Recent Comments

1. about 12 years ago on Ken Catalino

   You’re confusing TAX with INCOME TAX. Income tax was meant to be progressive – paid mostly by the wealthy. Why? Because almost all our other taxes are regressive – paid at much higher % by the poor – social security, sales tax, excise tax, etc. But I suppose a lesson on economics is lost on someone who watches FOX News.

2. about 13 years ago on Birdbrains

   The Social Security trust fund has a balance of $2.6 TRILLION. Rates started going up in 1986 so there would be plenty of money when baby boomers began to retire. In 2010 Social Security brought in $68.6 billion more than it paid out. I’m having a lot of trouble understanding why our politicians are blaming our financial situation on Social Security!

3. about 14 years ago on Tony Auth

   Yeah, Reagan. He’s the one who decided there didn’t have to be a connection between taxes and government spending. Cut the taxes!!!! And increase our military arsenal - Remember Star Wars? (BTW - happy birthday Mark Hamill.) That’s when our national debt started running uphill at about an 80 degree angle. So Clinton maintains the debt. But GWBush runs it up even more. When Obama becomes President, it’s over $10 trillion. Economic theory says that we should run a debt when we are in a recession or in a war. Obama gets saddled with both. But at least he’s willing to raise taxes to begin to stabilize fiscal policy.

4. about 14 years ago on Tony Auth

   Simon Jester - wasn’t it the first George Bush? when he was running against Reagan?

5. about 14 years ago on Signe Wilkinson

   Fair Tax is a national sales tax of 23-30%. Yeah, like there is anything fair about that. Obviously the wealthy don’t spend all their money, so this is almost as regressive as gambling revenue.

   I agree with Craig that we need to keep the progressive income tax. But lets end the deduction mess and also tax capital gains as income.

6. about 14 years ago on Tony Auth

   Remember that the Social Security fund has a 2.5 trillion dollar surplus. Yes, the federal government has borrowed from it extensively, and who knows when or if they’ll pay it back. Now that Social Security income equals expenditures, everyone is screaming that it is bankrupt! Reagan raised FICA tax rates and pulled them under the federal umbrella so he could cut taxes for the wealthy and deficit spend, borrowing from our social security retirement savings.