Flat Tax Scheme An Outrage

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Sunday's Janesville Gazette contained an article by Cagle Cartoon writer Tom Purcell titled,”This tax scheme might be too clever” in which he carries on a conversation with an imaginary individual who thinks the tax code is so unfair it discourages the will for many to earn more money. The story's intentions are purely humorous and need to be understood in that way, but it does mix in some statistics in an attempt to prove that the rich pay too much tax as it is.

JG Excerpt:
According to the New York Times, the top 20 percent of income earners paid 67.1 percent of all federal taxes. But families in the bottom 40 percent paid no federal income tax – yet they still received money back from the government.”

What is completely omitted here is the percentage of the total national income the top 20 percent collected. In 2000 the top 20 percent income earners collected more than 58.7 percent of all the income earned in the entire country. Seven years later under Bush, it may even be closer to that 67 percent mark. So if you’re in the bracket earning 75 percent of all the income, your bracket should pay 75 percent of all the taxes required by government to pay its bills. Of course, as an individual you’re not paying 75% of your income in taxes.

Remember, you are not taxed on an individual basis, nor are you taxed on profit margins. Tax formulas are all about dollars, nothing else. Imagine if you earned 100% of all the income in the country – guess what? You would pay 100% of ALL the taxes. It’s not rocket science.

An Unequal exchange
Make a mere statement of fact-say, for example, that the top 20 percent of households in the United States hold 85% of the marketable wealth.

Purcell’s imaginary friend concludes then that the only way to pay less tax is to earn less income and finally explains that his dream is to eventually earn nothing. Boatloads of common sense here. Again, this article is written jokingly and the only thing clever about it is the message buried within – that the top 20 percent wealthiest, hardly your average Janesville Gazette reader, are being robbed of their wealth and only a flat tax rate can save them.

There is another implication of unfairness towards the 80% poorest in this article. That because the cost of health benefits, pensions and workers comp are taken for granted by employees, ungrateful workers don’t realize the total cost of employing them is really 30% higher than their paycheck shows. Not if Bush can help it. Part of the President's healthcare plan unveiled during his State of the Union message included the provision that employer-paid healthcare benefits will be considered as non-taxable income for the employees. Talk about a scheme. What better way to hand out a tax cut and a raise at the same time and still not have an extra penny to show for. The lower 80 apparently are not paying their fair share in taxes, but lets give the wealthy more tax cuts and make them permanent.

This article appeared on page 9 in today’s main section of the Gazette and probably would have made sense to some gullible people had the Gazette not printed an unavoidable piece of reality on page 3. Here the McClatchy-Tribune reported that the poor grew by 26 percent from 2000 to ’05 and that record numbers are living in poverty. That this comes on the heels of the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest is merely a coincidence? Think again. It must be enlightening to Purcell’s imaginary friend that record numbers are living the life he dreams of and wants to make living in poverty his goal, just because he doesn’t want to pay taxes.

JG Excerpt:
Democrats in Congress will surely raise taxes -- they'll encourage me to work even less!"

I’ve got a better idea, if you got rich in America despite of the Democrats or don’t want to work and earn more money out of the fear of taxes – find your dreamland somewhere else and leave the country.

Ryan's First Tour Of Duty Report

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Now that Rep. Paul Ryan is back from his first tour of duty in Iraq, we can all breathe a little easier knowing that he supports the idea that if by the end of the summer this troop surge is not working we will have to start withdrawing the troops.

Lets not fool ourselves folks, the House or the Senate are basically powerless to do anything about this war no matter what statements they make or resolutions they pass. This war belongs to Bush, his administration and to a lesser extent, the Republicans. They broke it, they own it and we must not allow ourselves (democrats) to get caught in a scapegoat trap. Ryan’s comments were promising because as I’ve said here before, it doesn’t matter how right or how much noise the Democrats make, nobody is listening. The narrow-minded pro-war supporters still believe WMD are in Iraq, Saddam was connected to 9/11 and that our presence there has thwarted terror attacks here. Democrats are never going to convince this bunch of anything otherwise.

One of the things I gathered from Ryan's comments was the fact that he laid out what many democrats have been asking for – a timeline. He said that if things don’t go well within six months we must go to plan B and begin withdrawing troops. I have to assume that his idea of things not going well is either the Iraqi’s don’t step up to plate and take control of their own country or that opposition to our occupation has grown. He made it clear, it’s the Iraqi’s last chance.

Brian W.(blogger):
Wow. Sounds like surrender or defeat are a liberal's ONLY options. Hey, why not? The Democrats caused the deaths of millions by fleeing Vietnam and refusing to support our allies there (anybody here remember the killing fields of Cambodia? That was the result of a liberal victory).

There's nothing like the element of surprise during a war I say, I'm just glad it was Ryan who said it. After six months Ryan gives the clear impression he would support troop withdrawal.

MSNBC Excerpt:
“In my mind, if by the end of the summer, it’s clear that this isn’t working, we’re going to have to go to Plan B and start withdrawing troops.” – Paul Ryan

Of course we can also assume that if Iraqis gain control or the insurgency pulls back and the violence subsides within six months, things are going well and our troops would no longer be needed there and a drawdown would finally begin. Either way, Ryan stated a timeline consisting of a mid-way check point of three months within a a six month last chance plan.

Pundit Nation Excerpt:
"This whole thing is a big gamble, but it's probably the best gamble to take before throwing in the towel and allowing sectarian genocide to take over," said Ryan, who was visiting Iraq for the first time.

Throwing in the towel?! You're not trying to embolden the enemy, are you? Again, I’m not trying to make it look like Ryan knows what he’s talking about, I’m just convinced that all of the decisions regarding this war have been made by Bush and his Republicans, and nothing will change until they say so. We need to keep it that way.

Ask a Republican: People or Profits?

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Once upon a time in America, you weren’t faced with a choice of either people or profits. You had them both. During that period, sometime before Ronald Reagan, the American economy was driven by employees and customers with profits however small or big shared by nearly everyone, relatively speaking. We didn’t know how good we had it back then, and certainly don’t realize how poor we have it now.

Today, American companies and manufacturers flee to areas around the world, employing cheap labor and operating in unregulated environments, all in the name they tell us, to sell for less. Things which really count for our quality of life that cannot be outsourced like gasoline, energy, hospitals, healthcare, housing, pharmaceuticals, private utilities, and local business monopolies are all still operating in that prosperous American economy, an economy based on selling for the highest prices the market will bear. All the while serving customers competing in a global economy whose compensation and wages are based more and more on the lowest the market will bear. Things are more complicated than that for sure, but grasping this simple concept is a big step to understanding why some of us are doing so well, while others are doing so poorly.

This is why I believe Democrats are trying to help level the playing field for everyone, before its too late. They are not afraid to use government as the great equalizer for the good of its people and recognize that greedy capitalists and corporatists are draining hard earned dollars from those living here on global market wages.

In his State of the State speech, Gov. Doyle says he may have found a way to tax one of the worst offenders of this imbalance without passing the tax onto consumers.

State of the State:
Tonight, I propose an oil company assessment of two and a half percent per barrel to support our transportation needs. It will be illegal for them to pass the fee on to consumers … with criminal penalties if they break the law. Let’s turn the tables on big oil, and give Wisconsin families a break.

If it is legal and durable, it is possible that Gov. Doyle may have found the “Holy Grail” everyone has been looking for to exert fiscal justice against price gouging and windfall profits at its highest levels.

Naysayers and supporters of profits over people have tremendous wealth and media tools at their disposal and will try to quash this plan before it gains any traction. They will try to pretend that taxes collected by the state somehow benefit Doyle and not the people. Nothing can be more preposterous. That other states have tried similar ideas with limited success is no cause for concern, Wisconsin Democrats know this tool needs to be sharpened.

That is why State Senator Judy Robson is requesting support on this matter and has issued a letter encouraging input from Wisconsin residents. Those dollars confiscated at the pump by Big Oil are lost forever if we do nothing.

In Rock County it is important to write a letter or speak to your Republican Representatives, local newspapers and organizations like the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) expressing your views and asking them where they stand. For people or profits? Don’t be discouraged if they sidestep your question or refuse to answer because if they do, you’ll know they’re not for you.

Write to:
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
Republican Assembly Leader Scott Fitzgerald
Rep. Brett Davis - 80th Assembly District
Rep. Scott Gunderson - 83rd Assembly District
Rep. Stephen Nass - 31st Assembly District
Rep. Thomas Lothian - 32nd Assembly District
Sen. Neal Kedzie - 11th Senate District

Church and State: Depends on which Church

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One of the controversial stories being tossed around lately in southern Wisconsin is the one involving a Christian based group of athletic ordained ministers known as the Power Team. Since I am a Christian, the only way I felt I could demonstrate my own perspective on this subject was to remove my own bias and change the religious nature of the organization from Christian to Islamic. Of course there are huge differences between the two religions, but I recognize the fact they are both religions.

(Note: This story is true. However, the names have been changed and the photo has been pixelated and modified to add realism to this work of fiction. Any similarities with real people or places are coincidental.)

The Arabian Knights are a group of mullahs and Islamic clerics who give motivational speeches to corporate groups, schools and other civic gatherings. Arabian Knights members wear colorful uniforms topped off with a white turban and use feats of strength, such as ripping telephone books in half and bending steel bars to spread a message of academic excellence, abstinence and personal choices. It’s members believe that the basic tenets of Islam such as avoiding mixed bathing, abstinence and regular fasting are well suited to help children defeat growing problems like obesity and the pressures of promiscuity and materialism they face in a liberal based society. Besides, since the horrific events of 9/11, they believe this is a good opportunity to educate people about Islam and smooth out some of the old suspicions and hostilities. The faith-based group does not however promote Islam during a school show, and have promised officials to never mention religion.


Their Web site bills the performing muscular mullahs as having the power to help two or three out of every 10 people accept Allah. Their mission statement is "To reach people with the words of Muhammad which an ordinary mosque meeting or event cannot. Drawing people through the use of performing visually explosive and spectacular feats of strength by incredible athletes who share with them the life-changing message of the Quran."

The Arabian Knights have been performing at hundreds of public schools throughout the country and were scheduled to appear in Latache, Tennesse, when a resident expressed concern about the groups religious background. The school district and four others, quickly canceled a series of March assemblies. Qassim Khalizad, the Arabian Knights marketing and events director, said the group tailors each show to fit its audience and never have and never will mention the two no-no’s of public schools – religion and politics. Khalizad said, ”We’ve performed in over 6,000 schools now, and this is the first time we’ve ever had a show canceled out of concern about our message.”
(end of fiction)

Question: Does this change your perspective at all about the separation of church and state?

Certain religious groups, think tanks and media outlets blame far-left groups for this most recent church – state debate.

JM Excerpt:
“These far-left fringe groups want to instill a sense of fear in Americans that anything with religious undertones is off limits in a public setting.” – Brian Rooney, Thomas More Law Center spokesman

He must be talking about me because I injected a religion other than Christianity into this debate or he might mean the lone person who spoke out in opposition to the group. Everybody knows that dissenters and questioners of authority or the status quo must be far-left radicals.

However, some parents have growing concerns over this and wish their children not be exposed to any sort of religious indoctrination.

God has been kicked out of the public schools.

What a thing to say—to presume that Almighty God can be kicked out of anywhere. No, as James Dunn is want to say, “God has a perfect attendance record.”

Touché.

Related Links:

John Foust: Power Opinion
Truth about Church and State

Doyle Puts State Ahead Of Career

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There is no better compliment a politician can receive than to have a political journalist accuse you of selflessly putting the welfare of the people ahead of your own political ambitions. Such is the case of an article written by Stan Milam of Capitol News Service, in an article titled “Liberal leanings leave Gov. Doyle looking lame.” Here, Milam writes….

JG Excerpt:(no link available at this time)
Democratic Governor Jim Doyle sounds like a lame duck governor just weeks into his new term. Could it be that Doyle has already decided he’s two and out? Why else would Doyle come out of the chutes calling for tax increases.

I don’t know where Stan’s been for the last 6 years but several things are at play here and I will give away a few of them without giving away the ship. 1. Timing. Doyle is playing the over-hyped booming, expanding Republican economy like a fiddle with the simple idea that if you can’t raise taxes during such a time to pay the bills, when can you? When the economy is weak? Certainly state Republicans can’t argue with that and even if they do, where is their plan of spending cuts to hold back the tax hikes? Mind you, the only way government can pay its bills is through the collection of taxes and raising them at any time can be political suicide, so the governor is taking a bit of a gamble.

Locally in Janesville, I haven’t seen one Republican politician or non-partisan taxwatch group march into school board conference meetings, city hall or the county building explaining to local leaders the millions of dollars in jobs they must cut so Doyle won’t have to raise our point of use taxes. Now that would be suicide. I use the label Republicans instead of Conservatives because there is absolutely no proof that Republicans are conservative. No.2 Timing, again. A seasoned pro like Stan must know by now that people have short memories. If Doyle must raise some taxes at some point because nobody is willing to cut back, you don’t do it in the third or fourth year of your term. That too would be suicide. Nobody will remember the tax increases now, if they produce a balanced budget later. But if this doesn’t work, it will be a lot of fun listening to Republican hopefuls running for governor next time around when they explain to us how they will rollback hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue (jobs) and still balance the budget.

JG Excerpt:
Despite the criticism, Doyle is moving ahead with his controversial proposals in a manner reminiscent of a governor not having to worry about another re-election campaign.

If Doyle can balance the budget without playing Republican tricks like tax shifting or cutting out basic programs, you’re right, Doyle won’t have to worry about his next election campaign, he will be a shoe-in. No matter what happens, Milam is right about one thing, Governor Doyle is making some tough choices for the good of the state without thinking about himself. We need more leaders like this, a lot more.

Van Hollen Requests Doubling Tax Burden

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While the evidence gathered from the tragic Lentz murders in Rock County hasn’t produced murder charges just yet. People are beginning to wonder, what’s the hang-up?

JG Sound off excerpt:
Regarding Sunday’s story on the Lentz murders, taking over a month to process the evidence is an extremely long time. The Gazette should investigate. Maybe they do not have enough evidence and its just a stall tactic.

You do have a point. The editors around here do tend to try, convict and publicly ostracize people in their newspapers without waiting for such trivial evidence as dna results. So why not investigate the crime labs? Well, the State’s Attorney in charge of the DNA labs happens to be a Republican and one of the Gazette’s hand-picked endorsements. Investigate? Not on your life, not on anyones life.

The incumbent Lautenschlager and her democratic counterpart Falk insisted the crime lab needed 15 additional DNA specialists. What did J.B Van Hollen say about that during his campaign? He casually disagreed with the Democrats saying the crime lab would operate more efficiently under his guidance and occasional heavier loads could be outsourced, saving the taxpayer big money. In other words, he apparently didn’t know what he was talking about back then. But now, doing a complete flip-flop, he's an expert.

(About Doyle)
“I'm convinced that he understands and recognizes that we're the experts in the field, that we know what we need to correct the backlog in the crime lab,” said Van Hollen, a Republican. “I'm confident we'll be able to get the position authority we'll need.”

Granted, with the DA office in transition he’s barely had the chance to measure the curtains so to speak, but it turns out after just a few months he wants to double the size of his opponents request from 15 to 31 new DNA techs. In effect, doubling the labs anticipated tax load on the state budget, but what does he care? The tax hike won’t be on his dime, because everybody knows, only democrats tax and spend.

Money Trumps Peace

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During a press conference this morning, the commander-in-chief was asked if it matters that many of our allies have businesses and investments in Iran, and how this may impact plans to deal with Iran. He replied..........


Money Trumps Peace by Cindy Sheehan

Common Dreams excerpt:
“Money trumps peace” should be the rallying call of all the Democrats and Republicans who are exploiting our tired and wounded soldiers in the field to justify handing BushCo more money to complete his mission of totally decimating the Middle East for the oil companies, construction contractors, and defense industries.

Read This Before You Buy/Sell Home

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Want to watch the value of your home plummet in a single keystroke? Are you having trouble selling your home and wonder why? Are you looking to buy a home and want to know if a released sex offender lives nearby?

JG Sound Off Excerpt:
Regarding a Web site for sex offenders, a really good one is at familywatchdog.us. You can go on there and it will pop up a map and show everyone in your area. You can zoom in and out. Please educate yourself. -- Anonymous