Day: May 11, 2010

Despite Tea Bagger Propaganda, U.S. Tax Burden Is Lowest Since 1950

Jon Ponder

chart-tax-burden-since-1950Tea baggers like to say their group’s name stands for “Taxed Enough Already.” But as is the case with just about everything related to this corporate-funded, astroturfed protest mob phenomenon, even the name is wrong:

Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman’s presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.

Some conservative political movements such as the “Tea Party” have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.

Federal, state and local taxes — including income, property, sales and other taxes — consumed 9.2 percent of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12 percent for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8. percent of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010.

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CA Gov: With Primary Looming, Whitman’s Lead Evaporates

Jon Ponder

Whitman with Romney, Poizner
Whitman with Romney, Poizner
With less than a month to go before the California primary on June 8, former eBay executive Meg Whitman, the frontrunner to be the GOP nominee for governor, has already spent nearly $60 million — or an estimated $249 a minute — of her own money on the campaign. Just a few weeks ago, it looked like money well-spent, at least in the sense that Whitman had bought herself a commanding lead over Steve Poizner, the other self-funding Silicon Valley millionaire in the race who also currently serves as California’s insurance commissioner.

Suddenly, however, Whitman’s investment is looking like it might not pay off.

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Actually, Tea Party Types Love Government – As Long As It Benefits Them And Not the Poor

Jon Ponder

You may have missed it, but there’s a lot of soul searching going on among the younger crop of conservative big thinkers. Most of it seems to miss the point that is plain as day everyone else: the conservative movement has been hijacked by corporatists whose sole reason for seeking power is to funnel taxpayer funds into the coffers of their corporate masters — people who will lie, cheat and steal to win elections, but then have nothing but disdain for the icky part that comes afterward, i.e., governing.

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