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Should Congress renew the Bush tax cuts scheduled to expire at year's end?
Results so far:
| Renew | 61% | 362 votes | Total: 589 votes | |
| Don't Renew | 39% | 227 votes |
Renew
by Rex Trulove
Created on: July 26, 2010
The simple fact is that the federal government has no money of its own. The income it derives comes primarily from taxes levied, sometimes openly and sometimes not quite as in the open. Since many programs and agencies do a good and important job, this makes taxes necessary, to a degree. However, unrealistic taxation is another matter.
The Bush tax cuts lowered the amount for many people, including families and small businesses. This stimulated growth in the private sector, and it led to increased spending. This was something the stimulus packages were supposed to do, but really didn't. The whole idea is rooted in a concept that has proven to work, repeatedly.
To truly understand the principle, it needs to be understood what happens when taxes are lowered. This is the key to realizing why the tax cuts should be extended.
A tax cut doesn't actually increase the revenue a family or small business has. The money was theirs to begin with. However, it does give them more funds to work with. Families have more money to spend on things that they otherwise might not. Small businesses can afford to hire more people or to expand the business.
This helps the economy directly. At the same time, it actually increases the amount of money the government receives from tax revenue. More employees mean more people paying federal withholding tax. More goods purchased leads to payment for other taxes that aren't quite as open, and it helps the businesses so they can expand even more and hire yet more people.
This has a positive affect on stimulating the growth of the economy, while giving the government more money to work with. The exact opposite happens when taxes are raised for the same reason. Not extending the tax cuts would be the same as raising taxes, especially in light of the fact that many taxes have already been raised in the last few years.
Right now, our economy is in poor shape and unemployment rates are extreme. If any time would be a good time to raise taxes, this sure isn't it. It can also be well argued that no time is a good time to raise taxes. Each time they are lowered, the economy is helped. Each time they are raised, it is hurt.
The folly of not extending the tax cuts is summed up by a quote from Albert Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, though. Most of the American people should be intelligent enough to understand that not extending the tax cuts would figuratively be shooting ourselves in the foot, when the other foot isn't in very good shape to begin with.
The American people and American businesses can't afford yet more taxes, on top of the burdens they now have to bear, and are facing in the near future.
If the state of the economy is honestly important to anyone in Washington, D.C., the best idea would be to not only extend the Bush tax cuts, but to also expand them. If this is done, they might just be surprised at how quickly the economy begins to recover. It is up to the US Congress and the American people, their employers.
Learn more about this author, Rex Trulove.
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Don't Renew
by Kathleen Lauro
Created on: July 25, 2010
On a state level, but with federal guidelines, our Governor Christ in Florida chose, in early 2008 to roll back property taxes quite a bit. In the first place, all the statewide fire and police chiefs able to went to Tallahassee to bexplain to our not-so-bright Gov that in most city budgets, public safety (police and fire) do not MAKE any money, and make up an average of 50% of the budget.
Losing cops and firemen should be a last resort. it wasn't in 2008. Along with 4 police officers, 1 Parking officer, 1 record clerk, my administrative coordinator poistion with Criminal Investigaton Division (major crime) were the outcome of the first cuts. Our HR Deparrtment, which was only two people for over 300 employees, lost its clerk of over 18 years, and leaving only the HR Director to handle all HR issues.
During that change, about 8 others were laid off at City Hall, in all departments more were sacrificed. Everyone left was double dutied, with no relief in the near future.
Urgently needed ugrades to our PD software, computers, alarm system, reverse 911 payout to the county, and on and on, to say othing of the tripled price of ammunition reduced all progress, all movement toward accreditation, and the possible turnover of our radio crew to the County, already overburdened by absorbing dozens of cities PDs in order to crunch all the right numbers.
I was one of the casualties at my PD. At 60, and having found a really wonderful reason to get up each day and help my Detective Sgt and my Detectives, and well as re-uniting the street force with our CID on better terms, with cake and candy and coffee gave me the greatest satisfaction I could have asked for, and nearly three years of pride in carrying my I.D. card from the SPBPD. I displayed it at airports with my drivers license, and anywhere else I could. It meant the world to me. And then, I was cut
Eventually with the aid of my HR guy, a terrific human being, I was able to retire, and gain a litttle amount to add to our investments, which had been ravaged by over 50% during the bad days. Those tax cuts, minor as they seemed, mean less park maintenance, less sewer workers, less Parking Enforcement Officers, meaning PD had to utilize vitally important time writing tickets, which took them from their more important neighborhood runs.
Our island is 6 miles long and had at the time of my employment 118 drinking establishments. You do the math - an internation destination resort, as well as Florida visit area. The DUIs were outrageous; bar fights; domestics. But, thank heavens and gratefully, our officers broke up fights rather than worked murder cases or kidnappings.
There are no more cuts these departments can make without endangering the public. No more tax cuts on property. But here's an idea: NO MORE CONSESSION OF ANY MONETARY KIND TO THOSE AMERICAN INDUSTRIES AND CONGLOMERATES THAT SHIP THEIR JOBS OVERSEAS. I don't believe in obstructing freedom of trade, but if you don't hire here, assemble hear, manufacture here, than no SPECIAL CONCESSIONS can be given. That is one way to perhaps bring back some jobs..
Also, the tax cuts would not allow the border states to control the influx of aliens from the south, illegal ones. Meet them at the border and sign them up. After all, their kids get free medical care as they do; they get free school innoculations that we as parents pay dearly for (reason: they could infect our kids so we have to immunize their illegal bodies from countries that carry all sorts of diseases that can hurt OUR children).
Cutting taxes will NOT increase spending; consumers have realized they need to bank a little or save a little to make a FULL payment because our credit industry has taught us their inefficiency, proclivity toward massive monetary error, and theft prevention has not been a major priority.
Cut salaries in DCA and all States. Remove all the perks from FEDERAL EMPLOYESS (including Congress) immediately, until the American people can enjoy the same privileges. Will save MILLIONS of dollars and assist in the LEVELING OF THE FIELD
Learn more about this author, Kathleen Lauro.
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