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ORIGINAL: Level
Great thread, Treasure.

A flat taxes system (note the plural). 12% tax up to $40k, 20% up to $100k, 25% to $500K, 35% over $500k. No deductions, no loopholes.

I don't know if it would work, but I'd like to give it a shot.

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ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

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ORIGINAL: Louve00

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

Corporations for better or worse are also constituents and deserve to be heard.

The trick in IMO is level the field so the rich and connected don`t get unfair advantages over say consumer,taxpayer or environmental advocates.

To level the field from these people? *grin*  As soon as I read this it reminded me of a skit George Carlin did.  I just had to run to You Tube to look it up. (he also mentions the lobbyists here so it hit the jackpot!) lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q&NR=1

I don't disagree that serious corruption exists, but if the corporations really "own" America, then why would they have to lobby?  Why would they have to do anything to get what they want? 

Hmmm.... maybe I'm doing something wrong.  Am I suppose to insist that Firm lobby for my support of what he wants?  Should he have to court me and convince me to do his bidding?  [:)]

But I do agree that most politicians don't care about anyone but themselves.  It's a career choice for them that gives them power and money.

And unfortunately, our system as it is currently supports that.

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ORIGINAL: eyesopened

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ORIGINAL: Level
Great thread, Treasure.

A flat taxes system (note the plural). 12% tax up to $40k, 20% up to $100k, 25% to $500K, 35% over $500k. No deductions, no loopholes.

I don't know if it would work, but I'd like to give it a shot.

Thank you.  I think this would be more fair than the sales tax idea others have talked about.  I make $40k and 12% comes out my paycheck and I don't have to file anything on April15th.  I learn to manage and save my money because I don't rely on a refund to purchase big-ticket items.  No more IRS hounding anyone and no need for people to hide money offshore.   And the same for corporations.  No one seems to be terribly upset that Exxon paid $15-billion in taxes and every dime of that was to foreign governements and not one dime to the US.

Jesus wept! We have $4.6-billion roughly in income and a budget of $3.8 trillion.  If I ran my finances like that I would be homeless (and justly deserved) in 30 days. 

And the best idea is to cut taxes?  Is everyone insane?

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ORIGINAL: Louve00

It was actually just comedy.  George Carlin was best at making fun of life, but it is just comedy.  I don't think corporations actually own America, anymore than I think they prop politicians up like little plastic soldier toys to make us "feel" represented.  But I do think the money that corporations throw at politicians influence them.  And I do think that money can override what "we the people" want.  And I think the same logic applies to the lobbyists who could very well be the same people as corporations.  Sadly (as you alluded to in your last couple of sentences) its money, not the majority voice, that makes America go round.

Now, as far as you and Firm go...do what you think is best there [;)]

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ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

You would still need the yearly tax filings, Treasure. Seasonal employees, people who dont work year round (teachers quickly come to mind) part time employees whose hours fluctuate with the time of year, those who get bonuses, and the self-employed would potentially need to have their rates adjusted to actual tax rates and not perceived upon a few paychecks.

But, granted the IRS could reduce their workforce by a large degree. Then the problem comes up... we have another large area of unemployed workers.

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ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

First, please take this thread with a bit of an irreverent attitude, as is intended.

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For example, a thread was started this morning about gang shootings in Chicago.  I thought, so what?  If a bunch of thugs want to mow each other down with gunfire, more power to 'em.  Less thugs everyone else has to worry about.  Less thugs, less thug related crime, less police work to investigate, less clogging of the court system, less money needed to imprison.  Where's the problem?  Heck, round 'em up and let them duke it out to the death somewhere.  Problem solved.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic


I'm leery, Treasure. I tend to get a trifle long-winded on these suggestions, and might kill your thread. I'll offer something to bear in mind. Unintended consequences. As an example;

While we love the psychotic feline that prowls our house and yard, both of us hate cleaning the catbox. When we brought the new dog home, he was found thinking the catbox was a snack tray. To some, this might seem to be a solution, but it just isn't going to work out well.


Ok. How about changing the requirements for gov't employees to keep their jobs as a career? Every five years, heavy performance reviews, with an eye to culling 30% of the herd, maybe?

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How many government offices have you been to where you see employees standing around, gossiping, doing their nails, etc. with long lines of people waiting to be seen?

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ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic


I'm leery, Treasure. I tend to get a trifle long-winded on these suggestions, and might kill your thread. I'll offer something to bear in mind. Unintended consequences. As an example;

While we love the psychotic feline that prowls our house and yard, both of us hate cleaning the catbox. When we brought the new dog home, he was found thinking the catbox was a snack tray. To some, this might seem to be a solution, but it just isn't going to work out well.


Ok. How about changing the requirements for gov't employees to keep their jobs as a career? Every five years, heavy performance reviews, with an eye to culling 30% of the herd, maybe?

lol... Rich, there isn't any danger in killing this thread.  Seems many here would just as soon complain or ridicule the other side, rather than offer any kind of solution.  Realistic or not.

well I put up remedy, but people arent there yet.....

Justified or not, Government employees have earned a reputation for being dead wood.  How many government offices have you been to where you see employees standing around, gossiping, doing their nails, etc. with long lines of people waiting to be seen?   To be fair, though, I've also been to some where the employees were busting their butts to handle the steady stream of people coming through the door. 
all of them
Nonetheless, I don't think it would hurt to adopt a more "civilian business" attitude toward productivity and job security.  To be honest, I wish that same attitude would be taken toward whole departments of the government.

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ORIGINAL: Louve00

Right.  I agree with that, Treasure.  And I think thats what Owner59 was alluding to when he said the playing field should be level because we all know money is what skews that level playing field.  It is my own determination that thats why O59 said what he said about who should be lobbying and who shouldn't, too.  The problem with "all of us who aren't in the club" (as Carlin put it), is we have no bargaining chips.  We can't buy our way through anything, so we just ride it out.  I probably shouldn't have posted a Carlin joke.  It's not that I believe George Carlin's words should be put in the history books, but there is some truth to his humor, and I was reminded of that particular skit when I heard Owner59 say what he said, last night.

Now...is it a solution to our problems?  Well, if there was a way we could level these playing fields, it could be.  But I'm not sure anyone in Washington really wants them leveled.  Sometimes I think we have to figure out our own way to play the game by their rules in order to gain any headway of our own.  It doesn't give us the results we want, and I could post another Carlin joke about why there's no use in voting at all, but I wouldn't want to be misunderstood again. [8D]

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

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How many government offices have you been to where you see employees standing around, gossiping, doing their nails, etc. with long lines of people waiting to be seen?

None. Maybe people in Kentucky are different. Couldn't say.

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ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

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How many government offices have you been to where you see employees standing around, gossiping, doing their nails, etc. with long lines of people waiting to be seen?

None. Maybe people in Kentucky are different. Couldn't say.

A dig at Kentucky, Muse?  That's hardly worthy of you.  It's ineffective, too.  I'm not a Kentuckian and only lived there a very short time.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

Not so much the public displays of laziness, Treasure, (though if someone could invent a shovel that stands up by itself we could eliminate a lot of public works jobs), but even in the busy offices, how much of what they are busy with involves what amounts to make-work?

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

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ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

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How many government offices have you been to where you see employees standing around, gossiping, doing their nails, etc. with long lines of people waiting to be seen?

None. Maybe people in Kentucky are different. Couldn't say.

A dig at Kentucky, Muse?  That's hardly worthy of you.  It's ineffective, too.  I'm not a Kentuckian and only lived there a very short time.

Is there anything that doesn't make you defensive?

It's not. Grow up, little girl.

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ORIGINAL: dcnovice

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For example, a thread was started this morning about gang shootings in Chicago.  I thought, so what?  If a bunch of thugs want to mow each other down with gunfire, more power to 'em.  Less thugs everyone else has to worry about.  Less thugs, less thug related crime, less police work to investigate, less clogging of the court system, less money needed to imprison.  Where's the problem?  Heck, round 'em up and let them duke it out to the death somewhere.  Problem solved.

It's eerie that you opened with that example, because I used to feel much the same way about drug dealers fighting for turf here in DC. I could be quite darkly funny about it with politically incorrect friends. Then, one fine Sunday, I went to church and learned that a little girl--she was five, maybe--from our parish had been caught in the cross-fire. I immediately thought of A Christmas Carol and the Ghost of Christmas Present suggesting that Scrooge meet the "surplus population" before writing it off. The jokes never worked for me after that.