[Jason747]

Ha, what a bunch of garbage. Taking the country back? The right wing and religious nuts had full power and almost ruined the nation. Now trying to pretend 2000-2008 never happened.

Now the religious people are trying to say they are taking the country back? There is a freakin church on every corner already, 93% of Americans say they believe in god.

The problem with America is way, way, way too much religion and not enough common sense already.

I wish for once the right wing could actually have a plan for the economy instead of cut all taxes for the top 1% and push the burden down on the rest of us. Geez, come up with one dang plan for real issues and quit saying again and again how you are going to make everyone moral. Your heros are a bunch of drunks and pill poppers and divorcees for goodness sakes.

[FreeBird]

Ha, what a bunch of garbage. Taking the country back? The right wing and religious nuts had full power and almost ruined the nation. Now trying to pretend 2000-2008 never happened.

Now the religious people are trying to say they are taking the country back? There is a freakin church on every corner already, 93% of Americans say they believe in god.

The problem with America is way, way, way too much religion and not enough common sense already.

I wish for once the right wing could actually have a plan for the economy instead of cut all taxes for the top 1% and push the burden down on the rest of us. Geez, come up with one dang plan for real issues and quit saying again and again how you are going to make everyone moral. Your heros are a bunch of drunks and pill poppers and divorcees for goodness sakes.

I do agree that Bush was no great president. He was one of the worst for taking way freedoms with his patriot act and increasing the size of the government. Obama is just an extension of Bush. More of the same. What this country needs is more freedom and less government. Fat chance when all these politicians on the left and right are power hungry. The libertarian movement is the way to go. It's the only saving grace.

[Phaedrus]

Libertarian economics leave too many people in the ditch. It's a waste of time to even consider going down that road. Never going to happen.

[ElephantInTheRoom]

I wish for once the right wing could actually have a plan for the economy instead of cut all taxes for the top 1% and push the burden down on the rest of us. Geez, come up with one dang plan for real issues and quit saying again and again how you are going to make everyone moral. Your heros are a bunch of drunks and pill poppers and divorcees for goodness sakes.

FYI. The top 25% of wage earners in the USA pay about 85% of all Federal Income taxes collected. The bottom 50% of wage earners in the USA only pay about 3% of all income taxes collected.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/22652.html

[hustler]

Hussein Obamanation has been great for the economy, just ask all the people who are out of work and can't find any. Then he spent a trillion dollars on a stimulus that did nothing but put our grandchildren in debt for life. Oh, that's right, all those millions of jobs he saved, yeah, right!

[Turnpike]

There was a report out by the government/treasury about 1 1/2 month go that stated 49% of the tax payers did not pay taxes. Place that over your post EITR, and all of us here are helping to paying the countries bill. When 1/2 the country sits back and does nothing, remember this when you cash your check. The money you could use for your children or family is going to someone who cares not to pull their weight. As for the atheists, I don't really care about trying to please 5% of our nation. If they have a problem with hearing GOD, go to seek professional help. If I have to listen to the Progressive/Liberal/Communist lie machine, then they can listen to the words of our forefathers which used GOD. Our founding father wanted us to know this so they even imbedded it in the structures in our capital. Conservatives don't bible bash people, another lie the from the Progressive/Liberal/Communist lie and propaganda machine. When I hear that stuff myself I leave, or say something to the individual. I must say, I haven't heard anything of the sort from any conservative public figure that I have heard speak. Conservatism stands for small federal government, fiscally responsibility, allowing people to control their own destiny, not the government, and adherence to the ultimate documents which are the law of the land. Some of us are so quick to condemn this nation for it's mistakes. Yet, what have these people done for the nation as a whole. They continue to try to bring us all down to live in the poverty level. Sorry to shatter your dreams, that isn't going to happen, and you will see over the next few years.

[Phaedrus]

No Bible Bashing? I guess you don't read Norton's posts.

I don't know if you are familiar with Hegelian Dialectic, but the idea of a fundamental truth restored is the basis of conservative politics in every country. There is always the postulation of a country gone astray that needs to return to its fundamental values whatever they may be. Implicit or explicit in this reasoning is the concept of "the other" - those who are not true nationalists and bring an influence to the country that needs to be eradicated.

Nothing new here.

[norton]

No Bible Bashing? I guess you don't read Norton's posts.

I don't know if you are familiar with Hegelian Dialectic, but the idea of a fundamental truth restored is the basis of conservative politics in every country. There is always the postulation of a country gone astray that needs to return to its fundamental values whatever they may be. Implicit or explicit in this reasoning is the concept of "the other" - those who are not true nationalists and bring an influence to the country that needs to be eradicated.

Nothing new here.

--------------------------
You had better understand that the "fundamental truth", or better, "fundamental values" are what made this land better and different than any nation before. It is the reason people flocked, or often, fled here from other lands and cultures. It is the mentality and culture of the Leftist to alter or even destroy that fundamental truth. The American experiment worked and is in danger of being contaminated by people with power and influence.

[Phaedrus]

In determing the total distribution of income and tax burden, I think you need to consider a few other aspects.

1. The tax charts presented is for earned income. The wealthiest may have no earned income, or only a small percentage of their total income is derived from earnings. Much of their earnings may come from investment income which is taxed at a lower rate.

2. While the earned income tax system is progressive, the sales tax and social security payments are regressive in that lower income individuals pay a larger proportion of their income.

3. Higher income earners also have RSPs, healthcare payments and mortgage interest payments that are sheltered from tax. At the lower end are people without savings, healthcare or owned homes.