Party-Line Votes "Risky" For Dems

[WHITT]

MEET THE PRESS:

CHUCK: Let me ask you this -- I had somebody say if you don't like the $6 trillion deal, is it better to pass something or let the Democrats go it alone?


REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST BRAD TODD: I think it's incredibly risky for Democrats to run everything for two years on party-line votes. That's a recipe for Republicans to take both chambers of Congress.

RIGHT.

So the Dems enact the large infrastructure bill via reconciliation, that in addition to upgrading and repairing the nation's roads, bridges, water systems, sewage plants, replaces all the lead pipes across the country, that upgrades the national electrical grid, that addresses climate change, that expands childcare and eldercare, that installs high-speed broadband nationwide, all of which creates millions and millions and millions of higher-wage jobs, and raises taxes on the Rich & Corporate WHICH IS WILDLY POPULAR.

So in the next election, the American people will say, WE GOT TO THROW THESE BUMS OUT OF OFFICE!!

[Atticus]

1. Note to Brad Todd: not everything you pull out of your arse and throw against the wall

will stick, but it all smells pretty bad.

[WarGamer]

3. I'm for $1T in infrastructure... hell, I'm for $10T in infrastructure

If it's properly PAID FOR by increased taxation.

The true crime of COVID-19 is how tons of people were able to VASTLY increase their net worth while tens of millions of others had their lives destroyed.

We need to by bold, not timid.

We had no problem with Airline Security Fees after 9-11. No one complained.

We can institute new taxes to pay for C19, too. A "per-trade" Wall Street fee, a VAT, Wealth taxes, taxing capital gains at 40%... lots of options.

It's IRRESPONSIBLE to increase spending without EQUAL increases in tax revenue.

[Budi]

4. Biden is a long time advocate of increasing Capital Gains Tax

Good place to start.

[WarGamer]

5. Pardon my emotions...

But I think it's a FUCKING CRIME that a person who drops $10,000 in Stock options on Monday morning and sells the options by 10AM for a profit of $80,000 pays a lower % on that income than a plumber/teacher/fireman who works for a year (or more) to earn that much.

It's my greatest pet peeve... this country is going to HELL because of wealth inequality and tax inequality.

Until the Fed Gov't gets SERIOUS about extracting money from the wealthy, we have no chance.

Instead they focus on "Balance Sheet Masturbation" like increased Corporate Taxes which everyone with a brain knows will hurt:

1) Shareholders (Your neighbors)
2) Employees
3) Consumers

Jeff Bezos doesn't give a rat's ass if the Corporate Tax is increased. But Bezos will get defensive if you start talking Wealth Tax...

[jimfields33]

6. With a wealth fee, you take off debt

Amazon has a ton of debt. All the building being built all over the country will be deducted from net worth. I’m not so sure, we get much more from him.

[WarGamer]

8. Bezos owns 51 MILLION shares of Amazon.

It's not a sole proprietorship where he gets to deduct the cost of building infrastructure.

Bezos the private citizen owns 51M shares of AMZN.

51,000,000 x 3,487 = 178 Billion Dollars

That's his net worth (not counting assets other than AMZN stock)

It's irrelevant what AMZN balance sheet looks like.

[jimfields33]

9. Oh. Thank you.

My thought was wrong. Thanks for the explanation.

[Budi]

11. Now give us those same stats on the other billionares. Beside Bezos.

We know about Bezos.

We need to list all the OTHER Billionares & where they stash their worth.
And if that stash is even accessible to US Govt as Taxable.

Point being, there is a WHOLE bunch of wealthy individuals & Corporations who have to be named & shamed besides Bezos.

Get started.
We'll be waiting. Thanks

The whole tax structure maybe deserves an overhaul & be brought up to date with the times we are now living in & the future we are facing

[WarGamer]

12. You're right!!

Bezos is just the easiest, he's the poster child.

Let's look at Bill Gates, although after the divorce, it's more murky.

But as of 2019, Bill owned 330,000,000 shares of $MSFT...

Today Gates owns $25B worth of $MSFT stock.

His net worth is $125B

Or Elon Musk?

Musk owns 193 Million shares of TSLA, almost 23% of the company, worth around 110 Billion.

But hey these are just the most famous billionaires, there are LOTS of people who need to pay up.

Just a quick question, why do you include "Corporations" in your statement? As we know, Corporations aren't people... they're MILLIONS of people. When you tax Corporations, you tax shareholders, consumers and employees.

Go straight to where the money is. Corporations will ALWAYS seek to maintain a profit, by firing people, raising consumer pricing or screwing shareholders. The typical billionaire doesn't care if Corporate taxes go up. But he will FIGHT like hell to protect his net worth.

[WHITT]

7. That's Just It

The MSM is busy talking about more support for the 'bipartisan' infrastructure proposal, but the Repubs want to pay for it with user fees, stealing money from the already appropriated covid care money, and increasing the federal deficit.

I loved how Chuck Todd asked Portman if the Repubs have given up on raising the gas tax, and he claimed they don't want to raise the gas tax, just index it to inflation. Ah, doofus, that is raising the gas tax.

[Deminpenn]

10. More conventional wisdom baloney

[Bettie]

13. But, when Republicans do everything along straight party line votes

that's cool, right Brad?