You can guarantee the passage of a bill about one issue: What is it?

[nickqt]

Bonus points if you're invested in a derivative-based ETF or "ETN". Dividends on stocks or index funds normally get paid as cash, and you pay capital gains tax on the cash. An ETN is different because you don't own the underlying stock. Dividends are not paid to cash, but they are included in raising the per share price of the ETN. That means you pay no taxes at all until you sell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange-traded_note#Tax_efficiency

The thing liberals don't understand is that there's no way to get around this. You can't tax people on their paper gains. That would open the door to give tax deductions on theoretical losses.
The closest thing to making it equal would be to tax capital gains as regular income.

The other "fair" solution proposed by conservatives is to tax money when it is spent rather than taxing it when it is earned. Yes, that would effectively even the playing field in one way, but this would make the loop hole even larger so you can grow your wealth tax free no matter how many times you buy or sell stocks and other assets. It would be the biggest gift to the top 1% in history.

Capital gains should be taxed as regular income.

I always love how people get upset that income earned through dividends, corporations, etc, is "taxed twice", as if some poor schlub who earns $10.00 an hour isn't receiving income that has been taxed multiple times before it ever gets to them. Of course the people who make money from having money are upset that they have to pay double taxes. It's really, really hard being rich. Really hard. We should continue to let them write the tax code. For Amurica. And Freedom.

 

[Zorkorist]

A balanced budget.

-John

 

[ivwshane]

A balanced budget.

-John

You think you want that but when you see what they have to do to achieve that, I'm sure you'd change your mind

 

[Zorkorist]

Capital gains should be taxed as regular income.

I always love how people get upset that income earned through dividends, corporations, etc, is "taxed twice", as if some poor schlub who earns $10.00 an hour isn't receiving income that has been taxed multiple times before it ever gets to them. Of course the people who make money from having money are upset that they have to pay double taxes. It's really, really hard being rich. Really hard. We should continue to let them write the tax code. For Amurica. And Freedom.

The reason Capital Gains are not taxed as ordinary income, is because they aren't ordinary income.

They are double taxed income, etc. As you know.

Might as well call yourself a communist.

-John

 

[Zorkorist]

You think you want that but when you see what they have to do to achieve that, I'm sure you'd change your mind

Will it be painfull? For sure.

-John

 

[ivwshane]

Will it be painfull? For sure.

-John

Not only will it be painful but there will be zero benefit to you or the country.

 

[schmuckley]

First thing I'd want to solve is global warming. To (begin to) solve it, I'd aim for a carbon tax. I'd replace the gasoline tax with it (so people get cheap gas), divert more money to infrastructure, and maybe return some of it to the people equally.

yeah,cuz that would definitely solve global warming for sure!
wait..haven't you heard? It's "Climate Change" now

 

[nickqt]

The reason Capital Gains are not taxed as ordinary income, is because they aren't ordinary income.

They are double taxed income, etc. As you know.

Might as well call yourself a communist.

-John

A babysitter paid cash has had their "income" taxed half a dozen times before it gets to them. But hey, we gotta give someone who makes money from having money a special tax rate.

Because capital trumps labor! Work is for suckers!

yeah,cuz that would definitely solve global warming for sure!
wait..haven't you heard? It's "Climate Change" now

http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-global-warming-basic.html

"It’s time for us to start talking about “climate change” instead of global warming and “conservation” instead of preservation…“Climate change” is less frightening than “global warming”…While global warming has catastrophic connotations attached to it, climate change suggests a more controllable and less emotional challenge".
-Frank Luntz, Republican Pollster

The name wasn't changed. The effects (climate change) rather than the cause (global warming) is now the phrase that scientists and, uh, Republicans prefer.

 

[schmuckley]

A babysitter paid cash has had their "income" taxed half a dozen times before it gets to them. But hey, we gotta give someone who makes money from having money a special tax rate.

Because capital trumps labor! Work is for suckers!


http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-global-warming-basic.html

"It’s time for us to start talking about “climate change” instead of global warming and “conservation” instead of preservation…“Climate change” is less frightening than “global warming”…While global warming has catastrophic connotations attached to it, climate change suggests a more controllable and less emotional challenge".
-Frank Luntz, Republican Pollster

The name wasn't changed. The effects (climate change) rather than the cause (global warming) is now the phrase that scientists and, uh, Republicans prefer.

.0005% What does that translate to in degrees Farenheit or Celsius? I would think less than margin of error of Mercury.

 

[nickqt]

.0005% What does that translate to in degrees Farenheit or Celsius? I would think less than margin of error of Mercury.

The graph is showing the usage of the terms "global warming" and "climate change".

It is in effect showing that both terms have been used together since the concept has been in existence, refuting the "they changed the name because it's a hoax" non-argument.

The disconnect is that most people don't read the scientific papers, and instead hear about it from the media. I think we both would agree that getting your information solely from the mainstream media is a mistake.

 

[DCal430]

I call this "Reclaiming the Peoples Money Act"

A yearly net wealth tax, which is a tax on all of your assets - liabilities over a preset amount. I was thinking 5% a year tax over 1 million and 10% a year tax over 10 million seem like a very fair amounts. You can be forced to liquidate assets to pay for it too. This will stop the excess hoarding of wealth.

 

[nickqt]

I call this "Reclaiming the Peoples Money Act"

A yearly net wealth tax, which is a tax on all of your assets - liabilities over a preset amount. I was thinking 5% a year tax over 1 million and 10% a year tax over 10 million seem like a very fair amounts. You can be forced to liquidate assets to pay for it too. This will stop the excess hoarding of wealth.

Unnecessary.

Simply offer a day of debt jubilee every 10 years. The capitalists can siphon as much money as they can legally get away with for 10 years, and then everything gets reset.

No "redistribution" required, and debt no longer functions as de facto slavery.

 

[DCal430]

A better one would be:

"A Better and More Efficient Society Act"

The first part of the act would do away with all money, as it has no real need. All businesses would be done away with, everything would be controlled by the government.

Second the government would be no longer be elected, as the mass is to stupid to vote.

Third, everyone would be required to undergo extensive evaluations to determine what are their skills, abilities, and personality. Based on this they would be assigned a job that most efficiently serves society at large. The best of the best would then be selected to lead the government. Everyone would be distributed what they need to continue to live and produce for society.

Fourth, everyone would be constantly educated on the importance of the collective. All who refuse to comply with the collective will would be educated again and again until they accept collectivism. Those who can't be educated are just removed from society.

 

[TreVader]

Easy, a bill to end all military and financial support of Israel until it ends the settlements and withdrawals from the Golan.

Really could care less about domestic policy.

Call it the "Oy vey!" Act.

 

[shady28]

Easy, go to the core of all problems.

No political campaign donations over $100 total from any one person for any elected official (federal, state, or local), and they must all be from individual US citizens not special interest groups, corporations, etc.

And - along with any jail time etc, make the penalty for cheating on this include immediate removal from public office and forfeiture of all rights to hold or run for any public office or government position in the future.

That would effectively restore democracy.

 

[glenn1]

Easy. Restore sanity to the government by defining "public good" how it should be and meaning benefitting more than one person. Any program which pays out non-salary benefits directly to a single individual should be unconstitutional. No welfare, no farmer subsidies, no corporate subsidies, no heating assistance, none of that shit. Medicare and Social Security would be turned into actual fully paid-in benefits programs where premiums paid in are owned by the payer in a segregated account.

Once you get the federal government back to doing only things which support true public goods that benefit everyone broadly and not individually - defense, transportation infrastructure, etc. everyone would be better off. No more Santa Claus government.

 

[Guurn]

Set patent and copyright to the same number, 25 years should be fine.