Political rant and an interesting note about taxes
Daily Kos brings several things to light today, including this oh-so-apropos quote from President Roosevelt:
Not that this is news to anyone. I just had to vent. Bush's approval rating among black people is down to 2%, by the way, with his overall approval ratings below 40%. Can we have the 2008 election tomorrow, pretty please? Or can we get a recall?
Also, in the grand American tradition of freaking out about fiscal policy mostly when it hits my pocketbook, I found this gem and promptly hit the roof:
The president is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able and disinterested service to the nation as a whole.So, here's some truth. President Bush is a sick man. He is a cad, a bounder, a cheat, and quite probably a drunkard. His handling of the Katrina disaster, the Iraq war, and now the Supreme Court nominations (Harriet Miers?! Did he really think that was going to fly?!) has been marked by shocking incompetence and pathetic amounts of incomprehension.
Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile.
Not that this is news to anyone. I just had to vent. Bush's approval rating among black people is down to 2%, by the way, with his overall approval ratings below 40%. Can we have the 2008 election tomorrow, pretty please? Or can we get a recall?
Also, in the grand American tradition of freaking out about fiscal policy mostly when it hits my pocketbook, I found this gem and promptly hit the roof:
[Bush's Tax Panel is conducting] an examination of ways to modify the deductions for mortgage interest and health insurance, two of the largest tax breaks now available to individuals. Together, these two deductions will cost the Treasury about $250 billion this year, with the benefits going disproportionately to the most affluent taxpayers.This will never fly with voters. It will be a death knell or at least an albatross to any supporters it if they even think about trying to pass it. But my God, the fact that they are even considering it is terrifying. Kos's analysis here.
posted by The Stute Fish at 09:28
5 Comments:
On behalf of drunkards everywhere, I must say we most resent your implied lumping of W into our ranks.
On behalf of women everywhere, I would like to repudiate Condi Rice, too. And on behalf of white people...I've got a long list. Sadly, we can't pick and choose.
Thankfully, demographics aren't destiny.
Oh, but. Speaking of drunkards, another note on the beauty of the flask - if you don't want to drink, but you're in a crowd or situation where it would not go unremarked if you abstain, drinking fruit juice out of a flask will get you off the hook...and leave you still good to drive.
I'm not convinced people wouldn't support increasing deductions for mortgage interest and health ins. Well, more the mortgage interest - people who own houses will see their self interest first, people who don't own houses generally aspire to, and thus will approve of this THINKING it will benefit them as soon as they get a house. Same reason people supported getting rid of estate taxes. People are stupid enough to believe they will be rich someday.
It was DECREASING them, rather than increasing, that the committee was considering. An increase would not be politically problematic, you're right. Limiting them, on the other hand, raises the hackles of the middle class.
Ok, that is weird. It is especially weird for the health insurance - the Rs love to talk about how they are "solving" the problem of the uninsured by offering tax deductions to people who buy insurance. Pfft.
We really benefitted from the medical expenditure deduction this year. Last year ("thanks" to IVF) we had really high medical bills and got a big deduction for our unreimbursed expenses.
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