Steve Kelley for February 09, 2013

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    retpost  about 11 years ago

    Give congress about ten mores years and there won`t be a postal service!

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    Mickey 13  about 11 years ago

    If you look at your cell phone or internet service bill, there are taxes on the service, especially the phone. California and many other states are charging sales tax for internet purchases that are shipped to their states.

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    Dtroutma  about 11 years ago

    What is interesting is the fact few people understand what other crucial services, like highway and road maintenance, are the result of making sure the MAIL can get through, lots of benefits. BTW, USPS and UPS are both “union”, and cheaper, and more efficient, than FedEx, which has always fought the unions. ALSO interesting, FedEx contracts with USPS to deliver their packages in many areas, creaming their profit off the top, and having the cheaper rate USPS do the final delivery!!

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    chazandru  about 11 years ago

    Hello Howgozit, (so I can’t call you Howie?)Do you actually believe that, or are you yanking chains? Respectfully curious. If the percentage paid in taxes by the rich is less than that of the middle class, the quality of fairness is flawed. My family pays more in taxes than William Buffett or Mitt Romney and our household income is just over 105k before taxes.What is your definition of fair?Respectfully,C.

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    Mickey 13  about 11 years ago

    C:, for your historical interest, this is an old but a great historical perspective that goes back to feudal Europe and how “ordinary income” and “capital gains taxes” were created and evolved.

    http://www.nber.org/chapters/c4475.pdf

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    chazandru  about 11 years ago

    SkepticCal, Romney paid 14% of his income in taxes…i think Buffett said he paid 15.1%. At their incomes, the taxes paid was many times more than 105k. My family MAKES 105k and pays more than 15.1% in taxes. If you are going to reply to a comment, you should read it to make sure you have the context as well as the content understood. I have failed to do that and have had to apologize for that failure.My statement is believable, your interpretation of it appears to be flawed.Respectfully,C.

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    chazandru  about 11 years ago

    Hello Howie, and thank you for allowing me an extra familiarity. I believe in a flat tax based on income with deductions only for dependents with no income of their own. Whether infants, school age children, adult children in college, or elderly/disabled dependents living with the wage earner, some consideration for feeding clothing and caring for another human being needs be made. While the charitable giving deduction is nice, my family pays tithe to a church and gives to the United Way through payroll taxes, I have mixed feelings about whether the gov’t should compensate us for giving to charities.Such a simplification of the tax system would also reduce the need for a large portion of the work force. Whether CPA’s keeping books or IRS agents doing audits, these financial experts might be better utilized regulating and inspecting businesses and agencies to keep waste and fraud minimizedIt is always good to find points where we can find common ground, even if we continue to have nuanced disagreement. Thank you again for allowing me to address you in friendlier terms.Respectfully,C.

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    chazandru  about 11 years ago

    Nicely played SkepticCal,I thought there was some honest confusion on your part. I’ll know how to respond to your future replies.Amused,C.

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