President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

One of these things is not like the other.

 

Aren't consumption taxes - especially on things like food and clothing - awfully regressive in nature?

I'm all for income tax reform and don't mind sales taxes (as long as groceries are excluded). But can enough money be raised through them to pay for military, infrastructure and other things that I think we agree are necessities?

 

I'm sure it is entirely a coincidence that ending the Alternative Minimum Tax, the Estate Tax, and dropping both the business and personal brackets will all benefit Trump a great deal. Rachel Maddow may have pulled a Geraldo with Trump's partial tax return, but that is how we know that the AMT cost him $31m in 2005.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Speaking of ...

https://politicalwire.com/2017/04/26/moore-will-run-senate-alabama/

 

Most proposals I've seen for this kind of tax basically assume a set amount the average person spends on such, and they get a government stipend to account for it. Either that or the really basic stuff is not subject to the tax.

There are ways around the inherent regressiveness of it.

As a Dave Ramsey disciple I kind of like the idea of choosing how much tax I'll pay by not engaging in unnecessary consumption. Let the "OMG, my 6-month-old iPhone is so out of date; I need to upgrade!" people pay the most taxes. It's their choice.

 

A president can "break up" a circuit court?

Exclusive interview: Trump 'absolutely' looking at breaking up 9th Circuit

 

I lean that way too. But I wonder if the numbers work.

 

As a local columnist put it, Roy Moore is giving up a job where he gets paid but is not allowed to walk in the door. There will be three or four candidates splitting the Bible vote, but I would not bet against his making the run-off. I don't think he can win, but in Alabama anydamnthing is possible if you have an (R) after your name.

Walt Maddox, the mayor of Tuscaloosa, is also contemplating running. This is only a big deal because he is a Democrat with at least a decent chance of winning in a state where Democrats are on the endangered species list. He is in his third term as mayor, and took about 90% of the vote in the last election. His handling of the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa was extremely good. At this point he's still at the "not ruling it out" stage. He's a bright young man, and if he switched parties I think he'd win in a walk. We'll see how ambitious (and masochistic) he's feeling soon.

 

I mentioned necessities. I consider those to be military, infrastructure and education. That's about it.

(The savings thing has always mystified me. I'm a saver. It was drilled into me as a child by my parents. So I tuck away as much as possible, cutting corners every chance I get - even when I don't need to do so.)