, the administration pressured companies to align their U.S. pricing with the lower rates charged in other developed nations.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk: Under federal pressure, these two leading GLP-1 manufacturers agreed to slash prices for their blockbuster medications—such as Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic—bringing costs down from over $1,000 to between $245 and $350 a month for eligible consumers.
The TrumpRx Platform: Launched in early 2026, this government-sponsored, direct-to-consumer online marketplace allows consumers to purchase heavily discounted medications directly out-of-pocket without navigating traditional insurance copays.
”The Trump administration is not solely responsible.While the White House credits its "most-favored-nation" deals and the TrumpRx platform for a 3.1% year-over-year drop in prescription drug prices, experts emphasize that market competition, generic product rollouts, and the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (which allows Medicare to negotiate prices) are major driving forces.” —PBS
”Experts lauded TrumpRx, the White House's website funneling Americans to the best deals on a variety of prescription drugs, for bringing a helpful resource and more price transparency to the public.
But they said it's unclear how many Americans are making use of the service. In addition, many of the brand-name drugs it has featured are cheaper with insurance or have lower-cost generic versions sold elsewhere.
The White House said the website has generated $700 million in savings for patients but didn't explain how it reached that figure. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts last week questioned that claim in a letter to the Trump administration, saying Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has admitted that TrumpRx doesn't store patient, health or prescription information.
"Without this information, the accuracy of any claim of savings made by the Trump administration is unreliable," she wrote.
Many consumers still face high drug costs – and rising health costs overall.”
-FJ... thanks for the AI generated response. But I'm sure if you ask your favorite AI "if the TrumpRx Platform actually lowered drug prices for Americans?" You'll get a little, or perhaps a lot more nuance in the answer. Not all good, not all bad.
The Biden IRA was a green-energy $ giveaway that only threw in some Medicaid offsets to sweeten the pot for the very few Democratic legislators that gave a sh*t.
Until the average citizens of this nation actually grasp that the national debt, the great economic inequalities, and the unending wars are actually the result of our capitalist economic and political realities and are built into the system nothing is going to change. It will only get worse.
All administration's since RWR's are responsible for the present circumstances to a greater or lesser degree. Because they have all supported the system responsible for causing it all.
Ms. Shaw, Both biden and trump have a large spending problem and both of them share responsibility for our massive debt. The democrats solution is to tax while the republicans solution is to keep spending. DOGE was a good idea with the wrong messenger and wrong leader. Instead of cutting waste it just increased the cesspool. It is not surprising that the loudest voices against DOGE were the politicians because the may get caught. The name of the bill wasn't a misnomer it was a outrages lie designed to deceive the American people, it worked.
Politicians do not want to curtail spending because it would require making tough decisions like going after fraud at all levels and not funding pet worthless projects in their districts. You believe politicians work for the people, I believe they work to increase their wealth and so far I have been proven right.
Paula, and biden accomplished what specifically. Falsi has been proven wrong with his mask and distance cry. His accomplice is now going to jail and the shutdown has proven to be a disaster harming children and industry.
Close down 750 military bases, curtail the war making budget and return it to a defense budget (say 200 billion), cut ALL association with the Zionist lobby that sucks billions from the USA, stop ALL support for thr genocidal Zionist regime in israel, get the hell out of the ME entirely and leave the region's people to control their own affairs and destiny. That would be just fir starters.
Take every dime saved and invest it in programs and policies that actually benefit the American working class and poor.
But Nooooo, the facist capitalists of greed, corruption, and control can have none of actually doing anything good that makes for a more equitable and economically sustainable life for the non wealthy.
Oh, did I mention eliminating Citizen United and begin taxing corporations and the wealthy that have escaped paying their fair share for far long.
As skud continues to regurgitate the reichwing kool-aid that his Reich Marshall's feed him on FAUX Snooze and OAN, and trump Social.
The economic history of our country, at least up until 1980 was this...
Spend in a crisis and when the crisis is past and when the economy is good, save and pay down the debt. It is a central tenet of US capitalism.
Ronald Reagan upended that system. Reagan was the first to say we can grow the economy so fast, it will overcome all the deficit spending and balance that budget. Since 1980, the Reagan mix of low taxes and surging deficits has become GOP theology, undebatable and a disaster for our nation.
During the 1980s when the GOP went all in on deficits don't matter and claimed we can grow ourselves out of all debt, our debt grew at a rate of over 250%.
Then, after President Clinton signed a series of balanced budgets, the GOP won the White House again in 2000. Under George W. Bush, the Reagan policies of tax cuts paired with heavy spending returned. The result was a staggering 640% negative reversal in our fiscal balance, completely erasing a $236 billion surplus and plunging the nation into a $1.29 trillion annual deficit by 2010.
Then the next decade saw even more spending as we dealt with the pandemic.
By all accounts, our debt is large and our spending out of control as a result of Republican financial policies. It started under Reagan, continued under GW Bush and is a lit fuse on a time bomb under Trump.
But it is not just the presidents. It is their party. In the 1990s while Clinton was president, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. That bill is widely seen as the first step in finally ending the Reagan era policies of tax cuts AND increased spending. It was passed without a single GOP vote.
Here's what a few GOP leaders had to say about it...
Newt Gingrich... "I believe that that will in fact kill the current recovery and put us back in a recession."
Trent Lott... "The tax increase will kill jobs, kill economic growth, and kill any chance of real deficit reduction."
John Kasich... "This plan does not work... It will not get the deficit down. It is going to cost jobs... The problem with this plan is that it will stifle economic growth."
Phil Gramm... "I believe this program is going to break the economy... This program is a job killer... If we adopt this bill, the American people are going to pay a terrible price. I think the individual who will be shot through the heart by this bill is the average hard-working American."
Every one of these people were GOP leaders. The Democratic reconciliation bill had absolutely no GOP support. Yet everything the GOP claimed was shown to be false. The 1993 bill set the stage for the greatest economic decade in recent US history, completely reversing the illogical policies of the Reagan Admin.
Then Bush II brought the Reagan policies back again.
Sure, both Obama and Biden added to the debt. One following the greatest recession we'd seen in decades, and the other, following a worldwide pandemic. Both of those are perfect examples of times a government SHOULD spend to care for its people.
The Dems have not been perfect on the debt or our budget. But history shows the Dems have been the better party economically for the US. Since the end of the Reagan administration, the Republican Party has not proposed or sponsored a single piece of legislation designed to increase broad federal tax revenues.
The GOP financial record is clear and unassailable.
Based on their policies and actual legislation since the 1980s, the GOP, despite their words, does not believe in sound fiscal policy, federal government spending to benefit the American people, or a balanced budget.
President Trump and the current crop of MAGA Congressional leaders are just the latest in a nearly 50 year history of the GOP gaslighting the American people about our budget.
Actually, they're not driving the country over the abyss, they're speeding it right into the abyss.
When the economy collapses, on its present path it most certainly will, the multi-millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires will be the ones screaming the loudest. Maybe even jumping off buidings and bridges.
Now let's add another layer to the GOP claim, which Trump repeats ad nauseam, of fiscal sanity. Or insanity.
Since 1965 only three US presidents have actually cut US spending over the prior year. Anyone care to take a guess as to which presidents they were?
Here's a hint... there's not a Republican among them.
1965... Johnson 2010, 2012, 2013... Obama 2022, 2023... Biden
Did those three get everything right? Not at all. But did any other president in recent US history do what those three did, presiding over an actual drop in year over year US government spending?
No, they did not.
40 trillion in debt folks. While the Dems may be the party of tax and spend, to claim the GOP is the party of balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility is just plain fiction.
Keynesians love their aggregate efficiencies. It's what makes Keynesianism work. Without them, it's just p*ssing away money on non-productive assets. Minnesota and Wisconsin prove the p*ssing away parts.
Neither party is for reduced government spending because they use it to attract votes. Tax the rich is the rally cry for one party and allow massive fraud with no accountability. Tax cuts are the rally cry from the other party when the tax cuts are a false front. Lower prices on everything and then promote taxing corporations more which will increase prices for everything.
Fire all politicians and start over is the only answer. Everyone should pay Their Fair Share of taxes and promote employment not welfare. Dave, both parties are in the spend spree because it is not their money and it is far easier to blame the other party then do their job.
So Skud... you keep bringing up the "Fair/Flat" Tax ideas of some, your words, lying politicians. Because they all lie, right?
So let's look at those.
I'm willing to concede, for the sake of the discussion, that we can find 10% fraud across all platforms of government spending, including the military. If we take our current spending [X] and subtract that perceived fraud [Y] we get our total spending annually [Z]. X-Y=Z
To fund Z, which includes interest on the debt, we need income equal to Z.
We can only achieve that with a flat, everyone pays their fair share tax rate of 24%, provided everyone starts paying at the first dollar they earn. If we protect poor people and exempt the the first 20K in annual income, the rate for everyone else goes to 28%
That balances the budget. But it does nothing for Social Security, which still needs to be fixed.
Is that what you are advocating?
A simple yes, no, or I'm advocating for something else, which I'll explain will suffice.
Yes but SS is another category and is more a pre paid program that is now a separate tax. Three taxes are seized currently , FIT, SS, Medicare. If you are talking about a FIT of 28% on everyone seems to be inconsistent with assisting the lower income. There should be a graduated tax but Everyone should pay Their Fair Share. Eliminate all deductions including churches and charities which will mean the rich cannot manipulate their taxes.
10% fraud across all platforms of government would mean there is 740 billion in fraud and another 10% in waste would be 1.4 trillion so just those things alone would fund a lot of programs in this country. I know raising taxes is the rally cry but why not go after fraud and waste with the same vigor. Because we allow our elected elite to not do their job. When was the last time AOC or bernard came up with an idea to help the American Citizen.
Skud... first, no taxes are seized. We have an obligation to pay them, we're represented in Congress, which has the authority raise and levy taxes AND approve them on our behalf.
Seized is what VP Vance has been talking about multiple time over the last few weeks as it related to private businesses that do not support. He's openly called, in what most would call a socialist/ communist move, that the US government seize US businesses not supportive of the Trump Admin agenda.
Skud... I'm including in my 10% fraud and waste. I know you believe the number is higher, but like those who claim the 2020 election was rigged, you'd need to show evidence.
On the number I proposed, it is strictly income taxes.
Confiscation: To take property or items away using legal authority or force (e.g., "Police seized the illegal goods"). I know of few people who voluntarily give the money to government. It is a necessary legal seizure that the political elite us to control the populace. The rally cry tax the rich is popular because there are so few "rich" unless it is obama rich which was targeted at the middle class business owner. I have no problem paying my fair share of taxes. I just wish we had politicians that were honest enough to spend it on the taxpayer instead of their pet bribes. 10% fraud and waste is just a start. Why was their such an outcry from politicians about DOGE, they may be caught and their slush fund go away.
Geeez Skud... the government does not seize our money to "control the populace". Since the Constitution grants the government the power to levy taxes and fees, I'm guessing the founding fathers conservatives are so fond of citing, did not see taxation withrepresentation as negatively as you do.
But maybe you are correct and they were wrong.
Seriously Skud... you have GDS... Government Derangement Syndrome. What happened to you as a youngster? You hate the left, revere the right, reserve your snark only for progressives and never ever criticize your own political favorites. Maybe none exist? And since you've stated you can't stand Trump, he doesn't qualify as a favorite.
Not everyone in government is a bad person, works for bribes and wants to take away your freedoms. It's just not true.
BTW... recovering illegally obtained property is indeed seizing. Carrying out a legally mandated function, that happens to involve fees and taxes, is not seizing. Per legal definitions.
But again, since you are smarter than our founders, you could be right. But I doubt it.
Dave, The government and our elected elite use the tax system to buy votes so they can control the populace. Raise taxes on billionaires, raise taxes on corporations, lower taxes on the poor. These statements are all about appealing to the voter so they can stay in power. Establish a budget and stay within it like companies and individuals have to do. They treat taxes as a means to their end and we will never know the true amount of waste and fraud because it is not in the best interest of the politicians and they will block it, IE Doge.
GDS is an interesting phrase. I don' hate the left although I don't think they stand for much. Revere the right should be revere the fiscal conservative of which neither party is. I really don't have any political favorites and prefer to support those who believe as I do, which you do as well. My problem is there are few who believe as I do so I will remain an independent.
Seize is a verb pronounced /siːz/ that means to take hold of something suddenly, forcefully, or by legal authority. I have never claimed to be the smartest person in the room just a person who worked hard all my life and hate to see the results of my labor wasted by our incompetent leaders. There are a lot of good government employees trying to navigate a bloated system to provide a service but our politicians are not part of that group.
I hope one day to become enlightened so I can spew truth and wisdom.
Well skud, until you actually see, and accept what actually lies at the very heart of our fiscal and social dislocation there is slim to no chance your hope will be realized.
trump and his party (as well as those suporting them) are all dishonest. Either that, or they're just ignorant.
ReplyDeleteThe should have been named the great biden give away because as proven it didn't curtail inflation and wasteful government spending.
ReplyDeleteAI Overview: "Most economists state that the law did very little to cool the immediate post-pandemic inflation spike, which was instead driven primarily by global supply chains and Federal Reserve monetary policy.
DeleteCritics and even some proponents note that the name was largely a misnomer; the legislation was fundamentally a climate, energy, and healthcare package rather than a direct tool to cut consumer prices in the short term."
Skud, what do you have to say about this?
Delete"The United States national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time in August 2026.
The U.S. is on track to borrow more than $2 trillion this year alone, driven heavily by sweeping tax cuts, military spending, and surging interest payments on existing debt."
You never miss a chance to remind us about former President Biden's government spending, and yet never mention what Trump has done just this year alone.
He loves stolen valor and stealing other people's, like Biden's, accomplishments. Deplorable and despicable.
ReplyDeleteKey Figures and Initiatives
DeleteThe Trump Administration & HHS: President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. orchestrated a "grand bargain" with manufacturers. Utilizing the leverage of a "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) executive order, the administration pressured companies to align their U.S. pricing with the lower rates charged in other developed nations.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk: Under federal pressure, these two leading GLP-1 manufacturers agreed to slash prices for their blockbuster medications—such as Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic—bringing costs down from over $1,000 to between $245 and $350 a month for eligible consumers.
The TrumpRx Platform: Launched in early 2026, this government-sponsored, direct-to-consumer online marketplace allows consumers to purchase heavily discounted medications directly out-of-pocket without navigating traditional insurance copays.
”The Trump administration is not solely responsible.While the White House credits its "most-favored-nation" deals and the TrumpRx platform for a 3.1% year-over-year drop in prescription drug prices, experts emphasize that market competition, generic product rollouts, and the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (which allows Medicare to negotiate prices) are major driving forces.” —PBS
Delete”Experts lauded TrumpRx, the White House's website funneling Americans to the best deals on a variety of prescription drugs, for bringing a helpful resource and more price transparency to the public.
DeleteBut they said it's unclear how many Americans are making use of the service. In addition, many of the brand-name drugs it has featured are cheaper with insurance or have lower-cost generic versions sold elsewhere.
The White House said the website has generated $700 million in savings for patients but didn't explain how it reached that figure. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts last week questioned that claim in a letter to the Trump administration, saying Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has admitted that TrumpRx doesn't store patient, health or prescription information.
"Without this information, the accuracy of any claim of savings made by the Trump administration is unreliable," she wrote.
Many consumers still face high drug costs – and rising health costs overall.”
-FJ... thanks for the AI generated response. But I'm sure if you ask your favorite AI "if the TrumpRx Platform actually lowered drug prices for Americans?" You'll get a little, or perhaps a lot more nuance in the answer. Not all good, not all bad.
DeleteThe Biden IRA was a green-energy $ giveaway that only threw in some Medicaid offsets to sweeten the pot for the very few Democratic legislators that gave a sh*t.
DeleteUntil the average citizens of this nation actually grasp that the national debt, the great economic inequalities, and the unending wars are actually the result of our capitalist economic and political realities and are built into the system nothing is going to change. It will only get worse.
ReplyDeleteAll administration's since RWR's are responsible for the present circumstances to a greater or lesser degree. Because they have all supported the system responsible for causing it all.
Ms. Shaw, Both biden and trump have a large spending problem and both of them share responsibility for our massive debt. The democrats solution is to tax while the republicans solution is to keep spending. DOGE was a good idea with the wrong messenger and wrong leader. Instead of cutting waste it just increased the cesspool. It is not surprising that the loudest voices against DOGE were the politicians because the may get caught. The name of the bill wasn't a misnomer it was a outrages lie designed to deceive the American people, it worked.
ReplyDeletePoliticians do not want to curtail spending because it would require making tough decisions like going after fraud at all levels and not funding pet worthless projects in their districts. You believe politicians work for the people, I believe they work to increase their wealth and so far I have been proven right.
Paula, and biden accomplished what specifically. Falsi has been proven wrong with his mask and distance cry. His accomplice is now going to jail and the shutdown has proven to be a disaster harming children and industry.
Close down 750 military bases, curtail the war making budget and return it to a defense budget (say 200 billion), cut ALL association with the Zionist lobby that sucks billions from the USA, stop ALL support for thr genocidal Zionist regime in israel, get the hell out of the ME entirely and leave the region's people to control their own affairs and destiny. That would be just fir starters.
ReplyDeleteTake every dime saved and invest it in programs and policies that actually benefit the American working class and poor.
But Nooooo, the facist capitalists of greed, corruption, and control can have none of actually doing anything good that makes for a more equitable and economically sustainable life for the non wealthy.
Oh, did I mention eliminating Citizen United and begin taxing corporations and the wealthy that have escaped paying their fair share for far long.
As skud continues to regurgitate the reichwing kool-aid that his Reich Marshall's feed him on FAUX Snooze and OAN, and trump Social.
Here's some history that bears a little heeding.
ReplyDeleteThe economic history of our country, at least up until 1980 was this...
Spend in a crisis and when the crisis is past and when the economy is good, save and pay down the debt. It is a central tenet of US capitalism.
Ronald Reagan upended that system. Reagan was the first to say we can grow the economy so fast, it will overcome all the deficit spending and balance that budget. Since 1980, the Reagan mix of low taxes and surging deficits has become GOP theology, undebatable and a disaster for our nation.
During the 1980s when the GOP went all in on deficits don't matter and claimed we can grow ourselves out of all debt, our debt grew at a rate of over 250%.
Then, after President Clinton signed a series of balanced budgets, the GOP won the White House again in 2000. Under George W. Bush, the Reagan policies of tax cuts paired with heavy spending returned. The result was a staggering 640% negative reversal in our fiscal balance, completely erasing a $236 billion surplus and plunging the nation into a $1.29 trillion annual deficit by 2010.
Then the next decade saw even more spending as we dealt with the pandemic.
By all accounts, our debt is large and our spending out of control as a result of Republican financial policies. It started under Reagan, continued under GW Bush and is a lit fuse on a time bomb under Trump.
But it is not just the presidents. It is their party. In the 1990s while Clinton was president, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. That bill is widely seen as the first step in finally ending the Reagan era policies of tax cuts AND increased spending. It was passed without a single GOP vote.
Here's what a few GOP leaders had to say about it...
Newt Gingrich... "I believe that that will in fact kill the current recovery and put us back in a recession."
Trent Lott... "The tax increase will kill jobs, kill economic growth, and kill any chance of real deficit reduction."
John Kasich... "This plan does not work... It will not get the deficit down. It is going to cost jobs... The problem with this plan is that it will stifle economic growth."
Phil Gramm... "I believe this program is going to break the economy... This program is a job killer... If we adopt this bill, the American people are going to pay a terrible price. I think the individual who will be shot through the heart by this bill is the average hard-working American."
Every one of these people were GOP leaders. The Democratic reconciliation bill had absolutely no GOP support. Yet everything the GOP claimed was shown to be false. The 1993 bill set the stage for the greatest economic decade in recent US history, completely reversing the illogical policies of the Reagan Admin.
Then Bush II brought the Reagan policies back again.
Sure, both Obama and Biden added to the debt. One following the greatest recession we'd seen in decades, and the other, following a worldwide pandemic. Both of those are perfect examples of times a government SHOULD spend to care for its people.
The Dems have not been perfect on the debt or our budget. But history shows the Dems have been the better party economically for the US. Since the end of the Reagan administration, the Republican Party has not proposed or sponsored a single piece of legislation designed to increase broad federal tax revenues.
The GOP financial record is clear and unassailable.
ReplyDeleteBased on their policies and actual legislation since the 1980s, the GOP, despite their words, does not believe in sound fiscal policy, federal government spending to benefit the American people, or a balanced budget.
President Trump and the current crop of MAGA Congressional leaders are just the latest in a nearly 50 year history of the GOP gaslighting the American people about our budget.
And driving our country into a ditch. Again...
MAGAism isn't driving our country into a ditch, Dave. It's driving ot over the abyss.
ReplyDeleteActually, they're not driving the country over the abyss, they're speeding it right into the abyss.
DeleteWhen the economy collapses, on its present path it most certainly will, the multi-millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires will be the ones screaming the loudest. Maybe even jumping off buidings and bridges.
History repeating itself.
Now let's add another layer to the GOP claim, which Trump repeats ad nauseam, of fiscal sanity. Or insanity.
ReplyDeleteSince 1965 only three US presidents have actually cut US spending over the prior year. Anyone care to take a guess as to which presidents they were?
Here's a hint... there's not a Republican among them.
1965... Johnson
2010, 2012, 2013... Obama
2022, 2023... Biden
Did those three get everything right? Not at all. But did any other president in recent US history do what those three did, presiding over an actual drop in year over year US government spending?
No, they did not.
40 trillion in debt folks. While the Dems may be the party of tax and spend, to claim the GOP is the party of balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility is just plain fiction.
40 trillion in debt folks
ReplyDeleteover 25% of that added during Trump's 5 1/2 years in office. Republicans don't care until a Dems in office. Then they raise holy hell.
100% Accurate Craig. It the economic equivalent of every election is fraudulent unless a Republican wins. Then it's 100% accurate.
DeleteWasn't it Nixon that said: We're all Keynesian's now? And republicans have been proving it true every since.
ReplyDeleteActually... Milton Friedman. The full statement was ""In one sense, we are all Keynesians now; in another, nobody is any longer a Keynesian."
DeleteKeynesians love their aggregate efficiencies. It's what makes Keynesianism work. Without them, it's just p*ssing away money on non-productive assets. Minnesota and Wisconsin prove the p*ssing away parts.
DeleteScott Bessent knows his Keynes.
DeleteNeither party is for reduced government spending because they use it to attract votes. Tax the rich is the rally cry for one party and allow massive fraud with no accountability. Tax cuts are the rally cry from the other party when the tax cuts are a false front. Lower prices on everything and then promote taxing corporations more which will increase prices for everything.
ReplyDeleteFire all politicians and start over is the only answer. Everyone should pay Their Fair Share of taxes and promote employment not welfare.
Dave, both parties are in the spend spree because it is not their money and it is far easier to blame the other party then do their job.
So Skud... you keep bringing up the "Fair/Flat" Tax ideas of some, your words, lying politicians. Because they all lie, right?
ReplyDeleteSo let's look at those.
I'm willing to concede, for the sake of the discussion, that we can find 10% fraud across all platforms of government spending, including the military. If we take our current spending [X] and subtract that perceived fraud [Y] we get our total spending annually [Z]. X-Y=Z
To fund Z, which includes interest on the debt, we need income equal to Z.
We can only achieve that with a flat, everyone pays their fair share tax rate of 24%, provided everyone starts paying at the first dollar they earn. If we protect poor people and exempt the the first 20K in annual income, the rate for everyone else goes to 28%
That balances the budget. But it does nothing for Social Security, which still needs to be fixed.
Is that what you are advocating?
A simple yes, no, or I'm advocating for something else, which I'll explain will suffice.
Yes but SS is another category and is more a pre paid program that is now a separate tax. Three taxes are seized currently , FIT, SS, Medicare. If you are talking about a FIT of 28% on everyone seems to be inconsistent with assisting the lower income. There should be a graduated tax but Everyone should pay Their Fair Share. Eliminate all deductions including churches and charities which will mean the rich cannot manipulate their taxes.
ReplyDelete10% fraud across all platforms of government would mean there is 740 billion in fraud and another 10% in waste would be 1.4 trillion so just those things alone would fund a lot of programs in this country. I know raising taxes is the rally cry but why not go after fraud and waste with the same vigor. Because we allow our elected elite to not do their job. When was the last time AOC or bernard came up with an idea to help the American Citizen.
Skud... first, no taxes are seized. We have an obligation to pay them, we're represented in Congress, which has the authority raise and levy taxes AND approve them on our behalf.
ReplyDeleteSeized is what VP Vance has been talking about multiple time over the last few weeks as it related to private businesses that do not support. He's openly called, in what most would call a socialist/ communist move, that the US government seize US businesses not supportive of the Trump Admin agenda.
Skud... I'm including in my 10% fraud and waste. I know you believe the number is higher, but like those who claim the 2020 election was rigged, you'd need to show evidence.
On the number I proposed, it is strictly income taxes.
Confiscation: To take property or items away using legal authority or force (e.g., "Police seized the illegal goods").
ReplyDeleteI know of few people who voluntarily give the money to government. It is a necessary legal seizure that the political elite us to control the populace. The rally cry tax the rich is popular because there are so few "rich" unless it is obama rich which was targeted at the middle class business owner.
I have no problem paying my fair share of taxes. I just wish we had politicians that were honest enough to spend it on the taxpayer instead of their pet bribes.
10% fraud and waste is just a start. Why was their such an outcry from politicians about DOGE, they may be caught and their slush fund go away.
Geeez Skud... the government does not seize our money to "control the populace". Since the Constitution grants the government the power to levy taxes and fees, I'm guessing the founding fathers conservatives are so fond of citing, did not see taxation withrepresentation as negatively as you do.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe you are correct and they were wrong.
Seriously Skud... you have GDS... Government Derangement Syndrome. What happened to you as a youngster? You hate the left, revere the right, reserve your snark only for progressives and never ever criticize your own political favorites. Maybe none exist? And since you've stated you can't stand Trump, he doesn't qualify as a favorite.
Not everyone in government is a bad person, works for bribes and wants to take away your freedoms. It's just not true.
BTW... recovering illegally obtained property is indeed seizing. Carrying out a legally mandated function, that happens to involve fees and taxes, is not seizing. Per legal definitions.
But again, since you are smarter than our founders, you could be right. But I doubt it.
Doubt is a good and very needed activity to arrive at truth and wisdom...
ReplyDeleteReified beliefs and willingly accepted conditioning are activities that will most often result a lack of truth and wisdom.
skud falls in the latter.
Dave, The government and our elected elite use the tax system to buy votes so they can control the populace. Raise taxes on billionaires, raise taxes on corporations, lower taxes on the poor. These statements are all about appealing to the voter so they can stay in power. Establish a budget and stay within it like companies and individuals have to do. They treat taxes as a means to their end and we will never know the true amount of waste and fraud because it is not in the best interest of the politicians and they will block it, IE Doge.
ReplyDeleteGDS is an interesting phrase. I don' hate the left although I don't think they stand for much. Revere the right should be revere the fiscal conservative of which neither party is. I really don't have any political favorites and prefer to support those who believe as I do, which you do as well. My problem is there are few who believe as I do so I will remain an independent.
Seize is a verb pronounced /siːz/ that means to take hold of something suddenly, forcefully, or by legal authority.
I have never claimed to be the smartest person in the room just a person who worked hard all my life and hate to see the results of my labor wasted by our incompetent leaders. There are a lot of good government employees trying to navigate a bloated system to provide a service but our politicians are not part of that group.
I hope one day to become enlightened so I can spew truth and wisdom.
Well skud, until you actually see, and accept what actually lies at the very heart of our fiscal and social dislocation there is slim to no chance your hope will be realized.
DeleteBut good luck. I'm pulling for ya.
I hope so too Skud...
ReplyDelete