Politics: J'accuse!

[Duplicity]

Originally posted by bilmore
A tax cut, and higher revenues? How could that be?

Intentionally or unintentionally, you are echoing Jonah Goldberg, so it's only right to post Yglesias' debunking of him:

Matthew Yglesias, in TAPPED

LESS TAXES, MORE MONEY. Over in The Corner Jonah Goldberg finds vindication for Republican economic dogma:

• How strange. We've cut taxes but revenues are increasing.

The great danger of blogging is that readers may see the links, but not actually click on them. Here's what Jonathan Weisman's article in The Washington Post says:

• Smaller-than-expected tax refunds and rising individual tax receipts will pare back federal borrowing significantly for the first half of this year and could reduce the $521 billion deficit projected for the fiscal year by as much as $100 billion, Treasury and congressional budget officials said yesterday. . . .
  
  All of this indicates that the improving economy is beginning to slow a three-year slide in overall tax receipts.

In other words, revenue isn't increasing. Rather, it's falling more slowly than it has in the recent past. Actual revenue is higher than previous projections of revenue for this year, but not higher than actual revenue from the previous year. Either way, tax cut fueled growth can't possibly fix America's budgetary problems, given the current spending trends. As you'll see at the bottom of this page, under the Bush administration spending has increased not just in absolute terms, but as a proportion of GDP. That means revenue, too, needs to grow, not just in absolute terms, but as a proportion of GDP.

[The Larry Davis Experience]

Originally posted by Duplicity
Is this not a spectacle concocted for an election year? Good God, man -- where is your sense of cynicism?

You mean, like the cynicism I have for a Marin resident bad-mouthing rent control?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
RT's ancestors may have been the one's complaining. I'm not sure of their means of communication.

Hell, we're still bitching about the land grab from that Tennesee (and other assorted Anglo/American ancestries) scum from 168 years ago. I think there are still a couple of suits pending over the issue.

My dad took particular glee when the Alamo (Disney version) failed as miserably as the Texans' effort in the mission.

However, the deed restrictions on the land grant from the 1750s: perfectly fair and just.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by bilmore
This might be one of those really painful awakenings.

You're Young. You're Urban. You're a Professional.

Okay, now think about those things for a minute . . . .

La la la la la... not listening!

[The Larry Davis Experience]

Originally posted by bilmore
Good timing, though. Wasn't it announced today that the deficit estimates just dropped for next year by $100 billion?

(A tax cut, and higher revenues? How could that be?)

By printing more dough?

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by bilmore
This might be one of those really painful awakenings.

You're Young. You're Urban. You're a Professional.

Okay, now think about those things for a minute . . . .

she's not that young. got your back, RT.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Hell, we're still bitching about the land grab from that Tennesee (and other assorted Anglo/American ancestries) scum from 168 years ago. I think there are still a couple of suits pending over the issue.

My dad took particular glee when the Alamo (Disney version) failed as miserably as the Texans' effort in the mission.

However, the deed restrictions on the land grant from the 1750s: perfectly fair and just.

I recently got to see the Alamo.

I must say that the defenders of the Alamo had to be among the first winners of the Darwin awards. What were they thinking? I trust this was among the first, and worst planned, terrorist suicide missions.

[ltl/fb]

I am having trouble reconciling Bush's statements that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners is "un-American" with the statements of people on this board that the abuse is not actually bad, because stuff like that happens every day in the US.

Bilmore, Hello -- do you disagree with Bush? When he says that Americans don't do this kind of thing, do you think he is mistaken, or that he is lying?

[Duplicity]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
I am having trouble reconciling Bush's statements that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners is "un-American" with the statements of people on this board that the abuse is not actually bad, because stuff like that happens every day in the US.

Bilmore, Hello -- do you disagree with Bush? When he says that Americans don't do this kind of thing, do you think he is mistaken, or that he is lying?

We hold this truth to be self-evident -- that we aspire to be better than we are. That is utterly American. The tawdry acceptance of our fallen state is better left to the Europeans.

[Dave]

Originally posted by Duplicity
We hold this truth to be self-evident -- that we aspire to be better than we are. That is utterly American. The tawdry acceptance of our fallen state is better left to the Europeans.

Notwithstanding the general quality of today's other posts, shouldn't this post have come from your Mediocrity sock?

I mean, whiff.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Duplicity
We hold this truth to be self-evident -- that we aspire to be better than we are. That is utterly American. The tawdry acceptance of our fallen state is better left to the Europeans.

Cute, but if we are excusing stuff by saying that we do it all the time, we are accepting our fallen state.


OMG!!!!!! Bilmore and Hello and Hank and all are French!

[Duplicity]

Originally posted by Dave
Notwithstanding the general quality of today's other posts, shouldn't this post have come from your Mediocrity sock?

Pomposity wrote it, but he's still looking for a worthy avatar.

[Dave]

Originally posted by Duplicity
Pomposity wrote it, but he's still looking for a worthy avatar.

Photos of Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh are widely available.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Duplicity
Pomposity wrote it, but he's still looking for a worthy avatar.

If you create or use such a sock, I will sue you back into the stone age. I've got Pomposity under exclusive license from Bilmore.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Pure wealth preservation for the haves.

How so? If it preserved wealth, there would be no need for zoning, because the highest/best/most valuable use of hte land would be the mcmansion on a half acre. Zoning prevents people from maximizing the value of their land.

Zoning preserves choice. As you said, vote with your feet. Nothign prevents you from buying the lot with the large apartment complex and demolishing it in favor of your trailer home pad. Without zoning one ends up with a mediocre sameness everywhere.