House to Vote on Tax Cut Bill

[RoyGBiv]

House to Vote on Tax Cut Bill

WASHINGTON - The House expects to vote Thursday on a bill making permanent the bottom tax bracket created in the 2001, which lowered taxes on the first $6,000 in wages from 15 percent to 10 percent. In 2003, Congress expanded the bracket to cover the first $7,000 earned.

It's the third in a series of bills that together are an election-year push to lock in some of President Bush (news - web sites)'s most popular tax cuts. Democrats have used each bill as an opportunity to blast Republican stewardship of the economy and deepening deficits.

Without action, the bracket shrinks back to $6,000 next year and disappears completely in 2011. Other popular tax cuts also disappear at the end of the decade, including tax cuts for married couples and a bigger child tax credit.

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said the bill gives workers "more money, more take home pay, more opportunity."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=716&e=4&u=/ap/20040513/ap_on_go_co/tax_brackets

[Mountainman]

1. Just an election year ploy

"See we Repubs give tax breaks to the middle class" But don't look behind the curtain as all State and local taxes go up. Net effect is that the taxes on the middle class continue to climb.

[Roaming]

3. If they are climbing, I don't feel it, and I'm definitely middle class;

I paid fewer taxes last year than I ever did in my life. I hope they pass the continuation of the tax cuts.

[UpInArms]

4. am so glad that you are personally

benefitting from *'s tax cuts. :D

I hope your children and grandchildren enjoy paying off the debts.

[Roaming]

7. Well, actually they are; I was able to invest several thousand in

educational funds for their future college expenses with my most recent refund.

[Mountainman]

5. The taxes are included in the things you buy.

In order to make up for the lost revenue, States and local municipalities are being forced to raise taxes on consumables such as sales taxes, taxes on energy, taxes on communications etc. You pay them but maybe don't realize it. Also property taxes will go up with inflation. Also the quality of your kids education is decreasing as school spending is cut, libraries are closing, emergancy services are cut, police protection is cut a sort of reverse tax. Tuitions are rising in both State and Jounior Colleges. Taxes on fuel are being raised causing transportation cost to rise for trucking and railroads. Those costs will be passed on to you in the food and clothing and consumer electronics you will buy in the future.

You are paying more but your are in denial.

[aquart]

6. And what did you spend it on?

The country needs more people who think only of themselves and damn everyone else. Our nation's strength is insular callousness.

How are your state fees? Anything go up in the neighborhood like food and gasoline and tolls? Anything cost more?

You sure you got a tax cut? How are your insurance fees? Large donations to Bush left insurance companies free and uncontrolled. Are those fun checks to write?

Used a park lately? Cost more to get in?

I love the short sighted, for their children shall inherit a barren pile of garbage on which to lord their wealth.

[Roaming]

8. Are you accusing me of being callous?

I kind of resent being attacked personally because I'm happy that my taxes have gone down.

I still pay plenty of taxes despite the refund I got; plus I give a LOT of money to charity (probably 5-10% of my income).

State fees don't seem to have gone up, at least not much. Our state is trying to pass one of those Taxpayer Bill of Rights bills but it hasn't gone through yet. However, the political climate around here is for lower taxes (we're one of the highest-taxed states in the country).

If the government could learn to manage its income the way common people do, we wouldn't have all the problems we have. In this state (Wisconsin), the rate of taxation has gone up way beyond the rate of inflation; that shouldn't happen. People work too darn hard for their money to be taxed half to death.

[2Design]

13. cutting taxes means cutting any bennies for us

When they cut taxes, what it means is ....
*They get a raise every year after the election
*They cut state parks and federal parks funding
*they cut educational funding
*They cut any of the many benefits to groups of people
*They cut benefits to elderly
*they cut benefits to poor
*They cut libraries funds
*They cut funds for colleges

**They never cut spending on things for themselves
**They continue to have large retirement funds for themselves
**They build large recreation centers on the government campuses and on army, navy, air force bases
**They build golf courses for themselves, not public usage
**They already make 3 - 5 times as much as the average family
**They give themselves a cost of living raise every year.
**They take more trips
**They work less days a year than you do
**They give more funds to faith based schools (Under bush)


Basically they cut anything that is good for the whole and increase anything that will benefit them and their families.

[jayschool]

14. The myth of undisciplined government

Most government agencies (from public schools to your local DMV) have a much higher manager-to-employee ratio than seen in the private sector. Most government agencies are lean -- too lean, in fact, to address the myriad problems they're faced with.

The only government agency that seems to have more than it needs (and is subsequently choked with bureaucrats) is the Pentagon.

I'm as tired of the Myth of Undisciplined Government as I am of the Myth of the Failing Public School System.

Both utter BS.

“Without the estate tax, you in effect will have an aristocracy of wealth, which means you pass down the ability to command the resources of the nation based on heredity rather than merit.” -- Warren Buffett

[newyawker99]

15. Hi jayschool!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[leesa]

9. My state and local taxes have gone up enormously

Yours will too. It is impossible to cut taxes for the upper 1% when the GOP has racked up such enormous government debt. It would be a tragic mistake for this to become permanent.
I doubt you are middle class for some reason.

[mac56]

10. My thought exactly.

This doesn't read like a description of the middle-class (or working-class) experience.

Taxes are the dues for living in a civilized society. It pisses me off to hear about people who aren't willing to pay their fair share. Better than the rest of us?

[Roaming]

11. You can doubt all you want, but we're definitely middle class...

Made less than $60,000 household income last year, two incomes.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

17. I'd like to know in what state you're currently living for you to be...

...able to claim that you're paying less taxes.

Are you still buying gasoline? Are you buying produce at the grocery? Are you buying retail products at any of an unlimited number of stores? How about property taxes?

If you're doing the above, you're paying more taxes because all of those costs are starting to skyrocket.

Oh, wait...what's that buzzing sound???

Oh, yeah...it's my BS detector.

[Bandit]

12. I doubt that seriously

All my local taxes and "user fees" have escalated drastically and services have been cut back. License plate fees have quadrupled since January. Sewer fees have gone up six-fold. Harbor fees more than doubled. Business license's went form fifty dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars a year. Property taxes have gone up a mil and a half. Snow removal was cut to almost nothing this past year and regular maintenance by the city has all but been eliminated. You probably don't own your own home or auto but if you do how much did your insurance go down?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

16. Sounds like you're "roaming" on the wrong set of boards.

[UpInArms]

2. and are those top 1% cuts included here too? ......... eom