SCREAMING EAGLE-66

.. --Congress will not pass anything... The President can not sign what has not been passed... I am blaming both parties.... compromise and get it back under control... during th 90's the debt climbed less than 2% per year (much less than the interest on the debt).. The cost (servicing your term) of debt is interest.. so you are saying the interest alone will soon equal those items... that is terrible. It got out of control after the tax cut and the wars we got involved in after 9-11 (which had zero to do with Iraq). It is now triple what it was when Clinton (and 41 other Presidents) left office. ---It is really tough to get out of debt once you are in deep debt.... which we are now. ..

---True... but who were they losing to... the Steelers.... a lot of teams even lost Super Bowls to the Steelers including the Cowboys ....twice. They made the AFC finals and the Steelers who won it all beat them.. Earl Campbell and some others on those teams made the NFL Hall of Fame.. Even Warren Moon from a later era did and is still 5th on the all time passing yards list..... and played in Canada for several of his early years which would move him to 3rd if you could count those yards. . --The Houston Oiler "run and shoot" offense is pretty much the father of the spread formation used today in the NFL.

Remember Bily Sims and Bob Lilly .... from very small towns..Hooks and Throckmorton.. Considering the size of those schools they may produce a higher percent of their graduating classes to the NCAA. The upper cutoff for AAA is now 1005.... AAA contains a lot of fairly large high schools.

---Fox has hired Huckabee, Gingrich, Palin, and others who have been presidential or VP candidates.... which Democrats candidates have they hired.???? They are the voice of the GOP...ie. a propaganda network.... not a real news network. "Fair and balanced" would mean both parties would be represented ... or better yet.. neither.

Margarita Bourbon and coke At home on a cold night: Hot Toddie.

---You are correct....But there are a lot of incidents where the dog was a treated as a kind family pet .... then decides one day to chew on people... maybe the owner or his kids or neighbors for no obvious reason. An aunt of mine had a chow that I was scared to death of as a kid... He did fine with the owners but not with any "outsider" and he had not been trained to do so. --My wife obtained a "cute" miniature doberman... He liked her and hated the rest of the family and would bite us if we got too close to him.... he got out and ran off.... I refused to go look for him..... He was strictly a one person dog.

Re news: In school if one kid in class tells you what happened (when the teacher was gone) and all of the rest of the kids tell you a "story" that are similiar to each other but totally different than the first kid ...... who do you believe?? ...... The same applies to news sources. ..

--Totally agree... the economy did them in... I even like McCain but he showed terrible judgement picking Palin as a VP running mate. If that was the kind of decisions he was going to make... that would not be good. --McCain got "cheated" in 2000 race against Bush when the future Swift Boat guys [ Bob Perry of Houston et. al. (not Governor.)] came out with an ad pointing out McCain had a black child [it never mentioned she was adopted, implied otherwise]. This was done a day or day before Super Tuesday in the South... McCain quit the following week. Perry was a grad of Baylor... so much for bearing false witness on that or the Kerry situation later...

---hmmmm re-elect... Sounds as if you think the GOP person will stand no chance. Actually I have voted for more GOP Presidential candidates than Demos. When the 90's hit and they started claiming to be more Christian... morally superior ... and not saying an bad about a fellow Republican even when they were awful... they got to the point they were way too partisan and never voting for anything the other party sponsored even if it was a good idea... So many now seem to be all about their party and not representing what is good for America (my opinion). I then leaned the other way. The last administration claiming to be conservative then doubling the debt, screwing up the economy, and invading a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 was the final straw. ..

.. News flash II ... Perry constantly brags how good the Texas economy is ... ( 3.9% unemployment in Midland and pumping oil money into the treasury as well) All of West Texas is similiar. There are help wanted signs all over town. Texas has one of the three best state economies and one of the three worse budget problems.... and that makes sense to you??

--Don't forget MOST people voted for him in the last election.... If he is so bad ... just how terrible was the opposition???? hahaha

--Although I am in education... I am no big fan of the Federal Department of Education.... Leave most of that to states and local. having said that I am no fan of Gov. Perry in Texas just for that reasson... continues to cut funding and has no clue.

. ---Those dogs are absolutely crazy and unpredictable... A few years ago when I left town a big story in Midland was about a pit bull attacking some kids ... then I got to Carlsbad, N.M.... the news there was one one chewing up an elderly lady ... the next night we were in El Paso and one of the big stories there involved an attack by a pit bull... Three towns and a big story in every town... Every once in awhile you hear about a "tame" one deciding to chew up their owner for no reason. Amazes me that anyone would want one except as a junk yard dog to chew up people who break in.. ---Another idiot pet story... a guy in Brownwood has lost his snake..... the problem... he somehow had a cobra about 18 inches long... they still have not found it. He is locked up ... maybe they should just make him sleep in his house.... it might still be there.. ..

--I do agree with you but only somewhat but the threshold for no taxes is $16,760 (2010 numbers) after deductions ... this eliminates many seniors who have paid taxes for years sometimes decades [ my mother partly because with such low interest rates and being over 65 she stopped qualifying..barely ] and also a lot of the very young who are attending college etc. and the very poor which sometimes can't reach that number with the number of kids and amount of deductions they have. I do think child deductions should be capped at four? except for adopted kids... If you can't afford them... don't have them. --The amount collected from those making little would not amount to much anyway and might not be worth the expense of tracking them. --Yes they do pay taxes... social security (if they are still working), sales tax, gasoline tax, and unfortunately tobacco and alcohol, maybe property tax which is even deductable (especially retired ones..my parents.. they paid a lot, houses and ranchland), and a lot other hidden ones... it is not quite as it seems. A lot of seniors have CDs and do money market accounts since they can't afford stock market meltdowns as happened in 2008 ... with CD rates at about 1% (or less) .. a half million only earns $5000 ( or less)......since the 2008 meltdown... ..

So you think it is completely fair that you are likely paying a higher rate on any increased income than Romney and others making millions each year pay... ???... ok ... but I am on your side . -- ..

---You are completely missing the point... it isn't about the amount.. A lot of the top 1% are getting taken to the cleaners. They have high incomes and pay 25-35%.... meanwhile the people who are making millions from capital gains only pay 15%. I am not about soaking the wealthy... just they make a LOT more and pay half the rate. They may be paying only half the RATE you do if you have a rather high income and are working everyday. --You seem to have no problem with that. I actually think tax rate should be reduced some on those earning high working income ... but restore the capital gains taxes back to what they once were. --PLEASE---Look at a tax table [i have the 2010 one]... for the amount of adjusted income that you are making over $68,000 .... you are paying 25% or more [not 25% of our total income.. but 25% of the over part]. So if you are making more than that... any increase in salary you get will taxed at a higher rate (25% maybe more) than the Wall Street guys (15%)... I am taking numbers from a publication of Ameriprise [ American Express ] showing and explaining tax brackets. ..Don't respond until you actually research it... you might be surprised. I am no genius but I do teach mathematics of finance in college. I am understanding what I am reading. If nothing else just add a fake 100 dollars to your income on a tax form [turbo tax or tax schedule] and see what happens.. Your tax bill will likely go up more than $15 which would be 15%. You likely are paying a higher rate than the Wall Street guys on any additional income.. ---One reason they have gotten away with it is people just don't completely understand how it works and just look at overall tax rate [turbo tax prints it]... not the same at all. There are no taxes on an adjusted income of $16,750 or less and only 15% on the amt between 17,000 and $68,000. This somewhat explains why so many pay little or no tax... students rarely have enough income to pay anything, same with many seniors... as well as some others working part-time or big families with LOTS of deductions--kids or maybe big itemized items...Medical?

-- GE paid zero last year.. which is in the DOW 20 .... not exactly going broke.

You logic is a bit odd ---Unless you are making $250,000 per year or more and if capital gains were held to 15% for a reasonable amount ($50,000) you would owe no more if changes were made.... We are talking people making millions per year. It is the high wage earners that are now getting taken to the cleaners not those with millions. I imagine most of us on this board do own stock either mutual funds or individual companies. (I do) At the same time what has happened to the national debt since 2001 is a big problem.... something has to done or we have severe problems.... No one like paying taxes or even their electric bill .... but they have to paid. What is your answer..... ? Don't say cut spending unless you say what in detail.... and remember likely most cuts will cause even more unemployment.... see Perry and the Texas legislature which cut loose 1000's in education and more 1000's in other services.. several 100 in my hometown at a prison. ... I guess most of those inmates are now on the street. As another poster stated.... even retirement accounts including mine which invested in stocks get that 15% benefit. Neither does my social security when added on top of my other income costs me more than 15% also.. You are defending the ultra millionaires... not the middle class or even high earning professionals which often take a real beating. . ... ..

---If the kid involved had been a kid or grand-kid of yours.... you would be irate how it was handled. Any coach that knew of the "event" should have followed up to the point that something meaningful was done... and that means contacting the police... that may seem insensitive since he has died but it doesn't change what happened to those kids. Any person of good character would have done something besides what was done.

Paying their fair share (more than 15%) isn't socialism... when so many of us are paying a lot more (percentwise) and making a lot less [not millions in capitol gains). You may find this page interesting.... http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/15/business/one-percent-map.html?hp To be in the top 1% isn't as much as many think...... It isn't millions and definitely not millions in capital gains. NY Times is not a political site so don't claim that. INCOME REQUIRED TO BE IN THE (total family income): TOP 1% --- $383,001 TOP 5% --- $188,001 TOP 10% --- $140,001 TOP 25% --- $89,125 TOP HALF --- $50,742 BOTTOM 25% --- $25,411 BOTTOM 10% --- $12,154 .. This pretty much shows the doctors, lawyers, some engineers, some business owners including tech and oil business, and some others earning a large salary by WORKING are paying 25%-35% while those making millions on Wall Street by just trading stock are just paying 15%.... I guess you think that is fair.... I don't. the Wall Street/Banking guys were the ones that got the huge 2001 tax cut. You can bet a lot of the top 1% in income are the guys I mentioned and are getting killed on income tax because they work.

and has a lot of money.... and wasn't stupid when he earned it. What is his agenda.... ?? wants more money... that makes no sense. I finally agree with you the 51% or close to it that pay nothing is way too much... I was even paying some income taxes when I was a poor grocery sack-boy trying to pay my way through college in the sixties (true). Who cut all of them??? I don't think you want to know or state that.. The part about some getting more in refunds that they pay in is even worse... It happens.

---I pay more than15% on my TRS pension earnings now... I am over 65... they are not taxed at 15%. ....and because of my total income I pay more than on my social security check as well... Those do not fall under long term capital gains.. even in retirement accounts. Buffett... he did pay more. Apparently you are not reading my posts closely.... keep the first $50,000 or whatever at 15%.... above that go to 20% or may be more at some point... just as the rest of income tax is "stepped".. So I guess you are protesting because you make millions in capital gains each year.??? instead of $50,000 or less...lucky you ..... ------------ unt-girl04: My 40%-40%-20% did not come from a political site... Your posts are very good and reasonable and thought out. I have read about so much income tax not being paid.... it may be right... but I doubt the quantity is that much.... none of us can prove either is true.... might be right but I doubt it is so much.... but the reduced enforcement (due to budget cutbacks) in recent years has has made it worse no doubt.... ..

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-blames-congress-romneys-15-155000898.html Note-- Buffett does state that many of his employees pay a higher rate than he does... The ultra wealthy should be very concerned about the national debt and what it could lead to. They could be hurt the worst in the long run...

..I think most sourses give 40% of the debt to the tax cuts.... 40% of the debt to war... mostly Iraq which had zero to do with 9-11 and had no WMD... and the remaining 20% to whatever.. including interest. In all other wars I believe that Congress and the President increased taxes to cover war costs but in 2001 the opposite happened.... they were not conservative at all... Conservatives make sure income and expenses are very close together. You are likely right about a lot of much tax evasion but I doubt it is a big contributing factor.... oddly I think less money is now spent than before by the Treasury Dept. to collecting these taxes..... In some areas cutting expenses just doesn't make sense. Sorta like not changing a cars oil to save money... bad in the long run.

--- I have college athletes at times in my class.... Most profs will work with those students... maybe they did get an unfair prof or at most two.... but they aren't gone because of ONE class. I do feel sorry a bit for basketball players... their season appears in two semesters and have a lot of mid-week games... not true much of football and most other sports although golf can get ridiculous .... multi-day tournaments and not locally. --- When I was at TxTech I (several years ago) I had several football players [3-4 ] in my class and failed one... The athletic dept. called me and after I rattled off all the days he was absent and his test grades... they said ok ... and he was history. Another one in the same class made one of the few A's. Some just don't get it .... and some of them work very hard.