Saturday, October 29, 2011
I GUESS THIS LITTLE GIRL IS ONE OF THE EVIL PROTESTORS TOO
MAN SHOT WITH RUBBER BULLET WHILE RECOVERING BODY OF SCOTT OLSEN
THIS IS NOT WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE
Scott Olsen, marine, after being hit in the head with a teargas canister in an occupy wall street protest
Here is a clip of Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen hit in the head and knocked unconscious by a tear gas canaster
ALSO WATCH THE POLICEMEN FIRE INTO THE GROUP OF PROTESTORS TRYING TO PICK OLSEN UP
This is what a rubber bullet can do
#OCCUPY WALLSTREET AND TEA-PARTIERS: WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON
REVOLUTION IS IN THE AIR: DO YOU FEEL IT? #OCCUPY WALL STREET UNITES
CITIZENS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AGES AND RACES JOIN TO EXCERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN TELLING THE SUPER WEALTHY THAT WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SCRAPS-WE MAKE THE MEAL AND WE WANT TO EAT IT TOO!
CRITICS SAY THERE IS NO COHESIVE MESSAGE BUT IT IS CLEAR TO MOST OF US THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR TOO LONG. WE DEMAND OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR COUNTRY BACK! THE FASCIST NATURE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CORPORATIONS. THEY RUINED THE HOUSING MARKET WHICH RUINED THE MARKET WHICH RUINED THE ECONOMY WHICH RUINED THE SAVINGS OF THE WEALTHIEST GENERATION EVER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. WE WILL NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS.
CRITICS BEWARE THAT WE BECOME IMMUNE TO YOUR PROPAGANDA AND OUR MOVEMENT IS GROWING. WE ARE SICK OF BAILING OUT BIG INDUSTRIES WHILE WE LET THE LITTLE GUYS FORECLOSE ON THEIR HOMES; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR FAKE PLANS TO HELP US; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR BOGUS CLAIMS ABOUT CORPORATIONS PROVIDING JOBS WHEN THEY GET TAX CUTS; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR LIES THAT 'FREE' TRADE AGREEMENTS WILL BRING US JOBS!! YOUR VIOLENCE ONLY SHOWS YOU'RE SCARED.
WE KNOW THE TRUTH NOW AND WE WANT SOME ANSWERS. LUCKILY, WE HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS.
CITIZENS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AGES AND RACES JOIN TO EXCERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN TELLING THE SUPER WEALTHY THAT WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SCRAPS-WE MAKE THE MEAL AND WE WANT TO EAT IT TOO!
CRITICS SAY THERE IS NO COHESIVE MESSAGE BUT IT IS CLEAR TO MOST OF US THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR TOO LONG. WE DEMAND OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR COUNTRY BACK! THE FASCIST NATURE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CORPORATIONS. THEY RUINED THE HOUSING MARKET WHICH RUINED THE MARKET WHICH RUINED THE ECONOMY WHICH RUINED THE SAVINGS OF THE WEALTHIEST GENERATION EVER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. WE WILL NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS.
CRITICS BEWARE THAT WE BECOME IMMUNE TO YOUR PROPAGANDA AND OUR MOVEMENT IS GROWING. WE ARE SICK OF BAILING OUT BIG INDUSTRIES WHILE WE LET THE LITTLE GUYS FORECLOSE ON THEIR HOMES; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR FAKE PLANS TO HELP US; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR BOGUS CLAIMS ABOUT CORPORATIONS PROVIDING JOBS WHEN THEY GET TAX CUTS; WE'RE SICK OF YOUR LIES THAT 'FREE' TRADE AGREEMENTS WILL BRING US JOBS!! YOUR VIOLENCE ONLY SHOWS YOU'RE SCARED.
WE KNOW THE TRUTH NOW AND WE WANT SOME ANSWERS. LUCKILY, WE HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Why We Can't Cut Too Much Government Spending and Can't Afford a Default
Friday, July 15, 2011
Caterpillar Fraud shorts United States $2 billion in taxes, Corporations at large short U.S. $100 billion a year in taxes just in off-shore accounts
Caterpillar, an Illinois-based corporation, is accused by one of its own employees of using offshore subsidies in Switzerland and Bermuda to avoid about $2 billion in U.S. taxes from 2000 to 2009. They perpetrated the fraud simply by ascribing at least $5.6 billion in profits from an Illinois warehouse to a Geneva warehouse instead. Caterpillar has paid $36.8 billion in federal taxes from 2000 to 2009-a rate of 30%.
Daniel J. Schlicksup, the whistle-blower, was a Caterpillar executive and also filed a request for job protection through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act according to court records. This law makes any retaliation against employees who inform the government of illegal activity. Schlicksup has recently been transferred in what he considers a demotion related to his whistle-blowing. Schlicksup and another employee tried to convince Caterpillar executives that their Swiss tax plan might be illegal under U.S. law.
Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan denies any misconduct in tax law and claims Schlicksup's transfer was not a demotion. Dugan did not comment on any specific allegations.
Caterpillar has been one of many multinational corporations heavily lobbying Congress to end all taxes on profits earned abroad. In addition the lobbyist group, Win America Campaign, is advocating a one-time tax break to reduce federal income tax to 5.25%.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published a report claiming that this kind of tax break is unlikely to create jobs or increase investment in the U.S. and referred back to the lack of results from a similar tax break in 2004.
According to an article on the tax fraud by Peter S. Green on Bloomberg.com, Caterpillar earns 68% of their revenue offshore. The corporate tax rate in Switzerland is 10% and also offers exemptions as the U.S. tax law does. According to Schlicksup's lawsuit, the only purpose behind the Swiss unit was to avoid U.S. taxes and had no other business purpose at all. Apparently, the spare parts inventory was maintained in the U.S. and were just routed through the Swiss unit.
According to Schlicksup, originally a global tax manager at the company, Caterpillar is also guilty of "shareholder fraud" by overstating income. After being transferred, according to Schlicksup, he was asked to sign an agreement in 2008 that would restore his wages but require him to stop making claims of any "unlawful, unethical or improper conduct" according to an exhibit in the lawsuit.
This week, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., advanced the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act which asks U.S. corporations to pay taxes on operations that are managed within the U.S. borders despite the location of incorporation. As in the Caterpillar example, many other corporations also choose to be incorporated in places like the Caymans to take advantage of these offshore tax havens in what many consider to be abuse of American tax law. Levin has examined "tax avoidance schemes" for 10 years and says that offshore tax havens cost the U.S. Treasury $100 billion in lost revenue every year.
Information from this article from:
Bloomberg.com, Peter S. Green "Caterpillar Accused of Demoting Executive Discovering $2 Billion Tax Dodge", July 8, 2011.
busienssweek.com, "Caterpillar manager accuses company of 'tax dodge', July 8, 2011
abcnews.go.com, Susanna Kim, "Sen. Levin Says Tackling Tax Haven Abuse is One Way to Reduce Deficit", July 14, 2011
Daniel J. Schlicksup, the whistle-blower, was a Caterpillar executive and also filed a request for job protection through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act according to court records. This law makes any retaliation against employees who inform the government of illegal activity. Schlicksup has recently been transferred in what he considers a demotion related to his whistle-blowing. Schlicksup and another employee tried to convince Caterpillar executives that their Swiss tax plan might be illegal under U.S. law.
Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan denies any misconduct in tax law and claims Schlicksup's transfer was not a demotion. Dugan did not comment on any specific allegations.
Caterpillar has been one of many multinational corporations heavily lobbying Congress to end all taxes on profits earned abroad. In addition the lobbyist group, Win America Campaign, is advocating a one-time tax break to reduce federal income tax to 5.25%.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published a report claiming that this kind of tax break is unlikely to create jobs or increase investment in the U.S. and referred back to the lack of results from a similar tax break in 2004.
According to an article on the tax fraud by Peter S. Green on Bloomberg.com, Caterpillar earns 68% of their revenue offshore. The corporate tax rate in Switzerland is 10% and also offers exemptions as the U.S. tax law does. According to Schlicksup's lawsuit, the only purpose behind the Swiss unit was to avoid U.S. taxes and had no other business purpose at all. Apparently, the spare parts inventory was maintained in the U.S. and were just routed through the Swiss unit.
According to Schlicksup, originally a global tax manager at the company, Caterpillar is also guilty of "shareholder fraud" by overstating income. After being transferred, according to Schlicksup, he was asked to sign an agreement in 2008 that would restore his wages but require him to stop making claims of any "unlawful, unethical or improper conduct" according to an exhibit in the lawsuit.
This week, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., advanced the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act which asks U.S. corporations to pay taxes on operations that are managed within the U.S. borders despite the location of incorporation. As in the Caterpillar example, many other corporations also choose to be incorporated in places like the Caymans to take advantage of these offshore tax havens in what many consider to be abuse of American tax law. Levin has examined "tax avoidance schemes" for 10 years and says that offshore tax havens cost the U.S. Treasury $100 billion in lost revenue every year.
Information from this article from:
Bloomberg.com, Peter S. Green "Caterpillar Accused of Demoting Executive Discovering $2 Billion Tax Dodge", July 8, 2011.
busienssweek.com, "Caterpillar manager accuses company of 'tax dodge', July 8, 2011
abcnews.go.com, Susanna Kim, "Sen. Levin Says Tackling Tax Haven Abuse is One Way to Reduce Deficit", July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Green Lemonade: Nectar of the Gods, good for fasting, and the best for first thing in the morning
I recently discovered Green Lemonade and I can't stop telling people about it. It gives your body such a wonderful "glowing" feeling, it is energizing all day, and provides you with lots of vitamins, minerals and enzymes not to mention chlorophyll. I find that this juice helps control my sweet tooth cravings. The best Green Lemonade is made from organic produce (so as not to include pesticides in your drink) but if you don't have access to organic produce then peel everything (including the lemon). If money is no object to you then replace celery with one full head of romaine lettuce. Remember to wash your produce well even if it is organic. Note: this recipe calls for a juicer and cannot be made with a blender. I found this recipe in the book, The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose. This book goes into detail about how to use Green Lemonade as a detox diet.
-2 fuji or pink lady apples (or three if they are very small)
-half a bunch celery (or romaine lettuce)
-1 lemon with peel on
-1-3 tablespoons/inches fresh ginger root (depending on taste)
-half a bunch/2-3 cups of kale (I think Black Kale juices the best)
It is important to drink this on an empty stomach-preferably first thing in the morning. However, if you cant go without your cup of coffee, don't worry. Just put a little time between them.
Don't worry about the kale taste-the apples, lemon, and ginger cover up the kale flavor!
This recipe makes about 16 ounces which is the recommended daily amount.
Drink this as soon as you make it-don't make any ahead of time and let it sit as it starts to oxygenate.
It is recommended, for the full benefits of the Green Lemonade, that you do not eat for 1-2 hours after drinking. It is not going to hurt you if you do, but you won't get the full energizing buzz that you get if you wait.If you cannot wait for your morning cup of joe, I understand-neither can I. Try to put a little time in between drinking these two beverages but don't worry about it too much (unless the mixture is unsettling to you).
ENJOY!
-2 fuji or pink lady apples (or three if they are very small)
-half a bunch celery (or romaine lettuce)
-1 lemon with peel on
-1-3 tablespoons/inches fresh ginger root (depending on taste)
-half a bunch/2-3 cups of kale (I think Black Kale juices the best)
It is important to drink this on an empty stomach-preferably first thing in the morning. However, if you cant go without your cup of coffee, don't worry. Just put a little time between them.
Don't worry about the kale taste-the apples, lemon, and ginger cover up the kale flavor!
This recipe makes about 16 ounces which is the recommended daily amount.
Drink this as soon as you make it-don't make any ahead of time and let it sit as it starts to oxygenate.
It is recommended, for the full benefits of the Green Lemonade, that you do not eat for 1-2 hours after drinking. It is not going to hurt you if you do, but you won't get the full energizing buzz that you get if you wait.If you cannot wait for your morning cup of joe, I understand-neither can I. Try to put a little time in between drinking these two beverages but don't worry about it too much (unless the mixture is unsettling to you).
ENJOY!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Political Economy:More discussions on tax cuts
In Keynesian economics (the macroeconomic theory that is the primary source for Republican and Tea-Partier claims that taxes on the rich should be cut), it is said that there is a certain point at which there are too high of taxes for there to be any more motivation to work and create wealth. This is true, but no one knows where this point is, and further, it is likely above what large corporations pay now.
When politicians and their followers claim that tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations will help our economy-they are being very deceptive because this is absolutely not always the case. The very rich ALREADY have plenty of incentives to make money-namely all the money they are making. Giving them tax breaks absolutely does not mean that they will use it to create jobs. It has been shown that this is only the case rarely and in those cases most of the jobs created are out of the country. The reason why I think people believe in the propaganda that the very wealthy need to pay less is because they are using a nugget of truth to convince people-the truth is that tax breaks on small and medium businesses and individuals-all those are VERY helpful to stimulate the economy and create jobs. But what is NOT very helpful is instead giving that money to such wealthy corporations that it makes no real difference to how much they're going to invest because (unlike small and medium businesses) they already had enough cash on hand before the tax cuts (say the three under Bush). The best tax cuts would be to small and medium businesses and the middle and working classes. But tax cuts are not the only way to stimulate the economy. One study in 2008 by Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com found that when the government gives food stamps there is a fiscal multiplier of 1.73. The same study found that the fiscal multiplier for making the Bush tax cuts permanent, had the second lowest multiplier, 0.23. (Zandi, Mark. "A Second Quick Boost From Government Could Spark Recovery." Edited excerpts from congressional testimony July 24, 2008.)
If we really want to give incentive for creating jobs why not give them the tax break AFTER they provide those job IN THIS country. Why just give them lots of money (three tax cuts under Bush) that supports the infrastructure and people they use to get rich and not even have any assurance at all that they will create a job in America with that money? We could assure them of the refund by setting up a program to get a tax cut each and every-time the create a job IN AMERICA. This would have the same incentive as a regular tax cut but none of the risk that they will decide to sit on the money instead of investing it or investing it overseas.
What do you think of this idea?
When politicians and their followers claim that tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and corporations will help our economy-they are being very deceptive because this is absolutely not always the case. The very rich ALREADY have plenty of incentives to make money-namely all the money they are making. Giving them tax breaks absolutely does not mean that they will use it to create jobs. It has been shown that this is only the case rarely and in those cases most of the jobs created are out of the country. The reason why I think people believe in the propaganda that the very wealthy need to pay less is because they are using a nugget of truth to convince people-the truth is that tax breaks on small and medium businesses and individuals-all those are VERY helpful to stimulate the economy and create jobs. But what is NOT very helpful is instead giving that money to such wealthy corporations that it makes no real difference to how much they're going to invest because (unlike small and medium businesses) they already had enough cash on hand before the tax cuts (say the three under Bush). The best tax cuts would be to small and medium businesses and the middle and working classes. But tax cuts are not the only way to stimulate the economy. One study in 2008 by Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com found that when the government gives food stamps there is a fiscal multiplier of 1.73. The same study found that the fiscal multiplier for making the Bush tax cuts permanent, had the second lowest multiplier, 0.23. (Zandi, Mark. "A Second Quick Boost From Government Could Spark Recovery." Edited excerpts from congressional testimony July 24, 2008.)
O,k., the multiplier effect is also part of macroeconomic theory. Here we are talking about fiscal multipliers-those dollars put into the economy either by increased government spending OR by reducing revenue by cutting taxes. In the testimony and its link above, you can see that the economists (usually not a bunch of liberal hearts to say the least) agree that the Bush tax cuts (most of which went to the most wealthy-almost nobody argues that the people who got small checks shouldn't have gotten them) where not a good investment as far as trying to stimulate the economy. This is why they gave the tax cut a low multiplier-only .23 (or for every dollar of tax cut, only 23 cents was being reinvested in the economy). This is because over 75% of these businesses/people had enough money already to invest and the additional tax reduction did not get them to invest any more money at all in the economy.
Now, if you look at the highest score for a fiscal multiplier-it is a temporary increase in food stamps which scores 1.73. This score is what you want to stimulate the economy. This means that for every dollar paid in food stamps the economy generated an additional 73 cents! This is what a struggling economy needs. Why does it work this way? Because when you give a tax break or a benefit like food stamps to people that are poor, working poor, and middle class-most of them spend that money IMMEDIATELY thus giving the boost to the economy that it needs.
So, why do so many Americans believe that giving tax breaks is better for our economy than tax breaks or certain programs for poor, and middle class? Because those top 5% that control almost all the wealth in this country want us to turn on each other to keep us from turning on them.
I am not even advocating for increasing corporate taxes for the richest corporations-I merely want to sunset the three tax reductions that were made under Bush.
A lot of small and medium businesses don't get the same level of loopholes (because they cannot contribute as much in congressional elections) as large corporations and therefor are the ones that pay the highest rate which is 30-35%. Corporate loopholes make the corporate tax rate in the United States range anywhere from 0-35% and it is the big ones who get away with paying closer to 0%.
What do you think of this idea?
Monday, July 11, 2011
So on to some lighter things-Doing a great facial at Home!
First, start with a nice liquid facial soap. Here are some of my favorites: The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil facial wash, Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser, and Clarisonic's daily cleanser (all three of which go well with the Clarisonic exfoliaters or a wet washcloth. Remember to use warm but not hot water to open your pores.
Next we tone the face and I really love Sonya Dakar's 'Aromasol Mists' line. They are great toners for your face and there is a variety of kinds - "Clear" which has lavender and tea tree essential oils, "Refine" which has pure essential cypress and lemon extracts, "Scarring", "Maintenance" with geranium and rosewood extracts, and "Discoloration" which contains eucalyptus and lemon extracts. If you're like me and don't wear make-up very often, anytime is a good time for a little spritz of one of these to freshen up the face.
Next, we exfoliate mechanically and then chemically (don't be scared by that everything in the world is some kind of chemical compound-these are all very gentle products). I have very sensitive skin and therefor have to be very careful with my skin care products and scented products. My favorite mechanical exfoliant is Remede's Sweep. This is a great first step in giving yourself a world-class facial. Next I like to use Sonya Dakar's Enzyme Peeling Cream. This is an acid-free "chemical" exfoliant made out of pumpkin enzymes, cardamon and beta-carotene extracts.
If you want to use a mask of some sort, now is the time. You will still get a great facial if you skip the masks, however. Two masks that I like are Sonya Dakar's Blue Mask (which is a hydrating mask for sensitive skin) and Sonya Dakar's Lightening Mask which refines the skin with licorice and mulberry extracts. A more affordable mask is Oil of Olay's deep cleansing clay mask using kaolin clay which helps draw out toxins.
Here, I like to get a wash cloth wet with cool water and rinse my face well. The cool water will help close your pores.
Next, use whatever facial cream you like. But a warning: after such an intensive exfoliation, my face is always extra extra sensitive even to some products that I could ordinarily use. If you have this problem or extremely sensitive skin in general I recommend the product line called Vanicream. They have moisturizing lotion, sun block and other hypoallergenic, 100% fragrance free products. Other nice facial moisturizers are JASON'S Revitalizing Moisturizing Cream, BWC'S daily moisturizer, BWC'S Vitamin C Organic Facial Renewal Cream, The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Moisturizer, and JASON'S Vitamin E Oil which has a mix of Almond, Apricot, Avocado and Wheat Germ oils (I link to replace cream with oils sometimes because they are so good for your skin).
Enjoy all the compliments you get on how nice you look! Repeat once a week to maintain a natural glow.
Next we tone the face and I really love Sonya Dakar's 'Aromasol Mists' line. They are great toners for your face and there is a variety of kinds - "Clear" which has lavender and tea tree essential oils, "Refine" which has pure essential cypress and lemon extracts, "Scarring", "Maintenance" with geranium and rosewood extracts, and "Discoloration" which contains eucalyptus and lemon extracts. If you're like me and don't wear make-up very often, anytime is a good time for a little spritz of one of these to freshen up the face.
Next, we exfoliate mechanically and then chemically (don't be scared by that everything in the world is some kind of chemical compound-these are all very gentle products). I have very sensitive skin and therefor have to be very careful with my skin care products and scented products. My favorite mechanical exfoliant is Remede's Sweep. This is a great first step in giving yourself a world-class facial. Next I like to use Sonya Dakar's Enzyme Peeling Cream. This is an acid-free "chemical" exfoliant made out of pumpkin enzymes, cardamon and beta-carotene extracts.
If you want to use a mask of some sort, now is the time. You will still get a great facial if you skip the masks, however. Two masks that I like are Sonya Dakar's Blue Mask (which is a hydrating mask for sensitive skin) and Sonya Dakar's Lightening Mask which refines the skin with licorice and mulberry extracts. A more affordable mask is Oil of Olay's deep cleansing clay mask using kaolin clay which helps draw out toxins.
Here, I like to get a wash cloth wet with cool water and rinse my face well. The cool water will help close your pores.
Next, use whatever facial cream you like. But a warning: after such an intensive exfoliation, my face is always extra extra sensitive even to some products that I could ordinarily use. If you have this problem or extremely sensitive skin in general I recommend the product line called Vanicream. They have moisturizing lotion, sun block and other hypoallergenic, 100% fragrance free products. Other nice facial moisturizers are JASON'S Revitalizing Moisturizing Cream, BWC'S daily moisturizer, BWC'S Vitamin C Organic Facial Renewal Cream, The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Moisturizer, and JASON'S Vitamin E Oil which has a mix of Almond, Apricot, Avocado and Wheat Germ oils (I link to replace cream with oils sometimes because they are so good for your skin).
Enjoy all the compliments you get on how nice you look! Repeat once a week to maintain a natural glow.
Response on FB about my last blog on taxes
Well, earlier I posted this blog to FB and already I have one less friend! I am constantly amazed at how poor and middle class people fight amongst themselves to protect those that do not need protecting.
Why are tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations not a good investment?
Many politicians argue that increasing taxes is bad for a struggling economy. It is important to keep in mind that to persuade someone of something false, something true is usually mixed in to elicit support. It is true that if you raised taxes on the working poor and middle class it would depress their spending and therefore limit the ability of the "fiscal" multiplier effect. This effect causes an increase in consumption that drives economic growth. In other words, when poor and middle class people get money (such as a reduction of taxes) they almost always spend it immediately, thus generating economic growth.
The same phenomenon is not true for wealthy individuals and corporations. The very wealthy individuals and corporations already have the incentives they need to spend money if they choose to. Giving them tax breaks does not necessarily mean they will spend it. Politicians often say that a tax increase on businesses would be detrimental to our economy and prevent job-creation. This is only true if the money paid to the government would otherwise be invested in job-creation. The truth is that the small and medium businesses act much like working and middle class people-they spend money almost as soon as they get it. This is not true, however, for very large businesses. They already have monies available to them that they choose not to invest so a little more money rarely means they will increase their rate of investment. But let's assume that there are a few very wealthy corporations that will invest money in jobs that would otherwise go to taxes. Only a very small amount of those wealthy corporations that decide to invest will invest that money here in the United States. So the idea that relieving the wealthiest Americans of their tax burdens will create jobs here in America is quite a stretch to say the least. The only really effective tax cuts that are sure things as far as stimulating the economy are those to the middle class and working class as well as the small to medium businesses. Tax cuts, as stated in below text, are not even the best way to stimulate the economy as government spending is more of a stimulus. This government spending is obviously getting harder and harder to do as we go deeper into debt. Well, if this is the case then we better raise money the only way a government can-tax those who can afford it.
It is my opinion that the powers that be in this country are successfully dividing the middle and working class by pitting us against each other in order to cleverly hide their own misdeeds and responsibilities.
Text from Wikipedia link:
"In congressional testimony given in July 2008, Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, provided estimates of the one year multiplier effect for several fiscal policy options. The multipliers showed that increased government spending would have more of a multiplier effect than tax cuts. The most effective policy, a temporary increase in food stamps, had an estimated multiplier of 1.73. Making the Bush tax cuts permanent, had the second lowest multiplier, 0.23. A payroll tax holiday had the largest multiplier for tax cuts, 1.29. Refundable lump-sum tax rebates, the policy used in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, had the second largest multiplier for a tax cut, 1.26.[3]"
The same phenomenon is not true for wealthy individuals and corporations. The very wealthy individuals and corporations already have the incentives they need to spend money if they choose to. Giving them tax breaks does not necessarily mean they will spend it. Politicians often say that a tax increase on businesses would be detrimental to our economy and prevent job-creation. This is only true if the money paid to the government would otherwise be invested in job-creation. The truth is that the small and medium businesses act much like working and middle class people-they spend money almost as soon as they get it. This is not true, however, for very large businesses. They already have monies available to them that they choose not to invest so a little more money rarely means they will increase their rate of investment. But let's assume that there are a few very wealthy corporations that will invest money in jobs that would otherwise go to taxes. Only a very small amount of those wealthy corporations that decide to invest will invest that money here in the United States. So the idea that relieving the wealthiest Americans of their tax burdens will create jobs here in America is quite a stretch to say the least. The only really effective tax cuts that are sure things as far as stimulating the economy are those to the middle class and working class as well as the small to medium businesses. Tax cuts, as stated in below text, are not even the best way to stimulate the economy as government spending is more of a stimulus. This government spending is obviously getting harder and harder to do as we go deeper into debt. Well, if this is the case then we better raise money the only way a government can-tax those who can afford it.
It is my opinion that the powers that be in this country are successfully dividing the middle and working class by pitting us against each other in order to cleverly hide their own misdeeds and responsibilities.
Text from Wikipedia link:
"In congressional testimony given in July 2008, Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, provided estimates of the one year multiplier effect for several fiscal policy options. The multipliers showed that increased government spending would have more of a multiplier effect than tax cuts. The most effective policy, a temporary increase in food stamps, had an estimated multiplier of 1.73. Making the Bush tax cuts permanent, had the second lowest multiplier, 0.23. A payroll tax holiday had the largest multiplier for tax cuts, 1.29. Refundable lump-sum tax rebates, the policy used in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, had the second largest multiplier for a tax cut, 1.26.[3]"
Hi this is a new blog about politics, economics, and life
Hello this is a new blog about pressing political and economic issues in America and the world. I hope to infuse some common sense and information into the current political dialogue with my posts. It is my belief that the American middle class and the American working poor have more in common than what the mainstream corporate-controlled media would have us believe. I will attempt to target such common interests in a variety of political issues from taxes to entitlements.
I will also have more light-hearted fare such as favorite recipes, links to make you laugh, good hiking trails, Yoga and some recommendations on household and personal care products that I personally approve of. I am very picky with everything I put on and in my body so you can be assured that only the best items are mentioned here.
Subjects I like to discuss: Politics, Political Economy, Public Policy, Environmental issues, mainstream media, gardening, yoga and lots of other stuff!
I will also have more light-hearted fare such as favorite recipes, links to make you laugh, good hiking trails, Yoga and some recommendations on household and personal care products that I personally approve of. I am very picky with everything I put on and in my body so you can be assured that only the best items are mentioned here.
Subjects I like to discuss: Politics, Political Economy, Public Policy, Environmental issues, mainstream media, gardening, yoga and lots of other stuff!
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