Alternative Minimum Tax

For me the solution to the AMT is simple, just adjust the threshold for inflation like Schneed said. It was designed for the rich, if you adjust it for the rich due to inflation then it continues serving its' purpose instead of hurting middle class citizens. Unfortunately I don't think our current gov't would realize this lol. I hope in this case I'm wrong.

Sorry for breaking into the AMT discussion, but I find it frustrating when highly partisan information is presented as simply "the facts". It actually does matter where you get your information from and when I see code words like "socialized medicine" and "fair taxation" I become pretty skeptical of the source of information. You should too.
I want to address what you and Schneed have mentioned, without going down the rathole of arguing detailed points of Fair Tax, tax policy, or politcal philosophies. I do completely understand media & political bias.

I want to clarify a couple things about my original post:

1) I didn't cut & paste from a highly partisan website. What I said in the post are my views & opinions, based on facts listed in the early part of the post. The part of my post below "What do we do?" wasn't intended to represent fact. It is my opinion of what we should do. Perhaps I should've been a bit more clear.

2) The first part of my post describing what Obama & McCain plan to do about our tax situation is fact and based on direct quotes, or in the case of McCain, a direct link to his website. The numbers & statistics are correct, how they are interpreted is a lengthy discussion, but the numbers themselves are correct.

3) The part of the post about Obama & health care are my words. But, they are based in fact and I don't believe they are up for debate. Obama is pushing "Universal Health Care". It will push our tax burden higher and, if passed into law, our health care system would be managed by government bureacrats.

The below two sentences weren't intended to be represented as facts but are very realistic and do happen. "Imagine needing a medical procedure but having to make a "political contribution" to get it done. This is common in countries with socialized medical systems."

I understand a couple of the terms "socialized medicine" and "bureaucrat" have negative connotations, but they are both used accurately in the context of what I've stated.

4) The website I linked to is definitely an advocacy site for the Fair Tax program. It accurately lists what Fair Tax proposes, what supporters see as advantages, and responses to common criticisms of the program. In evaluating your support or opposition for this, or any program, I would want to gather information both pro & con and then third-party info and make an evaluation. My point in linking to the Fair Tax site was to give a bit more information on the program and show that the ideas proposed are not from the redneck, "beat up truck" crowd.

No matter what, at least we agree that Cowboys fans with no connection to Texas suck. :food-smil

What about socialized welfare for farmers? Socialized police force? Socialized fire departments? Socialized education? Socialized defense department, homeland security, and wars? Socialized corporate welfare? Socialized disaster relief? Socialized foreign aid?

Quit with the socialized b.s. I pay for things I don't want to pay for too and stop acting like you're the only one that gets money taken out of your pockets.

I swear, I wish we had the ability to directly choose where our tax dollars goes!

I swear, I wish we had the ability to directly choose where our tax dollars goes!

We do. It's called the general election.

We do. It's called the general election.

Having you congressman/senator/president pick and choose which programs to fund/not fund is directly? Vote for whoever you want and you'll still have a farm bill, pork, etc. Direct means directly choosing in your tax return you want fund specific programs and direct where your tax money goes.

Having you congressman/senator/president pick and choose which programs to fund/not fund is directly? Vote for whoever you want and you'll still have a farm bill, pork, etc. Direct means directly choosing in your tax return you want fund specific programs and direct where your tax money goes.A good idea in theory, but in practicality, a total disaster waiting to happen.

People are fickle. The media is everywhere. I, for one, know I don't want the media deciding which gov't programs we can fund and which ones we can't.

I understand that you wouldn't choose which programs to push based on media spin, but you'd be in the minority on that one.

I guess my prior answer was a bit snarky. It's just the concept of direct voting for taxes is ridiculous (as GTripp said). Everything would become a popularity contest. You think electioneering is bad now - Imagine if various departments of the Govt. had to compete for your dollars on a dollar by dollar basis? In depth analysis of spending needs? Consistency in funding to acheive long term goals? Forget it. Mob rule by money is just as bad as mob rule by violence.

I guess my prior answer was a bit snarky. It's just the concept of direct voting for taxes is ridiculous (as GTripp said). Everything would become a popularity contest. You think electioneering is bad now - Imagine if various departments of the Govt. had to compete for your dollars on a dollar by dollar basis? In depth analysis of spending needs? Consistency in funding to acheive long term goals? Forget it. Mob rule by money is just as bad as mob rule by violence.

Of course it's not practical or wise, I'm just frustrated with people always complaining...socialized this, socialized that...everyone has something they don't want to pay but that doesn't mean they are unworthy of being funded with tax dollars (of course there are some exceptions). This country is a union, we're all in it together, and we're as strong as our weakest link.

...and we're as strong as our weakest link.

Which is our increasingly gov't and policitians in my opinion.