Comments on: Judd Gregg's dubious tax math http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/ Commentary on the economy, the markets, and business Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:18:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: gmalcolms http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12537 gmalcolms Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:18:34 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12537 I see this kind of reasoning all the time: The US tax system is so progressive already b/c the rich pay most of the taxes. That's evidence of income inequality, not progressive taxation! Can you please shout this out on a megaphone, Justin? I'm sure the WSJ's readership is much larger than 470 people, even after the devastation on Wall Street. And keeping capital gains taxes low doesn't seem to be that complex a motive. I would have no trouble ascribing it to anyone who writes an opinion for the WSJ, and they probably wouldn't deny it either. I see this kind of reasoning all the time: The US tax system is so progressive already b/c the rich pay most of the taxes. That's evidence of income inequality, not progressive taxation! Can you please shout this out on a megaphone, Justin? I'm sure the WSJ's readership is much larger than 470 people, even after the devastation on Wall Street.

And keeping capital gains taxes low doesn't seem to be that complex a motive. I would have no trouble ascribing it to anyone who writes an opinion for the WSJ, and they probably wouldn't deny it either.

]]> By: gmalcolms http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12536 gmalcolms Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:11:37 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12536 bryanfromhouston: Welfare and social programs are not related to the economy? bryanfromhouston:
Welfare and social programs are not related to the economy?

]]> By: bryanfromhouston http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12529 bryanfromhouston Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:03:15 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12529 We need to remove the ideologues from office immediately. Their ideological blinders permitted us to drive the economy into the the ditch in the first place. They are religious zealots on economic matters. You want to be religious about abortion, welfare, and social programs...that is just fine. But when it comes to the economy, let's leave religion out of it. We need to remove the ideologues from office immediately. Their ideological blinders permitted us to drive the economy into the the ditch in the first place. They are religious zealots on economic matters. You want to be religious about abortion, welfare, and social programs...that is just fine. But when it comes to the economy, let's leave religion out of it.

]]> By: curmudgeon57 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12528 curmudgeon57 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:23:35 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12528 @Justin: You are the most objective observer of economic trends I know of. Of course you didn't assign motives. My apologies if I suggested otherwise. @Justin: You are the most objective observer of economic trends I know of. Of course you didn't assign motives. My apologies if I suggested otherwise.

]]> By: pneogy http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12527 pneogy Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:53:25 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12527 @Justin Fox When the same tax disinformation rabbit keeps getting pulled from the WSJ op-ed hat, shouldn't motives be assigned? @Justin Fox
When the same tax disinformation rabbit keeps getting pulled from the WSJ op-ed hat, shouldn't motives be assigned?

]]> By: Justin Fox http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12526 Justin Fox Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:16:37 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12526 @curmudgeon57: Did I assign any motives? - By the way, given the sloppiness of that paragraph, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it was added at the last moment by a WSJ intern. @curmudgeon57: Did I assign any motives?
-
By the way, given the sloppiness of that paragraph, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it was added at the last moment by a WSJ intern.

]]> By: curmudgeon57 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12525 curmudgeon57 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:05:24 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12525 I've met Judd Greg before. While he is my Senator, I have to say that he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Perhaps it is best not to ascribe complex motives to something that can be explained by ignorance. I've met Judd Greg before. While he is my Senator, I have to say that he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Perhaps it is best not to ascribe complex motives to something that can be explained by ignorance.

]]> By: Justin Fox http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12524 Justin Fox Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:59:29 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12524 @dumdedumdum: I do get this kind of stuff into the dead tree occasionally. For example: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1692027,00.html I don't flog it with the relentlessness that the WSJ opinionistas do, of course. But as of 8:57 a.m. Tuesday, 470 people had clicked on this post (that doesn't count people who simply read it on the blog's home page). You call that few?!? ;-) @dumdedumdum: I do get this kind of stuff into the dead tree occasionally. For example:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1692027,00.html

I don't flog it with the relentlessness that the WSJ opinionistas do, of course. But as of 8:57 a.m. Tuesday, 470 people had clicked on this post (that doesn't count people who simply read it on the blog's home page). You call that few?!? ;-)

]]> By: dumdedumdum http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12523 dumdedumdum Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:23:36 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12523 Nevertheless, lots of people will read (and swallow, by disposition or gullibility) yet another fantasy piece on taxation from the WSJ OpEd page and few will read Justin's blog post. If this sort of nonsense is to be clarified and corrected (and remember, a political movement was built on this stuff), it will at least have to appear in a dead tree or two. Never bring a blog post to a gunfight. Nevertheless, lots of people will read (and swallow, by disposition or gullibility) yet another fantasy piece on taxation from the WSJ OpEd page and few will read Justin's blog post. If this sort of nonsense is to be clarified and corrected (and remember, a political movement was built on this stuff), it will at least have to appear in a dead tree or two. Never bring a blog post to a gunfight.

]]> By: plukasiak http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/01/05/judd-greggs-dubious-tax-math/comment-page-1/#comment-12520 plukasiak Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:11:22 +0000 http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/?p=3796#comment-12520 geez, Justin, you've left me nothing to complain about! ;) geez, Justin, you've left me nothing to complain about! ;)

]]>