News That Matters » Uncategorized http://www.planputnam.org/ntm Brought to you by PlanPutnam.Org Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 A Taxing Situation: Why The GOP Is Advocating A Tax Increase On The Middle Class | Election 2012 http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/10/a-taxing-situation-why-the-gop-is-advocating-a-tax-increase-on-the-middle-class-election-2012/ http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/10/a-taxing-situation-why-the-gop-is-advocating-a-tax-increase-on-the-middle-class-election-2012/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:25:36 +0000 Jeff Green http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/?p=20107 Now the 47% number only tells part of the story: most of those “non-payers” pay payroll taxes, gas taxes, state and local taxes, etc. And in an ironic twist, the phenomenon is almost entirely a result of Republicans’ own enthusiasm for tax cuts. In the 1980s and 1990s, GOP lawmakers demanded that any programs aimed at helping poor and middle-income households be structured as refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, rather than as direct payments like welfare. President Bush added to the trend by lowering marginal rates across the board. Then Obama structured large chunks of the stimulus as tax breaks in order to garner bipartisan support. The non-payer rate, which had hovered around 20% – 25% since the 1950s, shot over 30% in 2002 and never looked back. And because the tax credits are refundable, many taxpayers aren’t just paying nothing, they’re actually gaining a net positive on their income tax.

via A Taxing Situation: Why The GOP Is Advocating A Tax Increase On The Middle Class | Election 2012.

]]> Now the 47% number only tells part of the story: most of those “non-payers” pay payroll taxes, gas taxes, state and local taxes, etc. And in an ironic twist, the phenomenon is almost entirely a result of Republicans’ own enthusiasm for tax cuts. In the 1980s and 1990s, GOP lawmakers demanded that any programs aimed at helping poor and middle-income households be structured as refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, rather than as direct payments like welfare. President Bush added to the trend by lowering marginal rates across the board. Then Obama structured large chunks of the stimulus as tax breaks in order to garner bipartisan support. The non-payer rate, which had hovered around 20% – 25% since the 1950s, shot over 30% in 2002 and never looked back. And because the tax credits are refundable, many taxpayers aren’t just paying nothing, they’re actually gaining a net positive on their income tax.

via A Taxing Situation: Why The GOP Is Advocating A Tax Increase On The Middle Class | Election 2012.

]]> http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/10/a-taxing-situation-why-the-gop-is-advocating-a-tax-increase-on-the-middle-class-election-2012/feed/ 0 Surviving the World – Lesson 1174 – Political Error http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/surviving-the-world-lesson-1174-political-error/ http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/surviving-the-world-lesson-1174-political-error/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:19:20 +0000 Jeff Green http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/?p=19926 Surviving the World – Lesson 1174 – Political Error.

]]> Surviving the World – Lesson 1174 – Political Error.

]]> http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/surviving-the-world-lesson-1174-political-error/feed/ 0 Lost Dog http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/lost-dog/ http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/lost-dog/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:46:47 +0000 mirandad http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/?p=19898 Oh No we lost our dog. Black Lab mix, some white, name Jake, friendly. He ran off, we think he lost his ID tag. 203-648-5823. please call if found, we apologize for any inconvenience.

]]> Oh No we lost our dog. Black Lab mix, some white, name Jake, friendly. He ran off, we think he lost his ID tag. 203-648-5823. please call if found, we apologize for any inconvenience.

]]> http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/09/lost-dog/feed/ 0 Irene 2011 http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/08/irene-2011/ http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/08/irene-2011/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:33:14 +0000 Jeff Green http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/?p=19804

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]]> http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/08/irene-2011/feed/ 0 Jeremy Gilley: One day of peace | Video on TED.com http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/08/jeremy-gilley-one-day-of-peace-video-on-ted-com/ http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/2011/08/jeremy-gilley-one-day-of-peace-video-on-ted-com/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:02:26 +0000 Jeff Green http://www.planputnam.org/ntm/?p=19708 Jeremy Gilley: One day of peace | Video on TED.com.

]]> Jeremy Gilley: One day of peace | Video on TED.com.

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