George Will on Sen Kerry...

Chuckiechan · February 15th, 2004, 12:10 PM

This kind of sums up the issue of why Kerry isn't the Democrat's guy...

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinio...-9185229c.html

Pexster · February 15th, 2004, 12:38 PM

I will respond to just one question in the article --

Quote:

You say the rich do not pay enough taxes. In 1979 the top 1 percent of earners paid 19.75 percent of income taxes. Today they pay 36.3 percent. How much is enough?

In 1979, the ratio between a CEO and an average wage-earner was maybe 25 or 30 - 1. Now it's generally several 100s - 1. If that's what our system is going to do to wage structures, then tax policy should follow suit. So, while I don't have a definitive answer, I do know that "much more" is in the ballpark. And I also know that a huge TAX CUT for these most-wealthy Americans was, and is, flat-out WRONG.

As for the both-sides-of-everything aspects of John Kerry, I don't disagree. I just know that Bush and Cheney and Rummy and Ashcroft scare the hell out of me. Throw in upcoming Supreme Court vacancies and I'm even more frightened. So I'll take Kerry in a heartbeat.

Chuckiechan · February 15th, 2004, 12:45 PM

Good. Add one more vote in California.

Most people, myself included consider themselves over taxed. I don't like CEO pay, but that is not politically controllable.

As a fellow Californian, we are growing by 600,000 people a year, and have been for the last 10 + years, and we are broke.

Why?

Why is unemployment (nationally) at 6% and yet we have 20 million illegal workers, AND we are shipping jobs overseas? Why are domestic unemployed not competing for these jobs?

Kerry has not muttered one peep about the issues, so all we have is his track record.

IMO...

whitebeard21 · February 15th, 2004, 01:31 PM

Those questions should be adressed to the Regan/bush administration and the republican congress after them that pushed nafta and the chinese free trade through. Bush and his administration just made the statement that outsourcing jobs overseas was GOOD for the economy.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111287,00.html

Among the jobs that are migrating are those of telemarketers, software developers, radiologists, and most recently journalists. Reuters news service just announced plans to hire reporters in India to cover the U.S. financial sector. Reuters is also sending about 200 of its data-entry jobs to Bangalore from England and the United States.

The administration's argument is that by outsourcing low-skilled jobs to cheap destinations, companies will have the resources to train American workers in high-skilled fields. Mankiw, who first caught lawmakers' notice when he and two other White House officials gave congressional testimony on Tuesday, added that outsourcing is of long-term economic benefit for the country.

I like the fact bush considers software developers as low skilled. This from someone that couldn't set the time on a microwave.

Chuckiechan · February 15th, 2004, 03:01 PM

WB,

Are the Democrats at fault here at all? You left Bill Clinton out. I don't recall hearing him fighting NAFTA.

I think Bush, as a lame duck, will work to correct the imbalance.

Also, the administration has decided not to prop up the dollar and let it fall for awhile. This is causing our oil prices to go up. The reason the fall is allowed is to punish China's Yuan. The Yuan is pegged to the dollar so it falls with it, hurting them everywhere in the world that floats the dollar.

My point here is that this hemmorage of jobs is not being ignored. It is just being worked at differently.

Tarrifs create trade wars, pegging to a falling dollar leaves a way out - let your currenty float!

I don't expect to change your thinking, only remind you that there are lots of ways to address problems.

BTW: Mankiw has probably spoken his last word as a "White House Official".

BTW2: There is software development and code writing. Code writing is the grunt work of putting flesh on the bones. Software development is patents, copywrights, and creativity - and most of that is staying here.

Pexster · February 15th, 2004, 03:34 PM

I agree with you, CC, about the software development. Someone with only technical knowledge, but no understanding of what they're coding or developing, can easily be replaced by someone in Bangalore. So the moral of the story is "if you want your job, know your business." If you keep your head in the sand, and just write code, you're vulnerable.

MTAtech · February 15th, 2004, 05:00 PM

You say the rich do not pay enough taxes. In 1979 the top 1 percent of earners paid 19.75 percent of income taxes. Today they pay 36.3 percent. How much is enough? Well, that's kinda lying with statistics. The 'income' George is quoting is adjusted income, meaning after deductions. The 1986 tax law changed deductions and rates. A percentage is a numerator divided by a demominator. One can make comparisions if the denominators are the constant. The 1979 demominator (adjusted gross income) is not the same as the current AGI.

wallie_x · February 15th, 2004, 06:12 PM

The Dem's are delusional. Having to continually sanctify and spin the antics of a scumbag like Clinton, their moral compass has demagnetized. They no longer have any moral bearings and probably have forgotten what the words 'virtue' and 'morality' even mean.

Most of Kerry's current followers are that rabid far left portion of our society that would vote for the devil if he was nominated by the DNC. These hard core lefties see Kerry as their saving god a la 'Clinton'. Thay are hailing him as their new liberal savoir who is going to save them from the ravages of the evil GWB. Much of the left views Kerry with such rose colored glasses that, to them, he looks like shining knight. In reality, however, he is a mediocre, wishy-washy quasi-commie leftist; a Washington insider who is as corrupt as Ted 'Chappaquiddick' Kennedy is. He has so many ties to special interests that he resembles a puppet. To borrow an epithet
Pleh!!! Kerry Sux!! No doubt about it.

MTAtech · February 15th, 2004, 06:27 PM

Once again wallie, thanks for the laugh.

Let's disect you statements.
When you say ..."[The Dem's] probably have forgotten what the words 'virtue' and 'morality' even mean," who are 'the Dem's? ' The roughly 1/3 of the citizenry? I'm sure that large a segment of the population would be offended by you calling them immoral.

When you say, "Most of Kerry's current followers are that rabid far left portion..." then you must conclude that half of Americans are that rabid far-left portion because Kerry and Bush are in a statistical tie in the polls. http://gallup.com/content/default.asp?ci=10558

When you say, "Much of the left views Kerry with such rose colored glasses..." where is your research from? In other words, how do you know? Do you go to lefty meetings? Or, are you just making it up as you go along?

Lastly, when you say "He [Kerry] has so many ties to special interests that he resembles a puppet," have you seen where GW Bush's funding is coming from? More special interests than Kerry. Moreover, when one uses the term 'special interest' one must evaluate who those special interests are. Kerry has support form environmental groups - technically, a special interest but they have their motives vested in the public good. That isn't the same as Bush's corporate special interests that are trying to buy influence for their own self-serving motives.

Thank you for not saying 'feces.'

wallie_x · February 17th, 2004, 02:50 AM

Tonight on 'NBC World News Tonight' they did a piece of the illusion of Kerry and how he says, "I fight against special interests"
Sure.. of course you have..yeah right. He only held a party for them personally as the party's host. To say he's fought special interests is an out and out lie. The only time he's stood up to special interests is to tell them they needed to donate more money.

Now comes the China connection to dirty money.
Kerry's Dirty Money China Connection: HERE!

As more comes out about him Kerry will begin to look like his true self instead of the rose colored shining knight as the delusional lefties see him now, a la: 'Wishing for the old days, when Bill Clinton was God and the economy was good'....(we were going to hell in a bucket, but at least we were enjoying the ride, right?)

Like I said, the problem with the delusional left is that their moral compass has demagnetized. They are adrift on the sea of moral relativism and so lost morally they don't know which way is up anymore. As fact the left has degenerated morally to the point where even booing those who try to uphold virtue is now accepted and the virtuous cast as bigots (booing the BSA, because they want gay 'tolerance' everywhere..Or ELSE!!!

(We must appease our special interests!! [We Democrats would never get elected if it weren't for the gay and black vote])