Impressed by the Trump administration part II

posted by BoatShoes

The current FICA rates for people making under $127k amounts to 15.3% that ultimately falls on the wages of average working people and is much more of a burden than the marginal income tax rates. Cut FICA rates on the employer and employee as in the stimulus bill and you'll have the very best kind of tax relief for the working people of America IMHO. 

Everyone pays - that's what makes it social insurance....as opposed to yet another unfunded handout.

posted by gut

Everyone pays - that's what makes it social insurance....as opposed to yet another unfunded handout.

You make a terrific political point Gut. Everyone paying FICA as a dedicated tax for social security generates political support for the program. You make a good case for why we should retain some level of FICA percentage for political reasons so that people support social insurance (and a case for why we might consider creating other dedicated taxes e.g. other ideas like the Healthcare VAT, etc.) but the FICA rates should be substantially reduced.

posted by gut

LMFAO....some of the shit you come up with is literally painful to read

This is the sort of response you would expect when the world continually fails to conform to your perpetual debt hysterics while the markets continue to agree with me showing nothing but confidence in the face of a tax cut package that affirms permanently higher deficits into the future and blowing past $20 trillion in debt. If you don't believe me believe the wisdom of the free market. 

posted by Spock

SS wont go away in that manner.  They will pay out to anyonr that paid in.  They will either have a pay in/out option.

Social Security payments will continue until the United States no longer exists. 

Boatshoes, you and all the dems who dont like lower taxes can go ahead and pay your regular rate.  When you do not take the Trump tax cut, then you can bitch.

But I have a feeling that EVERY Dem in the country will be glad to pay their lower rate at the same time they are bitching abou it

posted by gut

LMFAO....some of the shit you come up with is literally painful to read

in his defense, he was probably well into the booze when he hit the keyboard.

Good Year 1 Summary:  Merry Christmas!

Jobs and the economy

• Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.
• Increase of the GDP above 3 percent.
• Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.
• Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.
• A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.
• A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.
• A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.
• Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.

Killing job-stifling regulations

• Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
• Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
• Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations.
• Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
• Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.

Fair trade

• Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
• Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
• Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
• Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
• Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.

Boosting U.S. energy dominance

• The Department of Interior, which has led the way in cutting regulations, opened plans to lease 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
• Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy.
• Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama.
• Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan.
• EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions.

Protecting the U.S. homeland

• Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and put hardliners in charge of his program.
• Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico.
• Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants.
• Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S.
• Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals.
• Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016.
• Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
• Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
• Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars.
• Added some 100 new immigration judges.

Protecting communities

• Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops.
• Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.
• Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.
• Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.

Accountability

• Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
• Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.
• Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.
• Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.
• Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.

Combatting opioids

• First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids.
• His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.
• The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.
• Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.
• Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.
• The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.
• On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.

Protecting life

• In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.
• Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.
• Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.

Helping veterans

• Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.
• Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.
• Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.
• Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
• Created a VA hotline.
• Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.
• With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.

Promoting peace through strength

• Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.
• Worked to increase defense spending.
• Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.
• Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.
• Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
• Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.
• Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.
• Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.
• Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.
• Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.
• NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.
• Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.
• Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.
• Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.
• Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.

Restoring confidence in and respect for America

• Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.
• Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests.
• He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders.
• Traveled to Poland for the annual. G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/year-one-list-81-major-trump-achievements-11-obama-legacy-items-repealed/article/2644159

posted by BoatShoes

...so that people support social insurance (and a case for why we might consider creating other dedicated taxes e.g. other ideas like the Healthcare VAT, etc.) but the FICA rates should be substantially reduced.

It's social insurance, not a handout.  Insurance pays out of PREMIUMS....you can't lower the rate without lowering the benefit. 

And it is a ponzi scheme - because the first beneficiaries never paid in, but rather were funded on the backs of those working.  So implicitly that always means people working are funding your SS.

posted by BoatShoes

This is the sort of response you would expect when the world continually fails to conform to your perpetual debt hysterics while the markets continue to agree with me showing nothing but confidence in the face of a tax cut package that affirms permanently higher deficits into the future and blowing past $20 trillion in debt. If you don't believe me believe the wisdom of the free market. 

That's right, the world continually fails to conform to your "debt doesn't matter".  Numerous studies have continued to confirm exactly what fundamental economics predicts, that high taxes and high debt are correlated with lower employment and lower economic growth.  Of course, I assume you've paid no attention to Japan the past 25 or so years - govts can't spend their way to prosperity, and even the most basic understanding of economics would reveal that.

You citing market returns as proof of your position is just ignorance piled on top of ignorance.

You seem to believe the govt doesn't really need to collect taxes, it would just print whatever it wants to spend and not only doesn't that hurt the economy, it would be beneficial.  But you can't make the connection of how this would be inflationary, which itself is a type of tax (and a ruthlessly regressive one) and also pretty damaging to growth and investment.

posted by QuakerOats

Good Year 1 Summary:  Merry Christmas!

 

Jobs and the economy

• Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.
• Increase of the GDP above 3 percent.
• Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.
• Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.
• A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.
• A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.
• A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.
• Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.

Killing job-stifling regulations

• Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
• Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
• Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations.
• Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
• Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.

Fair trade

• Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
• Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
• Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
• Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
• Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.

Boosting U.S. energy dominance

• The Department of Interior, which has led the way in cutting regulations, opened plans to lease 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
• Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy.
• Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama.
• Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan.
• EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions.

Protecting the U.S. homeland

• Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and put hardliners in charge of his program.
• Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico.
• Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants.
• Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S.
• Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals.
• Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016.
• Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
• Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
• Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars.
• Added some 100 new immigration judges.

Protecting communities

• Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops.
• Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.
• Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.
• Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.

Accountability

• Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
• Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.
• Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.
• Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.
• Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.

Combatting opioids

• First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids.
• His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.
• The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.
• Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.
• Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.
• The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.
• On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.

Protecting life

• In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.
• Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.
• Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.

Helping veterans

• Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.
• Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.
• Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.
• Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
• Created a VA hotline.
• Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.
• With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.

Promoting peace through strength

• Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.
• Worked to increase defense spending.
• Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.
• Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.
• Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
• Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.
• Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.
• Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.
• Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.
• Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.
• NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.
• Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.
• Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.
• Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.
• Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.

Restoring confidence in and respect for America

• Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.
• Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests.
• He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders.
• Traveled to Poland for the annual. G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/year-one-list-81-major-trump-achievements-11-obama-legacy-items-repealed/article/2644159

“Protecting Life”

lulz

posted by SportsAndLady

“Protecting Life”

lulz

Not even counting the hilarity that anti-abortion acts are only a positive to the percentage of the country that is definitely anti-abortion, as opposed to an actual positive that THE PEOPLE as a whole could/should get behind, this list is loaded with hilarious stuff.

There's a bit of redundancy with stuff like: Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program followed by Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans. Lol, who the fuck thinks that needs to be two separate bullet points.

There's pretending the number of drugs turned in during Take Back Day is a presidential accomplishment. Note: After checking, the 2016 total was nine tons less, which was the record since the program started until this year, so yeah, nothing to do with who the actual president is.

Or "EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions". WHOA WHAT A SUCCESS MAN; THEY'RE RECONSIDERING SOMETHING!!!!

Or under the Raising Confidence in Respect For America header, the whole Jerusalem thing, which was so respected that I read that he's talking about threatening to withhold UN financial aid if other countries don't fall in line with his proclaimation and they still said "fuck that".

Basically, this is the same sort of list he'd be tearing apart if/when it was released after an Obama year. Filled with fluff and written to sound bigger and better than reality actually dictates. The sort of thing that's great if you're a pure supporter, but starts to fall apart the instant a critical eye is used while reading.

What a load of rino shit quacker

President Donald Trump has told nearly six times more lies in the first 10 months of his presidency than former President Barack Obama did in his entire 8-year term, 

http://fortune.com/2017/12/14/trump-lies-new-york-times/

posted by Devils Advocate

President Donald Trump has told nearly six times more lies in the first 10 months of his presidency than former President Barack Obama did in his entire 8-year term, 

http://fortune.com/2017/12/14/trump-lies-new-york-times/

LMFAO....Trump is a clown and embarassing, but I have to admit he's still better than Obama.  He hasn't accomplished much, but what he has accomplished has been significant and important.  And NYT is hardly an impartial referree - the old Gray Lady has been having hot flashes since Trump got elected.

The tax plan is great (much more so with the corporate rates).  I'm not really sure what is going on with ISIS, but it seems to have at least improved.  I think immigration is getting some much deserved scrutiny, although I don't think it was broken but Europe is showing you can't sleep on this.  The roll back of bullshit anti-growth Obama regulations alone is practically A-fucking-PLUS.

I mean, Trump is an absolute idiot and a clown....yet I think he's doing better than Obama ever did.  Which just goes to prove how braindead liberalism is.

Obama told 18 lies in 8 years? Get the fuck out. 

posted by iclfan2

Obama told 18 lies in 8 years? Get the fuck out. 

Must be using the Costanza standard - "it's not a lie if you believe it"

posted by iclfan2

Obama told 18 lies in 8 years? Get the fuck out. 

LOL 

posted by Heretic

 

Or "EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions". WHOA WHAT A SUCCESS MAN; THEY'RE RECONSIDERING SOMETHING!!!!

You have fallen into the trap of paying attention to his tweets and all his lies  (lol) .......... all the while he is rolling back asinine EPA reg's and overturning every one of obama's EPA weaponization rules.   

Get in the game.

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2017/12/21/canada-pms-faith-in-isis-rehab-program-indicates-were-gonna-need-two-walls/

may need two walls

Factories Worldwide Increasing Production In Acceleration “Not Seen In Years.”

Bloomberg News (12/21, Golle) reports, “Factories from America’s Rust Belt to Germany’s Ruhr region to Japan’s Aichi prefecture are revving up production lines in a unified acceleration not seen in years.” Bloomberg adds that “global manufacturing indexes have forged ahead to multi-year highs, in concert with improving economies rich with the tinder of easy monetary policy.” In America specifically, it writes, “there’s been a notable acceleration in orders and shipments of capital goods. Investment in equipment and software increased at a 10.8 percent annualized pace in the third quarter, the fastest in three years, according to the government’s calculation of gross domestic product.” Bloomberg cites Federal Reserve data showing that “amid percolating demand, American factories are operating at rates not seen in the last nine years,” with the “share of production facilities in use climbed to 76.4 percent in November” and factories “stepping up hiring.” In addition, “Across the Atlantic from the US, manufacturers are brimming with confidence.”

Change we can [really] believe in ...

So, I'm supportive of what Nikki Haley/Trump administration has declared to the UN (whom I'm not a fan of to begin with). I'm also not sure how I feel about finding some support to throw his way, but whatever.  But I'm also not one of those people who roll around on the ground, babbling and twitching at the thought of Israel.

The chart below shows who was for condemning the US for deciding to move the embassy to Jerusalem, against or abstained from voting: