I have yet to see a dime from Obama. Has anyone? Oh wait, you mean it's my money going to Obama's minions? Bummer. I was hoping for a nice check in the mail.
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I have yet to see a dime from Obama. Has anyone? Oh wait, you mean it's my money going to Obama's minions? Bummer. I was hoping for a nice check in the mail.
Radio Talk Show Host Warren Ballentine says that "African Americans Believe in 90% of Republican Core Values" From Abortion to Gay Rights.
Really? Then why did 90% of blacks vote for Barack Obama?
Call me a racist but I have but one word: welfare.
Shocker! Obvious!
Here comes the redistribution of wealth.
I'm all for fixing the tax code -- how about simplifying the code and letting Americans keep more of their money instead of sucking us dry of every last penny?
Oh right, I forgot, that would make it hard to fund your radical socialist agenda.
Team "O" also wants to destroy free market capitalism?
More proof of Obama's war on investors. Welcome to The United Socialist States of America (USSA).
My bad.
March 25 (Bloomberg)
President Barack Obama is putting former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in charge of a tax-code review aimed at closing loopholes, streamlining the law and generating revenue, budget Director Peter Orszag said.
Volcker, 81, who heads the president’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, is being asked to take a look at the laws in an effort to rebalance the tax system.
Orszag said the review, given a deadline of Dec. 4, is being ordered to make recommendations on steps to simplify the code, built over the last 96 years, in ways that would reduce tax evasion and what he called “corporate welfare.”
“There are hundreds of billions of dollars in uncollected taxes each year,” Orszag said in a conference call. The Volcker board “will be examining ways of being even more aggressive on reducing the tax gap.”
The tax gap is the difference between the amount of taxes owed by taxpayers and companies and the amount collected. Orszag cited academic studies suggesting that the difference is $300 billion or more. That is “ a lot of money,” he said, adding that the administration is going to be “as aggressive as possible” in reducing it.
Obama made a tax overhaul part of his platform during the presidential campaign. One goal is to close loopholes that he said reward companies that move jobs overseas.
President Obama's budget plan contains a tax provision which will limit itemized deductions for charitable contributions.
First, isn't Obama the man who calls for a Nation of Service? His own website lays out his dedication to charity and volunteer work. This blatant hypocrisy is becoming quite routine with this young administration.
Second, does anyone think this is a good idea? Is this really the best way to pay for Obama's bloated budget?
I'm not implying the only reason philanthropic people donate to charity is for the tax break -- I'm a cynic by nature, but I do believe there are many decent people left in America.
However, I do believe there will be some negative impact on charitable donations.
The biggest problem I have with this policy is that once again, the Liberal Social-Crats are once again usurping individual freedom and legislating what to do with your money.
It another example of wealth redistribution, Obama's Robin Hood-onomics!
The plan is simple: use your tax dollars to spend on "charitable" causes which the Democrats see fit to serve their needs. That is, they will use our tax dollars as a power grab to buy a permanent voting majority.
Americans must never trust government to spend our money more wisely than us, especially when it comes to charity.
The Washington Times reports:
Still, the charitable giving deduction reduction, which would limit deductions for couples making $250,000 or individuals making $200,000, provoked the most heat Thursday. Mr. Obama is counting on that provision to raise $179.8 billion over 10 years.
"Some of the reforms and offsets contained or referenced in the budget, such as the limitation on itemized deductions, raise concerns and will require more study as we determine the best policies for getting America back on track," said Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Montana Democrat.
Roberton Williams, senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, said it's impossible to calculate the exact effects of all the tax changes, but said the overall result is clear - less philanthropic giving.
"This will lead people to give less to charities if they behave the way they've behaved in the past," he said. "We've already seen a drop in giving as a result of the economic collapse. On top of that, this will just reduce the amount of giving."
Asked about that, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag said Mr. Obama took care of that by giving charities government money to make up part of the difference.
"Contained in the recovery act, there's $100 million to support nonprofits and charities as we get through this period of economic difficulty," he said.
He disputed that giving would drop, and said an economic recovery will help charities, too.
Moreover, this attacks Obama's base. Michael Barone noted to me today that universities can't be happy about this. Add to that list churches, the arts, the environmental groups, and organizations that serve the poor. This is a transfer of wealth not from the rich to the poor -- because the rich already given the money away, in many cases to groups that serve the poor -- but from the best kind of charitable aid to the worst kind -- government.
This is a massive opportunity for conservatives to kill something Obama is foregrounding in a broad bipartisan alliance. Powerful constituencies on the left could join the opposition. And this is a direct slap at the nation's churches, which direct the a big percentage of charitable aid in this country.
I asked an administration official to respond to the question about whether charitable contributions will decline if itemized deductions are reduced for those making more than $250,000:
"Right now, if a middle class family donates a dollar to their favorite charity, they get a 15-cent deduction, but Warren Buffet and Bill Gates make the same donation and they get a deduction that is more than twice that. The proposal walks that back some of the way because it's time that everyone is responsible for our future."