Kevin Kallaugher's work for The Sun and The Economist has appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide, including Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Pravda, Krokodil, Daily Yomiuri, The Australian, New York Times, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post. His cartoons are distributed worldwide by Cartoonarts International and the New York Times Syndicate.
© CartoonArts International/CWS - All Rights Reserved.
Jen Sorensen by Jen Sorensen
Steve Kelley by Steve Kelley
Comments (34) (Please sign in to comment)
MortyForTyrant said, 6 months ago
I can literally hear that screeching in my head. Pity it wasn’t possible to draw Grovers face on that parrot…
braindead08 said, 6 months ago
Unless you personally use a ‘loophole’ you’ll never see the results of its being closed. Also, if it’s reinstated, it is very unlikely to be visible.
-
That’s one reason Republicans want modification of ‘loopholes’ rather than tax rates. Tax rates are automatic to enforce and are visible, when they’re increased or reduced.
-
And, of course, Republicans never specify which loopholes to close and never provide what effect it will have on revenue.
-
Some time early next week, Boehner will claim that Rebublicans are protecting ‘small’ business.
Remember when he says that, he’s talking about Bain Capital and Koch Industries, not about your local dry cleaners or car wash. Small as defined only in the tax code.
mikefive said, 6 months ago
@braindead08
I once read the tax code as to what the IRS bureaucrats define as “small”. Way to many categories of “small”, and some of their definitions of small are quite large.
Respectful Troll said, 6 months ago
So, the negotiations to date are-
Round 1
Obama- I want it all.
Boehnor- I want it all.
Round 2
Obama- I’ll settle for most
Boehnor- You settle for some, I’ll settle for most.
Round 3
Obama- I have to have THIS.
Boehnor- You settle for a lot, but you can’t have THAT.
Round 4
Obama- I’ll settle for this, I have to have THAT, but you have to anger voters by telling me what cuts you want to make to entitlements.
Boehnor- I’ll settle for a little of this, but you can’t have THAT, and YOU have to anger voters by telling me what cuts you are willing to accept to entitlements.
And as the fight goes on-
In Obama’s corner we hear Reid and Pelosi-
You have him on the ropes, don’t give him anything. You’re ahead on points.
And in Boehnor’s corner, we hear McConnell and Norquist-
No surrender, don’t back down. The judges are reviewing the fight, we can get the results overturned in 2014 if you just don’t surrender.
In the meantime-
The American people sit in the auditorium watching. The snack bar closed hours ago, the water fountains are broken and the restrooms are backing up as the house falls apart around the combatants.
Aren’t negotiations a beautiful thing?
From the movie Wargames- “Strange game. The only way to win is not to play. How about a nice game of chess.”
Respectfully,
& Hopefully,
C.
ARodney said, 6 months ago
The GOP knows that the loopholes and deductions will never be closed, but as long as they refuse to propose anything definite, no one will fight against them. As soon as someone brings up a loophole closing (and they want the Democrats to do it), it’ll be shot down. Look how the GOP blocked every attempt to make hedge fund managers pay income taxes instead of using the carried interest loophole. Sorry, the rates on income (especially on interest, dividends, and capital gains) need to go up or the rich will never pay their fair share. Sheldon Adelson DID get something for his $150 million — the GOP are happy to let the Obama tax cuts expire for working people, but will never raise Adelson’s rates.
Gypsy8 said, 6 months ago
@ARodney
Agree that loopholes and deductions will never be meaningfully closed. They will debate for years on what L & D will not “irrevocably damage the economy”; the opponents will say they are not against reform, they just want a “level playing field,” and nothing will get done.
Ms. Ima said, 6 months ago
Why should the democrats allow anyone to keep what they earn? It’s all the elected officials’ money (except for the unions, they need to get their cut first so they can funnel that directly to the democrats personally).
Gypsy8 said, 6 months ago
Obama’s revenue proposals are good for starters but not enough in the long run. Mandated spending, structural deficit, and national debt including unfunded liabilities will dictate the need for much higher revenue. Just think what happens to the budget if interest rates go up even a couple percentage points, never mind return to traditional levels. 39.6% on the rich over $250,000 is a start. Once it is seen that is not enough, the super rich, say over $1 million, will need to dig deeper.
Larry said, 6 months ago
In these various editorial cartoons, Pres. Obama is often being depicted less grotesquely. That increased respect is good for our country.
lonecat said, 6 months ago
@Larry
I doubt that Kallaugher ever portrayed Obama grotesquely — he’s an artist, not a political hack. He does draw from both sides, because often he’s illustrating articles.
Cinci Steve said, 6 months ago
And the other side says no new cuts. Unless it for our troops, of course. Other than that, just raise taxes.
ansonia
said, 6 months ago
@Gypsy8
“Once it is seen that is not enough, the super rich, say over $1 million, will need to dig deeper.”
-
Actually once it is seen that it is not enough, the middle class will be digging deeper.
Here’s what Obama said in Falls Church, VA last Thursday: [emphasis mine]
“Everybody’s gonna have to share in some sacrifice, but it starts with folks who are in the best position to sacrifice…”
-
And Obama is not really calling for a decrease in spending. He is demanding more government spending and he’s demanding a stimulus, which dwarfs even his pretend spending cuts which are 10 to 20 years down the road anyway.
ansonia
said, 6 months ago
@ARodney
" Sorry, the rates on income (especially on interest, dividends, and capital gains) need to go up or the rich will never pay their fair share. "
-
The top 25% of wage earners already pay about 86% of income taxes.
Roughly the bottom 50% of wage earners pay NO income taxes.
What is fair to you?
.
lonecat said, 6 months ago
@ansonia
The question of the definition of “fair” has come up several times in the last few days. I don’t know that I have the perfect answer (nor, I suspect, do those who pose the question), but here’s an initial thought. No system of tax rates should leave anyone in a position where they can’t lead a reasonable life (given the standard of living where they live). If a reasonable standard of living costs, say, $30,000 a year, then a person making $30,000 a year has to struggle to pay for rent and food and clothing and such, then that person should pay little or no tax. A person making $100,000 a year could easily be expected to pay $10,000 (that’s 10%), leaving $90,000, or $60,000 above the reasonable standard, for extras (such as a nicer house or a fancier car). A person making $200,000 is still going to do okay paying $50,000 (that’s 25%), leaving $150,000, or $120,000 over the standard, which is not too shabby. He’s still much more able to spend on non-essentials than either the guy making $30,000 (who has nothing extra) or the guy making $100,000 (who has $60,000 extra). A person making $500,000 a year could pay $250,000 (that’s 50%) and still have $250,000, which is $220,000 above the standard.
$30,000 , 0%, pays $0, $0 extra
$100,000, 10%, pays $10,000, $60,000 extra
$200,000, 25%, pays $50,000, $120,000
$500,000, 50%, pays $250,000, $220,000
And so on. There is some “redistribution of wealth” going on in such a system, but notice that it does not attempt to bring everyone to the same level, and rich people are still rich, and richer people stay richer. (I hope someone checks my arithmetic.)
Himari Noihara said, 6 months ago
@ansonia
Are you insane? Do you actually believe that those are real statistics and not weasel words designed to make the numbers sound different than the facts state?
‘86% of income taxes’ probably refers to the total in money, not percentage of individual income paid, they have more money, so their taxes are the biggest chunk of revenue, even though they’re not paying as much as they should.
the Bottom 50% of wage earners includes people who have lost their jobs, or who come in below the poverty line. Of course they pay no taxes.
Either you are completely stupid to have bought into that weaselly propaganda, or you think everyone else who will read that is stupid.