Category Archives: taxes

The new, improved, tougher Barack Obama

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

There’s a really interesting post on Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog in the Washington Post today. As Congress moves toward extending the payroll tax cut for the rest of this year — a remarkable retreat or return to sanity by a Republican caucus … Continue reading →

Posted in election 2012, Obama, Republicans, taxes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

So who is waging class warfare again?

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

A new nonpartisan report suggests that many millionaires are paying taxes at a lower rate than the middle class, supporting the assertion of billionaire Warren Buffett in a New York Times opinion piece that he pays taxes at a lower … Continue reading →

Posted in class warfare, economy, Occupy Wall Street, taxes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Here we go again: GOP replays its ‘class warfare’ card

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

Stay true to the message, even if it in no way resembles reality. That’s been the Republican strategy since Karl Rove became what some called “Bush’s brain” more than a decade ago, and the party has played it with considerable … Continue reading →

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A billionaire comes clean on unjust tax breaks for the rich

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

Thank you, Warren Buffett. There’s no better way to understand the injustice of the American tax system than to read the story of one of the richest men in the world. Today, in a New York Times opinion piece titled … Continue reading →

Posted in class warfare, deficit, economy, taxes, Uncategorized, warren buffett | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Class warfare? The wealthiest wage it relentlessly

Posted on August 14, 2011 by

Extreme income inequality causes a cultural separation that is unhealthy on its face and corrosive over time…. It is hard to imagine an adequate answer to the problems we face that doesn’t involve greater redistribution of wealth. “Can the Middle … Continue reading →

Posted in class warfare, deficit, economics, economy, taxes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How many bureaucrats does it take to change a light bulb?

Posted on May 29, 2011 by

LEXINGTON, Mass. — I live in a pretty fancy town. It’s the birthplace of the American Revolution, a place known for its good public schools and high test scores.  It’s also known for its high taxes, so much higher than … Continue reading →

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Solving the budget deficit is not rocket science

Posted on April 13, 2011 by

Why and how did the shrunken tax rates of the George W. Bush era become sacrosanct? They did not create jobs. Instead, along with two unfunded wars, they sank this country into a level of debt that’s not only crippling … Continue reading →

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Is the president being played for a sucker?

Posted on December 10, 2010 by

An interesting column by Paul Krugman today hints at perhaps the most conclusive reason Democrats should reject the tax “compromise” that Barack Obama negotiated with Republicans.  It just may ensure a catastrophic defeat for Democrats in 2012. Krugman concedes that … Continue reading →

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Tax ‘compromise’: The rich get richer

Posted on December 7, 2010 by

I guess I should be excited because I personally stand to gain something close to a $2,000 tax break next year in the deal President Obama forged with Congressional Republicans.  But I’m anything but. Once again, the disparity between rich … Continue reading →

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Congress goes back to work: Tax cuts for the rich, nothing for the unemployed?

Posted on November 28, 2010 by

The irony in today’s economic headlines reads like something out of The Onion.  Only this isn’t comedy. It’s reality: America in 2010. Unless Congress extends unemployment benefits on Monday, more than 2 million Americans will lose those benefits in December … Continue reading →

Posted in economics, financial crisis, taxes, unemployment benefits | Tagged , , | 2 Comments