GOP rivals focus on flat taxes, smaller government

[TomCADem]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

With polls showing that most people support increasing taxes on the wealthiest households, as Obama and Democrats are proposing, the GOP flat-tax plans would largely end up as a boon to the wealthiest, independent analyses suggest.

The tax debate coincides with spreading protests, inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, against economic inequality. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently reported the top 1 percent of American earners doubled their share of national income over the past 30 years, to 20 percent.

Some of the GOP plans show depth, complexity and sophistication, Holtz-Eakin said. Not every economist is as charitable or sees the GOP offerings as workable.

"I don't think any of the plans can be taken too seriously as actual policy," said Bruce Bartlett, who held top economic posts in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations but now considers himself a political independent.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/10/29/financial/f065354D51.DTL

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Even in the face of the 99 percent movement, growing income inequality, and Democrats proposals to raises taxes on oil companies and the rich, the Republican Presidential candidates are doubling down on trickle down economics and proposing cutting taxes on the rich even further!!!

[bhikkhu]

1. Government becomes dysfunctional if its too small

If you like long lines at the DMV - will you vote for them to be longer?

If you like waiting for things to clear customs, trying to get information from the IRS, waiting for approval from Fannie or Freddie for mortgage insurance, waiting for permits to get approved, etc.

If you vote for a republican, you're voting for everything to take longer, and many things to grind to a miserable halt. And don't even think about infrastructure repairs...

[alp227]

8. but but but but...won't the FREE MARKET fix infrastructure? nt

[DallasNE]

2. Unless These Tax Plans

By the Republican candidates are revenue neutral they will simply add to the deficit. That is simple math. If they are revenue neutral (ha, ha, ha) then for every dollar in cuts there must be a dollar in increases somewhere else and that means ordinary Americans. The amazing thing is how none of the Republicans are actually talking about reducing the deficit. And none of them have bothered to demonstrate how their policy proposals would create jobs or demand for goods and services. They are also too incomplete for the CBO to score, leaving them to continue to make their wild claims.

[AlbertCat]

3. Soooooze!

The circus of the GOP candidates is just mouthing out the same old stories they've been telling their base for the past 30? 130? years. It means nothing. It's an echo chamber of children who think money should be hoarded, not spent, and everyone is, or should be, the same. It's a dull world with great respect for quantity and little respect for quality. Their wild claims are pandering. Indeed, it's astonishing how hollow and absurd the GOP election process is....again. Bad theatre.

[rasputin1952]

4. Same old crap the GOP always comes up with...

they haven't had an original idea since Eisenhower.

The tax and small government "agenda" has proven to be a disaster for the nation and world at large. Pathetic little whiners that fixated on stupid.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "a boon to the wealthiest, independent analyses suggest"

Why does the media continue to equivocate the obvious, in-you-face facts? "Independent analyses suggest" is a nonsensical statement. If the FACT is that if a current top marginal tax rate of 35% that is supposed to be applied to the highest earners, is changed to a flat rate tax of say 25% or even 9% (as CandyCain proposes), then isn't it obvious that 25% < 35% or 9% < 35%?????

AP = Idiots.

[judesedit]

6. Don't make me laugh..the GOP wants a bigger, more powerful government that can tell you who to love,

who to worship, what you can and can't do with your own body, what you can learn (they are altering our history books). What a crock of shit. Don't buy it citizens of America. They are lying to you once again. They want YOU to pay more in taxes, too, while they pay less and YOU not to have health care, while they get the best, even covering abortion, paid for by US. They are nothing but major liars, cheaters, and theives of elections. Don't buy into their propaganda for one second.

[russspeakeasy]

7. If you haven't seen this movie before; the ending is "more of the same."

[sakabatou]

9. Bullshit!

Since when has any Republican EVER been about smaller taxes? Every, or nearly every, government under them has inflated spending. As for flat taxes, they screw everyone except the rich!