Put this presentation in an ad. It is simple, clear.

[Mass]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/tax-cuts-n-you.html

Most people can get this.

[nykym]

1. Nice!

Good presentation, now if we can get him to do one showing the capital gains loopholes for the rich even better.

[bluethruandthru]

2. I would have immediately posted it on facebook but....

every right winger I know will argue that those high wage earners are really Americas small businesses and this would stop them from creating new jobs. Yes, I know that's BS..but that's what they believe. They would need a primer on that too!

[sandnsea]

3. This is their personal income, not business income

If they're creating jobs with all their business income, they won't have millions of dollars of personal income to pay personal income tax on.

And Obama just cut small business investment tax completely, so I think all the small business tax excuses are gone.

[bluethruandthru]

5. You and I know that...but it doesn't sink in with them.

They also don't have an answer for why these "small businesses" haven't created jobs with the tax cut they've been enjoying.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. If I were in charge I'd be running this add nation wide. nt

[flpoljunkie]

6. Goolsby is good. This is being spread around. Ezra Klein has it up, as well.

[Corporate666]

7. Bad logic

Not raising taxes on certain people is not the same thing as "giving" them something, anymore than gas prices going from $4/gallon to $3/gallon is giving people $1/gallon. It's stupid math and stupid logic.

The presentation is flawed... they talk about the size of tax cuts but they are talking in absolute dollar figures, not percentages. They make it sound like someone earning $600k a year is getting away with highway robbery and is going to get a check from the gov't for $100k. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cutting taxes doesn't "cost" anything because no money is paid out by the government. The only thing that costs money is spending. We have a massive, massive difference right now between spending and income. To cry about not soaking rich people is like complaining to the doctor about your hangnail as they are performing open heart surgery on you.

What alot of people do not seem to get is that everyone earns their income. Whether you make $20k a year working in a retail store or $800k a year as a specialized radiologist. We all earn our income. And it is unAmerican to foment class warfare to try to take someone else's income out of spite.

If there are rational reasons (and there are some) to increase taxes on the upper earners (who already pay the lions share of taxes), then those arguments should be put forth. Misrepresenting the "tax cuts" as if rich people get a check, or switching between absolute numbers and percentages to make it appear that the rich are getting away with something is disingenuous.

Any time any politician bends the truth of obfuscates it to make a point, they need to be called on it. We need smart government, not a bunch of lying hacks (which we currently have on BOTH sides).

[Mass]

8. We have smart government. It is the Bush govt who was not smart.

The truth is that the tax cuts are set to expire for all at the end of the year by design. Allowing people to keep these tax cuts is giving them something. Not giving something to those who do not need it is good policy in these times of need.

[ProSense]

9. Speaking of bad logic

Not raising taxes on certain people is not the same thing as "giving" them something, anymore than gas prices going from $4/gallon to $3/gallon is giving people $1/gallon. It's stupid math and stupid logic.

Let's say gas goes from $4 to $3 per gallon for a year. You need 40 gallons of gas each month to commute to work. For a year, you pay $120 per month. Then you learn that as of January 1 of the coming year, gas is going back to $4 per month permanently, meaning you'll be liable for $160 per month permanently. There is a way to stop the increase, it might not work, but there is a chance. Does that feel like you're going to be losing money?

Let's say it doesn't work, and for two months you pay the $160 per month. Something changes and it goes back to $3 permanently. You now have an extra $40 that you don't have to spend on gas. Is that gaining money? Better still, the change makes it retroactive to the date of the increase, resulting in an $80 rebate for the two months. Is that gaining money?


Also, this is flat out inaccurate:

"Cutting taxes doesn't 'cost' anything because no money is paid out by the government."

I bet if payroll taxes were cut, people would feel like they're gaining money.