tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post922396221715331299..comments2024-03-28T00:18:25.641-07:00Comments on Calafia Beach Pundit: Our highly progressive tax code, illustratedScott Grannishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14028519647946868684noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-36286387833778158862012-10-17T11:09:59.458-07:002012-10-17T11:09:59.458-07:00@Jeff. According to your blog you are quite the ch...@Jeff. According to your blog you are quite the christian "enthusiast". So you probably remember when Jesus said "it's my money, not yours". Oh wait, you probably don't because it never happened. Also, learn basic math skills. When a larger portion of "pie" is taken, there isn't magically more pie. Or is Jesus making magic pies now in addition to fish andAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11350620297749095164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-88029625060307523492010-10-16T07:15:23.859-07:002010-10-16T07:15:23.859-07:00You may want to move to Somalia. They have no inco...You may want to move to Somalia. They have no income tax there.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06365403570563730880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-82516274153846150642010-10-15T11:54:52.472-07:002010-10-15T11:54:52.472-07:00In what other country would the 40% who do not pay...In what other country would the <b>40% who do not pay income tax (ex FICA or Medicare) get a tax rebate</b> as part of federal stimulus?Buddy R Pacificohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12737107556268024013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-83257802348363259812010-10-15T10:13:20.202-07:002010-10-15T10:13:20.202-07:00marmico is all wet.
First, you made Scott's p...marmico is all wet.<br /><br />First, you made Scott's point...the rich are paying MORE of the tax burden even relative to the income that they make.<br /><br />Second, the fact that the "rich" earn more of the pie DOES NOT mean the rest of the pie is getting smaller! The whole pie has gotten much bigger. <br /><br />Finally, who determines the definition of "inequality"Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04068805988034886750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-46668576014919960702010-10-15T08:29:54.962-07:002010-10-15T08:29:54.962-07:00Are you sure you have all the facts you need?
Yes...<i>Are you sure you have all the facts you need?</i><br /><br />Yes. It doesn't matter whether one analyzes IRS data (you should put <a href="http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~saez/" rel="nofollow">Saez</a> on your reading list), Census data, CBO data, the direction is the same. The income pie has increased for all but the share (inequality or concentration) has risen. The only issue is the magnitudemarmicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08277071086056574486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-39030683622140856542010-10-15T07:50:46.034-07:002010-10-15T07:50:46.034-07:00Marmico,
I think the issue of inequality is impo...Marmico, <br /><br />I think the issue of inequality is important. Thank you for pointing to those stats. I will take the time to consider how the CBO stats reconcile with National Affairs commentators arguments. Are you sure you have all the facts you need?randyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368254229927808998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-78749064199201188512010-10-15T05:50:01.304-07:002010-10-15T05:50:01.304-07:00https://www.credit-suisse.com/investment_banking/d...https://www.credit-suisse.com/investment_banking/doc/market_focus.pdf<br /><br />Scott,<br /><br />I assume you can copy and paste this report to your browser in order to access it. I thought the report was thought provoking especially page 8 and the brief quote on page 4. Hope you find it of interest and Thank You for your continued commentary.zumbadorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16032799732442564653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-42426802822074378112010-10-15T02:54:43.013-07:002010-10-15T02:54:43.013-07:00Supply-side Labor Policy:
1. Bust the unions.
2....Supply-side Labor Policy:<br /><br />1. Bust the unions.<br /><br />2. Offshore manufacturing jobs to access a global labor market and put downward pressure on wages.<br /><br />3. Threaten to offshore more jobs if they complain.<br /><br />4. Cut health and retirement benefits.<br /><br />5. Raise their taxes so they have some "skin in the game."Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06365403570563730880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-77536654651785436222010-10-14T21:55:27.063-07:002010-10-14T21:55:27.063-07:00But the argument about inequality is even murkier....<i>But the argument about inequality is even murkier. When income is adjust to include entitlements, paid health care, and corrects for other deficiencies, you get a different picture.</i><br /><br />Not really. The latest <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publications/collections/collections.cfm?collect=13" rel="nofollow">CBO report on household income</a> shows that the <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/marmicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08277071086056574486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-30172627236398369272010-10-14T19:30:01.747-07:002010-10-14T19:30:01.747-07:00Scott's chart is a reflection of a rising Gini...Scott's chart is a reflection of a rising Gini Coefficient and growing inequality, a hollowing out of the middle class and a new Guilded Age, which, like the last one, will end badly, then get better. <br /><br />If not for progressive taxation, the U.S. Gini would probably resemble that of Namibia. No middle class there, either.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06365403570563730880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-65421018159363154132010-10-14T15:03:48.818-07:002010-10-14T15:03:48.818-07:00As Marmico correctly points out, the references to...As Marmico correctly points out, the references to the percent of taxes the top x% pays is misleading without context of the amount of related income. The much stronger argument is that everyone should pay some meaningful portion of their income in taxes or they have no stake in controlling government expenditures. <br /><br />But the argument about inequality is even murkier. When income is randyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368254229927808998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-15787396971947575572010-10-14T15:00:26.562-07:002010-10-14T15:00:26.562-07:00marmico nails it and i can't believe anyone ca...marmico nails it and i can't believe anyone can look at the chart and see anything else. <br /><br />if you create tax policy which makes the rich richer, then by simple math the poor become poorer all else equal (save the trickle down bs for another day). as a result, whatever tax rate you apply to the rich will increasingly make the rich pay a higher proportion of income as they become Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07946497592651234440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-72742837401819753512010-10-14T14:52:36.215-07:002010-10-14T14:52:36.215-07:00Excellent commentary.
I would prefer we go to gas...Excellent commentary.<br /><br />I would prefer we go to gasoline and sales taxes, and eliminate payroll and corporate income taxes. <br /><br />Any tax system that is complicated is inherently unfair. <br /><br />KISS, KISS, KISS.<br /><br />Again, I wish we could all agree to limit federal outlays to 16 percent of GDP, and then fight like cats and dogs over the shape of that 16 percent. <br />Benjamin Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14001038338873263877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616959642391988608.post-18874909353575949062010-10-14T14:21:48.198-07:002010-10-14T14:21:48.198-07:00the rich have paid progressively more and more of ...<i>the rich have paid progressively more and more of total income taxes</i><br /><br />What a shocker!<br /><br />The rich have cornered progressively more and more of total adjusted gross income.<br /><br />In 1980, the rich (top 10%) paid 49% of the income taxes on 32% of the income pie. In 2008, the rich paid 70% of the income taxes on 46% of the income pie.<br /><br />In 1980, the super rich marmicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08277071086056574486noreply@blogger.com