Didn't watch a second of it. The first episode of the final season of Justified was on last night. Gonna' be a great season.
About a year ago, The One was making some speech I made the mistake of watching most of. I think I became fixated on it after hearing him say "it's time for the rich to pay their fair share." He must have said, "pay their fair share" 10 times during it. Saw where his latest tax the rich proposal involves households making $500K and up. Thankfully, I'm a couple of dollars below that. And this latest proposal is being made under the guise of helping the middle class. He's already snowed the welfare/food stamp crowd to get elected/re-elected. Now, sway more of the middle class and look out.
I'm sure there's a little more to it but the biggest thing I saw was to tax the hell out of the "rich" so that they could offer the middle class a $500.00 tax credit. Vandy, help me out here. But a $500.00 tax credit? Oooooo honey, call the travel agent. We can finally take that Hawaii vacation we've been dreaming about.
I loathe the guy, but in regards to the "tax the hell out the rich!" rhetoric that comes out of Feuxnews - it is more closing loopholes (and money shifting moves, capital gains, etc) the super rich use to avoid taxes. Most super rich people end up paying a lesser tax rate than the middle class. Closing those loop holes simply brings them to the rate they should be paying per the taxcode for income. I don't think anyone - right or left - would agree that a guy like Mitt Romney or George Soros should be paying a lesser tax rate than the average Amercian.
I personally think we should have a flat tax on ALL income, whether its deemed wages, capital gains or whatever. That is the most fair way to do it. Quit it with the deductions, exemptions, adjustments, expenses during tax season, blah blah blah. Flat tax of around 13-17% and be done with it.
What aggrevated me the most about last night is the blatant hypocrisy. TELLING Congress and the American people to be pragmatic and look past differences, and find common ground, and not to throw the baby out with the bath water on a bill they don't like, yadda yadda....and then not more than 4 mins later, turning dark and dirty again with threats of veto against anything he doesn't like. It is truly baffling and reeks of a combination of narcissism, delusion and schizo.