A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
People on hotel staffs do not watch hockey.

canadianist fuck

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by bilmore
I think that's reaching. If you do go to a R rally/meeting/whatever, you WILL mostly only see blacks in the waitstaff. We can call him racist about this when our tent gets bigger. Not now, though.

Not to detract from your point, which is a good one, but the comment would also be more objectionable if Blacks were not disproportionately employed in lower paid jobs.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
People on hotel staffs do not watch hockey.

Not this year, at least.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by bilmore
I know. I thought that was the first step in a good direction.

I understand that, but there needs to be some liberalization even if it does leave those of really bad judgment at the tender mercies of social security only. There's a huge resistance to tying up money with little chance of access before the prescibed age. If we do loosen that a bit, I think the resistance will drop, and investment will rise. Besides, the "least financially secure" aren't in 401k's anyway.

Nope. So, obviously, we can't make it a safe haven like Florida homes have become - a place for the wealthy to hide their huge assets - but at the same time, those funds can't be hanging out there for the collection firms of the world to salivate over. Happy medium, somehow.

Why can't people who can afford to put away more than $15k a year just invest/save it? Why, bilmore, why?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
You are an incompetent fool, an offense
against the world.

I'm sure this is whiffing, but this is going a bit overboard. It's not like Hank said it.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Why can't people who can afford to put away more than $15k a year just invest/save it? Why, bilmore, why?

As you get older, you realize that you can't afford to NOT put away $15k per year, even if your income would have made that a laughable prospect earlier in life.

Plus, we're speaking of trying to encourage socailly desirable behavior. So, yeah, people probably CAN do it - 401k's just make it more likely that they WILL do it.

Why can't we expect people to buy houses without a mortgage deduction?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by bilmore
As you get older, you realize that you can't afford to NOT put away $15k per year, even if your income would have made that a laughable prospect earlier in life.

Plus, we're speaking of trying to encourage socailly desirable behavior. So, yeah, people probably CAN do it - 401k's just make it more likely that they WILL do it.

Why can't we expect people to buy houses without a mortgage deuction?

If you make $50k a year, $15k, let alone $20k (if you are over 50) is really not doable. I assume given your groundedness and disdain for effete liberal snobs that you know people who make a piddly $50k a year. What is the median income in the US, anyway?

I think we can expect people to buy houses without the mortgage deduction.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
I think we can expect people to buy houses without the mortgage deduction.

And yet, we continue to allow it.

Why, fringey, why?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
I think we can expect people to buy houses without the mortgage deduction.

Though not as many, or as expensive.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Gattigap
West Wing,

I haven't watched this all season- what is going on? Is Bartlett still in office or did it jump forward 4 years? Last night Josh's old girlfreiend is working with all the Candidates because the Dems have to start winning- they own the WH- help me?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by bilmore
And yet, we continue to allow it.

Why, fringey, why?

It's politically unpalatable to change it. Because many many people at the median income level actually use this, whereas very very few would not use the last $5k of a $20/25k 401(k) limit. People like you and me would use the last $5k. Just put your money in the bank and stop asking for special treatment, rich guy. If you want tax benefits, take out a second mortgage.

ETA also, the mortgage industry/realty industry/homebuilding industry makes a shitload of money off that tax deduction. It won't just be individuals protesting getting rid of the deduction.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Gattigap
Though not as many, or as expensive.

I'm OK with that. But I might just be bitter. See above as to actual use by large numbers of people.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I haven't watched this all season- what is going on? Is Bartlett still in office or did it jump forward 4 years? Last night Josh's old girlfreiend is working with all the Candidates because the Dems have to start winning- they own the WH- help me?

Bartlett's winding down his term, apparently with the aid of a stripped-down staff because half of them have joined competing campaigns for the Dem nomination. They occasionally have an episode featuring Bartlett, but the Prez has a much smaller role in the series these days.

Agree that the girlfriend's comment that the "Dems have to start winning" isn't entirely consistent with the show's internal history, but I imagine that it's one of those scraps of "reality" that is intended to draw in you conservative types as viewers.

(It's also one of those small hints that tells me I should search the board to see how the GOP did in the recent elections. I hear you guys did pretty well.)

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Why can't people who can afford to put away more than $15k a year just invest/save it? Why, bilmore, why?

you're also ignoring the principle of taxing consumption rather than income.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ltl/fb


ETA also, the mortgage industry/realty industry/homebuilding industry makes a shitload of money off that tax deduction. It won't just be individuals protesting getting rid of the deduction.

how--because people would pay cash otherwise? Or because people take out larger mortgages?

The real problem with eliminating it is that it would depress home values, and with 67% of americans owning homes, that's a pretty good constituency.

The only way to get rid of it without massive displacement is to phase it out--e.g., drop 5% of the deduction each year for 20 years (so only 95% of interest is deductible this year, 90% the following year, and so on)