Axelrod: Obama Won't Rule Out Middle-Class Tax Hike

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/06/axelrod-obama-wont-rule-out-tax-hike-.html

White House senior adviser David Axelrod said the president won't rule out a health care reform bill that includes a tax hike on people making less than $250,000 a year.

Wasnt this pretty much the entire basis of his campaign?

Originally posted by KidRock
http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/06/axelrod-obama-wont-rule-out-tax-hike-.html

[B]White House senior adviser David Axelrod said the president won't rule out a health care reform bill that includes a tax hike on people making less than $250,000 a year.

Wasnt this pretty much the entire basis of his campaign? [/B]

Until he actually does something, he still has adhered to his campaign rhetoric.

But, yes, if he goes against his word, I'll be disappointed. I wanted "change", not more hypocrisy.

Originally posted by KidRock
Wasnt this pretty much the entire basis of his campaign?

Yup.

I'm in favor of this actually. Go Obama.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Until he actually does something, he still has adhered to his campaign rhetoric.

But, yes, if he goes against his word, I'll be disappointed. I wanted "change", not more hypocrisy.

Considering the poor have already started paying more in taxes under Obama I don't know who wouldn't call him a hypocrite.

The guy is a joke, so are his economic policies and those that support them.

Originally posted by KidRock
Considering the poor have already started paying more in taxes under Obama I don't know who wouldn't call him a hypocrite.

The guy is a joke, so are his economic policies and those that support them.

Poor people are basically parasites. They deserve what they get.

Originally posted by KidRock
Considering the poor have already started paying more in taxes under Obama I don't know who wouldn't call him a hypocrite.

The guy is a joke, so are his economic policies and those that support them.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Until he actually does something, he still has adhered to his campaign rhetoric.

But, yes, if he goes against his word, I'll be disappointed. I wanted "change", not more hypocrisy.

Originally posted by King Kandy
The economic policies are good. People have this ridiculous thing about not wanting to pay taxes. Where I live our schools are a joke because nobody wants to pay any taxes to fix them up.

I think the point is more that he blatantly lied to the American people than that the policy has no legs.

bring it on The Great Tax Con Job

Originally posted by inimalist
I think the point is more that he blatantly lied to the American people than that the policy has no legs.

I was trying to turn the conversation into something more constructive than another KidRock "could you guys start hating on Obama plz" thread.

In any case I don't see how this is any kind of proof of "blatant lies" since he never actually contradicted any campaign promises. All he said was that he was keeping all the options on the table which is a good perspective to have.

Originally posted by King Kandy
I was trying to turn the conversation into something more constructive than another KidRock "could you guys start hating on Obama plz" thread.

In any case I don't see how this is any kind of proof of "blatant lies" since he never actually contradicted any campaign promises. All he said was that he was keeping all the options on the table which is a good perspective to have.

fair enough, though, I do remember the debates, where he quite clearly said what middle class Americans could expect from his administration.

I guess "outright lie" might be a bit harsh, so lets just say he is keeping the "outright lie" on the table? I also don't think that keeping the option of "breaking specific promises" on the table is such a good thing.

summary of the article- what happens in a capitalist society when taxes are raised on the middle and lower classes? Companies are forced to pay bigger wages to make up the difference in order to maintain a workforce. It's why in social democratic countries, people pay half their income in taxes but because of the social services provided by a truly representative and well funded government and the pressure it takes off of businesses, their remaining purchasing power is equivalent to $18-$25 an hour at minimum wage. That's why those damn "socialists" (who really aren't) like the Swedes and the Danes haven't been hit too much by the depression are loaning us money even though we keep shitting all over them, their pristine healthcare, and using socialism as a derogatory expletive (mostly by people who don't know what socialism is).

Originally posted by inimalist
fair enough, though, I do remember the debates, where he quite clearly said what middle class Americans could expect from his administration.

I guess "outright lie" might be a bit harsh, so lets just say he is keeping the "outright lie" on the table? I also don't think that keeping the option of "breaking specific promises" on the table is such a good thing.

Going against campaigns is good when the campaign promises were only designed as crowd pleasing devices. I think most people here would like it if he went back on his statements about not being in favor of gay marriage. I know I sure would have been happy if Bush had gone back on his promises to continue the Iraq war.

Originally posted by Darth Jello
summary of the article- what happens in a capitalist society when taxes are raised on the middle and lower classes? Companies are forced to pay bigger wages to make up the difference in order to maintain a workforce. It's why in social democratic countries, people pay half their income in taxes but because of the social services provided by a truly representative and well funded government and the pressure it takes off of businesses, their remaining purchasing power is equivalent to $18-$25 an hour at minimum wage. That's why those damn "socialists" (who really aren't) like the Swedes and the Danes haven't been hit too much by the depression are loaning us money even though we keep shitting all over them, their pristine healthcare, and using socialism as a derogatory expletive (mostly by people who don't know what socialism is).

the article is great.

But, imho, the issue isn't that any particular tax policy would or wouldn't be good for America.

I don't think it is a stretch to say that Obama's guarantee that taxes wouldn't be raised on people making under 250 000 a year was a major selling point of his campaign. That it would even be on the table as a possibility shows Obama as, to say the least, a cynical politician, which was the other selling point of his campaign, change.

Originally posted by King Kandy
Really I think if he realized there were better solutions than his campaign it is a good thing. Campaigns are notably filled with ideas designed to please crowds rather than be the best solution possible. The best thing for america would be to raise our taxes to over 50% on upper income levels and nationalize services on every level like in the Scandinavian system. Of course these plans could never be part of a campaign where the knee-jerk reactions of americans is to never raise taxes no matter what.

Going against campaigns is good when the campaign promises were only designed as crowd pleasing devices. I think most people here would like it if he went back on his statements about not being in favor of gay marriage. I know I sure would have been happy if Bush had gone back on his promises to continue the Iraq war.

???

wait

you are saying that it is ok if Obama told people what they wanted to hear in order to get into office, because now that he is there he can do the opposite? You would prefer if more politicians went back on their promises?

You live in a democracy, right?

Originally posted by Darth Jello
summary of the article- what happens in a capitalist society when taxes are raised on the middle and lower classes? Companies are forced to pay bigger wages to make up the difference in order to maintain a workforce. It's why in social democratic countries, people pay half their income in taxes but because of the social services provided by a truly representative and well funded government and the pressure it takes off of businesses, their remaining purchasing power is equivalent to $18-$25 an hour at minimum wage. That's why those damn "socialists" (who really aren't) like the Swedes and the Danes haven't been hit too much by the depression are loaning us money even though we keep shitting all over them, their pristine healthcare, and using socialism as a derogatory expletive (mostly by people who don't know what socialism is).

Though, America will never make these changes because people have been thoroughly brainwashed into thinking that any tax increase at all is the worst thing possible. Example (this honestly is what I thik would happen in this scenario):

Politician: Hey we figured out how to give out universal healthcare for only one penny each of additional taxes.

Average American: Boo no taxes!

Originally posted by inimalist
???

wait

you are saying that it is ok if Obama told people what they wanted to hear in order to get into office, because now that he is there he can do the opposite? You would prefer if more politicians went back on their promises?

You live in a democracy, right?

He should just buy PSA airtime and start a huge campaign of honesty that says, "I know I messed up, but guess what? Paying higher taxes is only bad for serfs, slaves, and rich people."

Originally posted by Darth Jello
He should just buy PSA airtime and start a huge campaign of honesty that says, "I know I messed up, but guess what? Paying higher taxes is only bad for serfs, slaves, and rich people."

The kind of heat he'd get for that would be incredible. I'd be getting those dumb Ted Kulungoski "I lost my home because of tax boosts" ads around the clock on every station.