115th United States Congress

**Fiye** · 2017-07-22 04:25

They love it because they can shout "See if you vote for them your taxes will go up!" and shitheads like Red Shandy on my facebook will eat it up.

**Deftscythe** · 2017-07-23 04:33

Congress Reaches Deal on Russia Sanctions

Would be pretty tough for Trump not to sign this, but I totally believe he could be that dumb.

**Ragnus** · 2017-07-23 09:32

Originally Posted by Fiye

They love it because they can shout "See if you vote for them your taxes will go up!" and shitheads like Red Shandy on my facebook will eat it up.

Tried looking up that Red Shandy guy to see if he has his profile public. I took a shot and just clicked the first name. The concentration of far right conservative meme bullshit is crazy.

Originally Posted by Deftscythe

Congress Reaches Deal on Russia Sanctions

Would be pretty tough for Trump not to sign this, but I totally believe he could be that dumb.

Not signing it would be political suicide for his administration(Trump doesn't give a shit about ruining his political career) alongside adding even more fuel to the massive fire that is this Russia thing.

**Byrthnoth** · 2017-07-23 10:02

Originally Posted by Ragnus

Not signing it would be political suicide for his administration(Trump doesn't give a shit about ruining his political career) alongside adding even more fuel to the massive fire that is this Russia thing.

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

https://twitter.com/BronzeHammer/sta...08312730095616

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Still relevant.

Trump supporters don't seem to care about... anything. Until they care about something and he smashes it, there will be no concerted response from the Republican party.

**Ohemgee** · 2017-07-23 10:09

Originally Posted by Zealot

Republicans embrace tax hike targeting Democratic states: https://apnews.com/91d3a13f83454c98a8a0c224f8117eb2

Seems more complicated than the title makes it seem because the tax hike actually could be used for a lot of good, but I doubt that's how the topic was broached by Republicans.

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So a Red-State welfare tax.

**Deftscythe** · 2017-07-23 14:18

So Susan Collins says she was told there would be a healthcare vote Tuesday, but she and other Senators don't know what they'll be voting on. As far as she knows, it could be the house bill, one of the versions of the Senate Bill, a new version of the Senate Bill, or the 2015 repeal-only bill.

**chazzyphizzle** · 2017-07-23 14:27

fucking lol

**Fiye** · 2017-07-23 16:17

Originally Posted by Byrthnoth

Still relevant.

Trump supporters don't seem to care about... anything. Until they care about something and he smashes it, there will be no concerted response from the Republican party.

He'll smash it and the republican party will suddenly rewrite history so they never cared about it.

**Andalusian girls** · 2017-07-24 13:01

Originally Posted by Zealot

Republicans embrace tax hike targeting Democratic states: https://apnews.com/91d3a13f83454c98a8a0c224f8117eb2

Seems more complicated than the title makes it seem because the tax hike actually could be used for a lot of good, but I doubt that's how the topic was broached by Republicans.

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appreciate you tempering the article's clickbait partisanship (even The AP isn't immune apparently) with the qualifier but this is the hottest of takes. the Republican tax plan would eliminate a present federal deduction for state taxes, one that does disproportionately benefit blue states but one that obviously applies to all 50 states. it is a single aspect of their grand vision of eliminating all deductions besides charitable giving and mortgage interest, a proposal you previously expressed quite strong favor for if memory serves.

this tax deduction (as with all itemized deductions) disproportionately benefits the haves of society as they have both the knowledge and the resources to take advantage of the tax code in a way the have-nots do not, and 75% of the deduction's benefits went to families making more than$ $100,000 annually. also contained within the Republican plan is the provision to double(!) the standard deduction for married couples to $24,000. so though it is obviously not the raison d'etre of their tax reform ideas by cherry picking specific provisions of the Republican plan, as that author did, one could misleadingly state their goal is a redistribution of income designed to take from the rich and give to the poor. but i don't believe that kind of cheap legerdemain, or the kind stating Republicans are specifically targeting political enemies with tax raises when they are trying to reduce the number of itemized deductions from the present thousands to a whopping two, really serves the colloquy on what ought be done about our tax code, one that everyone from Obama to Trump to Heritage to CAP agrees is a horror show.

**Zealot** · 2017-07-24 13:07

What I had expressed favor for previously was the cutting of the corporate tax rate while simultaneously eliminating all deductions (and still stand by that).

I'm not opposed to this plan, either, but when a party hellbent on eliminating the social safety net and privatizing public services introduces a plan that will supposedly raise $1 trillion+ in revenue, I have to ask myself where that money is meant to go. If we're not paying for roads, infrastructure, social security, education, or health care, that really just leaves defense. Hooray.

**Andalusian girls** · 2017-07-24 13:16

the deficits this decade have run 1.3 trillion, 1.3 trillion, 1.1 trillion, 680 billion, 490 billion, 440 billion, and 590 billion, and the CBO estimates that figure will steadily rise to 1.4 trillion by 2027, even without another recessionary event, simply because of the demographic shift represented by retiring baby boomers.

in short we need an extraordinary amount of new revenue to maintain the present system, nonetheless expand it.

**Byrthnoth** · 2017-07-24 14:32

Yeah, I'm actually okay with that proposed tax increase because it's clearly progressive.

I do find it weird that the Republicans would propose a progressive tax, but \(^.^)/ whatever.

It also makes sense that the blue (rich) states subsidize the red (poor) ones. I'm sure that's the case with or without this tax.

**Andalusian girls** · 2017-07-24 14:44

a minor point of pedantry but though the effect will be an increase in the tax burden it is technically not a tax increase but a deduction elimination. new taxes complicate the tax code, deduction eliminations simplify it, so all other things being equal it is always preferable to eliminate deductions to raise revenue rather than introduce new taxes. it is why eliminating or capping itemized deductions has gained so much traction among both liberal and conservative economists.

regardless, rich states supporting poor states by sending more to the federal government than they receive in federal benefits will be the case either way, and those rich states tend to be blue. the present state deduction actually subsidizes the high state taxes in blue states by lowering their share of the federal tax burden vis-a-vis red states.

that is a Californian making $100,000 annually will get bopped with a state income tax of 9.3% which they can promptly deduct from their federal tax obligation, whereas a Texan making $100,000 annually pays a state income tax of 0.0%, thus getting a deduction of nothing, and thus pays a higher effective federal tax rate.

**Aerin** · 2017-07-24 14:49

Originally Posted by Andalusian girls

this tax deduction (as with all itemized deductions) disproportionately benefits the haves of society as they have both the knowledge and the resources to take advantage of the tax code in a way the have-nots do not

Do I have the knowledge and resources if I use TurboTax? If not, then I am not okay with this.

**synistar** · 2017-07-24 15:03

Originally Posted by Aerin

Do I have the knowledge and resources if I use TurboTax? If not, then I am not okay with this.

If you have enough deductions to not take the standard deduction, then fill out a 1040. You probably own a house/condo/property if you're not taking the standard deduction.
If you're taking the standard deduction, 1040EZ.

And in both cases, TurboTax will ask about your state taxes if applicable then do the appropriate deductions.

**EternityEnd** · 2017-07-24 16:36

https://www.apnews.com/aa59b766a4294...or-failed-bill

A Texas Republican congressman says it’s “absolutely repugnant” that the GOP-led Senate hasn’t acted on repealing the health care law and he singled out “some female senators from the Northeast.”

In a radio interview with “1440 Keys,” Rep. Blake Farenthold said the Senate has failed to show the courage to dismantle the health care law. The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to move ahead on legislation.

Farenthold complained about some female lawmakers and said, “If it was a guy from south Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style.”

Damn women. Why did we even have their suffrage movement in the first place?

**Mertron** · 2017-07-24 16:42

he called it the fault of "some women from the northeast"

I've heard strange things about them thar Texas textbooks, but I didn't know they had Alaska on the east coast