Patting the wrists, rolling the eyes.

[Left-Wing Syndicate]

Originally posted by taxwonk
He's still a fucking idiot and a shill for the Conservative Right. If he runs, the Dems are simply going to buy the Stephanopoulos interview, play it once a day in every major city in the US, and Frist won't make it to Super Tuesday.

Wrong. First we'll make sure he's the nominee, THEN we'll start running the interview.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Left-Wing Syndicate
Wrong. First we'll make sure he's the nominee, THEN we'll start running the interview.

Wouldn't you rather knock him out in the primaries and let the Christian whackadoos kill off Jeb for not getting all Posse Comitatus on Terri Schiavo? That'll leave them with Zell Miller. Hell, mmmmmmmm867-5309 could beat Zell.

[Left-Wing Syndicate]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Wouldn't you rather knock him out in the primaries and let the Christian whackadoos kill off Jeb for not getting all Posse Comitatus on Terri Schiavo? That'll leave them with Zell Miller. Hell, mmmmmmmm867-5309 could beat Zell.

No. We want him to go through the glory of nomination, ascend to the heights of political hopes and aspiration, believe in every fiber of his being that he WILL be president, and then - we'll crush him like an ant. He'll be the Republican Dukakis.

He beat one of us to a cab once in DC while it was raining, and laughed and waved as he sped off. We don't forget.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Hospital chain. Let's not really go into HCA's issues with Medicare fraud...

Sweetie, you are screwing up the "It's all the fault of managed care, not hospitals/doctors/patients" paradigm. For shame.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Sweetie, you are screwing up the "It's all the fault of managed care, not hospitals/doctors/patients" paradigm. For shame.

HCA and Tenant. The for-profit mega hosptial chains are the scum of the healthcare earth. No worries, I'm still on the side of good.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
HCA and Tenant. The for-profit mega hosptial chains are the scum of the healthcare earth. No worries, I'm still on the side of good.

Tenet. Have you merged with a Catholic entity yet, and stopped providing abortion-related and/or birth control services?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Tenet. Have you merged with a Catholic entity yet, and stopped providing abortion-related and/or birth control services?

No, but the legislative session isn't over yet, so there's still time for the theocracy to fuck with things.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Actually, I believe it was Thomas Jefferson. If not, it was certainly Andrew Jackson.

Jefferson. Marbury v. Madison.

Didn't work out for him, for FDR, for anyone. The Justices have a better W-L than Hank.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
No, but the legislative session isn't over yet, so there's still time for the theocracy to fuck with things.

Don't be absurd. The Texas Legislature is more likely to merge you with a Jewish outfit than a Catholic one. At least the Jews control the international banking syndicate.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Jefferson. Marbury v. Madison.

Didn't work out for him, for FDR, for anyone. The Justices have a better W-L than Hank.

That's what I was thinking. But if anyone wanted to challenge me on Marbury, then the easy fallback was Jackson's "They (the SC) have made their decision; now let them enforce it" response.

[Replaced_Texan]

This is what the Democrats in the Senate would be pushing for[list=1][*] Women's Health Care (S. 844). "The Prevention First Act of 2005" will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions by increasing funding for family planning and ending health insurance discrimination against women.
[*]Veterans' Benefits (S. 845). "The Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005" will assist disabled veterans who, under current law, must choose to either receive their retirement pay or disability compensation.
[*]Fiscal Responsibility (S. 851). Democrats will move to restore fiscal discipline to government spending and extend the pay-as-you-go requirement.
[*]Relief at the Pump (S. 847). Democrats plan to halt the diversion of oil from the markets to the strategic petroleum reserve. By releasing oil from the reserve through a swap program, the plan will bring down prices at the pump.
[*]Education (S. 848). Democrats have a bill that will: strengthen head start and child care programs, improve elementary and secondary education, provide a roadmap for first generation and low-income college students, provide college tuition relief for students and their families, address the need for math, science and special education teachers, and make college affordable for all students.
[*]Jobs (S. 846). Democrats will work in support of legislation that guarantees overtime pay for workers and sets a fair minimum wage.
[*]Energy Markets (S. 870). Democrats work to prevent Enron-style market manipulation of electricity.
[*]Corporate Taxation (S. 872). Democrats make sure companies pay their fair share of taxes to the U.S. government instead of keeping profits overseas.
[*]Standing with our troops (S. 11). Democrats believe that putting America's security first means standing up for our troops and their families.[/list=1]

Daily Kos via MyDD

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
This is what the Democrats in the Senate would be pushing for[list=1][*] Women's Health Care (S. 844). "The Prevention First Act of 2005" will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions by increasing funding for family planning and ending health insurance discrimination against women.
[*]Veterans' Benefits (S. 845). "The Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005" will assist disabled veterans who, under current law, must choose to either receive their retirement pay or disability compensation.
[*]Fiscal Responsibility (S. 851). Democrats will move to restore fiscal discipline to government spending and extend the pay-as-you-go requirement.
[*]Relief at the Pump (S. 847). Democrats plan to halt the diversion of oil from the markets to the strategic petroleum reserve. By releasing oil from the reserve through a swap program, the plan will bring down prices at the pump.
[*]Education (S. 848). Democrats have a bill that will: strengthen head start and child care programs, improve elementary and secondary education, provide a roadmap for first generation and low-income college students, provide college tuition relief for students and their families, address the need for math, science and special education teachers, and make college affordable for all students.
[*]Jobs (S. 846). Democrats will work in support of legislation that guarantees overtime pay for workers and sets a fair minimum wage.
[*]Energy Markets (S. 870). Democrats work to prevent Enron-style market manipulation of electricity.
[*]Corporate Taxation (S. 872). Democrats make sure companies pay their fair share of taxes to the U.S. government instead of keeping profits overseas.
[*]Standing with our troops (S. 11). Democrats believe that putting America's security first means standing up for our troops and their families.[/list=1]

Daily Kos via MyDD

Yeah, that's a wonderful thought exercise.

On a couple, WTF:

2. If a veteran is disabled, s/he should be paid until he would have retired to replace the lost income. Once s/he would have retired, s/he shoudl get the retirement benefits. Why double the benefit?

3. How about extending pay-go just to increased spending, but not to tax cuts? Otherwise the system just gets ossified at the current level of taxation.

4. And when do they suggest refilling the SPR so we don't have to go to war or dig up ANWR immediately upon the next supply shock? Why is cheap gas good for us? Because it helps the environment?

5. Why is the federal government doing this? Other than "because they can".

6. What happened to FLSA--was it repealed? What's "unfair" about the current minimum wage? Wonk, I want answers.

7. How are current laws insufficient to prevent such manipulation? And, should the federal government tell california how to police its own energy market, which is where Enron was gaming the system?

8. Companies don't pay taxes. People pay taxes. Corporate taxation is smoke and mirrors.

9. Um, sure. Okay. And?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
5. Why is the federal government doing this? Other than "because they can".

I have an uncle (the movie star's ex!) who is a big teacher's union guy. So i asked him once what does the Dept. of Education do? Good faith question I was not being a smart ass. All he could say was they ensure compliance with Fed statutes. What does it do? Anyone?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Yeah, that's a wonderful thought exercise.

On a couple, WTF:

2. If a veteran is disabled, s/he should be paid until he would have retired to replace the lost income. Once s/he would have retired, s/he shoudl get the retirement benefits. Why double the benefit?

3. How about extending pay-go just to increased spending, but not to tax cuts? Otherwise the system just gets ossified at the current level of taxation.

4. And when do they suggest refilling the SPR so we don't have to go to war or dig up ANWR immediately upon the next supply shock? Why is cheap gas good for us? Because it helps the environment?

5. Why is the federal government doing this? Other than "because they can".

6. What happened to FLSA--was it repealed? What's "unfair" about the current minimum wage? Wonk, I want answers.

7. How are current laws insufficient to prevent such manipulation? And, should the federal government tell california how to police its own energy market, which is where Enron was gaming the system?

8. Companies don't pay taxes. People pay taxes. Corporate taxation is smoke and mirrors.

9. Um, sure. Okay. And?

To the extent that the Kos things are self-serving descriptions, 2.

#2 may have to do with some structure that provides lower benefits for disability than for retirement, but starting retirement early may considerably reduce the retirement benefit b/c there's usually a reduction for early commencement. I am not (quite) curious enough to look this up.

#6 really is probably about reversing, at least in part, the changes to FLSA that were put through a year or so ago.

#8 I think has something to do with places like Tyco (Worldcom) which an article I was reading yesterday noted is nominally headquartered in Bermuda but has its main operations out of someplace in New Jersey. I am sympathetic to taxing entities that are primarily in the US as if they were HQed in the US and not maintaining some teeny office someplace for tax reasons. Because that's bullshit. If we are going to have the corp tax, we need it to be applied fairly.

#7 and #9 are impossible to tell what they mean.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
6. What happened to FLSA--was it repealed? What's "unfair" about the current minimum wage? Wonk, I want answers.

8. Companies don't pay taxes. People pay taxes. Corporate taxation is smoke and mirrors.

Well, as to your first point above, the current minimum wage is $6.50/hr in Illinois. That means that a peson making the minimum wage earns $1040/mo. A CTA bus pass is $75. Rent is a minimum of $650 to live in a rathole. Daycare in a licensed facility is a minimum of $125/week per child. Assume that the person has 0 FI withholding; they still have about 10% for FICA and IL tax. Utilities and phone are another $200/month. That's fixed expenses of $1425/month and net income of $936. Oh. Don't forget about food and occasional medical expenses.

Next question?

Your point that corporate taxation is smoke and mirrors displays a certain amount of naivete. Taxes or not, corporations don't pay out all their income as dividends. You point would only be valid if all corporations liquidated on an annual basis.

There. And I did it all with a bare minimum discussion of taxes.