Everyone else will want to analyze the intelligence bill compromise, but I want to talk about this retarded economic prolapse instead. If you’re too lazy to read, the story basically breaks down a tax code change being bandied about in the Bush camp to rescind the current practice of allowing taxpayers to deduct their state income taxes from their federal income taxes.
Basically, if you live in New York, Massachusetts, California, or any other state that has a state income tax, you can deduct the amount of state income tax you pay from your federal tax total. You aren’t taxed on it twice. If you live in a state where there is no state income tax, like Texas, you would be completely unaffected.
One thing to remember is that many of the Blue states that have giant economies and state income taxes pay enormous subsidies to the less-productive, economically stunted Red states. These subsidies (which, if I were a neocon, I would probably call welfare) go towards things like farm funds, school lunch programs, state education fundings, jobs programs, and community health care. Basically, Blue states not only pay for their own social programs (which they have because they need) but they also pay a big chunk of the cost for Red state social programs (which they have because they need but don’t like to admit).
So, despite my response to threats of Red states seceding where I claimed that I wish they would for no better reason than it would be fun to watch then try and make it as a nation without the economies of California and New York, I think this isn’t in the best interest of Red states. Follow me here.
Bush obviously won’t raise taxes despite all of the money he’s spending, and if he puts this through, Joe Taxpayer is gonna go ballistic. You will see Blue state citizens stonewalling local and state governments on any and all tax increases, and you will see heavy petitions and serious consequences for those same state and local government representatives if they don’t take heeed of public outcry and lower state taxes or eliminate them all together. So, an enormous source of income for Red states which they use to more or less keep themselves running will disappear. Bush should hire an economist.
You may be interested in reading this breaking news about a programmer. This programmer swears in an affadavit that a Republican political candidate hired him to hack out some code that would swing the voting machines a certain way.
Before we talk about it, I want you to go and read the comments. You’ll see a fundamental problem with American democracy, perhaps a greater problem than the fact that most Americans know nothing about politics: many Americans who argue about politics know very little about politics.
Read the comments. We’ll talk about this tomorrow. I want to see how the thread grows.
You’ll also hear more from me about this in the coming weeks – the Back Door Draft is receiving an official court challenge. The American military has for some time actively implemented something it calls “Stop Loss”. Stop Loss means that when a soldiers tour of duty is over, they don’t get to go home like they are supposed to. They have to stay, and their tour is extended indefinitely. And that’s the end of it.
Now 8 soldiers have brought their cases to trial. I think the fact the case has made it this far is amazing, considering that you have to have the military’s permission to sue it. You probably won’t see much about this in the American mainstream media – I haven’t seen it at all – and you can be sure you won’t see it on Fox. According to Bill O’Reilly, these guys are traitors and should shut up. But they would like to come home.
On a personal note, if the relocation doesn’t work out, I’m going to be able to buy something nice for my wife for Christmas, like Uruguay. I don’t know what to pull for. I have two finals tomorrow, so we’ll talk more then.
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