Did you Vote?

[Frosty]

I’m just a little curious... it would seem that by some of the posts here, there was NO “mess” before President Bush took office, and he has done all the damage himself.
Is that correct?
And Obama is going to solve all of these problems right?

Only time will tell if Obama is truly as great as you think he is. (I hope you are right)

Don't get me wrong, I am all for improvements to our country.
It's just scary to think people can be swayed to only see one person’s shortcomings and not the shortcomings of the leader they follow. The word "Cult" comes to mind.
And NO I am not saying Obama is a cult leader with this, so don't go there. It's just that the higher you put someone on a pedestal, the more damage they do when they fall.

[elsegundo]

obama's not gonna solve all our problems. people who say that havent really thought about it and probably parroting what someone else has said.

[Shaden]

I’m just a little curious... it would seem that by some of the posts here, there was NO “mess” before President Bush took office, and he has done all the damage himself.
Is that correct?
And Obama is going to solve all of these problems right?

Only time will tell if Obama is truly as great as you think he is. (I hope you are right)

Don't get me wrong, I am all for improvements to our country.
It's just scary to think people can be swayed to only see one person’s shortcomings and not the shortcomings of the leader they follow. The word "Cult" comes to mind.
And NO I am not saying Obama is a cult leader with this, so don't go there. It's just that the higher you put someone on a pedestal, the more damage they do when they fall.[/font][/color][/size]

No where in my post did I claim that Obama was 'great' or express blind obedience. I simply said I was thrilled he won. Sure some things were broke when Bush took office, a lot of things had been broken for years, in particular the disparity of wealth in this country which is greater than in any other industrialized nation.

[valkry]

I’m just a little curious... it would seem that by some of the posts here, there was NO “mess” before President Bush took office, and he has done all the damage himself.
Is that correct?
And Obama is going to solve all of these problems right?

Only time will tell if Obama is truly as great as you think he is. (I hope you are right)

Don't get me wrong, I am all for improvements to our country.
It's just scary to think people can be swayed to only see one person’s shortcomings and not the shortcomings of the leader they follow. The word "Cult" comes to mind.
And NO I am not saying Obama is a cult leader with this, so don't go there. It's just that the higher you put someone on a pedestal, the more damage they do when they fall.[/font][/color][/size]

No where in my post did I claim that Obama was 'great' or express blind obedience. I simply said I was thrilled he won. Sure some things were broke when Bush took office, a lot of things had been broken for years, in particular the disparity of wealth in this country which is greater than in any other industrialized nation.[/quote]
Not to mention still using the Imperial system...

[Frosty]

No where in my post did I claim that Obama was 'great' or express blind obedience. I simply said I was thrilled he won. Sure some things were broke when Bush took office, a lot of things had been broken for years, in particular the disparity of wealth in this country which is greater than in any other industrialized nation.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to single you out with my post.

[Redbeard]

Who else needs a tax cut? The rich are paying all the taxes. Yay success tax.

So thrilled Obama won! The Bush era is finally over but what a horrible mess it left in its wake.

And you really think that was entirely Bush's fault? Can you elaborate on why, exactly, if so?

Tax cuts for the rich, the 'Haves and Have Mores', as he put it when referring to his base.
...

[Shaden]

Who else needs a tax cut? The rich are paying all the taxes. Yay success tax.

So thrilled Obama won! The Bush era is finally over but what a horrible mess it left in its wake.

And you really think that was entirely Bush's fault? Can you elaborate on why, exactly, if so?

Tax cuts for the rich, the 'Haves and Have Mores', as he put it when referring to his base.
...

Ah, so you must be one of the multi-millionaires who is receiving a tax cut currently.

[elsegundo]

lets stick to debating the arguments presented instead of debating the presenter.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Who else needs a tax cut? The rich are paying all the taxes. Yay success tax.

Ah, so you must be one of the multi-millionaires who is receiving a tax cut currently.

Which immediately invalidates everything he says without regards to merit, AMIRITE? Was there a point here? You do realize that "the rich" includes businesses, which do not pay taxes anyway, right? Do you know what I mean when I say businesses do not pay taxes?

[Shaden]

Who else needs a tax cut? The rich are paying all the taxes. Yay success tax.

Ah, so you must be one of the multi-millionaires who is receiving a tax cut currently.

Which immediately invalidates everything he says without regards to merit, AMIRITE? Was there a point here? You do realize that "the rich" includes businesses, which do not pay taxes anyway, right? Do you know what I mean when I say businesses do not pay taxes?

We're not talking about small businesses here. We're talking about people making over $250,000 a year. And the Bush tax cuts affect--hugely disproportionately--the top 5% of the population. We're talking about people making millions of dollars. So unless you're planning on breaking into that multi-million dollar tax bracket, why are you so upset about the "success tax", as you call it?

The principle of taxation is simple here. There is a certain amount of money required--by necessity--to survive. Those on the lower end of the income spectrum need that money to survive, and taxes necessarily comprise a much higher percentage of their income, so their tax burden is higher than that of a multi-millionaire, who owns 12 houses. There's a difference between necessity and luxury. Similarly, the poor tend to have no savings and spend their paycheck--almost all of it--every month. So giving the poor a tax break leads to them spending more of their income.

Meanwhile, "the rich", who are in no danger of starving or trying to figure out how to put their kids through college end up shouldering a larger percentage of the tax burden. So, okay, a person who makes $20 million a year is now paying an extra $200,000 a year in taxes. Boo hoo for them. Do you really expect anyone to get up in arms about this "success tax"? The truth is, those who are 'successful' don't get there all by themselves. AIG, the company we're currently bailing out to the tune of billions of dollars, still has CEOs receiving lavish salaries and severence packages while the company that they are running is going belly up. The growing disparity of wealth in this country between the rich and the poor is only increasing, and few but the truly selfish would consider this a GOOD thing. What AIG and others are forgetting is that their wealth comes on the backs of their employees--working-class people who struggle every day to feed their families and make ends meet. Those people are the ones who need the tax breaks. Or to put it another way: 95% of this country (including, I suspect, everyone on this forum) deserves a tax break. The richest 5% clearly need it the least of any of us.

Finally, the Bush tax cuts were passed prior to a war with Iraq. This is the first time in the history of this country that taxes have been CUT during a war. This fiscal irresponsibility is a hallmark of the current economic trouble we find ourselves in, and why our national deficit has doubled over the past 8 years, at 10 trillion dollars and counting. Somewhere, sometime, at some point--people are going to have to get over their kneejerk terror over "OMG taxes" and realize that a tax is your patriotic duty as a citizen--and during a time of economic woe, I don't think you're going to find too many people who will support the ludicrous assertion that taxing those with their own private jet is a "success tax".

As for businesses not paying taxes, are you referring to the 60% of US Companies that pay no taxes, either due to tax loopholes or overseas tax shelters? I believe these loopholes should be closed, and incentives for keeping jobs and corporate headquarters in this country should be rewarded. Doing so would decrease the overall tax burden on the American people. But one thing at a time, starting with reversing the disastrous Bush tax cuts for the rich.