General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRand Paul wants to do away with the "payroll tax".
What do you think of that idea? What would be the consequences?
Do not permit yourself to be distracted by the divisive rhetoric as some seek to destroy what you might take for granted.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)Paulie
(8,462 posts)And so would a lot of old and disabled along with it.
Because it can't be said enough: Fuck Rand Paul
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Other than that, fantastic idea.
LonePirate
(13,431 posts)Eliminating any of them is a very bad idea as the tax system would become far less progressive and worsen income inequality and/or safety nets would be shredded.
The tax hating crowd of the R party will undoubtedly love the idea, especially those with no concept of how his proposal would destroy their lives.
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)tazkcmo
(7,300 posts)As pointed out, this is money that goes to the heart of what little safety net we have in this country. Any other stupid ideas from the GOP you'd like to share?
kentuck
(111,110 posts)They will pay your Social Security out of the General Fund and will let Medicare go bankrupt. Any other questions?
tazkcmo
(7,300 posts)Why do you post stupid ideas from the GOP?
kentuck
(111,110 posts)to stupid people?
SolutionisSolidarity
(606 posts)As others have said, these taxes are fairly important and I don't want to see what they fund hurt.
hay rick
(7,639 posts)But I don't think that's why Paul wants to do away with them. Making them less regressive by raising the cap would be good and should be politically possible. Replacing the current payroll tax with a more progressive tax would be nice but I think Paul's idea is to replace them with widespread poverty.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)...that the politicians will find a way to cut it and to spend the money on more "vital" projects?
Once the workers no longer have a direct claim in Social Security, it will die. That has been the wet dream of Republicans since it was created. Do not fall for it.
hay rick
(7,639 posts)I'm a fan of raising the cap. One of the big problems with Social Security is that a greater percentage of wage income now goes to high earners and goes untaxed after their income exceeds the cap. The regressive structure of the payroll tax is somewhat offset by the progressive benefit structure.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)It would help Americans of all colors. It might not magically do away with all racism, but it would be a big step forward.
ProfessorGAC
(65,168 posts)I make above the cap, but not by a large amount. It would cost me around $67 dollars a month extra in payroll taxes. Ok by me.
But, i don't want to raise the cap. I'd prefer we eliminate it.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)That is, I think that from a fiscal standpoint that would be the best policy. Politically it would be an absolute disaster and would lead to Congress ending SS and Medicare.
1939
(1,683 posts)Take a look at the government take from income taxes over the last fifty years or so. Every big dip in the tax take came at a time that the market went into free fall. The cap gains potion of the income tax is definitely not a secure source of income for the government and government budgeting would become chaos.
Warpy
(111,339 posts)He just thinks he's being clever by calling it the "payroll tax," which it is not. It is an insurance premium paid by workers to help support them in their old age, something none of Rand Paul's ideas or contributors wants anything to do with.
I want to do away with Rand Paul. I want to see him poor.
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)sooner rather than later.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Most people like the ideas of social security and medicare.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)<snip>
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul paid a delinquent property tax bill in Florida on Tuesday, only hours after the Republican presidential candidate said he wants to use fire, a wood chipper or a chain saw to "kill" the U.S. tax code.
Wearing a T-shirt that says "Detroit Republican," Paul goes after the tax code in a number of creative ways in a Web video that his campaign unveiled Tuesday, promoting his plan for a "one-page tax code" with a flat income tax of 14 percent.
In the video, titled "How would you kill the tax code?," Paul says he is "trying to kill the tax code, all 70,000 pages of it."
Meanwhile, records show that Paul, through a company he created, owns a half-interest in a condominium in Destin, Fla., that had $2,489 in delinquent property taxes as of Tuesday morning. The original $2,159.14 tax bill on the condo, which has an assessed value of $161,000, was due March 31.