Real Men...GOP needs your services

[Prometheus]

Tax Cuts.

the last major tax cut enacted was the TRA of 1986. has government gotten either smaller or less efficient since then?

and the idea that real levels of taxation have ever decreased is a fallacy -- the overall effective tax burden on the US citizen has increased steadily throughout the history of the country. "cuts" in the individual income tax brackets are made up for by raising other tax rates or eliminating deductions, credits, and exemptions.

 

[Prometheus]

Oh, and add to that Military Base Closings under Big Bush, which the then Democratic Congress fought all the way.

on that you have a good point.

I would still argue that whatever resources saved by closing bases were just redirected to other government activities, and that on the whole the size and/or efficiency did not decrease. but if those savings resulted in a permanent reduction in federal employee count and expenditure, then I take that back....

 

[Warik]

the last major tax cut enacted was the TRA of 1986. has government gotten either smaller or less efficient since then?

Were you living in a cave from 1992-2000? Why do you think government hasn't gotten smaller... WE HAD A DEMOCRAT IN OFFICE FOR 8 YEARS!!!

-Warik

and the idea that real levels of taxation have ever decreased is a fallacy -- the overall effective tax burden on the US citizen has increased steadily throughout the history of the country. "cuts" in the individual income tax brackets are made up for by raising other tax rates or eliminating deductions, credits, and exemptions.

Hence the reason you must go to http://www.lp.org

 

[Longhorn85]

the last major tax cut enacted was the TRA of 1986. has government gotten either smaller or less efficient since then?

Go back and look at your orignal question. I answered it twice and you've just answered it again referrencing the Reagan (GOP) tax cuts of the mid-eighties. A tax cut is by definition a reduction in the size of govt.

 

[spentagn]

All tax code changes are limited to 7 years by statute. I guess we'll just have to reelect Bush to get another one.

 

[Longhorn85]

SHUT UP WITH THE FUCKING PARTISAN BICKERING

If you can't stand the political heat, stay out of the political kitchen.

 

[Prometheus]

A tax cut is by definition a reduction in the size of govt.

what if the individual rates are cut by x%, while the corporate and estate rates are raised by y% and z%?

or what if the personal exemption threshhold is reduced?

or what if, as they proposed recently, when the individual rates are cut by 1 percentage point, the step-up basis at death rule is eliminated?

tax code and tax policymaking is very complicated. it doesn't lend itself well to superficial message-board analysis - if you choose to believe that when Bush waves the flag and says "I cut your taxes" that there really has been an increase in your overall spending power, go ahead. i was just offering an alternative view.

Warik -- I wasn't defending either party - they are BOTH to blame.

 

[Frackal]

Please hush on the truth. Liberal stance is soo fragile.

And this coming from a libertarian. He wants to squash our freedom of speech. How ironic.

I'm not a liberal, I'd vote republican given the choice between the two, but for god's sake man, cant you see that neither of these parties is healthy for this country at all?

I'll second warik

www.lp.org

 

[Longhorn85]

www.lp.org[/size]

www.wet-your-finger-and-stick-it-up-to-see-which-way-the-wind-is-blowing.org

 

[Testosterone boy]

I'm not a liberal, I'd vote republican.
www.gopvictoryparty.com

There you go. All the Frackal followers now know what to do.