House Democrats: No New Taxes = "Serious Long-Term Damage"

How about: “not just those in Madina”?

How about: “not just those in Madina”?

hey josh – where are your DLC-ish borderline right wing talking points, where is your sell out conventional wisdom?

digby has a good piece detailing the i-wuv-wall-street right wing drivel from the Big 0 on the fasicst created budget deficiet — ya know, how the smart people blame ‘entitlements’, NOT

a huger military budget than any other nation,

17% of GDP going to health rips instead of 10% of GDP going to health care,

a completely corrupt leadership class,

the Big Zero is blaming entitlements, just like his fascist string pullers want …

how come your ‘reporting’ isn’t the usual DLC-ish slant on reality?

rmm.

hey josh – where are your DLC-ish borderline right wing talking points, where is your sell out conventional wisdom?

digby has a good piece detailing the i-wuv-wall-street right wing drivel from the Big 0 on the fasicst created budget deficiet — ya know, how the smart people blame ‘entitlements’, NOT

a huger military budget than any other nation,

17% of GDP going to health rips instead of 10% of GDP going to health care,

a completely corrupt leadership class,

the Big Zero is blaming entitlements, just like his fascist string pullers want …

how come your ‘reporting’ isn’t the usual DLC-ish slant on reality?

rmm.

I’m guess it’s because he isn’t as far fetched and nuts as you, Seabos?

I’m guess it’s because he isn’t as far fetched and nuts as you, Seabos?

The “serious long-term damage” to government’s essential services will be a result of the Democratic Party’s lack of leadership on tax reform. We need more than kinder, gentler budget cuts.

New revenue is code for lifting tax exemptions and raising fees. New taxes is going to be more regressiveness, taxing those who can least afford it the most.

Last year, an income tax, opposed by both parties, with no organization talking it up in any real way, polled 10 points higher than more sales taxes. But the WA Tax Fairness Coalition is dead, and even supposed progressive groups are gearing up to raise sales taxes without any real plan for rolling them back in the future. There’s token lip service from Democrats about an income tax someday maybe. But almost ZERO leadership.

The “serious long-term damage” to government’s essential services will be a result of the Democratic Party’s lack of leadership on tax reform. We need more than kinder, gentler budget cuts.

New revenue is code for lifting tax exemptions and raising fees. New taxes is going to be more regressiveness, taxing those who can least afford it the most.

Last year, an income tax, opposed by both parties, with no organization talking it up in any real way, polled 10 points higher than more sales taxes. But the WA Tax Fairness Coalition is dead, and even supposed progressive groups are gearing up to raise sales taxes without any real plan for rolling them back in the future. There’s token lip service from Democrats about an income tax someday maybe. But almost ZERO leadership.

New taxation is actually less likely to harm the very poor, because they can’t afford to buy anything but food and rent anyway. A rise in the sales tax would affect moderate- and high-income people, but probably wouldn’t influence them to not buy that big TV. Something that costs $1500 would cost $1650 instead of $1635 with a 1% rise in sales tax. Another $15 isn’t very daunting to someone who wants that TV and can pay for it.

The Tax Fairness Coalition has been more or less replaced by the Washington State Budget and Policy Center. An income tax passed this year wouldn’t help us right away — but it would be good to have it if the Dems ever grow the b—s to push for it, and we get more Dems in the Legislature. It seems we’ve come to a point where the Dem legislators are more conservative than their constituency, which just encourages the Republicans to be obstructionist.

New taxation is actually less likely to harm the very poor, because they can’t afford to buy anything but food and rent anyway. A rise in the sales tax would affect moderate- and high-income people, but probably wouldn’t influence them to not buy that big TV. Something that costs $1500 would cost $1650 instead of $1635 with a 1% rise in sales tax. Another $15 isn’t very daunting to someone who wants that TV and can pay for it.

The Tax Fairness Coalition has been more or less replaced by the Washington State Budget and Policy Center. An income tax passed this year wouldn’t help us right away — but it would be good to have it if the Dems ever grow the b—s to push for it, and we get more Dems in the Legislature. It seems we’ve come to a point where the Dem legislators are more conservative than their constituency, which just encourages the Republicans to be obstructionist.

How large does the Democratic Party majority have to be? The Dems simply don’t mean to do it– not yet, not until they are convinced that absolutely no risk is involved, which is basically never.

Action on real tax reform will only come from pushing the Dems to do it. In 2009, neither the Budget and Policy Center nor the Tax Fairness Coalition advocated for an income tax. Signs from the Budget and Policy Center’s PR so far is that it is going to push more regressive taxation in 2010. Is that really the best we can do?

If non-profit leaders lost their jobs because of the budget cuts, I think they’d be more activist about calling for tax reform. I also think that helps explain why labor unions are the most activist against corporate liberalism inside the Democratic Party right now. Unions’ goal isn’t to be friends with Dems to get a shrinking piece of the government pie. It’s to keep Dems from doing stuff that will cause their members to lose their jobs.

In the meantime no one is going to ask about the cost of a 1% rise in the sales tax. They’re going to see 10% (add $150 to a $1500 item), and ask where will it end? The Dems don’t seem to get that what generates the biggest backlash against them is not all taxes, but a sense of unfairness. Property taxes that punish longtime homeowners when property values go up is the classic case.

Dems still have no answer to the tax backlash, even as they feed it with regressive taxation. Because for 15 years, their response to anti-tax hysteria has been defensive. We need vision, a message to sustain the coalition of interests that voted no on 1033. And it clearly isn’t going to come from Gregoire or Chopp– they are still shell-shocked by the Gingrich/ Emyan revolution of the 1990s. They are infinitely too cautious to seize the opportunities for progressive change in the 21st century.

How large does the Democratic Party majority have to be? The Dems simply don’t mean to do it– not yet, not until they are convinced that absolutely no risk is involved, which is basically never.

Action on real tax reform will only come from pushing the Dems to do it. In 2009, neither the Budget and Policy Center nor the Tax Fairness Coalition advocated for an income tax. Signs from the Budget and Policy Center’s PR so far is that it is going to push more regressive taxation in 2010. Is that really the best we can do?

If non-profit leaders lost their jobs because of the budget cuts, I think they’d be more activist about calling for tax reform. I also think that helps explain why labor unions are the most activist against corporate liberalism inside the Democratic Party right now. Unions’ goal isn’t to be friends with Dems to get a shrinking piece of the government pie. It’s to keep Dems from doing stuff that will cause their members to lose their jobs.

In the meantime no one is going to ask about the cost of a 1% rise in the sales tax. They’re going to see 10% (add $150 to a $1500 item), and ask where will it end? The Dems don’t seem to get that what generates the biggest backlash against them is not all taxes, but a sense of unfairness. Property taxes that punish longtime homeowners when property values go up is the classic case.

Dems still have no answer to the tax backlash, even as they feed it with regressive taxation. Because for 15 years, their response to anti-tax hysteria has been defensive. We need vision, a message to sustain the coalition of interests that voted no on 1033. And it clearly isn’t going to come from Gregoire or Chopp– they are still shell-shocked by the Gingrich/ Emyan revolution of the 1990s. They are infinitely too cautious to seize the opportunities for progressive change in the 21st century.

Testing 123

Testing 123

I think one problem with an income tax is that while Dems promise they’ll cut property and sales taxes if they get it… everyone knows they won’t. They’ll cite the budget crises as an excuse to retain most of the existing taxes, and all we’ll end up with is more taxes and more spending that leads to more crises.

I think one problem with an income tax is that while Dems promise they’ll cut property and sales taxes if they get it… everyone knows they won’t. They’ll cite the budget crises as an excuse to retain most of the existing taxes, and all we’ll end up with is more taxes and more spending that leads to more crises.

trevor – which washington are you writing about …

change tax policy to bananastan or ahip or stu-pid-pak.

what is even more frustrating w.t.o. dem incompetence is that what happened in the 90′s was just a variation? continuation? on RayGun and Prop 13 from 1978. Why do we the peee-ons keep supporting such pathetic ‘leaders’ who are so freaking incompetent at beating liars?

at least obama is successful at quickly selling us out!

rmm.

trevor – which washington are you writing about …

change tax policy to bananastan or ahip or stu-pid-pak.

what is even more frustrating w.t.o. dem incompetence is that what happened in the 90′s was just a variation? continuation? on RayGun and Prop 13 from 1978. Why do we the peee-ons keep supporting such pathetic ‘leaders’ who are so freaking incompetent at beating liars?

at least obama is successful at quickly selling us out!

rmm.