KaskadskyjKozak

---I'd disagree, the tax cuts for the middle class were relatively modest per family but in aggreate are significantly adding to the deficit Indirectly - social security benefits are needed most at the bottom end of the bracket - those disabled and those with low retierment buffer. In budget talks (current example is appropriate) SS always seems to lead the discussion out of proportion to say more usless programs - pick almost any military one. Thus ensuring its stability by taxing the upper income brackets - seriously - why is income that is taxed capped at $106,800? WTF? In general, I would agree that it would not move the productivity/wage curve. But I didn't say it would. But I think it would move us closer to a more equitible society - or at least a more fair one. Yea - and that is a bias of mine. c'mon - just being straight with you. You are arguing about different things here. Let's stick to the wealthy are getting wealthier and poor are stagnating. How exactly do we affect that? I'd like to see quantifiable results behind any proposal, showing the before and after "plots", not just proposals thrown at the wall and the endless rhetorical games and name-calling (that last part would be j_bot, prole, etc) And I completely disagree with you about the effect of eliminating Bush-era cuts on the 28%-ile bracket. That effect on many in the middle class is huge. As for the deficit both Bush and Barry have contributed to that far more with spendthrift budgets than tax cuts or extensions thereof. With Bush we got wars, with Barry, we keep spending on wars and add to it with a few 100 billions here,there and everywhere.

Fair question. Part of it - I don't know - how do you encourage responsible corporate governance? I'm open to suggestions. The tax part - eliminate all the Bush tax cuts (including middle class ones), bump up the long-term investment/dividend tax, remove the cap on the upper limit for Social Security tax. 1) those plots show the lowest and highest earners only. Rolling back all the tax cuts fucks over the middle class - you know, the ones with two-income families, child-care expenses, etc. You seem pretty eager to do that without considering its impact. 2) ditto for cap on Social Security tax. And this tax affects the disparity in wealth how exactly, BTW? 3) if you were to simply rollback the taxes in the uppermost bracket and apply higher investment/divedend tax to just them, how exactly would that affect j_bot's plot? Wanna bet the effect is neglible, because I'd wager it amounts to naught. I smell something rotten in your proposal - an empty gesture to feel "good" and do "something".

Taxes include federal, state, local, real-estate, etc. All these plots are slanted for maximum effect. And like I asked before, your "solution" is what exactly? Or are you just like j-bot - lots of things to worry about and recycle and rehash?

And assuming you are correct, Jim, your solution is what exactly in a free society? Government-mandated profit-sharing? Wage-controls?

and this plot factors in taxes, transfer payments, and credits?

err, no: "The average two-income family earns far more today than did the single-breadwinner family of a generation ago. And yet, once they have paid the mortgage, the car payments, the taxes, the health insurance, and the day-care bills, today’s dual-income families have less discretionary income — and less money to put away for a rainy day — than the single-income family of a generation ago. And so the Two-Income Trap has been neatly sprung. Mothers now work two jobs, at home and at the office. And yet they have less cash on hand. Mom’s paycheck has been pumped directly into the basic costs of keeping the children in the middle class." Your solution, comrade?

Liar! Your plotted "income" - does not factor other credits and transfer payments, of course.

Here you go j_bot:

We should buy you diapers and a pacifier.

Minimum wage should adjust annually with inflation/cost-of-living (and it doesn't). I'm not sure I'll buy into much beyond that.

"Easy" arguments are often fallacious. Many who make minimum wage are students and other folks entering the labor force or supplementing their income. My first two summer jobs were minimum wage.

not that j_bot would know anything about the latter...

Good fun! Thanks for the route conditions update (what a crazy snowpack)!

Where is inflation factored in?

Weird, 'cos the Dem's ran the whole show for 2 years, and got Jack Shit done.

don't bother the fucktards with facts Jay!

There'll be plenty of time for Backbone, my friend.

If you can lead easy rock, do Shuksan via the Sulphide and climb the arete rather than the gully. Camp high and get an early start and you can beat the masses. Or... consider the Boulder glacier route on Baker - it's a gem!

Nicely done! Molodets'!

Summer sausage, gouda, and tortillas.

I'm gonna stop you from a self-reply trifecta. Let's leave those for j_bot. Self-replying is the new editing. self-replying is aid

I'm gonna stop you from a self-reply trifecta. Let's leave those for j_bot.

perhaps these early, traumatic experiences explains your aversity to climbing?

Service goon!

The route up left is where we ended up going. I climbed the E ridge of the N peak 2 years ago and we definitely started lower and to climber's left. I should have paid more attention and headed that way (it's easy class 3 with a couple of brief class 4 sections)