KaskadskyjKozak

apparently someone stole ttk's last bear claw

This turd is ungovernable. Krugman.

This is a common concern regarding consumption taxes of all kinds, and it appears legit on the face of it. But think about it: when "poor folks" buy shoes, they're getting them at WalMart for $20, VAT @ 22% = $4.40; when "the rich" buy shoes, they're buying ManoloBlablablas for $400, $500, $600 and more per pair. VAT @ 22% on $500 shoes = $110. When "poor folks" buy cars, they're buying 2nd- or 3rd-hand used cars for $500, VAT = $110; when "the rich" buy cars, they're buying Porsches or Jags or Caddies, or vintage collector cars, or monster "Death Star" SUV things, VAT @ 22% on a $100,000 vehicle comes to $22,000. Tell me again who's paying more? Also, there are ways of softening the blow for those at the lower end of the income scale. Our HST structure includes rebates for those at the lowest income levels, meaning they effectively pay no sales tax at all. It's a sliding scale, so as your income increases your rebate is reduced, until one day you find that the rebates aren't coming anymore. By that time you're making enough that the sales tax is affordable. Hell, I feel like I'm doing OK personally, but somehow I still qualify for small rebates that are deposited directly into my bank account quarterly. In general, I prefer consumption taxes over income taxes any day. Taxes are a disincentive - want people to smoke less, raise tobacco taxes. Want people to drink less, raise alcohol taxes. Want people to work harder, save more money, invest more - reduce their income taxes, and recoup that revenue with consumption taxes. In other words, go ahead and penalize me for spending my money, but don't penalize me for earning it. Amen. Ditto for real estate taxes. Over and over again we hear the "rich" don't pay their fair taxes, but you can be sure they pay through the ass for their megamansions.

It's football season you wankers

hard to lead if you're not in charge, and hard to stay in charge if you propose unpopular action the d's just were in charge, and sure didn't show much "leadership" keep making excuses to make yourself feel better though

right back at ya

....Wait, half a wit libturds and democrap deniers like Pat are still blaming all this on Bush.....right? No need now for an alternative version that might shake them up. Still Bush's fault. Nothing to see here. Same-same as it's ever been with an extra slice of hope and change and this time we mean that last part. The AUDACITY of hope. LOL.

why ask a question when you wouldn't attempt to understand the answer? not that it was an sat-worthy reading entry to decode there, 8-ball, but, as the cliff-note summary would explain: no, i haven't known anyone from that there chunk of south/southwest asia - persia aka iran is the closest i can do - i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say a good # of other folks in the great u.s. of a haven't met anyone from there either Yeah, but don't you live in a metropolitan area on the left coast? Guess I don't know Oregon that well, but in Cali and up here in Seattle, if you live and work in a large metro area, especially one with a high-tech presence and some affluence, you surely have met some Pakistanis.

We get it already - you are a lightweight.

No, actually it was Ivan who brought up Persians in a discussion about Pakistan.

are you serious? you have only met/only know one person from Pakistan? the persian i've met is from iran, not pakistan - i can't recall having any sort of relationship w/ a person from the land of the hindu kush, though i've known and been friends w/ a good # of indians, who have had plenty of things to say about them folks ok, Persian, whatever. Why the fuck you'd bring up Iran/Persia in a conversation about Pakistan is beyond me. So now my question is: "are you serious? you have never met ANYONE from Pakistan"

I didn't pay attention to Ivan's half brained rambling that closely. Why he brought up Persia is beyond me.

are you serious? you have only met/only know one person from Pakistan? amazing all the ethnic hate for a country <70 years old. strike strong kkk lay off the crack pipe, "Hot Carl"

are you serious? you have only met/only know one person from Pakistan?

cotweeto ergo sum

tweeting leads to less executions of blasphemers...

ttk - trolling doesn't get any easier

You don't know "the" answer, nor all the answers. Not that you'll ever figure that out at your age, and with your "conditions".

linky

I was bored.

Sobolewski

black death in a bottle

Yes....if the conservatives have anything to say about it. stfu, nOOb

linky What's next - ban rum and cokes from being served at bars?

at least you tried - that's more than we can say for others around here (j_b)