Comments on: Time nears for an American tax overhaul

By: ReasonRules

ReasonRules — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:28:04 +0000

Larry, you know as well as we all know that your statement about tax problems, “….will force the president and Congress to wrestle with fiscal issues either in a lame duck session after the election or in early 2013. ” simply has no validity. Congress hasn’t wrestled for so long that it is only a showplace in the Capitol Building. Without political consequences for each member, they’ll continue to do nothing in order to fool the public into thinking that it is the other side whom is ineffective. It is such a charade as to be shameful.

By: ProfMagyar

ProfMagyar — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:55:23 +0000

I always like reading material from LS, but let’s be clear on one basic fact: a majority of the US population has little or no idea what the current status of the economy is – who benefits (and why) – who doesn’t benefit (and why) – and that there will be little to no change in the fiscal course that has been established. Without a cohesive, large scale, peaceful (but energized) push by tens of millions of people; the country will have no choice but to benefits and raise taxes (or cut popular deductions) causing a further divergance between the economic classes.

By: Realistperhaps

Realistperhaps — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:42:13 +0000

Should, should, should. What deserve attention are not these substantially correct, but fairly obvious, observations, but the structural impediments. Stanley Surrey of HLS had developed all this fully before 1974.

Obama was a fool to squander his 10 minutes of popularity on health care reform, instead of his promise of election reform. He didn’t have the guts to risk his second term in order to accomplish something meaningful. “Yes we can” my behind.

By: ChicagoFats

ChicagoFats — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:09:16 +0000

Leaders in both parties are committed either to staying in or kicking the other party out of power. “Should” therefore takes on different meanings depending on whether one is a Democrat or a Republican. I expect it will remain an arm wrestling contest with the party most at risk of losing seats in Congress yielding as little as possible in an attempt to stave off that unwanted outcome. The populist sentiment that sent a crowd of tea party candidates to Washington has certainly failed to improve the situation; it hasn’t even succeeded in its unadmitted mission of making the president look so ineffective that he wouldn’t stand a chance of being reelected.

By: stefancaunter

stefancaunter — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:01:25 +0000

The United States needs a Value Added Tax, dedicated to its deficit. This is what solved Canada’s problems. That, and a national dedication and sense of common purpose.

By: txgadfly

txgadfly — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:34:08 +0000

The plain fact is that the USA cannot pay its debts to its own people. So it will default (“cut benefits”) on its debts to the people who have the least ability of anyone on the planet to hurt our rulers — the American people themselves. No other fact should be needed to prove the bogus nature of American “elections”.

We the People simply do not have a choice. We cannot stop the past two invasions, nor can we stop the next two. We will continue to be heavily taxed for benefits our Government knows it will not pay, even while it gives money to others who have not paid into the system.

Until some sort of system is created that is beyond the reach of our bribery organized Government, no taxes for social “benefits” should be collected at all. A functioning democracy without politicians openly accepting and soliciting bribes should be a prerequisite to even considering public “benefit” programs.

By: GMavros

GMavros — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:49:58 +0000

LS: You’ll need more background facts to make this report legitimate, and these facts speak for themselves.

Putting aside the tax issues, a farce of astronomical proportions which only benefit the 1%, the Social Security and related issues are even more astounding.

SS would have a tremendous surplus and be very healthy today if the contributions into it were not classified as a “TAX” as it was conveniently & criminally decided in the mid 1960′s. Our retirement contributions have been spent on all kinds of federal budgets which profit only the 1% and only a part of it go to retirement benefits.

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch had made this very clear many years ago on national television.

As for as a national health insurance plan we can only look at our Canadian neighbors, the British and even the Taiwanese who spend less than 10% of their GDP for an effective social health program while we spend more than 17% of ours going to the pockets of the insurance companies and for which we have no insurance plan to speak of. The income of doctors in these countries average 70% less than their American counterparts, and they get bonuses for preventive medicine, something our American Pharmaceutical Cartels will never allow.

The presidential elections are now nothing more than a farce. “Super Packs” the final suicide potion to our democracy. In fact today there is more ‘Democracy’ in China than in the USA. Think of it.

Come on my fellow Americans, how much more abuse can we take. Are we that impotent ?

By: cautious123

cautious123 — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:45:43 +0000

How about stopping these blood- and money-draining wars? None of the countries we are currently pouring money into poses a threat, at least not as much as the arms industry does. Next, force Medicare to negotiate with drug companies instead of being held hostage to them. There are plenty of ways we can resolve tax issues–and they all involve justice and equality, which is why US politicians will never touch them! You first Larry.

By: Hinch

Hinch — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:53:25 +0000

Stop giving this fake a forum please