Day: July 29, 2011

Bitter Friday Fun Break

Trish

nfl-football-debt-ceiling-s

Time to laugh in the final hours of life as we knew it before Congress said, “Hold my hand. We’re jumping!” and took us all over the cliff of welshing on America’s debt, which they — Republicans included — authorized when they voted to spend all that money. As we call our collective Visa companies, we say, “You know all those restaurants I already ate at, and all the Netflix I already watched, and oh yeah, that big ol’ car repair bill I already used my card to pay for? Well I don’t want any of it now and I’m not going to pay for it. See ya!” We will pass the time waiting for Visa’s response by futilely contacting our elected officials and then blaming it all on Pres. Obama. Happy times.

Perry Clarifies Gay marriage Position — He’s Agin’ It

Buck Banks

I probably needed to add a few words after that ‘it’s fine with me,’ and that it’s fine with me that a state is using their sovereign rights to decide an issue. Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me. My stance hasn’t changed.

— Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in an interview with Tony Perkins, walking back his support of states like New York passing laws allowing gay marriage.

Another GOP Big Lie: Only the Rich – Not Middle Class and Poor – Pay Taxes

Jon Ponder

chart-taxes-paid-by-poor-middle-classIn their desperation to ensure that taxes are not raised on their corporate sponsors, Republicans have been successful in convincing their followers, as well as their poodles in the corporate media, that only the rich — not the poor and middle class — pay taxes.

That is not just a lie — it is a big lie. Via Andrew Sullivan:

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Republican Failure to Reauthorize FAA Results in $25 Million Per Day Tax Holiday for Airline Companies

Jon Ponder

logo-faaGizmodo:

Right now, you should be saving $25 to $50 when you buy an airplane ticket. Why? Because Congress didn’t approve a bill to keep the FAA running, which means the FAA doesn’t have the authority to collect taxes on airfare, which should mean no taxes for you! Too bad the airlines are pocketing the difference.

As of Saturday, the FAA and federal government is losing out on $25 million a day in tax revenue, $25 million of which should technically result in consumer savings but instead is fattening the pockets of airlines. In anticipation of these airfare taxes expiring, airlines shrewdly bumped up their fares “by the same amount as the federal taxes.” That means even though there are no taxes for consumers to pay, consumers all still paying the same price as before (with the airlines taking all the “tax” money).

But just as its unfair, even immoral, for the airlines to pocket the windfall resulting from the failed reauthorization, it’s also unfair to blame “Congress,” writ large. The failure to reauthorize the FAA is 100 percent the fault of Republicans:

[…]