PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke

"WASHINGTON (AP) - One of President Barack Obama's campaign pledges on taxes went up in puffs of smoke Wednesday.

"The largest increase in tobacco taxes took effect despite Obama's promise not to raise taxes of any kind on families earning under $250,000 or individuals under $200,000.

"This is one tax that disproportionately affects the poor, who are more likely to smoke than the rich.

"To be sure, Obama's tax promises in last year's campaign were most often made in the context of income taxes. Not always."

Hawaii Residents are Drowning in Taxes

"Instead of downsizing government and lowering taxes, the local state government has decided to downsize government yet increase the tax burden. Have we not learned from our past mistakes? Have Americans forgotten what this great country was forged from? Is it time to revolt against bad government and remind them who pays their checks?

"When government does not have my best interests at heart by: not protecting me from crime, jeopardizing my constitutional rights, and deterring me from my pursuit of success, then they have become a hazard to all Americans. We have once again become a people that have lost its representation, yet continue to be taxed. Since when has the foundation of this country been government? The foundation of this country is people working for their own purposes and enriching society as they do."

The Obama Rosetta Stone

"The White House says its goal is simple 'fairness.' That may be, as they understand fairness. But Figure 9 makes it clear that for the top earners, there will be blood. This presidency is going to be an act of retribution. In the words of the third book from Mr. Obama, 'it is our duty to change it.'"

Obama To Make Your Oil, Gasoline More Expensive

"He’s couching this policy move in more taxes on the evil oil industry, but the reality is that big new taxes on any industry simply get passed on to that industry’s patrons. Meaning me and you, the average citizen.

"Just another way in which Obama has broken his promise about no new federal taxes for Americans making under $250,000/year."

Let's Hope Obama Doesn't Keep His Promises

"Obama wants to expand the number who pay nothing by millions and enormously boost the earned income tax credit _ a form of welfare _ on top of still other tax credits. Put it all together and you’re giving up $80 billion in revenues a year while getting maybe $50 billion from new taxes on the high-income crowd, meaning an overall loss of $30 billion. How’s he going to make that up? Hard to say, hard to say."

Learning history's lesson the hard way

"History is filled with the dismal lessons of nations where law was turned into molding clay and citizens abdicated personal responsibility for their lives to messianic-sounding demagogues. But when we stop reading, thinking and taking seriously the eternal truths of tradition, the only thing left is to re-learn through experience what history has already taught.

"Apparently, this is where much of America stands today."

Welfare Payments Can Be Given to Employees

Obama Advisor Changes the Definition of “Welfare”: Free Money Handouts Are No Longer Enough
Welfare Payments Can Be Given to Employees

WASHINGTON, DC— Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are sometimes accused of megalomaniacal messianism when it comes to their policy objectives. Yesterday, though, chief Obama economic advisor Austan Goolsbee went too far when he attempted to alter the English language itself:

"Our thing has never been welfare," said Goolsbee. "It was always our intention that there was a work requirement."

Goolsbee correctly noted that Obama's other refundable tax credits were clearly tied to work. An individual must work in order to qualify for Obama's making-work-pay credit, an individual must have earnings from a job in order to benefit from Obama's saver's credit, parents must work in order to benefit from Obama's refundable child care tax credit, and college students must perform community service in order to benefit from Obama's college tax credit.

October 21, 2008, ABC News, “Political Radar” blog

Actually, recipients of free money from the government can have a job, be unemployed, etc. It makes no difference. “Welfare” means the government gives you a check paid for by stealing it from someone else.

Here’s the point: if the Obama camp redefines “welfare” to exclude anyone who has a job or does “community service,” the handouts will never end. It’s like saying you’re not going to eat sweets except at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s absurd. It makes the term meaningless.

A New Welfare State

"When called on this, Obama's answer is that those 38 percent still pay payroll taxes, so he's rebating part of those payments. But that actually puts him deeper into the socialist hole. Here's why."

"Frank"-ly Speaking?

"'I think at this point there needs to be a focus on an immediate increase in spending, and I think this is a time when deficit fear has to take a second seat,' Frank said.

"I do think this is a time for a kind of very important dose of Keynesianism, Frank continued, referring to 20th century British economist John Maynard Keynes' argument for government investment to counteract recession or depression.

"Yes, I believe later on there should be tax increases," Frank said. "Speaking personally, I think there are a lot of very rich people out there whom we can tax at a point down the road and recover some of this money."

The Left Declares War on Joe the Plumber Hang him!

Vee vill not tolerrrate crrriticism of our Leader!

"The left’s political plumbers are attacking the messenger, rummaging through his personal life and predictably wielding the race card once again. It’s standard operating procedure for the Obama thug machine."

Yes, Joe is probably an alien from other world and secret member of the Aryan Nations too

Spreading the Wealth Around

"So when Barack Obama says he wants to 'spread the wealth around,' what he's really talking about is redistributing wealth through the tax system by forcing higher income earners not only to pay a disproportionate share of taxes but to fund cash transfers to those earning less. Sen. Obama's proposed tax plan includes provisions for what he calls refundable 'tax credits' for low-income Americans, many of whom don't pay any federal income taxes. In other words, those who already pay no taxes would be sent a government check equal to the 'credits' in Obama's plan, including 6.2 percent of income of those earning up to $8,100 and a refundable 'credit' of 10 percent of mortgage interest paid by those who don't itemize."

A lovely way to buy your vote.

In IRS Protest, Pastors Back Candidates

"'The basic thrust was this was not a matter of endorsing, it's a First Amendment issue,' Hice said. 'To say the church can't deal with moral and societal issues if it enters into the political arena is just wrong, it's unconstitutional.'"

Three Fundamental Economic Questions for Senator Obama

'Senator Obama has declared the rich to be those who make over $250,000, and pledges only to raise taxes on the top 5% of Americans. Using 2005 figures, there were roughly 6,630,000 filers out of over 132,000,000 in the top 5% who made 36% of all adjusted gross income, but paid 60% of federal taxes. Expanding the analysis to the top 25% of Americans would capture 33,152,909 filers. Those Americans made 68% of all adjusted gross income, but paid 85% of federal taxes, which left only 15% of federal taxes to be paid by the remaining 99,000,000 filers.

"In fact, the bottom 50% is comprised of 66,000,000 filers who made 13% of all adjusted gross income, but only paid 3% of federal taxes. Even more troubling, the bottom 20% of Americans who paid .8% of federal taxes will see their share of federal taxes drop to a negative .12% under Senator Obama’s tax plan. That means they will get money from the federal government even though they paid no federal taxes.

"These incontrovertible facts lead to the one very simply question posed above that Senator Obama should answer. Does he think the top 25% should pay 100% of federal taxes? Should the entire burden be paid for by the top 5% of Americans? Who should pay and how much should they pay? He should tell us. As Barry Goldwater stated in The Conscience of a Conservative, 'Government does not have an unlimited claim on the earnings of individuals.'”

Obamanomics 101: For Useful Idiots

"Would 2% of Americans paying 70% of the federal tab be enough? Would 80% be enough? Or are we simply working our way towards the top 2-5% paying 100% of the federal tab?

"This is Obamanomics 101 in a nutshell. It isn’t new, so it isn’t a change. It is more of the same."

The Stockholm Curve

"With the economy struggling, at least some people are urging a pro-growth tax cut. Too bad they live in Stockholm. As a recent headline in Agence France-Presse put it: 'Sweden Announces Income Tax Cuts to Boost Jobs.' The government is planning to cut business taxes and the personal income and payroll tax."