tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post6278215982676675679..comments2023-10-23T11:10:05.945-04:00Comments on Karen Duncan: Life in the Time of Coronavirus: McCain's Economic Assault on the Working ClassKaren Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-366178350998224302008-04-17T21:51:00.000-04:002008-04-17T21:51:00.000-04:00Iso, with all due respect, by any legitimate measu...Iso, with all due respect, by any legitimate measure, it's simply not true that the middle class has kept up and gotten wealthier. There is so much documented evidence of the wage disparity and stagnant wages. Not only are the poor not getting richer, they are falling behind.<BR/><BR/>I promise you when I get back from seeing my dad next week, I'll dig up the evidence for you.Karen Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-66863971083290526312008-04-17T21:21:00.000-04:002008-04-17T21:21:00.000-04:00OK, Karen,This expansion has actually helped lower...OK, Karen,<BR/><BR/>This expansion has actually helped lower class workers become wealthier as well. In fact, you should read the Wall Street Journal more often, and you would learn this quite easily. I believe also the Journal outlines McCain's economic plans, which would provide a lot of benefits that J. Tyler is seeking.<BR/><BR/>Yes, the rich get richer, but, see, the POOR get richer too! The pie got bigger. Don't you get that?<BR/><BR/>With Clinton or Obama, you will get at best Clinton circa 1994 (stagnated economy) or, more likely, Jimmy Carter circa 1980.<BR/><BR/>You are right and wrong about the tax receipts. What you don't realize is that tax receipts have, in fact, been increasing at an astounding pace, and were on track to wipe out the deficit. The problem has been increased government SPENDING, particularly on domestic discretionary and the growth in entitlement programs. Of course, the housing crisis has (probably) slowed down some of the increase in government receipts (though we will probably get some numbers in a few months), but Congress as run by the Democrats has definitely increased spending.<BR/><BR/>I don't want you to be poor, either. But I believe in removing the roadblocks to you (or me, or Tyler) getting rich.Isophoronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08941512224577901986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-3351258726934179562008-04-17T16:44:00.000-04:002008-04-17T16:44:00.000-04:00Isophorone,You don't actually say anything that co...Isophorone,<BR/><BR/>You don't actually say anything that contradicts me. I agree that this has been a long and successful period of economic expansion. The problem with all your statistics is that they don't show in any way how this expansion has helped ordinary, middle class workers. That's because it hasn't, as even the WSJ admitted. <BR/><BR/>Furthermore, tax receipts have not kept pace with the deficit. That deficit, btw, contributes to inflation, which we are now starting to experience too.<BR/><BR/>As for your questions, has anybody gotten a job from a poor person, it's really beside the point. Yes, rich people provide jobs - but if I'm skilled and working hard, I'd kinda like to not be poor myself :)<BR/><BR/>J. Tyler, I agree with a lot of what you say. But who will you vote for then? McCain won't do the things you say you want. With Phil Gramm, one of the foremost movement conservatives, wedded to the free-trade-free market model of the economy, a McCain administration truly would be more of the same as we've had for the last seven years.<BR/><BR/>You can't wait for perfection, you've got to pick what's possible and either Clinton or Obama gets us closer to it than McCain does.Karen Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13954405672195734097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-2488919479179472202008-04-17T14:39:00.000-04:002008-04-17T14:39:00.000-04:00We can no longer tax-break our way to prosperity. ...We can no longer tax-break our way to prosperity. Anyone who thinks our economy is "booming" must be in the defense industry, because most other sectors are not healthy.<BR/><BR/>I won't vote for Obama or Billary, because I don't vote for politicians who spout empty, feel-good platitudes. <BR/><BR/>I do wish that there was a nominee who espoused real solutions, such as dramatic tort reform that would reduce the damage done to business by frivolous lawsuits and related jacked-up insurance rates.<BR/><BR/>I would like to have some sort of medical cost mitigation plan that would allow our strategic manufacturing base to be restored. <BR/><BR/>Related to the above point, I want to see more incentives for domestic manufacturing and penalties for multinational corporations who exploit slave labor in Communist China and other low wage nations, while eliminating U.S. jobs.<BR/><BR/>I want to see strong anti-trust actions against Wal-Mart and other businesses that exploit workers and destroy local, small businesses.<BR/><BR/>I want to see no more undeclared U.S. Wars and I want us out of Iraq as soon as possible. Those folks have had plenty of time to form their own government. It is time they are free to govern their own affairs.<BR/><BR/>I want to see an Apollo program level of effort to achieve national energy independence by 2020. Through the use of tax incentives and investments in new technology, coupled with domestic production of oil gas and nuclear power, we should be able to free our children from the economic oppression that we have suffered for the past several decades.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10563856.post-8363627888483350582008-04-17T14:22:00.000-04:002008-04-17T14:22:00.000-04:00The article also said that 2003 was the latest yea...The article also said that 2003 was the latest year for which data were available. Bush's tax cut only went into effect in 2003. Since then, the economy has boomed, tax receipts (mostly from that top 1% of the wage earners whom you abhor) have increased dramatically, and unemployment has been down. We had better economic growth than anything achieved under Clinton (who also helped spark the economy by cutting capital gains taxes)!<BR/><BR/>So you think Obama's idea of doubling the taxes on capital gains is a good idea? HA!<BR/><BR/>By the way, have you ever gotten a job from a poor person? Didn't think so!Isophoronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08941512224577901986noreply@blogger.com