SCHIZOPHRENIC GOP …
South Carolina “Republicans” are something aren’t they?
On the one hand they overwhelmingly nominated the most liberal GOP Senator in America to a third term in Washington, D.C. this week. On the other hand, though, they voted by a 4-to-1 margin to scrap the state’s individual income tax.
As they went to the polls in anemic numbers on Tuesday, GOP voters were asked whether state law should be amended to “replace the state income tax imposes on individuals, estates, trusts, and others by reducing the rate of taxation by 1.4 percent each year until the state income tax for all brackets is zero percent?”
Eighty percent said “yes,” although the question is obviously non-binding (unlike the constitutional referendums placed on November ballots).
Such a gradual phaseout of the income tax basically mirrors the plan introduced last December by S.C. Sen. Katrina Shealy – except Shealy’s plan wouldn’t “replace” the income tax with anything, it would instead rely on reductions to government and growth in the economy.
“We need to tighten our belt like every family in South Carolina had to do the last couple of years,” Shealy told FITS at the time. ”Like every business we need to cut out unnecessary expenses and wasteful spending.”
Indeed …
Still, it’s reassuring to see such broad-based support for the elimination of the income tax in South Carolina … even if the voters who signaled their support voted in droves to reelect a guy who broke his own pledge and raised their taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Sooner or later they’ll get the disconnect, right?
Right?
187 comments
The real disconnect is that the question did not detail how or if the legislature would replace income lost if the income tax were eliminated. Even without that important information the sheeple were willing to tow the party line.
You never told us how Obama would replace the wealth he took from our families w/ his AWFUL economy. We just suffered through it.
You, and Obama, said F*#k the people. Now we say F*#k government money-wasters…Get it, dumb@$$. We don’t care what you do…just quit robbing us for your stupid-@$$ liberal schemes like Global Warming. Lay off gov’t workers, quit adding millions to welfare and food stamps and STFU…
What does Obama have to do with our state income tax?
Oh, right. Nothing.
He gets so drunk so early in the morning…
Sadly he’s not drunk… this is just how he is.
He gets so drunk so early in the morning..
….kinda like an ol’ Bluetick hound he likes to lay around in the shade…
Please don’t get that misfit involved.
Corporations jacking up profits and bonuses for management are taking whatever Obama didn’t get. Funny how similar the two are…..
Fable much?
Not to mention: your lord-god Obama never EARNED a F*#king penny, or invested a DIME of his own money…nor does your savior, the F*#king Government. produce ANYTHING..Except harassment and a tax bill…
It’s IGNORANT, Bran Dead Clichés like you, that result in a president like Obama, and democrats, who are F*#K-ups, in power…
You never told us how Obama would replace the wealth he took from our families w/ his AWFUL economy. We just suffered through it.
You, and Obama, said F*#k the people. Now we say F*#k government money-wasters…Get it, dumb@$$. We don’t care what you do…just quit robbing us for your stupid-@$$ liberal schemes like Global Warming. Lay off gov’t workers, quit adding millions to welfare and food stamps and STFU…
They don’t do anything. We just go down the financial toilet like Kansas and New Jersey and other Red states.
It doesn’t matter what a ton of other states ate when they pulled the same shit, the Tea Party will always bring up “Texas” and ignore the vast differences between Texas and South Carolina, including state economy and what Texas taxes instead of income.
Florida, Wyoming, Alaska, Nevada, south Dakota and Washington have no sales tax in addition to Texas and Tennessee and New Hampshire have nearly no income tax.
I think you meant INCOME taxes, not sales taxes.
that’s right. fixed it.
http://taxfoundation.org/article/where-do-state-and-local-governments-get-their-tax-revenue-0
The revenue always comes from somewhere else, whether through property taxes, sales taxes, or some other form of taxes.
With the exception of perhaps Wyoming (not too knowledgeable about them), all of the states you listed have economies that put ours to shame. Florida and Nevada get tons of tourism, Alaska and Texas rely on the oil industry, Washington has all sorts of technological jobs, etc.
Apples/oranges.
Tennesse’s GDP isn’t much larger than SC’s and SC’s GDP is larger than Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, New Hampshire.
Smirks the dumbass strikes again.South Carolina does not get ‘tons’ of tourism?
What the fuck would you call the millions of visitors to Myrtle Beach and Charleston?
You really are stupid and uninformed.
What the fuck would you call the millions of visitors to Myrtle Beach and Charleston?
Thugs?
No income tax?
I’m living in texas, and I’ve been paying income tax all my life! Why didn’t someone tell me??
This reminds me of those who raved about Palin’s Alaska budgeting. Nothing like guiding a state whose income is more than 80% “oil lifting” revenues and one that actually writes “dividend” checks to residents.
You can tell when someone is ignorant of economic realities when they compare running a nation with running a household. Unfortunately that ignorance is widespread, reaching to the highest levels of government.
Show us the way, defender of the trees.
Don’t forget Tom is also defending Highway 17. Unfortunately his guy won the county council race. How will he stop the median Tom?
“The real disconnect is that the question did not detail how or if the legislature would replace income lost if the income tax were eliminated.”
Maybe it’s not a disconnect, maybe those voting for the reduction in taxes don’t give a shit.
Because the ROI on taxes is dubious at best, no one cares how gov’t tries to “balance” a budget on the state level. (because the Feds don’t have that problem, they have a printing press)
Just need to plant some more of Nikki’s money trees.
I voted no on both questions because of the stupidity of it all.
How about working on something other than Obama bad, government bad, abortion bad, taxes bad, gays bad, Mexicans bad (except for my landscaper, roofer, painter, and sheet rocker that’s paid on the side).
Your last paragraph just listed the best reason for the fair tax.
Love how FITS bashes the people first and foremost, as always…Bit#*ing about low turnout, but FITS said he is too F*#king lazy to vote. Hypocrite much?
Also: There may be fickle behavior, if it is, because the media, like FITS, lies to the people. So go look in the mirror D*#mb@$$ . People trust you, and you screw them (see Sanford)…
That’s YOU…not the voters…
Love how FITS bashes the people first and foremost, as always…Bit#*ing about low turnout, but FITS said he is too F*#king lazy to vote. Hypocrite much?
Also: There may be fickle behavior, if it is, because the media, like FITS, lies to the people. So go look in the mirror D*#mb@$$ . People trust you, and you screw them (see Sanford)…
That’s YOU…not the voters…
We’re such a poor state, with such low incomes, how much money can it really cost us to get rid of it. Besides, we can replace that income by increasing the sales tax on food and cell phones. It’s very equitable that way.
There’s nothing equitable, fair, nor smart about introducing further regressivity into our already silly and misguided Sales Tax dependency.
Can’t you Tea Partiers come up with anything else to further your silliness.
I know right. It’s totally unfair for everyone to pay the same tax.
25% of a milk cow is poverty.
I guess it would depend on whether you got a good tit or a dry one.
:-D
Oh, so you think a sales tax on food really helps and is fair to the poor. Right.
Yeah, why should the poor pay anything for stuff?
Because people who have to scrape pennies to put meals on the table are the least capable of forking over extra pennies per dollar to the state coffers?
Because poor people spend a much larger share of their income on necessities that draw sales tax?
If they are as poor as you indicate shouldn’t they be spending all their money on necessities, I know some do but many don’t.
What? You mean 30″ rims aren’t a necessity? Pffft!
The poor that I know don’t have a car. You paint with a broad and incorrect brush.
You call me a broad one more time and we gonna have a problem.
It’s not the cars that chap my ass – it’s the SHOES!
It’s not a larger share of their income. It’s the same percent as everyone else who buys stuff.
Furthermore, most of these desperately straw man poor people you’re inventing are already on food stamps and aren’t paying the full price for food in the first place.
It’s not a larger share of their income. It’s the same percent of their income as anyone else.
Are you honestly trying to float that a millionaire spends the exact same percentage of his income on groceries as someone who makes $30k? So if someone making $20k spends $2k on groceries throughout the year, a millionaire spends $100,000 in a year? Just on groceries?
most of these desperately straw man poor people you’re inventing are already on food stamps
Sales tax only applies to food? Every poor person in SC has food stamps? Every person on food stamps has their entire grocery bill covered?
You’re leaving out a lot of variables, son.
It’s a windfall for the wealthy. I read that it was equivalent to a $75K tax break for them.
Hey Smirks, seriously, a millionaire would likely spend $100K or more on eats in a year in a lot of cases. Between feeding house guests, parties (rich white folks are ALWAYS having big dinner parties) and the like, it is possible.
All sales tax proposals to date are a scam. To be fair them must apply to all purchases of goods and services. Otherwise they are just a way to shift the burden from the rich to the middle class. The poor will not pay, they have no money to pay.
they actually pay full price for the food, but they do not pay sales tax on the food.
Fuck the poor. Give the money to supply-side Jesus.
“supply-side Jesus”
LMAO! Very funny
And for his next trick, supply-side Jesus will be turning water into malt liquor.
Jesus probably looked more like Bill Dee Williams though than the Angloized version taken from Middle Age art though, so there’s precedent.
:)
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; give a man a endless supply of fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Give a man a piece of ass and you have fucked him for a day.
Teach him to masturbate and you have given him sexual gratification for a lifetime.
If you have to teach him to masturbate you’re going to have to feed him too.
I’ve known a lot of women who fucked some guy and wound up having to feed him, too. One little town I used to live in, I swear that was the norm. He’d marry her, quit his job, and she worked and supported him from then on.
One little town I used to live in, I swear that was the norm. He’d marry her, quit his job, and she worked and supported him from then on.
ummm…what town was that, again?
Do the women there like guys that look like a cross between the John Redcorn and Jackie Mason, and drive big black jacked-up trucks?
I’ve known a lot of women who fucked some guy and wound up having to feed him, too.
——
machgielis@gmail.com
teach the man how to fish.
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tax and spend liberal!
Before God stopped making miracles, I heard supply-side Jesus created a job.
Supply side Jesus in his greatest act took some 5 loaves and a few fish and created enough to feed everyone.
The Federal Reserve has taken that lesson to heart and created enough money to make us all rich!
Praise be to supply side Jesus! Amen.
and the Republicans kept it.
Not just Republicans, take a look at the Goldman Sachs campaign contribution list-plenty of D’s there, but hey, that’s what Keynes wanted. That’s why Tricky Dick was so quick to declare everyone in government Keynesian acolytes.
I’d like to see Keynes stock portfolio.
He made all his money on gold ironically, after losing his ass earlier in the stock market…and was able to make that money by basically being the ultimate inside trader on it by telling FDR to ban it while he collected mining stocks…lol…what a piece of work.
Yeah, I mean making poor people pay a surcharge on stuff they buy to help pay for benefits that benefit the poor is totally fucking them.
I knew that.
I don’t think the poor sitting around taking my hard-earned money is fair or helpful to anyone.
So poor should pay a higher tax rate than you? Oh, I’ve got it now.
How is it a higher rate if its a sales tax?
They pay a higher percentage of their income than the more affluent. They pay more and have less. It isn’t rocket science.
How are they paying more? If I buy a candy bar at wal-mart, I pay a 7% sales tax. If a poor person buys that same candy bar, they pay the same sales tax.
They are paying more in percentage to their disposable income yet it’s called a fair tax. Right.
With a fair tax, all income taxation is eliminated and replaced with a 23% tax on goods, which would be huge for people who are actually intelligent enough exhibit some self control and those that can manage their money. I know that’s asking a lot of our lowest common denominators.
How? Most, if not all of these poor people who can’t afford to pay sales tax, are already on food stamps. So explain how a larger percentage of their disposable income is being spent on sales tax.
From Mike Moffatt: Fair Tax
Seniors. People do not earn income at a steady rate during their lifetime. The bulk of most people’s earnings occur before the age of 65. People over the age of 65 have vastly reduced incomes and live off the savings they earned while employed. A switch to a sales tax will be in effect taxing them twice. They’ve already paid a lifetime of income taxes and now they have the opportunity to live off of their savings and consume, they’ll be taxed on that consumption. Unless special consideration is given to the current generation of seniors, they will end up paying a disproportionate share of taxes.
The Poor Generally the working poor pay very little (if any) income tax. However everybody needs to consume to survive. The poor get hit twice under such a scheme. Currently the poor pay little tax, where now they’ll have to pay taxes on their consumption, so their total tax bill will rise dramatically. The poor also spend a larger proportion of their income on consumption goods to survive, so they’ll pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than wealthier individuals
“The Poor Generally the working poor pay very little (if any) income tax. However everybody needs to consume to survive.”
There is an entire underground economy of unreported income. Under a sales tax, you would at least be able to be sure that illegal immigrants, drug dealers, under the table workers, etc., all contribute to the government that many of them receive benefits from. I don’t understand why you don’t think a poor person can pay a surcharge on stuff they buy like everyone else to help fund their housing, schooling, healthcare, and food stamps.
You’re complaining that they spend a higher percentage of their disposable income on food, but that’s exactly what being poor means. We, as a society, can help poor people out by giving them subsidized schools, housing, food, healthcare, but when we ask them to contribute some towards their expenses, suddenly it’s too much?
Its not the poor being screwed. They have little or no money to pay. Its the middle income taxpayer who is being screwed, by moving to a sales tax from an income tax.
You and I don’t agree on hardly anything, but you are right to point out the flat/Fair tax hits poor the hardest.
Any reasonable position would include an exemption(like many states) on grocery food, rent/housing, etc.(basic necessities)
Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about it, all the talk about “Fair tax”, “flat tax”, or “sales tax only” is nothing more than a talking point that has ZERO chance of passing anywhere.
Right, because getting tax raped by the government monthly and being forced to contribute to SS fund is really working out to everyone’s advantage. I’m pretty sure I know how the money that I work my ass off for will best be spent. Supporters of the current tax structure are contributing to the problem.
You can bitch and moan all day long about the unfairness of the tax code, AND I’LL AGREE!
But that doesn’t change the following:
1. No flat/fair/sales tax will ever be passed
2. The flat/fair/sales tax hurts the poor more than the current system
If you wanna champion something that helps everyone, find a way to reduce taxes across the board for everyone(which won’t happen either).
The larger problem than reducing taxes across the board is the elephant in the room, governments and their ever increasing debt. Spending is the problem.
I agree.
Voting isn’t gonna fix it, pols aren’t gonna fix, but a financial reset will fix it.
And because of voting and pols the only reset will be bankruptcy.
When you rob Peter to pay Paul you can always count on the support of Paul.
Yep. The only question is what is going to rise from the ashes, in terms of governance, society, etc.
Humanity has been doing the same thing now for the most part since it’s recorded history in one way, shape, or form over and over again.
It’s not what will rise, it’s what will we degenerate into and that will be chaos and survival of the fittest. You and I will not see it, the government hasn’t run out of other people’s money yet.
I’m not so sure, I’m turning 43 next week…the old quote “there’s a lot of ruin in a nation” is relevant…but I don’t think we have a decade left.
I’m prepared for it…and depending on how it goes I speak Spanish well enough and my wife is fluent, so we’ll just take an extended (or permanent) vacation down South.
I’m prepared for it…and depending on how it goes I speak Spanish well enough and my wife is fluent, so we’ll just take an extended (or permanent) vacation down South [of the Border].
“Pedro sez, ‘Thanks to my Homie, Helicopter Ben’.”
The poor will still be on government assistance… free food, free housing, free phone. That leaves an awful lot of untaxed money in their pockets.
Your point is taken. But rather than tax them(which is really just taking money given to them by us anyway), maybe you should be calling for an end to their subsidies altogether.
At least if they aren’t being taxes and not getting free shit, they have some incentive to go get a jobby job and be productive.
“When shit becomes valuable, the poor shall be born without ass holes.”
Please don’t compare taxation to rape. That’s not even apples to oranges.
Sorry, we are back to disagreeing again.
Taxation is a form of rape. Our masters even try to convince us we really wanted it. Jay is correct.
If taxation wasn’t rape, they wouldn’t need the IRS.
It wasn’t long ago that the US operated without an income tax.
The problem is that they can’t even operate on the collected taxes now…thus we have a 17 trillion dollar national debt. And they keep printing money every day. We need to cut the federal government.
I said “tax rape”… rape is also defined as an act of plunder, violent seizure, or abuse; despoliation; violation: the rape of the countryside. Bless your confused little heart.
Only a man would compare the two.
Because you don’t like the definition of a word? You truly are one of the more ignorant liberals I’ve come across, and no that was not a bukkake reference.
Only clueless individuals use rape as a prescriptive word concerning taxes. No wonder the right has troubles with women, the poor, and minorities.
What if it’s used in the context of a tax rape fantasy?
You truly are one of the more ignorant liberals I’ve come across, and no that was not a bukkake reference.
Uh oh.
no that was not a bukkake reference.
——–
…well, *that’s* good, because it would mark you as a totally classless jerkoff.
Sadly you are not one of the most ignorant tea nuts I have come across. That river runs deep, you’re probably only about halfway down.
The government is kind of like Fleece Johnson on steroids.
“I like you and I want you. We can do this the easy way or the hard way…”
You can’t rape the willing, America is filled with people that are content to spread ’em.
Sadly, that is so true!
I probably shouldn’t have posted that YouTube clip. Now Grand Tango will get all excited and stuff.
Men are raped nearly as much as women according to the latest statistics you sexist.
Ok.We will compare taxation to abortion.
I’m Pro-Apples.
I see you working hard again today, sweetheart. How are you going to pay income taxes without a fucking job? That’s right!
I’m pro orgasms. According to some of my ex’s, I was a pro at giving orgasms too. That was in my younger days… sigh…
Is is apples to orgasms?
Percentages can lie. If the tax is 10% and a poor person spends 1000 dollars, they pay $100 towards all the state supplied benefits (police, roads, schools). A wealthier person spends 10000, and pays 1000 towards those same services. Is a factor of 10 equitable is you look at the actual dollars of the taxes paid and “services purchased? Probably not, on an individual basis. Especially when you factor in the high number of people who pay no taxes.
Might make them think twice before they put their $2000 car up on $12000 rims. Right?
If they cut out the cigs and booze they will be just fine.
The question should be, why is a poor person buying a candy bar?
Not true. Sales tax is not charged on anything bought with SNAP.
Why should we base or government funding on what consumer goods people buy? The whole concept is tied to nothing. It is just a ploy to sift the tax burden from its current situation to one where middle income people and poor people pay a higher percentage of the cost of government and the rich pay less. Typical Republican plan.
No fair sales tax has ever been proposed and never will be, because rich donors make sure the things they consume are excluded from the tax. The Tax must include a tax on the purchase of stocks, bonds, real estate, and investments. Then it will be fair. It could also be a lot lower rate. We could possibly have a 5% sales tax if we included all those things. But I will not hold my breath. As it is the sales tax is a scam.
There we go! Ole Dollar Bill wants my money cause he ain’t got none.
What is up with all you socialists? Jealous and pissed off cause your neighbor has a bigger house, a nice car and they can afford to send their kids to private schools.
I am fine with reducing the taxes as long as we pay for the cut by shutting down the road in front of your house. No one will miss you.
I wouldn’t be opposed to this. Again, the goal is to tax money that is otherwise unreported as income. Drug dealers gotta eat as do illegal immigrants. And when the drug dealers and illegal immigrants get injured, sick, etc., they’re going to the ER and we’re paying for it.
So you are telling me you are willing to pay higher taxes so that we can be sure the drug dealers are paying their fair share. Please. You are being played.
You’re a fool if you live your life by “I’s gots mines and fuck everyone else.”
What are you talking about? That response makes not sense. My point was if you are wiling to move to a sales tax without requiring it includes all the things I mentioned, your taxes will go up. Either thought sales taxes or higher property taxes. I am not willing to do that just to make sure the drug dealers are paying. Middle income people are foolish to agree to any sales tax proposed to date. They will be screwed.
A fair tax is the only way to level the field. If you can only afford bologna and bread you only get taxed for the bologna and bread that you buy. If you’re a lobster kinda guy, you get taxed for lobster. It’s not that difficult to wrap ones head around, once you put down the liberal kool aid.
It doesn’t level the field for anyone. Poor or rich. Poor suffer, rich make out like a bandit. Feudal system at it’s worst.
You really do not understand this do you? Unless you are rich you will increase your taxes. The fair tax is a scam. It shifts taxes to the middle income taxpayers. Those making less than 200k a year. The taxes of high income people go down.
Tom, I’ll take my chances on managing my own money, thank you very much.
All forms of income tax should be abolished, period.
..and ice cream should be free – period.
Only if it’s Ben & Jerry’s.
*all* ice cream – don’t harsh my mellow!
I’m pro free ice cream, just look at my jowl.
Why no story about the medical marijuana question on the Dem ballot? Results I saw had 75% yes and 25% no.
I voted no because it will do nothing but create one giant fucking shortfall that will eventually be replaced by a tax that shits on the poor and middle class even more than the state income tax did.
For me, it further cements how sad our election results turn out to be year in and year out. Dumb enough to keep Graham, dumb enough to fuck our tax receipts, and dumb enough to vote for a legislature that will respond by raising some other tax or cutting services that don’t need to be cut in lieu of cutting what does need to be cut.
I’d say “God bless this state” but giving us a blessing would just be throwing it away.
Meh. There are plenty of people who live in this state who are totally off the radar when it comes to income tax. The only way to get those type of people to pay up is a sales tax since they have to buy stuff to live.
” Dumb enough to keep Graham”, did you leave off Clyburn for a reason?
I mentioned Graham because the FITS post mentioned “voting for Graham” versus “voting for no income tax.”
Clyburn is an equally stupid person to send back to D.C. but I’d expect nothing less, his district is gerrymandered so that they can pack a ton of Democrat voters into one district and have the other six colored slightly more red.
Safe seats are bad whether they are blue or red. Politicians who don’t have to earn the votes to keep their jobs have zero vested interests in working for the people. There is no distinction between Graham and Clyburn, they serve themselves and whoever helps them serve themselves.
Wonder why FITS left Clyburn out of the equation? Could it be Clyburn doesn’t receive the comments Graham does?
Graham’s race had more publicity. The Tea Party knows they can’t topple Clyburn but they mistakenly think they have a shot at Graham, which is why so many people ran against him.
That, and I’m sure some theorize that Mace (and possibly Bright) payed FITS for positive coverage or whatever, just like people theorized that Curtis “Ad on the Front Page” Loftis and Thomas “This Is The Only Place I’m Relevant” Ravenel pay him for similar stuff.
“Relevant” kind of like the Polls FITS runs.
The Ravenel coverage has got to be paid for by Ravenel because under no circumstances in any universe in any timeline is Ravenel a legitimate challenger to Graham.
As a resident of Clyburn’s district, TBG will vouch for his gargantuan suckitude.
TBG would, however, walk through hot coals to vote for Clyburn in a two man race with Graham.
It’s hell when you have to pick the lesser of two evils.
You voted NO because you are a liberal socialist that believes our income is the governments and whatever they let us keep after they spend millions to keep the perpetual welfare train going is all we deserve as hard working citizens.
Shit, goddamn! There’s a water main down…anybody know someone n the private sector that can get that fucker relaced?
Call muslim Obama or ‘it takes a village’ Clinton asshole.
There’s a 24 hour place that has bulldozers and tow trucks to clear the freeway of wrecks in bulk – it’s not cheap, but call them, I’ll bet they know someone.
I doubt you actually work.
I have no doubt you are dem leech that is more worried about legalizing drugs than serving your community.
…or, think.
Hell, let’s give it all to government and they can give us back what they think we need. Best inequality fix available.
Yes, because government know much better how to spend our money than we do! (sarcasm)
Sadly idcydm, a lot of people believe that it does, or so it seems.
Not sure the average person spends their money (or credit) any better…
Other than no taxes, no abortions, no gays, no immigration, no regulations and no education WTF other than wars and guns do the GOP/Tea Baggers support? Those that support the GOP are being used (and soon to be abused) by the 1% and large corporations. And Tango don’t give me that lame ass “freedom” excuse.
Other than taxes,abortion,infanticide,euthenasia,perverted marriage,open borders,fucked up state controlled schools and allowing criminals ONLY to have guns WTF dfo the DEMS/Socialists support?
I can’t speak for anyone other myself. I like breathing clean air, drinking clean water, having fire protection, having police protection, having my children get an education without Jesus being force fed down their throats, having the freedom of religion (BTW that is an amendment, just like the right to “bear arms”), being able to drive on well maintained roads, and having the right to chose WTF I do. That has a cost that I am willing to pay (taxes). What I don’t want is group that is two steps to the left of the Taliban telling me what I can and can not do, telling me what I am to believe or not to believe, abusing women and people they don’t like. The GOP/Tea baggers ruined public education by gutting it years ago because it is easier to control the uneducated. And what’s wrong with requiring people to register their firearms? Cars are registered, a state driver’s license and auto insurance are required before you can drive.
You seem to be living in an alternative universe. You’re really comparing evangelical christians to the Taliban? That’s like me comparing your anti-religious sentiments to being “two steps” left of the Soviet Russian campaign to eradicate religion. Stop playing the rhetoric game and think with your brain.
I wish I was living in alternative universe. First of all, being “religious” and being “Christian” are not mutually inclusive. Secondly, the intolerance of the Evangelicals is an issue. I’m not an expert on this, but I grew up believing that Christianity was a more tolerant religion than most. Thirdly, I am a Presbyterian that was taught to think, I do go to church regularly and I question those that have brought “religion” into politics. Fourthly, I grew up a Republican, my values have not changed. The GOP changed in the 1980s and left me behind. I will admit that comparing Evangelicals to the Taliban is over the top, but if you pick and chose comments (like the extreme conservatives always do with extreme liberals) you can make the argument. Arkansas State Sen. Jason Rapert stated that politicians should emulate Saudi Arabia by basing laws off Christian doctrine, as Saudi Arabia does with Islam. Is that what you want? Your wife and daughter in an burka needing permission to do anything other than breathe– of course not. But the conservative extremism is ruining the function of government and the ability to govern. There is no compromise, it is win at all costs and trample the opposition.
You need to read up on the Dominionists.
Oklahoma state legislative candidate Scott Esk (R) was asked if he thought society should execute homosexuals by stoning them, according to KFOR.
Said Esk: “I think we would be totally in the right to do it. That goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realize, and I’m largely libertarian, but ignoring as a nation things that are worthy of death is very remiss.”
So this differs from the Taliban how?
Yeah some crazy cook says something crazy and all evangelicals are cooks. Nevermind the fact that its more like all libertarians are cooks.
There is the real problem. An extreme liberal goes off the edge and a tree gets hugged. An extreme conservative goes off the edge and someone dies as a result.
Yeah, the extreme liberal weather underground just hugged trees.
I thought you might say that, so I saved the rest of his quote for later consumption.
“What I will tell you right now is that was done in the old testament under a law that came directly from God. And in that time, it was totally just, it came directly from God. I have no plans to, you know, reinstitute that in Oklahoma law. I do have some very huge moral misgivings about those kinds of sins.”
Although I am sure he is a great chef, I think he is a kook.
Shall we start cherry picking stupid quotes out of our elected?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GajXmVrouag
That’ll get us nowhere!
How is that quote cherry picked?
Sure, i love that game. Republicans always lose of course. There are just a lot more Republican nuts out there than Democratic Nuts, or Independent Nuts. Further, while all Republicans are not dumb, most dumb people are Republicans.
So this differs from the Taliban how?
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The Taliban has the courage of their convictions.
You’re really comparing evangelical christians to the Taliban?
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It’s like comparing Easter Eggs to Ostrich Eggs! They’re not both based on a Christian belief!
speak for yourself!
Well…it was more of a rhetorical question…
I completely disagree with ending the income tax, unless property taxes are abolished also. Replace both with a state sales tax that EVERYONE pays. (it will be self indexed-rich folks by more stuff and more expensive stuff, so they will pay more) Tax all purchases. I would rather pay a one time tax on a car, house, boat, whatever…and actually own it. As it is now, you pay the government extortion money so it will not come and take away stuff you think you own.
and if you live on Lake Murray, yo uknow all about property taxes, don’t you?
dontcha’ know it. If we keep a property tax, all property should be taxed based on the most recent selling price, and ALL land taxed at the same rate. Tax estimates are a joke, especially in areas where there is no zoning. I am even for taxing churches if there property is used for income generating purposes, such as daycare centers.
Don’t forget the hallowed halls of academia, judging from what they charge for tuition they certainly aren’t nonprofit, even state institutions.
Don’t churches have bake sales, tax them all,
Churches aren’t involved in politics!
a sales tax would have to be very high to replace the income and property taxes (18%? 24%?). that would make tax avoidance too attractive. wealthy people will be able to get goods out of state (or out of country) while less wealthy will be stuck with local purchases (i’ll get all my groceries from amazon). that isn’t even considering the favors our legislators will start doling out – as they currently do – by exempting items from the tax. it isn’t unworkable, but assuming that it would be more simple or fair is unrealistic. fix what we have now. stop with the ‘conservative’ idea that radical change will be easy.
a one time 24% tax would beat the hell out of a 4% annual tax for 30 years, even if you assume there is no reassessment (which the law now requires). Nothing except essential medical expenses would be exempt.
a sales tax would have to be very high to replace the income and property taxes (18%? 24%?)
Precisely.
Which should tell you that we pay too much in taxes….
Which should tell you we have too much government….
Poorer people span all of their income, so they indeed would be taxed on 100 percent of their income. If you are a high enough wage earner to save – and/or spend money on services as opposed to goods, then you would not be effectively taxed on 100 percent of your income. Poorer person must buy groceries, gas et etera, richer persons may or may not choose to get that jet ski when/if they feel like it. This type of system necessarily taxes those with lesser disposable incomes severely disproportinately.
You know, I read that question on the ballot. I thought it was really, really stupid question. It is sort of like SCE&G writing me a letter and asking if I want them to eliminate my electric bill. I respond yes, and they say fine we will turn off your power tomorrow.
We are in the best times for the state of SC. Be positive. Nikki will help even more.
Well aren’t you just a factious little ray of sunshine.
Let’s put on our happy faces.
The way the roads are getting, we had better find some money somewhere.