A. Taxes pay for: schools, roads, firefighters, police officers, hospitals, paramedics, HAZMAT teams, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guard, clean air, clean water, safe food, pure drugs, chlid protection, safe products, air traffic control, space exploration, bridges, tunnels, flood defenses, universities, museums, science, diplomatic relations with other countries, public parks, criminal justice, medical research, national forests and care for the elderly.
The vast majority of Tea Partiers don't want any new taxes, but would rather see cuts in spending (see B, above).
How many signs have there been that say "No Taxes AT ALL"? That would be anarchy.
I guess with the racist straw man having been effectively knocked down by the Tea Partiers supporting 14 African-American Republican candidates for Congress (two of whom were elected - from predominently white districts), the next straw man is going to be the anarchist.
"How many signs have there been that say "No Taxes AT ALL"?"
[Crickets chirping, even in mid-November]
Give me some examples, Ted - a link to a single sign, a statement from a Tea Party leader - not just a bunch of clichés.
I can't believe you really think that anyone who calls for smaller government is actually calling for no government at all.
That's like saying that wanting to buy a more affordable family car is the equivalent of wanting your kids to walk barefoot in the snow to school.
As for the whole racist charge: I've admitted that there are racists that called themselves Tea Partiers, and I've condemned them on more than one occasion here and elsewhere. But that's not what the Tea Party is all about.
For instance, the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is a pedaphile organization, not because there are pedaphiles are among its ranks, but because it actively promotes pedaphilia.
There are certainly pedaphiles within the Democratic Party:
Democratic State Senator Dan Sutton of Flandreau, South Dakota was accused of fondling a male page.
Carl Stanley McGhee, 38, assistant secretary for policy and planning and top aid to democrat governor Deval Patrick of Massachuttsettes, was accused of sexually assaulting a 15 year old boy in a steam room at a Florida resort.
Charles Rust-Tierney, 51, is a former president of the Virginia chapter of the ACLU from 2002 to 2005. On February 23, 2007, Rust-Tierney was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography on June 1, 2007.
Mel Reynolds, House of Representatives (D-Il) was convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography resulting from a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer.
Gary Studds Studds was a central figure in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal, when he and Representative Dan Crane were censured by the House of Representatives for separate sexual relationships with minors — in Studds' case, a 1973 sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page.
The problem is that all the items in B don't add up to things like defense or medicare so they just don't matter. The only way to get to 'smaller government' is to start cutting key products and services like the military and medicare and social security.
Pork is something the other guy gets. When it happens in my district, it's my congress critter looking out for us. I propose that we do away with omnibus bills and switch to 'one bill - one purpose'. If you want something, it gets a bill and it's handled by itself. The problem is that if we tried this, nothing would ever get done so I'm not holding my breath.
As for me, I'm happy to pay my taxes and think they're too low anyway - our military is sadly underfunded for the job they're doing and I think we should be kicking in a lot more money so they have the material and training needed to do what we've asked them to do.
"The only way to get to 'smaller government' is to start cutting key products and services like the military and medicare and social security."
I couldn't agree with you more. And as an Army retiree, I'd agree to a freeze or even a reduction of my retirement pay and VA benefits if everyone else would tighten their belts too. I'm eligible for early Social Security in two years, but I plan on deferring that "entitlement" indefinitely. Re Medicare, I don't have a choice; it's mandatory that I enroll when I turn 65. But's that's moot, because according to the latest projections, the program will go bankrupt when I'm 67. That's why I'm trying to take good care of myself (exercise, diet, lifestyle, etc.). If I don't, who will?
"Pork is something the other guy gets. When it happens in my district, it's my congress critter looking out for us."
I'm proud to say that according to endingspending.com, my congressman, Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13) has requested $0 in earmarks for 2011. To my way of thinking, that's looking out for all of us.
"As for me, I'm happy to pay my taxes and think they're too low anyway - "
If you'd like to pay more, the Department of Treasury has a website called Treasury Direct®, where anyone who thinks they're not being taxed enough already can make a donation to reduce the public debt, either by checking account or credit card.
So what do you say, Anonymous - how much can we put you down for?
Curious Texan, it was very easy for me to find pictures of teabaggers with signs saying they don't want taxes, period. I don't visit the Huffington Post site, but it came up in the search results because the site asked visitors to send pics of the Tea Party Tax Day event they held. There is a slideshow on the site. The very first picture shows a guy with a t-shirt that says "Taxation Equals Slavery". Another picture shows a guy with a sign that says "Restore the Republic: Abolish the Income Tax". Another picture shows a sign an old man is holding that says "I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money--you keep the change." Another ridiculous sign says "Obama's Tax Laws Enslave Everyone"--that is so retarded, because Obama had not even changed one single tax law at that point! Jesus Christ, these idiots need to go to North Korea, India, Cambodia, or Saudi Arabia so they can learn what slavery and tyrrany really is. Ignorance. My god, people are stupid! One sign a woman is holding says "Go Back to Kenya'--sure, that's not racist at all! Yeah, and I am Santa Claus. Another signs says "Obama's Plan: White Slavery". Another sign a guy is holding next to his wife says "Your Average Racist Right-wing Tea Bagger Family". Nope, no racists in the Tea Party! Nope, no way. They all love those lazy welfare brown-skinned people who never have "personal responsibility", right? Right?? I mean, that is the teabagger message that we hear over and over and over and over and over and over and over...the entire deficit problem is caused by lazy minorities on welfare and food stamps. Little do these teabagger idiots know that, guess what? white people are on welfare too!! No! Say it isn't so!!! I don't know if this will work, but here is the URL to see the pictures yourself: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/tea-party-signs-the-most_n_539770.html#s81924
What you've provided are anecdotal examples. The only in-depth study of signs at Tea Party rallies that I know of was conducted by UCLA graduate student Emily Elkins at the 9/12 rally in Washington last year. This study paints a different picture, at least as far as the racial aspect is concerned.
According to this article in the Washington Post, "Ekins's analysis showed that only about a quarter of all signs reflected direct anger with Obama. Only 5 percent of the total mentioned the president's race or religion, and slightly more than 1 percent questioned his American citizenship." Has coverage by the Huffington Post or MSNBC reflected this these percentages? I think not.
The article quotes Elkins as saying, "Just because a couple of percentage points of signs have those messages doesn't mean the other people don't share those views, but it doesn't mean they do, either. But when 25 percent of the coverage is devoted to those signs, it suggests that this is the issue that 25 percent of people think is so important that they're going to put it on a sign, when it's actually only a couple of people."
Are there racists within the Tea Party movement? Yes. Are there also anarchists who believe that the government should not levy any taxes? Yes. But that's not the essence of the movement, IMHO.
And as for the sign that read, "Your Average Racist Right-wing Tea Bagger Family" - I suspect that's either sarcasm on the part of a real Tea Partier or a plant from the Left (ever hear of the "Crash the Tea Party" movement?).
ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. And neither will racist,homophobic, or misogynistic comments. I do not mind if you disagree, but make your case in a decent manner.
Leftist logic:
ReplyDeleteA. Taxes pay for: schools, roads, firefighters, police officers, hospitals, paramedics, HAZMAT teams, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guard, clean air, clean water, safe food, pure drugs, chlid protection, safe products, air traffic control, space exploration, bridges, tunnels, flood defenses, universities, museums, science, diplomatic relations with other countries, public parks, criminal justice, medical research, national forests and care for the elderly.
B. Taxes also pay for: redundant programs; fraud, waste and abuse; federal salary increases that far exceed inflation, earmarks, pork, etc.
Therefore, any criticism whatsoever of B amounts to a direct attack on each and every item in A.
Makes perfect sense to me....
NOT!!!
And teabaggers think B justifies eliminating all taxes.
ReplyDeleteWho in the Tea Party Movement ever said that all taxes should be eliminated?
ReplyDeleteHave you not read their signs?
ReplyDeleteHave you?
ReplyDeleteThe vast majority of Tea Partiers don't want any new taxes, but would rather see cuts in spending (see B, above).
How many signs have there been that say "No Taxes AT ALL"? That would be anarchy.
I guess with the racist straw man having been effectively knocked down by the Tea Partiers supporting 14 African-American Republican candidates for Congress (two of whom were elected - from predominently white districts), the next straw man is going to be the anarchist.
Good luck with that, Ted.
Your denial of the obvious racism and the anti-tax sentiment is simply amazing, CT.
ReplyDelete"How many signs have there been that say "No Taxes AT ALL"?"
ReplyDelete[Crickets chirping, even in mid-November]
Give me some examples, Ted - a link to a single sign, a statement from a Tea Party leader - not just a bunch of clichés.
I can't believe you really think that anyone who calls for smaller government is actually calling for no government at all.
That's like saying that wanting to buy a more affordable family car is the equivalent of wanting your kids to walk barefoot in the snow to school.
As for the whole racist charge: I've admitted that there are racists that called themselves Tea Partiers, and I've condemned them on more than one occasion here and elsewhere. But that's not what the Tea Party is all about.
For instance, the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is a pedaphile organization, not because there are pedaphiles are among its ranks, but because it actively promotes pedaphilia.
There are certainly pedaphiles within the Democratic Party:
Democratic State Senator Dan Sutton of Flandreau, South Dakota was accused of fondling a male page.
Source: Washington Post
Carl Stanley McGhee, 38, assistant secretary for policy and planning and top aid to democrat governor Deval Patrick of Massachuttsettes, was accused of sexually assaulting a 15 year old boy in a steam room at a Florida resort.
Source: Boston Herald
Charles Rust-Tierney, 51, is a former president of the Virginia chapter of the ACLU from 2002 to 2005. On February 23, 2007, Rust-Tierney was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography on June 1, 2007.
Source: Wikipedia
Mel Reynolds, House of Representatives (D-Il) was convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography resulting from a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer.
Source: Wikipedia
Gary Studds Studds was a central figure in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal, when he and Representative Dan Crane were censured by the House of Representatives for separate sexual relationships with minors — in Studds' case, a 1973 sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page.
Source: Wikipedia
Would it be fair for me to claim that the Democratic Party is a pedaphile organization? Of course not.
The problem is that all the items in B don't add up to things like defense or medicare so they just don't matter. The only way to get to 'smaller government' is to start cutting key products and services like the military and medicare and social security.
ReplyDeletePork is something the other guy gets. When it happens in my district, it's my congress critter looking out for us. I propose that we do away with omnibus bills and switch to 'one bill - one purpose'. If you want something, it gets a bill and it's handled by itself. The problem is that if we tried this, nothing would ever get done so I'm not holding my breath.
As for me, I'm happy to pay my taxes and think they're too low anyway - our military is sadly underfunded for the job they're doing and I think we should be kicking in a lot more money so they have the material and training needed to do what we've asked them to do.
"The only way to get to 'smaller government' is to start cutting key products and services like the military and medicare and social security."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. And as an Army retiree, I'd agree to a freeze or even a reduction of my retirement pay and VA benefits if everyone else would tighten their belts too. I'm eligible for early Social Security in two years, but I plan on deferring that "entitlement" indefinitely. Re Medicare, I don't have a choice; it's mandatory that I enroll when I turn 65. But's that's moot, because according to the latest projections, the program will go bankrupt when I'm 67. That's why I'm trying to take good care of myself (exercise, diet, lifestyle, etc.). If I don't, who will?
"Pork is something the other guy gets. When it happens in my district, it's my congress critter looking out for us."
I'm proud to say that according to endingspending.com, my congressman, Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13) has requested $0 in earmarks for 2011. To my way of thinking, that's looking out for all of us.
"As for me, I'm happy to pay my taxes and think they're too low anyway - "
If you'd like to pay more, the Department of Treasury has a website called Treasury Direct®, where anyone who thinks they're not being taxed enough already can make a donation to reduce the public debt, either by checking account or credit card.
So what do you say, Anonymous - how much can we put you down for?
Curious Texan, it was very easy for me to find pictures of teabaggers with signs saying they don't want taxes, period. I don't visit the Huffington Post site, but it came up in the search results because the site asked visitors to send pics of the Tea Party Tax Day event they held. There is a slideshow on the site. The very first picture shows a guy with a t-shirt that says "Taxation Equals Slavery". Another picture shows a guy with a sign that says "Restore the Republic: Abolish the Income Tax". Another picture shows a sign an old man is holding that says "I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money--you keep the change." Another ridiculous sign says "Obama's Tax Laws Enslave Everyone"--that is so retarded, because Obama had not even changed one single tax law at that point! Jesus Christ, these idiots need to go to North Korea, India, Cambodia, or Saudi Arabia so they can learn what slavery and tyrrany really is. Ignorance. My god, people are stupid!
ReplyDeleteOne sign a woman is holding says "Go Back to Kenya'--sure, that's not racist at all! Yeah, and I am Santa Claus.
Another signs says "Obama's Plan: White Slavery".
Another sign a guy is holding next to his wife says "Your Average Racist Right-wing Tea Bagger Family". Nope, no racists in the Tea Party! Nope, no way. They all love those lazy welfare brown-skinned people who never have "personal responsibility", right? Right?? I mean, that is the teabagger message that we hear over and over and over and over and over and over and over...the entire deficit problem is caused by lazy minorities on welfare and food stamps. Little do these teabagger idiots know that, guess what? white people are on welfare too!! No! Say it isn't so!!!
I don't know if this will work, but here is the URL to see the pictures yourself:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/tea-party-signs-the-most_n_539770.html#s81924
Brian:
ReplyDeleteWhat you've provided are anecdotal examples. The only in-depth study of signs at Tea Party rallies that I know of was conducted by UCLA graduate student Emily Elkins at the 9/12 rally in Washington last year. This study paints a different picture, at least as far as the racial aspect is concerned.
According to this article in the Washington Post, "Ekins's analysis showed that only about a quarter of all signs reflected direct anger with Obama. Only 5 percent of the total mentioned the president's race or religion, and slightly more than 1 percent questioned his American citizenship." Has coverage by the Huffington Post or MSNBC reflected this these percentages? I think not.
The article quotes Elkins as saying, "Just because a couple of percentage points of signs have those messages doesn't mean the other people don't share those views, but it doesn't mean they do, either. But when 25 percent of the coverage is devoted to those signs, it suggests that this is the issue that 25 percent of people think is so important that they're going to put it on a sign, when it's actually only a couple of people."
Are there racists within the Tea Party movement? Yes. Are there also anarchists who believe that the government should not levy any taxes? Yes. But that's not the essence of the movement, IMHO.
And as for the sign that read, "Your Average Racist Right-wing Tea Bagger Family" - I suspect that's either sarcasm on the part of a real Tea Partier or a plant from the Left (ever hear of the "Crash the Tea Party" movement?).
I hate to burst everyones bubble, but Income Taxes do not pay for a single thing listed and even worst, not a single penny remains in the country.
ReplyDeleteExcess & lottery taxes - pay for Health Care.
Corporate taxes - pay for the military.
Property taxes - pay for education.
Fuel Taxes (gas) - pay for the roads.
etc. etc.
It is all a Public Relations lie, but hey do not believe me, look it up yourself.
All income taxes are paid on the debt of the country, which started in 1933 and those foreign banks get their interest payment first.
An income tax return and money is given back - it is really just money you overpaid in the first place.