Tax Revenues hit all time high: $2.66 trillion

[alzan]

If the government were analogous to a father, yes.

The government isn't this. They're not our caretakers, and we are not children. We elect them to serve.

You don't get out much, do you?

 

[Engineer]

Based on the graph above and the Q2 year over year estimate for GDP for the US at $17.311 trillion (source: Wikipedia), we are still lagging average gdp vs tax revenues (for various reasons - i.e. cuts, smaller middle class, flat wages, etc).

Currently, the 15.37% (based on the OP as well as the $7.311 trillion GDP estimate - to probably be revised up on the next revision) is well below historical averages, regardless of number. Seems like the economy is growing in one place and the taxes are not following.

Of course, that's what you get when you gut your middle class with jobs cuts and flat to declining wages, especially for a decade plus. Trying to make up good jobs with tax cuts/credits....yep...importing our way to prosperity (with tax cuts to go with it).

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Yeah, well I'm just not as down on conservatives as you are I guess. I mean, come on. Allowing people to die of ignorant neglect can't have the same moral turpitude as actively shooting them, can it, even if the results are the same?

Conservatives love to see people needlessly suffering and dying of ignorant neglect....the slower, the better. But they also love to shoot their guns a lot too. Truth be known...this dilemma presents quite a quandary within the inner circles of many conservative think tanks. But you probably know this, of course.

 

[Jhhnn]

Based on the graph above and the Q2 year over year estimate for GDP for the US at $17.311 trillion (source: Wikipedia), we are still lagging average gdp vs tax revenues (for various reasons - i.e. cuts, smaller middle class, flat wages, etc).

Currently, the 15.37% (based on the OP as well as the $7.311 trillion GDP estimate - to probably be revised up on the next revision) is well below historical averages, regardless of number. Seems like the economy is growing in one place and the taxes are not following.

Of course, that's what you get when you gut your middle class with jobs cuts and flat to declining wages, especially for a decade plus. Trying to make up good jobs with tax cuts/credits....yep...importing our way to prosperity (with tax cuts to go with it).

Not to mention that if taxes were truly progressive then the shift of income to the tippy top should bring in revenues higher as a % of GDP. Which would be pretty painless to the so called "victims" of progressive taxation.

 

[Jhhnn]

Conservatives love to see people needlessly suffering and dying of ignorant neglect....the slower, the better. But they also love to shoot their guns a lot too. Truth be known...this dilemma presents quite a quandary within the inner circles of many conservative think tanks. But you probably know this, of course.

Not that they intend to change the outcome but rather so that they can disavow any responsibility for the results of their own predatory leadership over the last few decades.

 

[shira]

Why is the solution always to raise taxes only...instead of raising taxes in conjunction with spending cuts?

What spending cuts? Regressive or non-regressive? Be specific.

 

[Matt1970]

What are you going to cut?

With our current government? Nothing. Remember a 2% cut was the end of the world a short time ago.

 

[alkemyst]

This is all f'd up. I need to get to the 1% level.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

What spending cuts? Regressive or non-regressive? Be specific.

See Post #32.

 

[shortylickens]

Repealing Obamacare would be a good start. We could price index Social Security, means test SS/Medicare benefits, increase Medicare deductibles, reduce farm/food/energy subsidies, consolidate our military branches, reduce overseas contingency operations, privatize airport screening/TVA/Corps of Engineers, reduce income tax credits, cut foreign aid, repeal the Davis-Bacon Act, reduce various grants, etc. etc. etc.

There are many ways we can reduce spending.

The military doesnt cost a lot because it has 4 branches.

It costs a lot because congressmen vote for billion dollar contracts to be handed to their buddies and cousins and they make shitty overpriced products. THATS what needs correcting, and its what will save money.

 

[dank69]

The military doesnt cost a lot because it has 4 branches.

It costs a lot because congressmen vote for billion dollar contracts to be handed to their buddies and cousins and they make shitty overpriced products. THATS what needs correcting, and its what will save money.

Unfortunately, it will also affect unemployment.

 

[manimal]

The military doesnt cost a lot because it has 4 branches.

It costs a lot because congressmen vote for billion dollar contracts to be handed to their buddies and cousins and they make shitty overpriced products. THATS what needs correcting, and its what will save money.

The military costs alot because the military brass lays out their agenda and wins it. They specify the needs and the parameters of any project and they have their own budget office that tells them what those needs will end up costing relative to the tech and the needs of the mission.

They could easily ask for less complex systems since the enemies were fighting are using rocks and sticks comparatively.

Drones are a HUGE costs savings to the military and has gotten countless people out of harms way into logistical operations saving lives and money.

What does the pentagon do in light of these sucesses? They double down on jets to fight agaist 40 year old aircraft and nuclear boats to fight invisible navies.

The entire structure of the military is there to conserve itself. The Warhawks have just enabled it with fear mongering.

Too many states are being subsidized by old inneficient systems and instead of putting new systems in their places and shut down the old they just build a new base in a new place and refuse to close the old ones.

Recursive virus



To make it clear for some of the the bots in here closing tax loopholes ARE NOT TAX increases. They are administrative ends to short term stimulus. Why do we need to extend these short term stimulus programs for farmers and the oil industry and for hedge funds?

Why do they need that revenue more than we need investment in infrastructure?


Tax breaks are stimulus. Deal with it. Cognitive dissonance at its best.