Nevada Insider Politics: See “Key Races” [LVSun] and “Greg Brower (R-Weathervane) Flips and Flops,” [Nevada Progressive] Steve Sibelius has more on the Brower/Leslie campaigns, along with the important observation that Brower hasn’t committed to serving a full term. “Nevada Conservation Leagues endorsements,” [The Nevada View] And, somebody had to say it: “Sharron Angle becomes the Orly Taitz of Fraudulent Vote Fraud,” — the Gleaner.
Taxing Questions: See Blue Lyon on “Job Killing Tax Breaks,” and new tax data indicate the 1% are doing very well, thank you very much. “The share of U.S. households’ total income flowing to the top 1 percent of those households rose to 19.8 percent in 2010. Although lower than the peaks reached in 2000 and 2007, that percentage is still among the highest since the late 1920s.” [CBPP]
Of course, they are doing very nicely because much of the income for the top 0.5% derives from the breaks available for capital gains. Citizens for Tax Justice looks at who would pay what should capital gains be taxed at the same rate we tax income from actual work:
Since nothing much as gone according to plan amongst the various Republican campaigns of late — it must be Time To Call For A Tax Cut? Robert Reich explains further, “It doesn’t matter than the plan doesn’t detail how they plan to pay for the tax cuts. Or whether an even bigger whack would have to be taken out of Medicare than Paul Ryan’s original voucher plan – which would drowned many elderly under rising medical costs. It doesn’t even matter that the plan would probably raise taxes on many lower-income Americans,…” [Salon.com.]
An Unhealthy Solution: So, what did the GOP propose today to get that “wonderful tax cut?” Get rid of Medicare as we know it.
“Not sure this is going to get the level of attention it deserves or that most political reporters will call it what it is: Paul Ryan today unveiled the new House Budget, which doubles down on Ryan’s previously announced plan to end Medicare as a source of guaranteed health care benefits for the elderly. It’ll still be called Medicare, but it will be Medicare in name only.” [TPM]
Shorter version of GOP proposal: It is more important to retain tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires than it is to maintain our Medicare program for elderly Americans. This statement covers the territory succinctly:
“Republican candidates are going to try to have it both ways. But you can’t support the Ryan plan and want to preserve Medicare any more than you can have an affair and still be faithful to your spouse.”
Just asking…but, why would any reputable news service believe that the resurrection of the Ryan Plan is NEWS? The “new” plan does pretty much what the old plan would do:
1. Require elderly citizens to pay more for their health care.
2. Cost elderly and disabled citizens Medicaid coverage.
3. Cost some 30 million U.S. citizens their health care coverage, and cost small businesses their tax breaks for providing health insurance plans.
4. Give a $3 Trillion tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest people in the United States. [TP]
5. Boost the Pentagon budget by some $554 billion by cutting such programs as Food Stamps… [TP]
Just asking, again… but, what part of giving major multinational corporations and extremely wealthy individuals a $3 Trillion tax cut while eliminating tax breaks to small businesses which provide health insurance plans in their employee benefit packages is PRO-SMALL BUSINESS? Meanwhile, it’s the same old voucher plan for Medicare, which Ryan claims is “destructive” (while never quite answering precisely what’s being destroyed) and “unsustainable,” (while never exactly getting round to describing how the GOP’s refusal to allow price negotiations with Big Pharma, and its refusal to consider alternatives to privatization might have contributed to the problems.)
Desert Beacon 