Thursday, April 16, 2015

Death And Taxes



Currently, the estate tax applies to leavings over about $11 million for a married couple, which represents significantly less than one percent of the populus. Not only that, as many people don't seem to understand, the tax, currently @ 40%, applies only to money above that amount. So the tax on an estate of about $11 million plus one dollar would be forty cents. In addition to which, there are loopholes aplenty, allowing many large estates to avoid taxes.

Despite those facts, the right wing screamers have managed to get Joe and Jane Sixbucks to be outraged that such a tax, cheerfully transmogrified into "the DEATH tax," exists. As if.

Today those America-loving Congressional Teabaggers voted to repeal the tax, giving a sop to the wealthiest of their contributers, and doing nothing for average Americans except to reduce funds available to pay for stuff that average Americans need, and about which the most wealthy don't need to give a shit. As long as there's a D in the White House (one assumes) it won't pass; but it makes clear, yet again, just where their priorities are. And why electing a Republican president would be a disaster for anyone and everyone not among those to whom the estate tax applies.

Senator Warren has some thoughts:
"I can't believe it," she said. "Well, yes, I can. This isn't just a really bad idea. This is an attack on our values -- getting rid of the estate tax in order to help a handful of really rich people, and telling our children that there's no money for them to go to school, to help them with their student loans, to build the necessary infrastructure so that they can get to and from the jobs that will help them pay off those loans...well, that's just...obscene."

And yet. And yet, they'll mangage to get the votes from the very people most adversely affected, by the usual techniques: Pretend Christianity is under attack, that white males are under attack, that ISIS is ready to come out from under our beds and impose Sharia law in kitchens around the land. It's embarrassing, is what it is: embarrassing that in what those very people like to call "the world's greatest democracy," voters are so easily bamboozled.

Which is the greater threat to our future? Straw men or budgets designed to enrich the already wealthy at the expense of everyone else? Seems pretty obvious, unless you watch Fox "news" every day, listen to Rush and Michael and Alex and Ann and Laura... In which case, yet again, you'll vote to retain the most regressive and cynical Congress in generations, and believe you're doing yourself and your country a favor. When the opposite, clearly as it can be, is true.

[Image source]

1 comment:

  1. Huh??????

    "Pretend Christianity is under attack, that white males are under attack, that ISIS is ready to come out from under our beds and impose Sharia law in kitchens around the land."

    So it's not true??? Stupid Dems. *rolls eyes*...It's OK...The Tpubs got your back and will ensure your liberty for you until you can see the light. Hopefully that will help you sleep at night knowing that I am on watch and also packin' heat. I'd bring extra guns and ammo, but GOOD NEWS! My patriot brothers and sisters always have their own too! We have a small army just to go to Walmart to buy Oreo cookies and milk! See? Even my brother who is a teacher and also president of the NRA American Border Protection West Regional office serving the entire hippie luvin'west coast(someone has to do it, right?). In his spare time my brother ia a ride along cop! Basically, he is a respected pillar of the community AND Master sergeant of our "My Bunker is bigger and larger and longer than you bunker brigade"! Thus I know what I am talking about and you do not because of fatal conceit or kicking a can, not saying "Obummer" enough or something like that. I know your kind and my brother knows too. I'll ask him and get back to everyone with the answers the lame stream media is trying to hide from the American public. AGAIN! That's why everyone calls them lame stream, they earned it, and nobody gave it to them and it's prolly the only thing those commie 'takers' ever worked for in their pathetic lives.

    So send your kids to school, shopping at the mall, the movie theater and be completely safe at home. The Patriots will make sure that we have our guns no matter where ya go!

    You are welcome...You ungrateful low information commies...*sigh*...

    My squirrel pie is done for supper. So until next time Don't Tread on Me!

    PS. There's still hope for you Sid! I will pray and get my entire church to pray for you. Once Jesus is in your life anything is possible, including lifting your Prius in the air and changing the tire at the same time with my teeth and still have one hand left for my ciggy or to hit my inhaler a couple times. It's as easy as "Jesus, you take the wheel" and we are off and running better than a KKK tow truck!

    ReplyDelete

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