Comments on: The impossible turns out to have been possible http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2008/11/12/the-impossible-turns-out-to-have-been-possible/ Chrysler, car, and other discussions by Allpar contributors Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:43:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2008/11/12/the-impossible-turns-out-to-have-been-possible/comment-page-1/#comment-76975 Dave Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:25:33 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=551#comment-76975 There's a definite attraction to your plan, not least of which is the elimination of tax breaks that bring about waste. While it's environmentally and socially better for society if people live in smaller houses or apartments, on smaller plots of land, we've been subsidizing home loans for many decades. While it's better for society if people take mass transit or walk, we're now talking about tax breaks for cars (and already those exist for businesses, especially those buying SUVs). Many tax breaks are very unfair to say the least; capital gains comes to mind. VAT without income tax would solve a lot of problems and eliminate a lot of bureaucracy, though the wealthiest would end up with a huge tax cut (since they can't spend all they have). On the other hand, I could also argue that their wealth will EVENTUALLY be spent... There’s a definite attraction to your plan, not least of which is the elimination of tax breaks that bring about waste. While it’s environmentally and socially better for society if people live in smaller houses or apartments, on smaller plots of land, we’ve been subsidizing home loans for many decades. While it’s better for society if people take mass transit or walk, we’re now talking about tax breaks for cars (and already those exist for businesses, especially those buying SUVs). Many tax breaks are very unfair to say the least; capital gains comes to mind. VAT without income tax would solve a lot of problems and eliminate a lot of bureaucracy, though the wealthiest would end up with a huge tax cut (since they can’t spend all they have). On the other hand, I could also argue that their wealth will EVENTUALLY be spent…

]]> By: Bob Taylor http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2008/11/12/the-impossible-turns-out-to-have-been-possible/comment-page-1/#comment-76974 Bob Taylor Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:42:12 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=551#comment-76974 Here's what's likely to happen: Either 1. The painfully sweating Not-So-Big three are going to get enough to stay on life support for the next three years while shedding jobs the whole time. They will come up with a few newer wrong cars for the market (I have nothing against the Volt but I live in a Condo - no place to plug in). Things will be much as they are now. 2. The economy will self-regulate to some extent and the problems, while still there, will be less than they were. 3. The other bailout will only work to a point. Healthy businesses will thrive but the rest will fail in greater and greater numbers. Or 1. Congress grows a few brain cells among themselves and begin to realize that the sum wealth of our nation is in the manufacturing and engineering of great products. Only though product and creation of *something* is there any true wealth and power. Software, hardware, business doing business... Just because they don't have any new ideas in DC... 2. Congress begins to set aside dollars for real companies making real things that pay real wages in the real world rather than hoping the incentives they have given companies to leave the US go away. 3. Forget a flat tax. No taxes other than what they call VAT in the UK. If you buy, it you pay tax on it. Nobody gets away free for anything other than food, medicine, dentistry or other health-care. Spend less, pay less tax. 4. Nobody pays capitol gains on anything. Tax free until you spend it. Let's give some incentive to keep savings in the bank or the 401K. If you pull it out and spend it you pay what everyone else pays for stuff including taxes. I'm a Democrat from Maryland. This would work. Everybody pays. There are no loopholes. Putting loopholes in something like this just makes it like what we have now. Bob Here’s what’s likely to happen:
Either
1. The painfully sweating Not-So-Big three are going to get enough to stay on life support for the next three years while shedding jobs the whole time. They will come up with a few newer wrong cars for the market (I have nothing against the Volt but I live in a Condo – no place to plug in). Things will be much as they are now.
2. The economy will self-regulate to some extent and the problems, while still there, will be less than they were.
3. The other bailout will only work to a point. Healthy businesses will thrive but the rest will fail in greater and greater numbers.

Or
1. Congress grows a few brain cells among themselves and begin to realize that the sum wealth of our nation is in the manufacturing and engineering of great products. Only though product and creation of *something* is there any true wealth and power. Software, hardware, business doing business… Just because they don’t have any new ideas in DC…
2. Congress begins to set aside dollars for real companies making real things that pay real wages in the real world rather than hoping the incentives they have given companies to leave the US go away.
3. Forget a flat tax. No taxes other than what they call VAT in the UK. If you buy, it you pay tax on it. Nobody gets away free for anything other than food, medicine, dentistry or other health-care. Spend less, pay less tax.
4. Nobody pays capitol gains on anything. Tax free until you spend it. Let’s give some incentive to keep savings in the bank or the 401K. If you pull it out and spend it you pay what everyone else pays for stuff including taxes.

I’m a Democrat from Maryland. This would work. Everybody pays. There are no loopholes. Putting loopholes in something like this just makes it like what we have now.

Bob

]]> By: Curtis Redgap http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2008/11/12/the-impossible-turns-out-to-have-been-possible/comment-page-1/#comment-76968 Curtis Redgap Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:38:59 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=551#comment-76968 Being President WILL affect that individual. It HAS to with the shear depth of the realization of the power that has been transferred to him by the people (used to mean something anyway) along with the terrible burden of the weight of everything he says and everything he does being mulled over by the media, whether true or NOT, over and over and over. Becoming irritated at the line "Tax and Spend Democrats" is unfortunately part of the business of politics. Do you become equally upset at the tag that Republicans are the party of "Big Business?" Or that they are seen as ALWAYS against social programs? It is part and parcel of the fallacy that one party is better than the other party, and an individual chooses to drink the kool-aid of that particular party. The bigger picture is that they truly, actually DO NOT represent the "people." They conspire against the tax payers, make shows out of so called "debate" and continue to perpetuate government, always, ALWAYS expanding it, whether needed or not, sucking the life out of your taxes to pay for more and more of government. All of it in a conspiracy to inflict the "New World Order" upon us, and the rest of the world. Government does NOT give one good "DAMN" about the people. Ever heard of the United States of America Office of the Comptroller of the Currency? You should, but betcha never, ever will. I say you should because yesterday they determined that Consumer Unions and (IMAGINE THIS) BANKS, Can NOT forgive debts, in particular credit card debt! Banks, claiming to be bleeding at BILLIONS of dollars a month, worked with Consumer Advocate Groups to keep people in the loop. Good Credit people, who are now having trouble meeting their obligations. By forgiving up to 40% of their card debt, the banks would be able to keep them in the "loop" still receiving some of the payments, while allowing the consumer to maintain a good, clean credit profile. If this would have been allowed, it would stave off bankruptcy for thousands of consumers, who NOW face NO OTHER possibility other than damaged credit, either though outright bankruptcy or some sort of credit counseling debt repayment plan that remains on your credit report like "almost forever!" Meaningfully..... WHAT PURPOSE does Government serve in defeating this sort of action? In this instance, who or WHAT is the government doing, and WHY? What people are served by this? According to a letter, written by the ASSISTANT Comptroller of the Currency, "the agency does not consider any plan that defers the timely recognition of loss as prudent, and any such proposal cannot be viewed favorably by us." HUH??? And if you think that this is an exception, you need to be revived, because government is NOT, definitely NOT working for you, OTHER than hijacking your tax money. Going back to the DEREGULATION of the housing parameters tied to FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC, in 1999, someone should have been SCREAMING. THIS IS WRONG. YOU ARE LYING to the PEOPLE. Oh, sure some token political resistance was raised, but hey, its good to get people in houses that can not afford them, and can NEVER afford them,............ right? You could not write the plot to a novel better than what we are witnessing politically from GOVERNMENT right now. A change of personnel, the election of another President, the retention of the same old double dealers in Congress will not make one iota of difference because the fundamentals of this government, all gone corrupt, disenfranchising the people, across the political spectrum, HAS NOT CHANGED. And the new guys can not do a thing about it. So, I prefer not to wait until 2012. I can say it now: "I told ya so!" Being President WILL affect that individual. It HAS to with the shear depth of the realization of the power that has been transferred to him by the people (used to mean something anyway) along with the terrible burden of the weight of everything he says and everything he does being mulled over by the media, whether true or NOT, over and over and over.

Becoming irritated at the line “Tax and Spend Democrats” is unfortunately part of the business of politics. Do you become equally upset at the tag that Republicans are the party of “Big Business?” Or that they are seen as ALWAYS against social programs? It is part and parcel of the fallacy that one party is better than the other party, and an individual chooses to drink the kool-aid of that particular party. The bigger picture is that they truly, actually DO NOT represent the “people.” They conspire against the tax payers, make shows out of so called “debate” and continue to perpetuate government, always, ALWAYS expanding it, whether needed or not, sucking the life out of your taxes to pay for more and more of government. All of it in a conspiracy to inflict the “New World Order” upon us, and the rest of the world.

Government does NOT give one good “DAMN” about the people. Ever heard of the United States of America Office of the Comptroller of the Currency? You should, but betcha never, ever will. I say you should because yesterday they determined that Consumer Unions and (IMAGINE THIS) BANKS, Can NOT forgive debts, in particular credit card debt! Banks, claiming to be bleeding at BILLIONS of dollars a month, worked with Consumer Advocate Groups to keep people in the loop. Good Credit people, who are now having trouble meeting their obligations. By forgiving up to 40% of their card debt, the banks would be able to keep them in the “loop” still receiving some of the payments, while allowing the consumer to maintain a good, clean credit profile. If this would have been allowed, it would stave off bankruptcy for thousands of consumers, who NOW face NO OTHER possibility other than damaged credit, either though outright bankruptcy or some sort of credit counseling debt repayment plan that remains on your credit report like “almost forever!” Meaningfully….. WHAT PURPOSE does Government serve in defeating this sort of action? In this instance, who or WHAT is the government doing, and WHY? What people are served by this? According to a letter, written by the ASSISTANT Comptroller of the Currency, “the agency does not consider any plan that defers the timely recognition of loss as prudent, and any such proposal cannot be viewed favorably by us.” HUH??? And if you think that this is an exception, you need to be revived, because government is NOT, definitely NOT working for you, OTHER than hijacking your tax money. Going back to the DEREGULATION of the housing parameters tied to FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC, in 1999, someone should have been SCREAMING. THIS IS WRONG. YOU ARE LYING to the PEOPLE. Oh, sure some token political resistance was raised, but hey, its good to get people in houses that can not afford them, and can NEVER afford them,………… right?

You could not write the plot to a novel better than what we are witnessing politically from GOVERNMENT right now. A change of personnel, the election of another President, the retention of the same old double dealers in Congress will not make one iota of difference because the fundamentals of this government, all gone corrupt, disenfranchising the people, across the political spectrum, HAS NOT CHANGED. And the new guys can not do a thing about it. So, I prefer not to wait until 2012. I can say it now: “I told ya so!”

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