All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[BeastieRunner]

Dems believe in taxing and spending. Look where it's gotten us. When does it stop with the spending? Taxing people who make over a certain income is not the answer. Fair is fair. Tax everyone equally.

Donald Trump and his two immediate predecessors are the three presidents with the biggest budget deficits in history.

109% added with Trump (expected to be 201% when the fiscal year rolls over), 101% with Bush, and 74% with Obama. Ronald added 186% ... HW added 54% and Clinton added 31%

Under Trump, the deficit reached $984 billion in 2019 and was expected to top $1 trillion in 2020, and that was before Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus package to fight the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

So ... are you confusing Dems with Rs???

Out of the 6 modern Presidents the rank is:
1. Trump (R) [when the rollover occurs]
2. Reagan (R)
3. W Bush (R)
4. Obama (D)
5. HW Bush (R)
6. Clinton (D)

Even without the rollover, the Rs sweep the top 3 spots.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Dems believe in taxing and spending. Look where it's gotten us. When does it stop with the spending? Taxing people who make over a certain income is not the answer. Fair is fair. Tax everyone equally.

Because 20 dollars is the same to a guy who has a thousand, as who has only a hundred, right?

[CTTT]

Because 20 dollars is the same to a guy who has a thousand, as who has only a hundred, right?

Well, if you only have a hundred, then nose to the grindstone and get a job. Where's the pride in hard work? Saying give me money because I'm too lazy to work doesn't say much. Grandpa Joe's not going to give it to you if you march up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is he?

[Kirby101]

Dems believe in taxing and spending. Look where it's gotten us. When does it stop with the spending? Taxing people who make over a certain income is not the answer. Fair is fair. Tax everyone equally.

Sorry you are wrong, it is Republican Presidents who increase spending, and amass giant amounts of debt through tax cuts for the very rich and corporations (who pay close to 0 in taxes.)



Like most Republicans you have no real idea of what the facts are. It amazes me how Republican working people go to the mat for rich people who don't need any more money, but suggest raising the minimum wage to where people could actually live on it and they fight that tooth and nail.

[BeastieRunner]

Sorry you are wrong, it is Republican Presidents who increase spending, and amass giant amounts of debt through tax cuts for the very rich and corporations (who pay close to 0 in taxes.)



Like most Republicans you have no real idea of what the facts are. It amazes me how Republican working people go to the mat for rich people who don't need any more money, but suggest raising the minimum wage to where people could actually live on it and they fight that tooth and nail.

I think 3 epic beatdowns in a page & half got the point across.

[CTTT]

I think 3 epic beatdowns in a page & half got the point across.

You might knock me down but I can get back up swinging. Seriously, thanks for the insight and the charts. That does help gain more knowledge for me, so much appreciated.

[Kirby101]

You might knock me down but I can get back up swinging. Seriously, thanks for the insight and the charts. That does help gain more knowledge for me, so much appreciated.

Your welcome CT.

[Kirby101]

And now for some fun. Biden driving a new Ford Electric F-150.

https://twitter.com/cspan/status/139...2F100215443790

https://twitter.com/i/status/1394733645903040517

[Kirby101]

The guy scared shitless on the left behind the Capitol Guard with the gun is Rep. Andrew Clyde, who claims that the Jan 6th rioters were no different from any other tourist.

[wjowski]

Dems believe in taxing and spending. Look where it's gotten us. When does it stop with the spending? Taxing people who make over a certain income is not the answer. Fair is fair. Tax everyone equally.

So how come the last Republican to balance the budget was Eisenhower?

[AnakinFlair]

So how come the last Republican to balance the budget was Eisenhower?

According to that graph, it looks like Nixon and HW Bush kept a balanced budget as well, which surprises me.

[Gray Lensman]

According to that graph, it looks like Nixon and HW Bush kept a balanced budget as well, which surprises me.

HW Bush had to break his "No New Taxes" pledge to do it, which helped tank his reelection - it wasn't the only thing, since he was trying to have 4th consecutive term for the Republican party, and the recovery from the recession was slow in being felt by working people. But it added to the pile.

[Scott Taylor]

Sorry you are wrong, it is Republican Presidents who increase spending, and amass giant amounts of debt through tax cuts for the very rich and corporations (who pay close to 0 in taxes.)



Like most Republicans you have no real idea of what the facts are. It amazes me how Republican working people go to the mat for rich people who don't need any more money, but suggest raising the minimum wage to where people could actually live on it and they fight that tooth and nail.

But the chart marches in lock step with GDP growth, per capita, over the same time period. And population growth. Wouldn't it seem odd if government outlays weren't increasing over time as the GDP and population grew? I don't have a chart handy but I would bet that tax revenue growth follows the same general incline. Populations grow, tax revenues grow, government outlays grow. Thats a healthy economy.

There are explanations for the micro-trends in every era. For instance you can see a rise right at the end of Truman where he started and fought the Korean War and the rise all through the Johnson era for continuing and big time ramping up of the Vietnam War after Kennedy had a more measured approach. Nixon era was pretty level, which again I find a bit odd. Probably explainable by the gas crisis and unprecedented rise of OPEC.

Carter and Reagan pretty much rose commensurate with the GDP growth of the time, but I don't have a great explanation for the big growth during that era - do you? Again its more or less what I might expect - you just hope tax revenues keep up with it.

HW Bush/Clinton benefited from no big conflicts going on, an era of unprecedented opportunity after the end of the Cold War, and the rise of the dot-com industry. In short, the economy was booming. Perhaps both of them could have stood to spend more to be proactive against international terrorism, though!

W Bush, well we all know that story - 9/11 and collapse of dotcom followed by a misguided war. Obama did a lot of the right things, economically, but the chart shows a decline in outlays, which again seems odd to me when compared with other presidents and eras. Be interesting to see the Trump era on this chart.

Anyhow about taxing the rich, the big gauntlet Biden has thrown down is that he intends to deal with tax havens, tax shelters, and so on. We shall see if Biden's plan to deal with that stuff really will work, or if he is truly serious about fighting it in the first place. I'm of a mixed mind about it, because there needs to be tax shelters for us normal folks and I am concerned about those getting swept away by some new IRS gestapo or whatever he is cooking up.

But I welcome your insight about the upcoming fight against tax havens.

[Mister Mets]

So how come the last Republican to balance the budget was Eisenhower?

This could come down to small sample size, as well as money bills originating in the US House.

GOP Voting Restrictions Will Make It Harder For People With Disabilities To Cast Ballots

People with disabilities reported improved voting experiences in 2020. But a wave of new restrictions could reverse hard-won progress. Qpublicans don't give a damn about this either.

Many of the changes in election policy in 2020 were understood as emergencies due to a highly contagious pandemic. It wasn't meant to be permanent.

It's a different argument that these temporary measures worked well and should be continued, rather than to imply that they were meant to be the new status quo.

South Carolina Law Forces Death Row Inmates To Choose Firing Squad Or Electric Chair

The state’s electric chair is 109 years old. Hell of a choice, right?

This occurred due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs, primarily due to critics of the Death penalty.

[numberthirty]

Well, if you only have a hundred, then nose to the grindstone and get a job. Where's the pride in hard work? Saying give me money because I'm too lazy to work doesn't say much. Grandpa Joe's not going to give it to you if you march up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is he?

Probably kinda tough to be proud of your hard work when this is the actual reality of things...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoc...h=1a10ba54720b

Report: Walmart Workers Cost Taxpayers $6.2 Billion In Public Assistance

Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.