I would appreciate a thank-you note from Mississippi.

Fuck the south.

Our debt has reached the point where it is the number one threat to the continuation of our nation. We have less than 10 years before we reach an economic meltdown which will plunge us into a depression that will make the 30's seem tame. We've never been in so much trouble, and it's getting worse by the second. Taxes won't work, tax cuts won't work, spending more won't work, printing money won't work. The only thing that will work is spending less than we earn and saving. Because our debt is so big, we may not be able to achieve that. Bush made things way worse, and Obama seems to be in a contest to see if he can out-spend Bush. Funny how Clinton seems to be not so bad looking back...

Two-thirds of major corporations pay zero taxes. Tax them. The richest 1% of Americans own as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Tax them. The military takes 50% of every federal tax dollar. Shut down the empire and shrink the military. 

Support unions so workers can earn more. Corporate profits are at an all-time high, as is income disparity. The financial sector, which recently crashed the world economy, receives bailouts and bonuses while the rest of us get austerity measures. 

Single-payer health care will save everyone money except the insurance industry and make us more competitive in the world. 

The U.S. has money, it's just concentrated at the top and in the wrong places. Average Americans are left to fight over the scraps, and many fall for the phony divide and conquer propaganda put out by the very corporate "persons" who pay no taxes themselves. Luckily, people are waking up to the class-war being waged against them, and it's push-back time. Republicans rant about "redistributing the wealth," but they're OK with it as long as it's being redistributed upward. That has to stop.

this whole scenario is being approached from the wrong perspective...

corporations should be taxed according to the amount of money they take out of our economy by outsourcing their workforce.

The official view of the budget is distorted by including trust funds such as Social Security, and by not distinguishing expenses from past military spending from non-military spending. In reality 18% of the budget is related to past military and 36% is related to current military spending. That's 54% military. Not counting the trust funds that are supposed to be separate (though I grant you they have been raided ) gives us about 30% for Human Resources. 

Where your income tax money really goes



And please tell me, why won't taxing the 2/3 of corporations that currently pay no taxes bring down our debt? This whole push for austerity is just more class war against those who can least afford to pay. As I said, corporate profits are at an all-time high and we're being told we're broke, though we always have money for our endless wars.

I heard an interview on the World Service last week with an economist about corporate taxation.  Of course I can't find it online now, but the basic gist was that the lack of taxation on the richest 1% in society ensures the demise of the lower half.  Reduction in nutritional standards, reduction in education, reduction in housing assistance--they all add up to the destruction of 50% of the society.  

So, Jim, I'm guessing that the fiddling you're doing while Rome burns is a lovely tune, but I'm also guessing that your checking account doesn't put you in the 50% who'll make it.

If someone else's Google-fu is stronger than mine and they can find that interview, that would be excellent.

IOUSA is a non-partisan look at the national debt and how it's current obligations are worse than anyone really understands. For all you tree lickers, the last third is a slam on Bush, if that makes you more inclined to watch it...

The notion that if corporation's tax breaks are eliminated they will somehow "pack up" and leave is asinine. It's a scare tactic used by "news" outlets to goad you into supporting the idea that these "people" (and by people, I mean corporations, for the Supreme Court ruled that a corporation is a person) are somehow going to lose their shirts if they have to pay their taxes!

Take a good look around, Jadiaz, they've done that already. Millions of manufacturing and vital tech jobs have left the country in the last 10-15 years because they got tax breaks to leave. 

Tax loopholes and subsidies to corporations must be rolled back. U.S.-based corporations that choose to continue offshore manufacturing should be taxed according to the profits they receive as a result of lost revenue to the home economy. 

Instead of encouraging corporations to lay off American workers in favor of cheap labor overseas by giving them tax incentives, they should be penalized for killing American jobs and taking their operations overseas.

Flat tax and allodial titles. Absolutely a must.

In other words: It's the corporate welfare, stupid.

Tax corporations who will then:

2. Stay in the U.S. but downsize to cover taxes, again costing Americans jobs.

Corporate taxes are paid on net income.  This means corporations subtract expenses (including wages) from revenues and pay taxes on the difference.  If tax rates increase and the company irrationally responds by cutting its wage expense(jobs) without revenues declining, then its taxes will be even higher due to lower expenses and higher net income.  If they can only cut wages to the detriment of revenue, then they're going to senselessly miss out on the 60% of net income that doesn't go to taxes.

Businesses make hiring decisions based on demand for their goods and services. A rational business will maximize its revenue with the lowest possible costs.  This means it will add employees when they are needed to meet increased demand.  The primary driver of demand is consumer spending by the middle class.

Capitalism is sooooo over.

Tax corporations who will then:

1. Leave the U.S. taking all their money with them and costing Americans jobs.

This is a complicated issue.  Tax rates and loopholes certainly come into play when multinationals are making decisions about where to locate operations.

But many other factors are arguably more important when a company decides where to employ people.  Where are the customers located? Where do raw materials come from? What are prevailing wages? What skills does the local workforce have? Is the transportation and public infrastructure adequate? Does the location have honest courts and legal recourse? Is the country stable? How much local crime is there?  Is the climate desirable? Can we dump toxic waste into the rivers without penalty?

The last thing the united states needs to do to compete globally is try to attract business with the tax rates of Sudan, the wages of China, or the environmental regulation of Mexico.

How we compete is subject to debate, but it starts with an educated workforce, world class infrastructure, environmental laws to insure our country remains inhabitable, art and culture so we're a place people desire to live.

How about a flat tariff on imported goods? For much of our history, the Federal government was primarily funded by tariffs on imported goods. Also intriguing: there was no income tax.  Check out the Hamilton Tariffs.  Could argue this early protectionism kept the US from being just another resource rich, yet impoverished, euro-colonial outpost.    

Regarding the original post: Is there any statistical benefit to having a risk pool larger than 5.2 million people?  (~MN pop.) Could we do many things better on a state scale, vs lowest-common-denominator nationally?

I hate government weapons. Why can't we sell useful things like clear soccer balls with lights inside that flash when you kick them, fuel efficient jet packs,  cigarettes that taste like candy and come in 101 flavors? Oh wait...  My own government works project idea is a giant catapult  that launches you way out over the lake in a flying needle shaped pod vessel that breaks the impact of you hitting the water, then you just drive it back to shore, and rides are only like ten bucks. 

Jim, when did you first become aware our previous president was perhaps the greatest F-stick of the 21st century, was it before or after the second time you voted for him? Don't feel bad, millions of people were duped into believing this spot-on chimp impersonator had a heart of gold, whereas his legacy was actually bankrupting the country through deregulation and war, and annihilating half a million Arabs in the process.  We're just in a healthy down time of reaping what we sowed, as a country often gets what it deserves. Planteth we the seeds of shit, be us not confused whence we harvest shit flowers.

Sorry Lo, you must have not read the disclaimer. It even admits to not including disbursements and the "borrowing" of SS money. Your big-ass chart is wrong, and skewed. Here's a more accurate representation of where we are at. It is non-partisan, except for maybe the criticism of Bush at the end. Watch it, and let me know what you think. I'm sincerely curious what happens when a died-in-the-wool (It's an intentional pun Danny!!) lib is presented with accurate, easy to understand facts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_TjBNjc9Bo

Hypocritical is the 'conservative' south squealing about socialism while they redistribute liberal states' tax revenue to themselves.