State of the What now?

[ramtower]

(Does this really need an "I'm just spouting off my opinion here" disclaimer? I hope not, because that's all I'm doing.)

Did Bush really just say we need to reign in out-of-control government spending and reduce the deficit? Isn't his government the one that took us from a surplus in 2000 back into deficit?

Why is it so important now, when the other party has a smidgen of power, to focus on financial problems that you created when you had total power?

The whole tone of this speech is strangely accusatory and detached, like it's some OTHER government that allowed earmarks to get grow so insanely common, like it's someone else who sent troops off to Iraq, and it's just his job, as Commander in Chief, to support them morally.

This is all off-the-cuff commentary, but the tone of this SotU is startling, as is the underlying thinking implied by it. He's talking about how America doesn't care which side of the aisle you're on as long as you're willing to cross the aisle to get work done. That ideology would swell, if he'd been interested in it when his party held more power. It's no mark in your favor if you cry "let's cooperate" only when you have no choice. Remember back when your party attempted to eliminate the filibuster? Hardly a gesture toward listening to your opposition.

[The Jack Rabbitt]

Bush = :crazy:

[GelfXIII]

Bush is doing his very best to bring about the rapture. He's well on his way to causing universal Armageddon.

[Brian Reed]

Bush is doing his very best to bring about the rapture. He's well on his way to causing universal Armageddon.

As of late I just cannot shake visions of Martin Sheen in The Dead Zone.

[Noodle]

as of late, I have been feeling like Sheen in Apocalypse Now.

[mewelke]

as of late, I have been feeling like Sheen in Apocalypse Now.

Reading that post brought forth the vision of Hank Venture attacking his father with the Doors "The End" in the backround. I could kiss you for bringing that to mind.

[ramtower]

and should.

[Noodle]

hahaha, i havent the show for a few weeks now. Time to go through the tivo and watch them all again.

damn, i love that show.

[Ascius]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

[Taxman]

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was able to see none of this.

[mewelke]

Did you catch last night's Daily Show? I just watched the repeat...That's one savage buttfucking they gave Cheney.

[mewelke]

Here's the bit from the Daily Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtHbd9OJ-xQ

[Taxman]

You know his health insurance plan is actually a tax increase, and a potentially big one at that, for many people.

[Busman]

Did people believe health care would come with a tax decrease?

[Taxman]

Did people believe health care would come with a tax decrease?:lol:

Apparently, that was the way it was presented in the SOTU.

[ramtower]

Yeah, it's interesting trying to decipher this:

First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal would mean a substantial tax savings -- $4,500 for a family of four making $60,000 a year. And for the millions of other Americans who have no health insurance at all, this deduction would help put a basic private health insurance plan within their reach. Changing the tax code is a vital and necessary step to making health care affordable for more Americans.

[mewelke]

Yeah, it's interesting trying to decipher this:

*head explodes*

[Taxman]

.

[Ascius]

Just means they want to let you make a deduction if you buy health insurance... so they don't make it available, cheap, or even good, they just let you pay fewer taxes if you buy your own health insurance.

[Brian Reed]

Which is interesting since I already get to deduct the cost of my health insurance. So throwing another deduction on top of that isn't a terrible idea, but it's also not as great as just giving me the health insurance.

[Taxman]

Which is interesting since I already get to deduct the cost of my health insurance. So throwing another deduction on top of that isn't a terrible idea, but it's also not as great as just giving me the health insurance.See, it isn't really a deduction on top of that, it is actually more like a cap. If you had employer provided health insurance, that had always been completely excluded. Under this plan, if the employer is paying premium costs of more than $15,000, the employee suddenly has addtional taxable income that is subjected also to FICA.

[beta-ray]

*head explodes*


Hope you have health insurance for that