December 19, 2017 6:00 AM
Morning Reads for Tuesday, December 19
Good morning!
- Something is rotten in the county of Paulding. Like, it genuinely stinks.
- A breakdown of the Atlanta airport snafu/cluster/communications debacle.
- The ACLU contends that Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-West Point) “illegally” blocked people on Facebook.
- Longtime Cobb Chamber CEO David Connell retired yesterday.
- A critic’s review of the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.
- The Carolina Panthers for sale and Diddy is interested.
- Okay, I’m not saying there are UFOs – I also don’t know that they’re not out there – but watch this video and read this article and process how Senator Harry Reid is all in.
- Speaking as a middle-aged lady who recently put up a Christmas tree, I endorse this series of vintage photos of middle-aged ladies with their Christmas trees.
- The Hamildrops have commenced, starting with Benjamin F’ing Franklin.
About Author
Teri
Teri Anulewicz is a Democrat who represents House District 42 in the Georgia General Assembly. She previously spent nearly a decade on the Smyrna City Council. A native New Orleanian and quasi-Texan, Teri graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1998. She's been a front page contributor since 2015, and she compiles each Tuesday's Morning Reads.
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And only 2 Christmas trees with a train around the bottom. Sad.
Trump’s first response, as would be expected from a sociopath, to the Amtrak crash was to connect it to himself by promoting his non-existent infrastructure investment plan. Trump already knew the cause of the crash was insufficient infrastructure. He’s that knowledgeable, believe me. Besides, those killed and injured were Democrats, the wreck having occurred in blue Washington state.
So, Trump called the conductor and told him to exceed the speed limit for the area? Didn’t know that…
I didn’t know that. But then again, Trump is extraordinarily smart. He’s been saying so hisself for years: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/12/im-like-a-really-smart-person-donald-trump-exults-in-outsider-status
Why just last month he said so again, the typical Rupublican memory span being about a month: http://www.newsweek.com/trump-wants-america-know-hes-very-intelligent-person-who-went-ivy-league-693014
Reed, after eight years and a couple Snowmageddons, still doesn’t know how to handle an emergency. Waiting for snow to be on the ground before taking action the last time worked so well he thought it best to wait until the airport fire had been out for hours to even acknowledge what had happened. Besides, who needed to know when the power may come back on? It’s the world’s biggest airport with all its amenities, and isn’t there a giant photo of him there? The stranded didn’t need to know that the power could be out for hours or days, and decide what to do accordingly.
His getting huffy when the national media points out the lapse could take time away from squeezing in the awarding of airport concession contracts and stocking the city’s pension board with supporters before the Bottoms becomes Mayor. (Mary, give it up.)
So, how is letting the citizens keep more of their own money as bad thing?
Because the federal government is a better steward of your money. You are not responsible enough to manage that amount of money. The government knows what is best for you. Shut your mouth and write the check.
That’s what I thought. Thank God for Trump’s tax cut today!
I have no issue with cutting taxes, if Trump cuts the budget to pay for it while leaving Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security levels alone (we already paid for it). If he wants to not build a wall, not spend money of the military, not build infrastructure, etc, to cut our taxes, that would be okay. If he’s going to cut spending on every thing else while thinking it’s going to offset his military increase, and his wall will just magically pay for itself is unralistic.
Treating the whole thing as a black and white issue (you’re either all tax cuts or a tax and spend liberal commie) is divisive, and inaccurate.
I don’t know about others, but I’m going to lose my medical tax write offs, which arewell over the 10% of my income level. Doubling the standard deductible and taking my one and only exemption will not make up for what I itemize. Every tax calculator I input raises my taxes. EVERY ONE. Also based on what I read, companies can not write off a lot of the perks I have from my job, so I’m going to have to start paying taxes on some of my benefits too.
Sarah Sanders keeps telling me a family of 4 who makes $65,000 a year will get a tax break of almost blah blah blah… But no one will tell you what a single person making that much with no children, a mortgage and no other tax write offs will get back… Not a single GOP leaning chart. Not One.
(we already paid for it). That’s cute too. You should get every penny you paid into both and not a penny more. Oh wait, you paid into it and will get 30% more than you actually paid? So stop using that phrase please.
“But no one will tell you what a single person making that much with no children, a mortgage and no other tax write offs will get back… Not a single GOP leaning chart. Not One.”
This is called the marriage penalty. It sucks. We all lived through it at some point. But just think. You get your own tv without whining about watching Thomas the train. You never have the conversation of where do you want to eat? I don’t know, where do you want to eat? I don’t know. You can sit in your underwear and eat Cheetos and no one will yell at you. You should pay more for those privileges.
Two uncles, an aunt and 3 of my cousin’s died before they even got a single penny of what they paid in – none had dependents when they died. One uncle’s widow is making more in her life time then him. My father died two years in. My mother may live long enough to counter act I’m well aware of how the programs work thank you. (Plus I like cute phrases…)
Obviously no tax bill can be tailored to benefit every one in the country. There are gonna be a few losers. However, basically, if one is not an upper middle to lower wealthy class citizen of a high tax blue state, you should at worst break even and prolly come out ahead.
There are some legit criticisms of the bill. However the two laziest and least credible are the memes 1) 13 million folks will lose their healthcare ( no they won’t) and 2) the middle class breaks will go away in 2025. Won’t happen. Yea, due to the reconciliation rules the breaks sunset. But no elected official, from liberal dem to conservative gop, is gonna refuse to continue them. No one with any hope of continuing in elected office will cast a vote that would be a de facto middle class tax increase. Not gonna happen.
The cold hard facts are that roughly 75% of the folks will get a tax break. And yea, they will keep that tax break.
So let’s get real with the criticisms. Want to talk about the deficit? Knock yourself out. But don’t be surprised when the folks eyes glaze over on that score.
Interesting that this bill is not polling well. But I wonder how it will poll this time next year when the folks actually see that they have more cash in their pocket and the benefits in fact did not all go to the rich.
“Let Charlie keep the vast majority of the turkey, when he’s full he’ll let the rest of the turkey trickle down to everyone else at the table,” Eiger replies.
If Charlie had the job that bought the whole turkey then he can have 83% if he wants it. It’s his damn turkey.
Yeah, I don’t care about all that. I like the bill because it equates to nearly $10,000 more a year in my family’s pocket.
What do single childless people with high medical cost get back?
I don’t know. I’m not single, childless or currently have high medical costs. I said I support it because it helps me. I’m selfish in that way.
$10,000 more a year will allow me and my wife to max out our 401(k)s. It will all allow us to send our child to a better daycare. It will allow us to save faster for a down payment for our next home. It will allow us to put more into savings so that if we do have a medical emergency we will be financially sound. And it’s my damn money, not the government’s.
Again, I support this bill because it will help me and my family.
Naaaaa, well just call you General Secretary!!
I would love to keep more of my own damn money too – but under this bill I don’t (I can’t have children because of medical conditions I was born with that I pay higher insurance and medical cost for because life just happened that way – thus congress is going to give you – or some one like you – my damn money instead to your children or some one else’s children – since I don’t have children to receive tax credits (all I ask is don’t let the kiddos grow up to be Chicago Bear fans). I’m okay with that, since you, “I believe children are our future” (sung in my best Whitney Houston voice. Enjoy.
Question, Since it your damn money, then your okay with cutting military spending to balance the budget so your damn money isn’t needed to pay for the interest on the increase of the national deficit (it is the largest line item in the budget even after you eliminate every other expenditure we still would have to cut that too)? It’s either that, or just like both Reagan and Bush SR., taxes will need to be adjusted (AKA raised).
1) we don’t cut $25 billion for Medicaid. – That equates to the expansion of Medicaid to able bodied individuals so I’m okay with that cut.
2) we don’t kick tens of millions of Americans off of health insurance and drastically raise premiums across the board – That continues to be a lie no matter how many times you say it.
3) means that teachers can deduct school supplies from their taxes, grad students aren’t forced to count tuition assistance as income, and we can protect deductions for Americans with high medical costs. – Yeah, I support all that, but I’m not going to let the pursuit of perfection get in the way of the good.
4) Some folks care about their bottom line – you are correct and thank you for at least not calling me evil. That is a start.
To Ellyn
1) Sorry about your medical condition.
2) “thus congress is going to give you – or some one like you – my damn money” Let’s be perfectly clear. Congress is allowing me to keep more of my own money. Not your money. That is a very important distinction.
3) then your okay with cutting military spending to balance the budget so your damn money isn’t needed to pay for the interest on the increase of the national deficit – I would absolutely support that. There is a lot of waste at the Pentagon. I would prefer to use those cuts as a bargaining chip to get democrats to support changes to social security.
Also, The tax foundation has a good chart for you on who gets what.
https://taxfoundation.org/final-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-taxpayer-impacts/
See Eiger, we are not that far apart on our thought process… I have even read through the link you listed a few weeks back. I would like to point out again, it does not list singles who itemized. My itemized amount from 2016 was almost $12,000 plus I had the personal exemption. Now standard is $12,500 and I loss any medical expenses and the exemption.
I just want to be treated almost as fair (since nothing is every really fair) as a family of 4 or a hedge fund manager. If you want to be more exact, the extra percentage of my damn money I paid in taxes over a family of 4 or a hedge fund manager can go to the public non-religious education of children if we still have a Department of Education by 2019 when I write the check. I’m still very concerned over folks getting my damn money to raise Bear fans though. What can I do to stop that?
What type of Social Security reform we talking about?
“What type of Social Security reform we talking about?”
Members of congress, their staff and all federal employees are currently enrolled in the Thrift Savings Program. This is a 401(k) plan where the government will match up to 5% of what and individual puts in. It is invested in life cycle funds that automatically get more conservative as you get older. Unless you change the setting on your profile, but you still only have 5 or 6 funds to invest in.
For people who are 50 plus nothing changes with social security. For those under 50 you can select to have your portion of the payroll tax go to your thrift savings fund. You can then add your own money to the fund as well. Your employers side of the payroll deduction will stay in the current social security fund.
Also, thanks Andrew for telling people what you think my answer would be. Once again you are wrong. If you weren’t so partisan on this issue we could probably solve it.
The thing that makes SSI important (and will be the hard sell like it was back in 2005 when Bush wanted to go a similar route) is the mind set of the loss of The Guarantee. Doesn’t matter how safe, how conservative – it’s still a game of chance. It’s going to take a huge mind and generational shift to move in that direction.
My 62 year old uncle still keeps cash on hand incase the banks fail again like the S & L did in 1987 and his daughter’s bank in 2009. Didn’t matter my cousin didn’t loss a dime, it still failed. His children all have similar mind sets and being under 50 they are not going to go along with having the government tell them which of the 6 funds Uncle Sam gives them to pick where to gamble “their damn money” away when the funds crash. These are the sort who believe the 2nd amendment is there so when the government doesn’t pick up their VA tab or deposit the SSI amount they were “guaranteed”, they can storm the federal reserve to get it themselves. Seriously, when the government shut down in 2013, my uncle was going on a major rant about storming the VA when they rescheduled an appointment. Had my brother clean his rifles just in case.
People would need to solve that PR issue before you can do any deal.
I agree that you have to shift people’s minds. That’s why you only change it for the younger generation. Most would rather have their money in a 401(k) that is more of a guarantee than the government keeping it’s promise 35 years from now.
“Your conception is that it’s a form of retirement savings. Mine is that it’s a form of basic insurance for individuals.” It doesn’t matter if you think it’s retirement savings or insurance. People depend on it to pay bills and live on. I think if it’s good enough for Congress it’s good enough for the American people.
Eiger, if you really are Paul Ryan, can you tell me what you or your mom are going to do with your aunt’s place on Lake de’ Neveu? I love that house. If it is going on the market, I call dib’s on it.
Sorry, but I’m not Paul. I do know him. And I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting beautiful Wisconsin.
My grandmother did the housekeeping for his grandfather’s office suite when he was the Chief of Surgery for my hometown hospital. His mother went to school with my dad’s first cousins, and his Aunt and Uncle had the lake house next to one of my high school pals. She gave us lemonade during the summer when we went swimming.
What does income inequality really mean ? That some folks earn more than others? Wanna fix it? Find a better job. Or get more education so—-you can find a better job. Pretty effing simple.
Income inequality. That is such a cute liberal phrase.
How dare I want more of my money so that I can save for my own retirement and send my child to a good college. How dare I!
How dare I say that the 24% of my check going to the feds is the government’s fair share. See what I did there? You liberals love that phrase.
Again, don’t care. I’m getting a tax cut too.
Welcome back, Eiger! I have genuinely never seen you in better, logical form! Gotta be driving the Gapol ninnies nuts!! Lol!!
Glad to be back. I’ve decided that I don’t care about changing people’s minds anymore. I’ll simply explain why I support something.
And in Pope’s inane, trite and lazy response, was in fact no disagreement that 75% of the folks get a tax cut. Noted.
And the 25% that aren’t getting a tax cut aren’t getting one because they already don’t pay taxes. Very important.
I pay taxes and from what I have read so far, based on what I will loose in itemizing, I am one of the 25%. I will be more then happy tell you all if I’m wrong come February of 2019.
I do honestly think you may be wrong. I say that sincerely. At worst it should be a wash for you. Clearly that is not ideal for anyone, but it’s not a tax increase.
So everyone gets a tax cut? Great. Thanks for explaining that. Also, when the democrats are in charge in 2027 they can explain why taxes need to be increased on every American and Congress doesn’t need to extend the tax cuts. See simple. Democrats will get to talk about people paying their fair share all they want. Ten years from now.
Since when do democrats care about deficits?
I’m fine with paying for these tax cuts with cuts in other areas of the government. Including cutting able bodied people off of Medicaid. That wasn’t what the program was deigned for. I’m fine with cuts to spending to the military as long as it doesn’t touch the VA or payments to current military pay or retirees pay.
Not having the healthcare debate with you, but I’m fine with student loan forgiveness for people who teach in underserved areas or become healthcare providers in underserved areas. I don’t agree with forgiving some dumb millennial’s $30,000 for an art history degree. They can spend the rest of their lives being constantly reminded how dumb they are. As they should
“When did Republicans stop caring about deficits?” I still believe that tax cuts will ultimately pay for themselves. Again, I think it’s fine to find other places to cut in the government.
“Eiger, for the economy’s sake, I hope you’re right.” Well, just the possibility of the tax bill passing has the stock market booming. My 401(k) is up 23% since December of last year. I guess I’m just being selfish.
“While that’s great for you and me, we’re currently at one of the lowest stock market participation rates in modern history.” That’s why SSI should be converted over into a personal 401(k) then there would be 100% participation. I don’t think my grandmother would be complaining if she new that her SSI/retirement/insurance had grown 23% this year. That isn’t some special super rich person fund. It’s the Thrift Savings Account I was talking about earlier.
“but it’s probably better structured as a program on top of a basic income guarantee for retirees.” Look at that. We are getting somewhere. How about half the payroll tax goes to the traditional “guaranteed” SSI payments. The rest into the thrift savings plan.
“Since deficits don’t matter, how about we keep SSI and make the TSP a new program all it’s own?” It’s fun to dream.
Why should people get anything from anyone’s life work? Do tell, Marx! Ain’t one cent rightfully yours. None. It goes to the family of the person who earned it!!
That money has already been taxed multiple times on the person that earned it but buzzards like you circle the death bed to get your beaks in it one more time! It’s sickening.
Damn right. No part of anyone’s estate is an entitlement to anyone but his rightful and chosen heirs. 11 million or 11 billion, Skippy!! You are a parasite. Pure and simple. Earn your own living!!
Hey where did my comment go…
Hey, General Secretary!! Here’s something for you! Lolol!
https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/15/jingle-bells-rooted-in-racism-boston-university-professor-says.amp.html
Meanwhile trending on Twitter….
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/12/19/what-kind-country-we-speak-out-core-american-values-sally-q-yates-column/951828001/
There wasn’t a single Democrat at any time in the closed-door process, but Elaine Hatch was there. Yeah, right.
Or did Orrin “Obama should nominate Merrick who’d be a shoe-in” Hatch tell her he did so? Now there’s a source you can trust.
That moron beat your gal.
No he didn’t. The Russians beat her.
Income inequality is going to be the biggest problem in the US over the next 30 years. We have arrived at a system where those who already have wealth are able to gain more, at the expense of the less wealthy. As more people face a lifetime of struggle while watching others get wealthy at their expense they will lose hope. When they lose hope they don’t follow the rules anymore because they don’t care. Crime will go up, the black market will increase, litter will increase, homelessness will increase, illnesses will increase, businesses will face increasing theft, retail sales will fall. All of these things are a drain on the economy.
Any time you design an economic system, there will be winners and losers. But the system can be tweaked to minimize the costs to those left behind which also reduces our overall cost by minimizing all those issues above. (Similar to why businesses often settle lawsuits or write off obsolete product- it’s cheaper than the alternative.) Income inequality is surely one of the criteria by which a successful economic system should be measured. Income inequality in the US is already the worst among 1st world nations and whether you believe that most of this tax cut money should go to the wealthiest among us or not, the fact that it does will clearly make income disparity even worse. If you are a fan of feudalism, this is a good way to get there.
https://youtu.be/eXnvTwRBrgc