Wake UP.. It's NOT how much you pay in taxes!

[SoCalDem]

It's what happens to your tax money when it reaches DC.

If your tax money is just used to line the pockets of the president's cronies, then it's pretty much wasted, no matter how much or little you pay. Unless you are well connected, you will se none of that money coming back to you in the way of jobs or investment dividends.

Most people "dabble" in the stock market, or have exposure to it through a 401-k...Both are CHUMP CHANGE compared to the money that's given out as patronage to DC cronies.

The real irony is that as people complain about high taxes and then get them cut, they think they are getting ahead. They are not.. All that means is that for the few bucks you don;t pay in federal taxes, you get to pay a lot more in state taxes or property taxes.. And if you are ever in need of any services yourself, or for a family member, you are pretty much S.O.L...

The federal budget is very much like a water balloon.. You can squeeze it at one end, but the water just goes to the other end. The poorest of the poor will always have to have some sort of a safety net, but the services in the "middle" are not all that sacred, and they are the ones that have to go, when the fatcats in DC start trying to fudge the numbers.

[leftstreet]

1. This is SO TRUE

AOL had a post-SOTU poll with 13 additional questions about the state of the union. Notice that respondents gave a high priority to "the economy," yet not a high priority to "taxes." And AOL is hardly a sleeper cell of populists and progressives.

People seem to accept that we must pay taxes. But they're all starting to question how those taxes are being spent.

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060126110009990028&ncid=NWS00010000000001

What kind of priority should Bush and Congress give the economy?
Highest priority 57%
High, but not the highest 39%
Lower priority 4%
Total Votes: 243,111


What kind of priority should Bush and Congress give taxes?
High, but not the highest 45%
Lower priority 36%
Highest priority 19%
Total Votes: 210,548

[BR_Parkway]

2. Next year, they find out about the hidden tax increase that will hit

them just after the election season is over with!

Tax increase for the middle class - paying for millionaire tax breaks on the backs of the working people.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,700-$4,500 increase per family

Page 11 of the IRS 1040 guidelines this year show 2 very little talked about items
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf

New for 2006

Personal exemption and itemized
deduction phaseouts reduced. The
phaseouts of the personal exemptions and
itemized deductions will be reduced by 1⁄3.

emphasis added

Certain credits no longer allowed against
alternative minimum tax (AMT). The
credit for child and dependent care ex-
penses, credit for the elderly or dis-
abled, education credits, mortgage interest
credit, and carryforwards of the District of
Columbia first-time homebuyer credit are
no longer allowed against AMT and a new
tax liability limit applies. For most people,
this limit is your regular tax minus any
tentative minimum tax.

AMT exemption amount decreased. The AMT
exemption amount will decrease to
$33,750 ($45,000 if married filing jointly
or a qualified widow(er); $22,500 if married
filing separately)

Now, I'm not an accountant (nor do I play on on TV) but they've lowered the amount you can earn that would be exempt from AMT, taken away credits you could have applied to it for child/elderly care, education, mortgage interest or first time homebuyer money. And while they were at it - plan on reducing the other personal deductions by 1/3?

Please tell me the name of my personal Millionaire that I'm supporting here - I want to make sure he spells my name properly in his will when he shows his undying gratitude (assuming we kill off that evil death tax :sarcasm: ) Anyone know a blue company selling pitchforks?