i honestly don't know how much longer our society can function when one political party no longer has any connection with reality: the weight of the number and level of fantasies that are required to be a gop elected today in conjunction with master bullshitter (in the harry frankfurt sense) donald trump and his completely dishonest courtiers is destroying our ability to function as a rational society, and every other country in the world is taking notice and marking us to market.
which, just to follow up on the deficit, means that we are in for a prolonged period of higher long term interest rates.
Don't "fck" with medicaid should mean don't touch the program. But in good old maga tradition, the gop congress vermin heard trump say something and then interpreted it to mean anything they wanted. There is no other country on earth where people joyously vote to have their rights taken away and their wealth and benefits passed on to the billionaire class. It's mindboggling. It can't possibly be just because they want non white people to suffer and to keep two trans girls out of lacrosse.
It is three things. They want non-white people to suffer. They are big mad about women's sports and keeping trans girls out. And three - in their mind they have the potential to be uber wealthy (if not for those non-white folks) and so they don't want to be restricted when they become billionaires.
1. will take generations to change. I'm not hopeful. 2. ok so now there are no trans girls in sports - that should not be a reason and 3. how can we disabuse them of that notion?
We can't because they don't really thing trans women in women's sports is a problem. For them it is just a wedge. If Democrats had banned trans women from women's sports they would be attacking them for that. I don't think Trump actually believes in anything but his own magnificence. And he just plain enjoys being cruel.
Yeah right…the more those non-white people suffer, the more the cost of living will go up for everyone. When are these people going to figure out that the non-white people pick their tomatoes, put on their roofs, and clean their hotel rooms? They also pump their gas… I could go on and on. There is literally no potential for anyone but the already Uber wealthy to be Uber wealthy.
Every organization that delivers money or services of value needs to be on the look-out for WF&A. How organizations do that can be revised and improved. Flat out kicking people to the curb would not be that. Strictly from a fiscal perspective, not changing Medicaid will mean that the BBB will be yet more a staggering increase to the national debt: Paltry spending cuts against a massive reduction to revenue via tax cuts.
Nobody needs those tax cuts to be honest. This is a pure reverse robin hood bill, where low income workers are raped over to give money to the trillionaires. Middle income people and, in fact, all of us, are fucked over long term being straddled with this staggering debt. This is absolutely abhorrent.
This is one of the things that kills me. They have all of this money and their goal isn’t to do cool stuff with it like build theaters, or other community spaces. No, they just want more zeros in their bank account. I look at someone like Shari Redstone and I’m like you have all of this money and power, you could be a national hero by standing up to Trump, but no, you want more money… for what? You can’t spend the money you have now on yourself, so why why why Shari do you need more? It makes no sense to me, money without purpose is meaningless.
The Romans used their wealth for spectacles and festivals. The Robber Barons used their money to build lavish “cottages” for themselves then created foundations to give their offsprings jobs - think Rockefeller - and burnish their legacy - think Carnegie. The latest group want to buy themselves islands, go to mars, and buy yachts that need a secondary yacht to hold the helicopter pad. Their purpose is to acquire money. It’s an addiction with no end.
It *is* an addiction. In fact, I think there should be a Surgeon General's warning on every piece of currency and on every financial statement that says that the accumulation of money can become a dangerous addiction, or words to that effect.
You're right. The only 'benefit' they get from a tax break is perhaps to climb up a position or two on the leaderboard of the world's (or America's. Not sure.) leaderboard. Their goal is to be in the highest position before things like money stop meaning very much and they head for their survival barracks where there will be nobody left to care and where they will ultimately die.
There was a movie in the 50’s about nuclear annihilation. I think it was “On the Beach.” Only the people in Australia were left and the radioactive cloud would arrive soon. Well, everyone died. That’s how I think of these crazy people with too much money will wind up. Alone and dead. Their money won’t save them, and in acquiring it, they never had a real life, just things.
So did a lot of people. They are still dead. The problem with too few working brain cells and too much money is that these people think they can do anything they want.
Yeah, it's pure corruption. I don't understand why Trump and his followers don't understand the simple economics. Don't the profits of corporations depend on selling things to the poor, the working and the middleclass. As prices rise and employment drops and expenses for things like medical and rent skyrocket, they won't have much money, or any at all, to devote to anything more than survival.
My taxable income this year, social security, state pension and a few dividends/interest income was around $56,000. After deductions/Social Security "discount", my taxable income was around $35,000. I had to pay about $3500 in taxes. 10% of 35k is a lot versus 10% of 1,000,000.
net $30k versus net $900k. Lower income folks are getting fucked right now.
I'm convinced this bill will pass and add trillions to the debt, which Republicans will then blame on a subsequent Democratic Congress and President, and we'll go through this cycle yet again.
Yep. This is going to pass. Sure, there will be some drama, but nobody in the R caucus will dare say no to Trump. They will piss, they will moan, but then they will say 'Aye'
And I would not put it passed Trump to have actually *asked* some very conservative members to resist so that he could then once more demonstrate his mastery. "Nobody can resist me for long," cries Donald, triumphantly (and, as always, dishonestly)
So raising the cap on the SALT deduction is giving a win to “the Democrat governors”? Huh. I could have sworn it was our family writing that check to the IRS. Not the governor. But that statement is continuing proof that capping the SALT deduction is punishment for blue state citizens.
And the GOP conveniently leaves out the fact that these higher tax states have better roads, better schools, better health care systems… better just about everything for their residents.
They also don't point out that blue states pay the feds more than they receive back; the red states are the opposite. They take more than they give. So I guess putting a cap on SALT might actually rebound on red states.
All true. I’ve been in a purple state for about 2.5 years, and the higher taxes we pay here do all that, plus our municipality has enough tax revenue for residents not to be charged for trash collection. That said, I’m OK with the $30K cap for AGI under $400K, but I see the point the NY group is making.
I had understood under, but I could be mistaken. Also it could have changed ten times as this bill was negotiated, and I believe I heard this several days ago at least. If it’s only for over, I’m unhappy. That’s another squeeze on the middle class.
Per this morning’s (5/22) NYT, the SALT caucus was successful in getting this modification overnight: SALT deduction cap raised to $40K, and the deduction shrinks for those making $500K and up. I’ve been following this because it’s a rare win for the middle class. Those caps help regular people get the full deduction, but limit the deduction for those with the highest incomes and home values. Tim can make fun of this all he wants, but it’s something. It’s something for regular folks. And btw, the very best state-operated highway rest area I have ever seen is in New York. Clean and well maintained with lots of picnic tables, a nice doggy rest area with poop bags, plenty of restroom space.
“Some Republicans left the meeting in awe of the president’s ability to speak for any amount of time. ‘He’s a master salesman,’ said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). ‘He’s good.’”
I know Ralph isn’t the brightest bulb in the box (he was a real estate developer, after all, and called for martial law to prevent Biden from taking office in 2021), but unless Dear Leader is like Phil Hartman’s version of Reagan, Norman is either dumber or even less honest than I imagine.
I think your imagination needs some stretching. Norman is clearly both. He was either sucking up to his boss or admiring him as a real estate wheeler dealer.
If you don't have experience working a welfare eligibility program, you're going to underestimate the complexity of the task of monitoring a program that deals with work requirements or with disability. You will have to hire more staff. There will be appeals. There will be complicated procedures.
I speak from experience at the county and federal levels.
They are too driven by resentment and hate to do that sort of cost-benefit analysis, evidenced by sending six armed personnel to collect one college protester.
Republicans have been correct the department of education is a mess. They are the proof as no one seems to know simple math. This beautiful bill is the latest exhibit.
No, Blue, you have it wrong…the Democrats became a death cult when we expanded Medicaid, remember? The ACA was supposedly going to lead to euthanizing old people….
I read on one of these substacks today that this proposed tax cut over a decade would be more Impactful to the national debt than all of what GW Bush, Obama, and Joe Biden brought about combined, including the gargantuan American Rescue bill--the Covid health emergency measure.
i honestly don't know how much longer our society can function when one political party no longer has any connection with reality: the weight of the number and level of fantasies that are required to be a gop elected today in conjunction with master bullshitter (in the harry frankfurt sense) donald trump and his completely dishonest courtiers is destroying our ability to function as a rational society, and every other country in the world is taking notice and marking us to market.
which, just to follow up on the deficit, means that we are in for a prolonged period of higher long term interest rates.
Don't "fck" with medicaid should mean don't touch the program. But in good old maga tradition, the gop congress vermin heard trump say something and then interpreted it to mean anything they wanted. There is no other country on earth where people joyously vote to have their rights taken away and their wealth and benefits passed on to the billionaire class. It's mindboggling. It can't possibly be just because they want non white people to suffer and to keep two trans girls out of lacrosse.
It is three things. They want non-white people to suffer. They are big mad about women's sports and keeping trans girls out. And three - in their mind they have the potential to be uber wealthy (if not for those non-white folks) and so they don't want to be restricted when they become billionaires.
1. will take generations to change. I'm not hopeful. 2. ok so now there are no trans girls in sports - that should not be a reason and 3. how can we disabuse them of that notion?
We can't because they don't really thing trans women in women's sports is a problem. For them it is just a wedge. If Democrats had banned trans women from women's sports they would be attacking them for that. I don't think Trump actually believes in anything but his own magnificence. And he just plain enjoys being cruel.
Yeah right…the more those non-white people suffer, the more the cost of living will go up for everyone. When are these people going to figure out that the non-white people pick their tomatoes, put on their roofs, and clean their hotel rooms? They also pump their gas… I could go on and on. There is literally no potential for anyone but the already Uber wealthy to be Uber wealthy.
Every organization that delivers money or services of value needs to be on the look-out for WF&A. How organizations do that can be revised and improved. Flat out kicking people to the curb would not be that. Strictly from a fiscal perspective, not changing Medicaid will mean that the BBB will be yet more a staggering increase to the national debt: Paltry spending cuts against a massive reduction to revenue via tax cuts.
Nobody needs those tax cuts to be honest. This is a pure reverse robin hood bill, where low income workers are raped over to give money to the trillionaires. Middle income people and, in fact, all of us, are fucked over long term being straddled with this staggering debt. This is absolutely abhorrent.
To the billionaires they do need this tax cut. There was an old poster, “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” Just substitute money for toys.
This is one of the things that kills me. They have all of this money and their goal isn’t to do cool stuff with it like build theaters, or other community spaces. No, they just want more zeros in their bank account. I look at someone like Shari Redstone and I’m like you have all of this money and power, you could be a national hero by standing up to Trump, but no, you want more money… for what? You can’t spend the money you have now on yourself, so why why why Shari do you need more? It makes no sense to me, money without purpose is meaningless.
The Romans used their wealth for spectacles and festivals. The Robber Barons used their money to build lavish “cottages” for themselves then created foundations to give their offsprings jobs - think Rockefeller - and burnish their legacy - think Carnegie. The latest group want to buy themselves islands, go to mars, and buy yachts that need a secondary yacht to hold the helicopter pad. Their purpose is to acquire money. It’s an addiction with no end.
It *is* an addiction. In fact, I think there should be a Surgeon General's warning on every piece of currency and on every financial statement that says that the accumulation of money can become a dangerous addiction, or words to that effect.
You're right. The only 'benefit' they get from a tax break is perhaps to climb up a position or two on the leaderboard of the world's (or America's. Not sure.) leaderboard. Their goal is to be in the highest position before things like money stop meaning very much and they head for their survival barracks where there will be nobody left to care and where they will ultimately die.
There was a movie in the 50’s about nuclear annihilation. I think it was “On the Beach.” Only the people in Australia were left and the radioactive cloud would arrive soon. Well, everyone died. That’s how I think of these crazy people with too much money will wind up. Alone and dead. Their money won’t save them, and in acquiring it, they never had a real life, just things.
Musk and his pals actually talk about living forever.
So did a lot of people. They are still dead. The problem with too few working brain cells and too much money is that these people think they can do anything they want.
Paying more for goods and services, paying more in interest to buy things.. to the same motherfuckers who would get most benefit from the tax cut....
basically an ouroboros of shit. That's what we have become.
Yeah, it's pure corruption. I don't understand why Trump and his followers don't understand the simple economics. Don't the profits of corporations depend on selling things to the poor, the working and the middleclass. As prices rise and employment drops and expenses for things like medical and rent skyrocket, they won't have much money, or any at all, to devote to anything more than survival.
Where do they think their profits will come from?
My taxable income this year, social security, state pension and a few dividends/interest income was around $56,000. After deductions/Social Security "discount", my taxable income was around $35,000. I had to pay about $3500 in taxes. 10% of 35k is a lot versus 10% of 1,000,000.
net $30k versus net $900k. Lower income folks are getting fucked right now.
I'm convinced this bill will pass and add trillions to the debt, which Republicans will then blame on a subsequent Democratic Congress and President, and we'll go through this cycle yet again.
This right here. Everything else is performative politics.
Yep. This is going to pass. Sure, there will be some drama, but nobody in the R caucus will dare say no to Trump. They will piss, they will moan, but then they will say 'Aye'
And I would not put it passed Trump to have actually *asked* some very conservative members to resist so that he could then once more demonstrate his mastery. "Nobody can resist me for long," cries Donald, triumphantly (and, as always, dishonestly)
So raising the cap on the SALT deduction is giving a win to “the Democrat governors”? Huh. I could have sworn it was our family writing that check to the IRS. Not the governor. But that statement is continuing proof that capping the SALT deduction is punishment for blue state citizens.
And the GOP conveniently leaves out the fact that these higher tax states have better roads, better schools, better health care systems… better just about everything for their residents.
They also don't point out that blue states pay the feds more than they receive back; the red states are the opposite. They take more than they give. So I guess putting a cap on SALT might actually rebound on red states.
I’m a busy girl, I don’t always point out the obvious.
All true. I’ve been in a purple state for about 2.5 years, and the higher taxes we pay here do all that, plus our municipality has enough tax revenue for residents not to be charged for trash collection. That said, I’m OK with the $30K cap for AGI under $400K, but I see the point the NY group is making.
I am sorry? Shouldn’t it be a 30k cap for AGI OVER 400k?
I had understood under, but I could be mistaken. Also it could have changed ten times as this bill was negotiated, and I believe I heard this several days ago at least. If it’s only for over, I’m unhappy. That’s another squeeze on the middle class.
I don’t know. I could be wrong
I forgot about the higher minimum wage here in NY.
Per this morning’s (5/22) NYT, the SALT caucus was successful in getting this modification overnight: SALT deduction cap raised to $40K, and the deduction shrinks for those making $500K and up. I’ve been following this because it’s a rare win for the middle class. Those caps help regular people get the full deduction, but limit the deduction for those with the highest incomes and home values. Tim can make fun of this all he wants, but it’s something. It’s something for regular folks. And btw, the very best state-operated highway rest area I have ever seen is in New York. Clean and well maintained with lots of picnic tables, a nice doggy rest area with poop bags, plenty of restroom space.
For the republicans, “don't fuck with Medicaid” Means they will indeed do it, with no lube
Any lawmaker who does it, with or without lube, has no busy calling him/herself a republican. MAGAT is the only word that is even close.
Lube is not covered.
Oh, it will be! They will support lube like they do gun silencers. Red state priorities.
“Some Republicans left the meeting in awe of the president’s ability to speak for any amount of time. ‘He’s a master salesman,’ said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). ‘He’s good.’”
I know Ralph isn’t the brightest bulb in the box (he was a real estate developer, after all, and called for martial law to prevent Biden from taking office in 2021), but unless Dear Leader is like Phil Hartman’s version of Reagan, Norman is either dumber or even less honest than I imagine.
Why not both?
I think your imagination needs some stretching. Norman is clearly both. He was either sucking up to his boss or admiring him as a real estate wheeler dealer.
If you don't have experience working a welfare eligibility program, you're going to underestimate the complexity of the task of monitoring a program that deals with work requirements or with disability. You will have to hire more staff. There will be appeals. There will be complicated procedures.
I speak from experience at the county and federal levels.
So it will cost them more to administer the program then it would be to just pay the medical bills…
They are too driven by resentment and hate to do that sort of cost-benefit analysis, evidenced by sending six armed personnel to collect one college protester.
What is the word I am looking for??? The Bulwark folks keep asking me to be nice….
Karoline Leavitt: "This bill does not add to the deficit". Que. the laugh track!
Mendacious Barbie.
Uh, wasn't there a time in America when a President openly saying “We don’t want to benefit Democrat governors,” would have been a huge scandal??
'He’s a master salesman,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). “He’s good.. "
Maybe that's how his AG, Pam Bondi, became convinced he had saved the lives of 3/4 of Americans.
or bankrupted casinos; sued over his university and is a felon for cheating on his taxes in New York.
What business school teaches this model? Trump U aka Fuck U
For fun, Google yourself up the story about a tiny Native American tribe in 29 Palms, CA that took Trump to the cleaners in a casino deal.
Aye matey…..ask Comrade Putin!
Republicans have been correct the department of education is a mess. They are the proof as no one seems to know simple math. This beautiful bill is the latest exhibit.
Tremendous; Thats with capital T and that rhymes with G which stands for grift.
What does "Don't f*ck around with Medicaid mean to House Republicans"? Perhaps it depends on what your definition of is,is.
The Republican party is the party of lies and grift and violence and illegally.
And a death cult.
No, Blue, you have it wrong…the Democrats became a death cult when we expanded Medicaid, remember? The ACA was supposedly going to lead to euthanizing old people….
can any of this be reversed by a future dem congress? it doesn't seem like it should be written in stone for the ages.
I read on one of these substacks today that this proposed tax cut over a decade would be more Impactful to the national debt than all of what GW Bush, Obama, and Joe Biden brought about combined, including the gargantuan American Rescue bill--the Covid health emergency measure.