What must be done to Unite the Country

[canitpro]

How?

ok, fair enough- If a national corporation with offices in multiple states violates, let’s say, air pollution regulations then the EPA can file and states can join a single case. That partnership is stronger than if the same set of cases was stratified across multiple state jurisdictions due to states having their own unique set of rules and regulations... the larger corporate entity is going against the relatively smaller state entity instead of the federal and state agencies combined

Also, as I mentioned in the last portion of my first post, I believe states would race to reduce restrictions in order to entice larger companies to do business in their respective states, weakening environmental protections

 

[OHvol40]

How about we agree to start voting for people who’s sole platform is to remove money from politics, establish legislative term limits, and purge the political sickness that has permeated the country for too long? Basically every constituent can get on board with those ideas, and it would go a long way toward unseating the disgusting power structure that dominates everything and could start a return to the era of productive debate/compromise.

 

[Grand Vol]

Anyone ready to hear about the Cable Park celebration?

 

[Orangeburst]

Anyone ready to hear about the Cable Park celebration?

Go

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Anyone ready to hear about the Cable Park celebration?

 

[USAFgolferVol]

You're complaining about not enough people paying enough taxes. Ignoring the fact that a sizeable chunk of that "51%" are either young people working through high school or college or elderly people who have retired (as of a couple of years ago, only 11% of people aged 25-55 did not pay any net federal income tax), the only reason that people won't pay a federal income tax is because they aren't making enough money to make up for the tax deductions and breaks that they get (e.g. the standard deduction, EITC, child tax credit). For example, if you had a family with two kids, with one parent earning $50k per year and the other staying at home and watching the kids, they would not owe any federal income tax. In order to get those people to pay taxes, you have to start decreasing deductions and credits, which will increase taxes.

Or the fact the 10% that make up the 90% of wealth in this country, pay far less than those making 30,000 to 75, 000 as a percentage of their income. Even worse is the fact many of them have said they would gladly pay more to reduce deficit and debt. Proof in the pudding is the fact they gave their tax rebates back to their employees as bonuses, which are taxed like income. I totally get some of the disdain for these individuals, but their willingness to pay their fair share should, pardon the pun, trump the disdain many right-wingers have for them. The inability to grasp the concept of nuance inhibits unity

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Or the fact the 10% that make up the 90% of wealth in this country, pay far less than those making 30,000 to 75, 000 as a percentage of their. Even worse is the fact many of them have said they would gladly pay more to reduce deficit and debt. Proof in the pudding is the fact they gave their tax rebates back to their employees as bonuses, which are taxed like income. I totally get some of the disdain for these individuals, but their willingness to pay their fair share should, pardon the pun, trump the disdain many right-wingers have for them. The inability to grasp the concept of nuance inhibits unity

Nothing stops Buffett/Gates/Bezos/Suckerberg etc etc etc from writing checks to the .gov for deficit reduction. Nothing. They want to protect their turf as the uber rich. They do not want YOU to join the same club that they belong to.

Change my mind.

My dander gets up whenever I hear this percentage argument. It is a BS argument. I manage my investments based on bottom line dollars. I don't care what the percent gain is. I calculate it, but when I am trading, I do not think about it at all because you do not spend percentage. You spend dollars. I don't care if Warren's tax rate was less than his secretary's. It doesn't matter. He moves markets. He funds businesses. She staples checks.

 

[LouderVol]

Or the fact the 10% that make up the 90% of wealth in this country, pay far less than those making 30,000 to 75, 000 as a percentage of their income. Even worse is the fact many of them have said they would gladly pay more to reduce deficit and debt. Proof in the pudding is the fact they gave their tax rebates back to their employees as bonuses, which are taxed like income. I totally get some of the disdain for these individuals, but their willingness to pay their fair share should, pardon the pun, trump the disdain many right-wingers have for them. The inability to grasp the concept of nuance inhibits unity

And yet that 10% still pays the vast majority of our income taxes.

We dont have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

Stop thinking that someone else being rich is a problem.

 

[NEO]

Who is "them" exactly? Also, all this crap you are spewing is pretty easy to say when you are a privileged white person who has never had to worry about these things. When you are a minority or poor in this country, then perspectives may be a little different. Your post is exactly why I will never be a Republican. Not everyone looking for assistance is a "free-loader" or lazy.

Why must everything be race with your side?

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Why must everything be race with your side?

Because they are racists.


What do I win?

 

[luthervol]

This is where it needs to start..............

Rep. Peter Meijer, just one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach President Trump a second time, said it's not too late for his colleagues to come clean with their constituents about President Trump's loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

"It's never too late to have folks tell their supporters, people who trusted them, tell them the truth," Meijer told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. ​

"We need to get past this big lie that this was a stolen election," he continued.

"This wasn't a landslide re-election for Donald Trump. This wasn't a stolen election. None of those claims played out in court and it's time we settle that once and for all because unless we come to that shared reality then we're not going to be able to fully heal from this moment," Meijer said.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

And yet that 10% still pays the vast majority of our income taxes.

We dont have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

Stop thinking that someone else being rich is a problem.

You're right, and I don't think they're the problem. My post should have reinforced the opposite. Just stating a fact as to how they've responded. You've cemented my last last comment. Thanks

 

[NEO]

Or the fact the 10% that make up the 90% of wealth in this country, pay far less than those making 30,000 to 75, 000 as a percentage of their income. Even worse is the fact many of them have said they would gladly pay more to reduce deficit and debt. Proof in the pudding is the fact they gave their tax rebates back to their employees as bonuses, which are taxed like income. I totally get some of the disdain for these individuals, but their willingness to pay their fair share should, pardon the pun, trump the disdain many right-wingers have for them. The inability to grasp the concept of nuance inhibits unity

This is not correct.

Only the top 1 percent earns the bulk of their income from capital gains type sources as they are paid via stock.

The top 10 to 2 percent for the most part are high level w2 executives (non stock bonus), athletes, small business owners, professionals.

A middle income person more than likely is a w2 wage earner and only paying half the payroll tax.

A business owner is paying both. A s Corp will pay this on their portions of salary only but it must be industry average. A LLC will pay the full 1099 version based on their k-1.

A plumber who has a k-1 of 50k will actually pay more than a w2 earner who makes 50k as the w2 will not owe the employer match portion.

This myth that a person making 30k who ends up getting a tax refund of 3k and ends paying no actual net taxes somehow pays more than a guy making 475k a year ( gross, net, or ratio) is honestly just absurd.

 

[newyorkvol]

How about we agree to start voting for people who’s sole platform is to remove money from politics, establish legislative term limits, and purge the political sickness that has permeated the country for too long? Basically every constituent can get on board with those ideas, and it would go a long way toward unseating the disgusting power structure that dominates everything and could start a return to the era of productive debate/compromise.

Love it. Term limits and campaign finance reform. No more corporations. But no more unions either. No more PAC’s. None of it. And, how about this one....no individual contributions to candidates not in your voting jurisdiction.

 

[Serene]

I am all for getting rid of all deductions for everybody. ALL deductions.

Here is what the tax form would look like:
1) How much money did you make from all sources?
2) Multiply line 1 by .1.
3) Attach your check here. ---->

Oh, but it has to be via constitutional amendment.

The proposed tax structure would result in a tax increase for approximately 90% of people. I doubt it would be very popular.

 

[NEO]

Because they are racists.


What do I win?

Loss of ap, posting rights, and ability to speak freely.

Do you feel like a winner?

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Unity will not be achieved without setting it as a goal to be achieved. A target date needs to be set too so progress can be tracked. At least two respondents have stated they have zero interest in unity. IMO, Unity is the best alternative to all other choices.

Meh, I would just settle for living peaceably amongst each other. You don't have to like me, I don't have to like you. But as long as you dont mess with me, my livelihood or my property, I am all for that.
Forcing people to adapt certain values they disagree with or threatening people that don't think like you or do what you say is tyranny.

 

[headhunter15]

If the media could call stuff like this out, that would certainly help. Protesters with “bricks and hammers.”

 

[MemphisVol77]

If the media could call stuff like this out, that would certainly help. Protesters with “bricks and hammers.”

And this......

 

[OHvol40]

Love it. Term limits and campaign finance reform. No more corporations. But no more unions either. No more PAC’s. None of it. And, how about this one....no individual contributions to candidates not in your voting jurisdiction.

Exactly. I’ll add limit campaign season to 30 days, equal advertising slots on limited platforms, and cap campaign-related expenses. Also, squash K street and end gerrymandering.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

This is not correct.

Only the top 1 percent earns the bulk of their income from capital gains type sources as they are paid via stock.

The top 10 to 2 percent for the most part are high level w2 executives (non stock bonus), athletes, small business owners, professionals.

A middle income person more than likely is a w2 wage earner and only paying half the payroll tax.

A business owner is paying both. A s Corp will pay this on their portions of salary only but it must be industry average. A LLC will pay the full 1099 version based on their k-1.

A plumber who has a k-1 of 50k will actually pay more than a w2 earned sho makes 50k as the w2 will not owe the employer match portion.

This myth that a person making 30k who ends up getting a tax refund of 3k and ends paying no actual net taxes somehow pays more than a guy making 475k a year ( gross, net, or ratio) is honestly just absurd.

Ok, but that zero net sum doesn't provide the relief many need from paycheck to paycheck. That 3000 they receive the following year may or may not go towards an actual stimulation of the economy. The smart ones bank it/pay down debt. Others foolishly spend it on items or services unnecessarily. The way our economic model has been implemented, that's what our lawmakers desire. The former is much better than the latter and our lawmakers, unfortunately, don't get it

 

[Serene]

I would argue that education doesnt help.

It's another way to divide us vs them. You see it clearly in the divides we already had. Dumb rednecks vs overeducated hippies.

Even the more educated hold themselves apart from the masses because of their education.

I do agree with the reduction or shift of the "us" and "them" paradigms. Personally I believe the most healthy "us" vs "them" is governed vs those that govern. That maintains balance and keeps those in power honest. "We" have given up all our power to "them" because they have us playing sides.

When I say education, I mean education specifically targeting tribalism and being aware of it. I think when you're more aware of how pervasive it is in our lives, you're more able to identify it in yourself and "switch it off" when you're trying to approach things with a problem solving attitude. I'm not trying to say that it's an easy problem to handwave away by just saying, "teach people about it"; it's fighting against biology and it may very well be a lost cause on a scale of societies. But I do think it's worthwhile to at least make an attempt at teaching a line of critical thought that doesn't involve just attaching yourself to a group and just assimilating all of the group's views and opinions.

 

[C-south]

This is where it needs to start..............

Rep. Peter Meijer, just one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach President Trump a second time, said it's not too late for his colleagues to come clean with their constituents about President Trump's loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

"It's never too late to have folks tell their supporters, people who trusted them, tell them the truth," Meijer told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. ​

"We need to get past this big lie that this was a stolen election," he continued.

"This wasn't a landslide re-election for Donald Trump. This wasn't a stolen election. None of those claims played out in court and it's time we settle that once and for all because unless we come to that shared reality then we're not going to be able to fully heal from this moment," Meijer said.

Who’s to say it’s a lie? You?

 

[deezvols]

Lots of good discussion here with thoughtful ideas being tossed around. Predictably, there’s also a number of unhelpful comments.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Meh, I would just settle for living peaceably amongst each other. You don't have to like me, I don't have to like you. But as long as you dont mess with me, my livelihood or my property, I am all for that.
Forcing people to adapt certain values they disagree with or threatening people that don't think like you or do what you say is tyranny.

I would add that perpetuating outrage on social media over a fringe opinion furthers the divide. The ability to dismiss such opinions would be helpful