PRESIDENT OBAMA PLEASE KEEP FIGHTING FOR US THE LITTLE PEOPLE

Low  tax rates on income from capital gains and dividends is the driving force behind the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. 

Mr. Romney & his wife paid the same tax rate that an ordinary couple making between $17,400- $70,000 has to pay, which is around 15%.  Mr. Romney made $45,000,000 (forty five million dollars) over a two year period and paid 14% in taxes in 2010 and 15.2% in taxes in 2011.  This is injustice!

Mr. Romney was quoted as saying:

“I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more,”

And he is right, this is legal but very very unfair.  Why this is legal is because nearly all of Mr. Romney’s income is taxed as capital gains, at a tax rate of 15%, rather than as earned income at rates of up to 35%.  And it is not just Mr. Romney paying such a low tax rate on his money, this tax scenario is very typical for wealthy people. 

Another typical scenario is poor and middle class, for the most part, do not have income from capital gains nor dividends, most of our income comes from traditional sources like wages, tips, bonus, commission, etc., so our income is taxed at a much higher rate, and the result is, we the poor and middle class end up paying a much higher percentage of taxes compared to our income than the wealthy pay.  The effect of this injustice is the gap in income inequality in this country has significantly increased over the past 100 years.

The Republicans continue to say that they will not support an increase in taxes and this is the reason why.  They say that if this policy is changed that the proceeds accumulated would only pay the debt for 10 days.  Even if this is true it is not the point.  The point is, this is a democracy not a plutocracy and policies should be in place that best benefits the masses not the few or only the elite.  Republicans say that the wealthy being able to hold on to their wealth helps the whole, but this is untrue because if this was a true statement than the masses would be progressing at almost an equal rate.

The truth of the matter is, if we don’t change this specific feature in the tax structure than the rich will continue to get richer, the middle class will continue to deteriorate and we will have a third world condition in this country of very rich and poor.  Many of us struggle to provide for our own and our family’s basic needs while the wealthy spend in a day what we live off of for a year or more.  This has got to end. 

So what I say is President Obama and the Democrats stand firm on changing the tax structure for the wealthy even if it means all of us falling off the cliff.  The Republicans claim to be the most patriotic Americans, the Real Americans, but yet they behave like terrorist, holding average Americans and the Country Hostage.

IS President Obama a Socialist?

 

When President Obama fights against plutocracy he is called a Socialist.

In the last 100 years the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer.  The Republicans love to push the point of view that the reason this has happened is because the rich are smart and work hard and the poor and middle class are lazy, and like to sit around and collect unemployment and food stamps.

We all know that this is so untrue.  We are all coming to realize that the real reason why income inequality has significantly gotten worse over the last 100 years is because, a small group of very rich people have controlled and are controlling Washington and have done so for a long time.  And thus have shaped the economy and the government for their own benefit. 

People like Grover Norquist and other very rich people have been and are dominant power figures in the United States. Them along with other owners and executives of corporations, banks, and agribusinesses come together as a corporate community and dominate the federal government in Washington and most local governments also. These same people control most of the mass media and control the actions and thoughts of the American people by feeding us their propaganda all to secure their own economic self- interest and dominance.

IT IS TIME FOR WE THE PEOPLE TO WAKE UP.  The Congress had a 9% approval rating going into the election and what did we do…..vote almost all of them back into office.  It is time for us to stop re-electing the very politicians who forsake us average Americans, and push through policies that only support the rich and preserve the status quo. 

In all honesty it is not their fault it is ours because at the end of the day we are the millions who vote people into office.  They are a few, therefore only have a few votes.  Problem is, we let them feed us their lies and pit us against one another, while they continue to rule, control and get more rich and more rich and we become more and more poor.

If this subject is of interest you like my page, and pass it on. Also I am starting a website where people can come to learn the truth about the candidates so we can make informed voting choices.  The website is http://www.politicalrollcall.com/

If you want to participate with this project please email me.

Republicans say they believe in Supply Side Economics But do they really

 

Funny how Republicans are staunch Supply side economic believers except when it comes to unemployment. Republicans seem to believe that Americans are out of work because we are lazy and want to sit around and live in poverty and collect unemployment and food stamps. They completely disregard the fact that there is only 1 job available for every 4 unemployed, which is a supply problem.

It seems that all of the politicians and the media like to talk the issue like poor job growth and high unemployment for entertainment purposes only or as a pawn to get what they want; but really don't give a hoot about the real people who are suffering. It is like they are watching starving kids in another country on TV, or watching war victims on TV; all they have to do is turn the channel, and forget what they see, while the people experiencing the tragedy continue to suffer. 

Nobody seems to really care unless they are the one experiencing the hardship.  If you’re not the one experiencing the hardship than why not use the facts to further your career. This seems to be the new America. 

AS LONG AS REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO DRAW THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS THEY WILL NEVER SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM

 

Republicans look at the polls that show a block of voters voting against them, and infer from the data that this occurred mainly because of some issue unique to that group. This is probably an oversimplification of the situation.  Yes race, gender, age, economic status, sexual orientation, etc., influences, but does not determine how people will vote.  People are complex and the specific reasons why they vote one way or the other are also complex.

For instance Republicans believe that they lost a big share of the Hispanic vote simply because of immigration. I say it was a combination of things.  Many Hispanics are poor and do not have health insurance.  The Republicans may not appeal to this group, not only on the issue of immigration but on a multitude of issues.  Although many Hispanics are Catholics and may agree with conservatives on issues of abortion and birth control, when you don’t have a good job or access to health care these issues are not in the forefront of your mind. I think the Republicans could learn a lot about people from studying Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

What most people have in common right now; men, women, Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, the young and the middle-aged, are we all want politicians to offer a practical agenda to create jobs, raise wages, and make health care and higher education more affordable.  

We want the opportunity for prosperity and success; We want the American Dream restored. 

Most Americans don’t care who the solution comes from they just want a solution.  They may not necessarily think that the solution coming from the Democrats is the right solution, but the Democrats appear to be trying to fix the problem.  Republicans seem to offer nothing.

I THINK THEY HEARD THE WRONG MESSAGE

I'm an Independant and I am an Obama supporter. 
 
I voted for Obama because I believe that he best represents my interest.  And I believe that he cares for all Americans.  I feel the opposite about the Republicans. I do not feel that they represent my interest and I do not believe that they care about all Americans, I think they only care about the Wealthy. 
 
I recognize that there are 300 billion people in this country and the best solution for the country will not 100% be what is best for me and people like me and I'm okay with that.  We need to find a solution that takes everybody into account.  I can deal with a small tax increase if it would help our overall situation.  But at the same time, the Capital Gains and Dividends tax needs to be raised.
 
The Mandate is to find a bipartisian solution, create jobs, get the economy healthy and restore the American Dream.
 
I'm educated, I work hard, I don't want a hand out. I have been unemployed for 18 months.  I made six figures 18 months ago, I now live on $22,000 a year.  I want my life back.  I want a job, I want healthcare insurance, I want my dignity back, I want my hope restored.  That is my MANDATE.

ROMNEYS BUCKET PLAN - DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE POLITICAL TALKING POINTS

The rich continue to get Richer and the Poor continue to get Poorer while we argue the talking points without addressing the real issues.

I was listening to a discussion today on tax policy and it was focused on the Romney Tax Bucket Plan.  I'm no tax specialist but I know enough to know that Romney's Bucket Plan neglects to attack the real problem.  The main mechanism in our tax problem is that it favors the Rich therefore it allows the Rich to get Richer and the poor to get poorer.   Tax brackets or exemptions are not the real problem the real problem is too low of taxes on Capital Gains and Dividends.  But not once did that come up in the discussion.

Capital Gains are the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a cost amount that was lower than the amount realized on the sale. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property.

Dividend is a portion of a company's earnings that is returned to shareholders. Dividends provide an added incentive (in the form of a return on your investment) to own stock in stable companies even if they are not experiencing much growth. 

For the most part, poor people do not own non-inventory assets so they do not benefit from the lowering of Capital Gains and Dividends tax.  Most of Rich People's wealth is in some way tied into non-inventory assets, therefore they significantly profit from the lowering of these taxes, which is why they have been able to significantly grow their wealth. Which means these tax cuts greatly favor the wealthy and they need to be changed.

In the United States, with certain exceptions, individuals and corporations pay income tax on the net total of all their capital gains. Short-term capital gains are taxed at a higher rate: the ordinary income tax rate. The tax rate for individuals on "long-term capital gains", which are gains on assets that have been held for over one year before being sold, is lower than the ordinary income tax rate, and in some tax brackets there is no tax due on such gains.

The tax rate on long-term gains was reduced in 1997 via the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 from 28% to 20% and again in 2003, via the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, from 20% to 15% (for individuals, whose highest tax bracket is 15% or more), or from 10% to 5% for individuals in the lowest two income tax brackets (whose highest tax bracket is less than 15%). The reduced 15% tax rate on eligible dividends and capital gains, previously scheduled to expire in 2008, was extended through 2010 as a result of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act signed into law by President Bush on May 17, 2006, which also reduced the 5% rate to 0%. Toward the end of 2010, President Obama signed a law extending the reduced rate on eligible dividends until the end of 2012.

The law allows for individuals to defer capital gains taxes with tax planning strategies such as the structured sale (ensured installment sale), charitable trust (CRT), installment sale, private annuity trust, and a 1031 exchange.

The playing fields need to be made fair. It seems the rich feel that they continue to get richer because they are more intelligent, work harder and are more responsible than the poor, I say this is not true. I say it is a direct result of policies favoring the rich.

Hillary I Pledge My Vote to You for President in 2016

Can you think of a more qualified human being to be handed the baton in 2016 by President Obama than Hillary Clinton? 

Hillary lived in the White House for eight years with her husband President Clinton, she was a United States senator, and now she's got every world leader on speed dial, so there'd be no questions about her qualifications.

There is no better person to deal with all of the complexities in the United States and in the World than Hillary Clinton.  She is intelligent, she is experienced, she is personable, she is fiesty, she is classy and she is a woman. 

Hillary we need you.  I pledge my support to you and look forward to supporting you in the 2016 election.  

STAGE IS SET FOR A BIPARTISIAN SOLUTION TO AVOIDING THE FISCAL CLIFF

The biggest barrier to resolving the fiscal cliff problem is Republicans not wanting to break their pledge to Grover Norquist and the Republican Right Wing, to not raise taxes, whatsoever.

The Democrats want to keep the tax rates down for middle class Americans, but want to raise tax rates on wealthy Americans. The Republicans do not want to raise taxes at all, because raising taxes would break their pledge to Grover Norquist, which they believe would be political suicide.

President Obama set the stage for a solution in his press conference today.

The President said that he would like to extend the Bush Era Tax Cuts for the Middle Class immediately, while a solution to the rest of the issues are ironed out at a later date. Proceeding in this manner could provide a sort of win-win situation for both parties. If the tax cuts are extended for the middle class including 97% of small business immediately, but the tax cuts for the wealthy are negotiated at a later date, at that time the decision could be made to not extend the tax cuts for the wealthy, which in essence, technically would not be a tax raise therefore would not constitute a violation of the Norquist pledge for Republicans. Republicans get to honor their pledge, save face with Norquist and avoid what they feel would be political suicide, and the Democrats get what they want also.

The bigger problem would still exist which is, our elected officials should not pledge allegiance to anyone but the American people, but that is a deeper issue that can be discussed at a later date.

For now, let’s just focus on not falling off a cliff and getting the American people back to work including me.

It should be political suicide for any politician who is not willing to compromise and contribute to a bipartisian solution to fix the Economy and Help Suffering Americans

Two days after, We the People of America, through our vote on Tuesday spoke very loud and clear that we expect the Democrats and the Republicans to compromise and come up with a bipartisan solution, to avoid the fiscal cliff and fix the economy; Judging from the events of today, it appears that both parties continue to sharply disagree over how to do this, but it’s not all bad, because it actually appears that there may possibly be a bit of softening in the
positions. Republicans contend that higher tax rates would damage the economy, while Democrats contend that it is the only reasonable way to fix the debt. Whether or not the Republicans really feel that higher tax rates would damage the economy is hard to really determine because as many of us know, most Republicans, have signed the Grover Norquist pledge stating that they will never raise taxes. And if they go against this pledge, the price will be no more funding from certain right wing conservative groups, which could mean political suicide.

So in essence it seems that to stay in their positions, they are willing to sell out the American people. They are willing to stand by and watch while millions of Americans lose their jobs, houses, healthcare, dignity, hope, and belief in the American dream.

I’m no economist so I don’t know what the best solution is but what I do know is that since both parties have very different ideas that some sort of deal will have to be struck which will include a tax hike. Maybe not as high as the Democrats might hope for but a compromise means meet in the middle somewhere and the middle includes an increase in taxes. I’m willing to pay a little more if it will help the bigger picture and secure our future and from what I hear and read most other Americans are too.

We are going to keep our eyes on the negotiations and I think the People of America’s position should be
whomever does not compromise, does not get re-elected next term.

We need just as tough a stance as Mr. Grover and the Republican right wing conservative groups. After all we
really have the power. Their power only exists if we do not exercise ours.

Just Something to Think About.

EXERCISING OUR POWER AS CITIZENS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM

At A Time When So Many Of Us Are Hurting It Is Apparent By The Gridlock In Congress That Our Elected Officials Are Not Operating In Our Best Interest.  It’s Not Their Fault, It Is Ours.  At The End Of The Day We Really Have The Power Because We Are The People Who Vote Them In To Office.  In Order For Our Interest To Be Met, In Order For Us To Live The American Dream We The People Must Beef Up Our Participation In The Political.  We Must Hold Our Elected Officials Accountable. 

The Only Way For Us To Do That Is For Us To Get Informed And Stay Informed On The Specific Voting Patterns Of Our Officials And Holding Them Accountable When We Feel That They Are Not Voting In Our Best Interest By Not Voting Them Back Into Office.  Our Voices Is Designed To Keep You Abreast On The Voting Patterns Of Our Elected Officials That Way You Can Truly Determine Whether Or Not Our Elected Officials are Voting In Our Best Interest, Your Best Interest, Your Family's Best Interest, Your Friend's Best Interest, Your Community's Best Interest and The Best Interest in the Our Country.

Gridlock in Washington is caused by the Congress men and woman we elected pledging allegance to Grover Norquist

 

 

How Can Our Elected Officials Work in Our Best Interest, in the Best Interest of Our Country, When they Have Given Up their Flexibility to Vote for the Best Solutions

Have you heard of the Grover Norquist Pledge?

If not, in short, Grover Norquist is an individual, who sponsors a contract stating that the signer pledges to never raise taxes whatsoever.  To date 238 of our current Representatives and 41 of our current Senators have signed this Pledge . In return for signing the Pledge they get financial backing from many conservative right wing groups, superpacs and individual supporters.  

I don't think any of us are ever really in favor of having to pay more in taxes, but sometimes in extreme situations, like the one that we are currently facing, it might be necessary in order for us to continue to live in the type of society that we are use to living in.  

Governing in a bipartisian fashion, in a manner that takes into account all of the people of the United States, all of the options need to be put on the table. In any situation making the best decision starts with putting all the options on the table and then logically going thru each of them to see which one will produce the best results.

Perhaps in our current situation having everybody pay a little more in taxes for a short time might be the thing that best helps the economy bounce back.  It might be the best thing for us and our country in the long run.

So if WE THE PEOPLE, are serious about fixing the economy, getting our country back on track, moving forward we first need to start with taking back our power.  We need to force our Representatives and Congress men and woman back to the position of pledging allegence to US. 

The only way that we are going to do that is to hold them accountable for their actions.  A great start would be to check and see if any of your government representative(s), have pledged allegence to the Norquist Pledge.  If you find that they have then you should write a letter to the official who pledged and state that as long as their allegence is to Grover Norquist and the Conservative right wing, you will not get my vote.

Check out the link below to find out whether or not any of your government officials have made the pledge.

http://www.atr.org/taxpayer-protection-pledge   
  

What is the Fiscal Cliff




The Fiscal Cliff is a term used to describe the end of what is known as the Bush tax cuts.  Bush tax cuts are changes that were made to the United States tax code during the presidency of George W. Bush.  These changes were never meant to be permanent, they were enacted as a temporary method to stimulate and grow the economy.  Bush tax cuts began in 2001, broadened in 2003 and 2005 and were set to expire in 2010.   They were extended by President Barrak Obama in 2010 and are now set to expire December 31, 2012.  There are two parts to the Bush tax cuts:

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA)

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA)

Both acts lowered the tax rates for nearly all U.S. taxpayers.

Many people attribute much of the rise in income inequality, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, to the the Bush Tax Cuts described above.

Major Elements of Bush Tax Cuts

• Tax brackets under the Bush Tax Cuts lowered the percentage of taxes paid by all Americans. Taxpayers pay their taxes according to six tax brackets:  10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33% and 35%
• If the Bush Tax cuts expire without a replacement the six tax rate brackets will be replaced by five new brackets with higher rates: 15%, 28%, 31%, 36% and 39.6%.
• Lower taxes on Long Term Capital Gains and Dividends is the part of the Bush Tax Cuts that provide the wealthy with the greatest tax cut benefit but provides very little relief to the middle class and poor. Under the Bush Tax Cuts the maximum federal rate on long-term capital gains and dividends is 15%. If the Bush tax cuts expire with no replacemenbt the maximum rate on long-term gains will increase to 20% and the maximum rate on dividends will jump to 39.6%
• Right now, the standard deduction for married joint-filing couples is double or 200% the amount for singles. If the Bush tax cuts expire without a replacent the joint-filer standard deduction will only be 167% of the amount for singles.
• If the Bush tax cuts expire with no replacement a phase-out rule could eliminate up to 80% of a higher-income individual's itemized deductions for mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and charitable donations. and eliminate all or some of higer income individuals personal exemption deductions.