nankerphelge wrote on Jun 10
th, 2009 at 7:59am:
I haven't read the entire transcript, and I don't know how the Alaska tax system works, but my sense of what she is saying is that Alaska has no state tax, property tax or sales tax (most states have state tax and/or property tax). But that one way they obtain revenues ("tax") is on a percentage on the profits on oil companies.
That is way different than a President taking federal control over the operations, pay scales, and decision-making that the Obama Administration has done with both the banking and auto industries (including the decision to force the auto companies into bankruptcy).
It is also a far cry from the federal government's huge tax burdens on the top earners in this country in order to foot the bill for his spending which, incidently, has not done much to help the economy which remains anemic in the credit markets, faces unemployment nearing 10%, faces inflation and dollar devaluation.
Are you telling me you honestly do not see the difference?
I guess what I was trying to say is that if Alaska gives its citizens money that has been collected from companies that operate in Alaska, that is not capitalism. It more closely resembles socialism, not that that is a bad thing in moderation. Just sounds hypocritical of her to me. I do admit to a pretty big bias against their gov. The "real America" comment was shameful, yet repeated over and over. Maybe if she had spoken to the media and answered their questions, she could have explained what she meant to imply, but it seems that was a risk her "handlers" didn't want to take. Maybe if she didn't f-ing wink at the camera during her only debate. I for one was one was not impressed by that BS. I don't want a MILF, I want to hear ideas about where we are heading, but realize she doesn't look to any future other than Jesus' return. So I guess she wouldn't see any need to manage our planet, which I believe will reject humans if we continue our current path. Maybe not for a few hundred years, but nevertheless, it will if we don't manage how we take from it.
I do not believe that Obama's actions regarding US automotive companies is an attempt to gather power. I still think that it is the workers he is looking out for. I personally don't care which companies go bankrupt, but care about the lost jobs, as I'm sure you do. Maybe propping these companies isn't the best way, I couldn't say for sure. I can say that I haven't heard an alternative argument that would help the workers while letting these companies reap what they've sown. The pay scale issue is touchy, and I don't particularly like it. As much as I frown upon the greediest of attitudes out there, I'm not happy about a government regulating them.
As for the banks and investment firms, maybe it would have been better to let them fail. As long as our government made good on FDIC, the investment side could eat their losses, me included. Fair enough. It is certainly infuriating to see the attitudes of these investment firms in the news. Screw 'em if they think they're masters of the universe. They don't seem to have any guilt about what their gambling did to our 401k's. Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't believe that ALL investment firms operated this way.
The huge tax burden on the top earners has only increased by 3 or 4 percent. When they saved that 3 or 4 percent under W's policy, I didn't see any trickle down effect, well . . . maybe a few areas. Where was the job creation that was supposed to occur? They actually reclassified burger flipping as a manufacturing job, so as to pad manufacturing job numbers. Jobs have been going overseas where workers are paid next to nothing, and yet glad to have a job. Then the goods are sold back to us at places like WalMart, where they are staffed by the same people that lost jobs to overseas mfr's.
My bottom line is that we need to play the bench, not just the starting five (to use a basketball metaphor). We need to focus on education, so that all citizens can take care of themselves and not rely on welfare. Basic education needs to include college rather than stop at high school. We are falling behind, globally.
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