American Politics during the Bush Presidency

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]So ends my stroll down memory lane and my triad about taxes, spending and politics[/QUOTE]Tip to Doppleganger:

Time to see your doctor. Ask for a prescription for Aricept.

Apparently, Alzhiemer's has fully kicked in and it's not a pretty thing.

Your memory has completely abandoned you, and you have been reduced to simply making things up. For example:

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]Anybody remember the "WIN" tax from the early 1970's, the Democrats had the brilliant idea they could tax us out of a recession?[/QUOTE]Yes, I remember the "WIN" program from 1975-76, but you clearly you don't. "WIN" stood for "Whip Inflation Now," and was Gerald Ford's voluntary program to wear a "WIN" button to reduce inflation. As quoted from President Ford's obituary:

[url]http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4529638[/url]

[quote]In October, Ford addressed a joint session of Congress about the economy. Although he spoke of many kinds of governmental action, the part of the speech that stuck in people's minds was his call for ordinary Americans to "Whip Inflation Now," by doing such things as wearing a WIN button. Although the buttons were initially popular, the idea was finally regarded as a public relations stunt.[/quote]

DB

[QUOTE=Jackson]OMG, you're right!

Now I'm going to need to buy some Ambien.[/QUOTE]Yeah, well, Obama as Ronnie was a joke when I typed it, but upon further observation, maybe not so!

First I was speaking of Tax Cuts not rebates, check the numbers over years they were phase in tax revenue went up. Rebates are just giveme's for votes and basicly worthless IMHO.

Second the WIN was a tax, take a look at your check stub from that period, yes they did have a WIN button but you are missing the tax. Being an old fart I paid the tax. Stag-Flation which is what we had at the time was not a pretty site. Thank God Regean came along before Carter gave the entire country away.

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]Thank God Regean [sic] came along [b]before[/b] Carter gave the entire country away.{Emphasis Added}[/QUOTE]Doppleganger, You really need to ask a doctor for help with your memory. Seriously.

Reagan came along [b]AFTER[/b] Carter.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own set of facts.

DB

[QUOTE=Dodger Bulldog]Doppleganger, You really need to ask a doctor for help with your memory. Seriously.

Reagan came along [b]AFTER[/b] Carter.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own set of facts.

DB[/QUOTE]One of us misread what he was saying, I read it that Reagan came along and stopped Carter who was giving the country away, not that Reagan came first.

But hey, I'm just a guy from flyover country clinging to guns and religion and xenophobia out of bitterness.

Punter,

Upon reading it again, I'll grant you that it can also be read the way you did.

But considering that every other sentence he's written contains errors, I'm not so sure.:)

Faulty memories are stubborn things, but facts are even more stubborn.

So here is a summary from the Tax Policy Center of all the tax revisions enacted in the 1970's. Not a single thing about any "WIN" tax.

Nor do I see any tax increases at all. Only decreased rates, increased deductions and increased exemptions. (Oh, and the holding period for the long term capital gains tax break went from 6 to 12 months. So sorry!

Blame the Democrats, or credit the Democrats?

DB.

[url]http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/legislation/1970.cfm[/url]

Major Enacted Tax Legislation, 1970-1979

Revenue Act of 1978

Tax Reduction and Simplification Act of 1977

Tax Reform Act of 1976

Tax Reduction Act of 1975

Revenue Act of 1971

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Revenue Act of 1978

Individual Income Tax. Reduced individual taxes (widened tax brackets and reduced number of tax rates)

Personal Exemption. Increased personal exemption amount from $750 to $1,000.

Corporate Tax. Reduced corporate tax rates (top rate dropped from 48% to 46%)

Standard Deduction. Increased standard deduction from $3,200 to $3,400 for joint filers.

Capital Gains. Increased capital gains exclusion from 50% to 60%.

State and Local Taxes. Repealed nonbusiness deduction for state and local gasoline taxes.

Tax Reduction and Simplification Act of 1977

Standard Deduction. Replaced percentage standard deduction and minimum standard deduction with single standard deduction of $3,200 (for joint filers)

General Tax Credit. Temporarily extended general tax credit through 1978 (maximum of $35 per capita or 2% of $9,000 of income)

Tax Reform Act of 1976

Standard Deduction. Increased percentage standard deduction to 16% (maximum $2,800) and minimum standard deduction to $2,100 (for joints filers)

General Tax Credit. Temporarily extended general tax credit through 1977 (maximum of $35 per capita or 2% of $9,000 of income)

Investment Tax Credit. Delayed decrease in investment tax credit from 10% to 7% through 1980.

Individual Mimimum Tax. Expanded individual minimum tax.

Estate and Gift Tax. Created unified rate schedule for estate and gift taxes with $175,000 exemption.

Small Business Tax Rates. Temporarily lowered small business tax rates through 1977.

Capital Gains. Increased long-term capital gains holding period from 6 months to 1 year.

Tax Reduction Act of 1975

Tax Liability. Provided 10% rebate on 1974 tax liability ($200 cap)

General Tax Credit. Created temporary $30 general tax credit for each taxpayer and dependent.

Investment Tax Credit. Temporarily increased investment tax credit to 10% through 1976.

Minimum Standard Deduction. Temporarily increased minimum standard deduction to $1,900 (for joint filers) for 1975 only.

Percentage Standard Deduction. Temporarily increased percentage standard deduction to 16% for 1975 only.

Revenue Act of 1971

Investment Tax Credit. Reinstated investment tax credit (no basis adjustment)

Excise Tax. Repealed 7% auto excise tax, which was due to phase-out in 1982.

Depreciation Convention. Replaced 3/4-year depreciation convention with 2-year convention.

Minimum Standard Deduction. Increased minimum standard deduction from $1,000 to $1,300.

Personal Exemption. Accelerated scheduled increases in personal exemption amount and percentage standard deduction.

I almost put in my post that I don't remember the "WIN", I do recall the Windfall Profit Tax (WPT) on the oil companies, but not "WIN" I truly don't know, and don't care enough to look for it. oh and I don't have a check stub from 1979 handy.

BTW I did vote for Carter before I voted against him. :cool: (It's true, I'm a flip flopper :eek: )

Getting shot down and taken prisoner does not help to make you more qualified for the presidency. Never knew that he had already crashed three planes. That would never fly in the USN of today with the multi-million price tag of the modern jet fighters. If you cannot land one of these jets on the deck of an aircraft carrier you are just not kept around. I found this information to be quite interesting.

Bennie.

Thanks for this great post! Finally someone has stripped mccain naked and its not a pretty picture. The comments about him re-living a victory in vietnam with our current crop of youth is so ¨spot - on¨ it screams for publication.

He, in my belief, has a psycho imbalance, as evidenced by his temper tantrums and inappropriate behavior. For all we know, he is on mood enhancers while on the campaign trail.

With all the negative press Obama has gotten, This should shut up the.

Fear and loathing salesmen of the republican party. Or will it?

My $.02 worth.

Jackpot

First of all can ’t you guys see that Sid is baiting? He keeps posting from both side of the fence; I call this “stirring the shit ” (oh I hope they didn ’t say that on Fox) this is by his own admission; [QUOTE=Sidney] The ''right'' and the ''left'' are duking it out!

That was my intention in the hopes of finding some good answers about these two terrible candidates! [/QUOTE] At some point Jackson may view this action as being antagonistic.

I do agree that both these candidates are terrible, and I don ’t see either as being of presidential caliber. And I will repeat myself here:

[QUOTE=Punter 127]

I had considered not voting this year because the choices are so poor, but now that I am reminded of just how narrow minded some people are in their thinking I know I must. [/QUOTE]Now Obama has consistently praised McCain's service, and called him [b]"a genuine American hero."[/b] But I think this would be a great place for an Obama flip flop and he should echo Rex Nuttings views of McCain ’s hero status.

That might make some old “Yellow Dog Democrats ” and young “Elitist Democrats ” exchange some high fives, but I don ’t think it ’s going be very well received by the American voters, and I think the new “Blue Dog Demarcates ” would run like hell for cover.[red]

===============================================[/red]

[I]Dickhead I remember the term “Yellow Dog ”, you might be surprised to know that I was actually called one on many occasions when I was young. But that was before the Demarcate party sold its soul to the extreme leftwing fanatics.

I had forgotten the term until they started talking about the Blue Dog Demarcates in the last election, and you reminded me of it again on the ISG a few days ago. [/i]

[QUOTE=Sidney]These candidates require as much info as we can discover about them.[/QUOTE]Especially considering that we know virtually nothing about one of the candidates.

[QUOTE=Jackson]Especially considering that we know virtually nothing about one of the candidates.[/QUOTE]And we already know more than enough about the other one than to believe that he would ever change us from riding this "wrong track" that the American people are begging to get off.

I'll take the devil I don't know over the devil I do.

[QUOTE=Punter 127] At some point Jackson may view this action as being antagonistic. [/QUOTE]Punter, more than once you've "threatened" to call Jackson in when you disagree with someone.

Why so defensive? Sidney did not attack anyone, he simply posted two different points of view. How is that antagonistic?

I keep waiting for the day that you to find any conservative post to be "antagonistic."

As if your own comments aren't just as antagonistic? Maybe even more so?

In case anyone has doubts I've quoted a few of your choice words at the end of this post. Try explaining how they are not derogatory.

I recall that you have actually advocated having "tolerance" here. Was that only intended to quell the people you disagree with, or is it a good idea for one to also practice what he preaches?

How interesting that you had no objections when Sidney was slamming Obama. It appears you were cool with that.

But when Sidney put up one lousy article questioning McCain, suddenly it is time to scream that he's being "antagonistic."

???

I found it refreshing that he actually listened to both sides, regardless of which one he agrees with. Perhaps that is far too radical for some others to ever do, let alone to consider it healthy.

By their very nature, these political threads are going to rub some people the wrong way at times. It is best for us to be accept them for what they are, or stop reading them if we can't handle a little controversy.

No need to constantly get ones panties all up in a wad. Live and let live.

Jackson reads these threads. I doubt if he needs anyone else's help policing them.

DB.

[QUOTE=Punter 127]I 'm sorry but this kind of thinking is just preposterous, what leftwing blog did that come from? The rest of your post I can deal with but this is just way out in left field. Next I expect you to tell us how Bush blew up the world trade center, and what a smart guy Charlie Sheen is, and that terrorism is a figment of our imagination.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Punter 127]It appears you have a problem with freedom of thought and expression, you apparently don't have any respect or even tolerance for those who have different views than you.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Punter 127]Now we can do one of three things, you can stop the flaming, (preferred) or we can get Jackson involved, or we can declare war and let the personnel attacks fly... Hey I'm up for whatever![/QUOTE]