Tax Passage Clears House

[matt0611]

Here we go with the semantics horseshit again.:\

What semantics? I'm talking about quantity...
I don't give a shit if they give a few percent back for one year as a credit, thats nothing.

 

[Engineer]

What semantics? I'm talking about quantity...
I don't give a shit if they give a few percent back for one year as a credit, thats nothing.

They give it back = nothing.

They take it away = tax hike.

right?

 

[matt0611]

They give it back = nothing.

They take it away = tax hike.

right?

No, you're not following at all, this has nothing to do with semantics about tax hikes, tax cuts, credits, or whatever.

 

[rcpratt]

Cool, first paycheck of 2011 - $2 smaller than normal, with two extra percent going to my 401k. Thanks stupid politicians, for letting me divert that 2% to money I'll actually see someday.

 

[sactoking]

First paycheck of 2011- my FIT (federal withholding) went up 21.5%. Absolutely no change in pay or status. A pure tax increase. Thank you, Mr. President, for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 per year. :/

(I know the increase is due to the expiration of the Making Work Pay tax break. That was supposed to be offset by a reduction in SSI payments, however not all American pay SSI so we just had our taxes increased)

 

[Thump553]

First paycheck of 2011- my FIT (federal withholding) went up 21.5%. Absolutely no change in pay or status. A pure tax increase. Thank you, Mr. President, for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 per year. :/

(I know the increase is due to the expiration of the Making Work Pay tax break. That was supposed to be offset by a reduction in SSI payments, however not all American pay SSI so we just had our taxes increased)

You must be a government employee? Golden healthcare, golden retirement compared to those in the private sector.

 

[piasabird]

We should just reduce social security, along with the budget of every government agency. That way if it is a straight accross-the-board cut it is more realistic.

 

[sactoking]

You must be a government employee? Golden healthcare, golden retirement compared to those in the private sector.

Deductible increase from $800/1600 to $2000/4000
OOP max increase from $3700/7400 to $3900/7800
Coinsurance reduced from 80% to 75%
Mandatory HSAs (which just got neutered in the Federal legislation) for PPO participants
Eliminate coverage for all lab tests
Eliminate vision
Eliminate coverage for spouses
Eliminate dental
Basic life benefit reduced from $20000 to $10000
Eliminate dependent basic life coverage
Long term disability reduced from 60% to 40%
all that PLUS increased premiums

Yup, that's a golden health plan, for sure. I'm eligible for a 75% pension in 2040 if it still exists. I'd rather have a defined contribution plan and ensure myself that the money exists but there's no opt-out.

 

[kage69]

The Dems had 2 years of total control of the government to lower taxes on businesses and the middle class and you blame the republicans that they didn't?

Guess you missed their record-breaking marathon of filibusters? What total control, did we become a dictatorship suddenly when I wasn't looking?

Amazing how detached the GOP faithful can act, the right wing noise machine has been doing its job well. You'd think it was Dem policies that got us into this pickle, and that the Dems were the ones giving the country the finger unless their agenda was acted on.

Cheney and Bush got 8 years to accelerate our spiral towards the drain, but damn it if Obama couldn't reset everything in 2 years, and with the GOP actively thwarting him whenever possible.
The spoiled brat routine meets the selfish ideologue bit, can't wait to see how that works out for conservatives in 2012.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Guess you missed their record-breaking marathon of filibusters? What total control, did we become a dictatorship suddenly when I wasn't looking?

Amazing how detached the GOP faithful can act, the right wing noise machine has been doing its job well. You'd think it was Dem policies that got us into this pickle, and that the Dems were the ones giving the country the finger unless their agenda was acted on.

Cheney and Bush got 8 years to accelerate our spiral towards the drain, but damn it if Obama couldn't reset everything in 2 years, and with the GOP actively thwarting him whenever possible.
The spoiled brat routine meets the selfish ideologue bit, can't wait to see how that works out for conservatives in 2012.

Did the GOP thwart him in getting his spending through or just the expensive social programs that were fought?

Obama increased the amount of spending from where Bush was. Only time and politics will tell if that was wise.

Maybe if Obama, Pelosi and Reid had not stood up and publicly stated that they did not need/want GOP input; things in the first year might have been smoother.

All this has demonstrated is that both sides need to work with each other to prevent the other from screwing up the system.

 

[Thump553]

Deductible increase from $800/1600 to $2000/4000
OOP max increase from $3700/7400 to $3900/7800
Coinsurance reduced from 80% to 75%
Mandatory HSAs (which just got neutered in the Federal legislation) for PPO participants
Eliminate coverage for all lab tests
Eliminate vision
Eliminate coverage for spouses
Eliminate dental
Basic life benefit reduced from $20000 to $10000
Eliminate dependent basic life coverage
Long term disability reduced from 60% to 40%
all that PLUS increased premiums

Yup, that's a golden health plan, for sure. I'm eligible for a 75% pension in 2040 if it still exists. I'd rather have a defined contribution plan and ensure myself that the money exists but there's no opt-out.

No vision coverage, no dental, no employer paid life insurance for self, spouse or dependents (never even heard of dependent life coverage in the private employment world), no employer long term disability at any percentage, no pension plan-especially not a defined benefit plan (unheard of outside of government employment) and I pay 100% of medical insurance.

I love it when government employees whine how rough they have it. Reminds me of Marie Antoinette. The fact is your benefits are way better than the vast majority of privately employed people.

 

[kage69]

Did the GOP thwart him in getting his spending through or just the expensive social programs that were fought?

You know, the man can't even speak to kindergartners about the importance of education without the GOP acting like he is about to sign off on the world exploding, it's gotten so bad I've lost track. It's all one big cantankerous din of bullshit, with a few legitimate beefs being brought mainly by less centric Dems.

Obama increased the amount of spending from where Bush was. Only time and politics will tell if that was wise.

He didn't really have a choice - and another Great Depression was averted. Sometimes medicine doesn't taste all that good, and we have to be patient to get back up on our feet. But let's dispense with this implied notion of conservatives being concerned with spending, anyone with half a brain who can recall the last several administrations knows that's little better than urban legend. Maybe if republicans could develop a disdain for corporate socialism (eek, there's that word again!) and elective wars/nation building they could try running that snowjob again, but until then... Spending isn't the devil, and is quite necessary at times - I'd prefer it to be done in America, for Americans thank you very much.

Maybe if Obama, Pelosi and Reid had not stood up and publicly stated that they did not need/want GOP input; things in the first year might have been smoother.

Now I'm no fan of Pelosi or Reid, but, Links? I'd like to see examples of this behavior occurring before the GOP became the party of Nope, breaking filibuster records, and declaring anything they didn't want to read as needing to be scrapped and re-done.
Regardless, I'm not entirely sure things can go smoothly with a group of people who don't have a problem holding the workings of government hostage over extending tax cuts for a scant fraction of the population. This will come back to haunt the GOP, they made their bed and now they have to lie in it.

All this has demonstrated is that both sides need to work with each other to prevent the other from screwing up the system.

I know these "down the middle" "it's both sides!" kinda comments are all well and good, certainly popular, but the fact is that "working together" in the bipartisan sense is something that Obama can and has done, while the Repubs seem to view it as weakness and want no part of it other than using it in soundbites.

"Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office."

Yeah, sounds like all kinds of open-minded willingness to work for the American people!

 

[Engineer]

Well shit, just found out that my daughter, who turned 17 on Dec. 26th, is not eligible for the $1,000 child tax credit. Taxes are now about $1,500 (on same income) than 2009. Hooooorrrraaaayyyyyy! :barf:

 

[xj0hnx]

Well shit, just found out that my daughter, who turned 17 on Dec. 26th, is not eligible for the $1,000 child tax credit. Taxes are now about $1,500 (on same income) than 2009. Hooooorrrraaaayyyyyy! :barf:

Are you filing jointly? I thought it was under 19 at the end of the year?

 

[Engineer]

Are you filing jointly? I thought it was under 19 at the end of the year?

You are thinking of the exemption, not the child tax credit. I can still claim her as a dependent (exemption) but miss out on the much larger tax credit to go with it!

 

[xj0hnx]

You are thinking of the exemption, not the child tax credit. I can still claim her as a dependent (exemption) but miss out on the much larger tax credit to go with it!

I was thinking of the EIC.