Which of these should be our top Federal budget priority?

[TheFarseer]

Poll question: Which of these should be our top Federal budget priority?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Cut funding for the occupution of Iraq and cut the "defense" budget.

[TheFarseer]

2. that would be a nice way to fund one of the above three n/t

[peacebird]

3. ditto - Cut the funding for the occupation of Iraq.

[Wwagsthedog]

8. Accomplishing this objective

would go a long way toward funding universal health care and cutting the deficit.

[question everything]

17. I was listening to NPR last week when it reviewed the Ford Presidnecy

and he came with the WIN button to "whip inflation now" that did nothing.

He did want more funds for Vietnam but Congress would not give it to him and this led to the fall of Saigon. On the other hand, he did reign over inflation by vetoing 66 bills and only 12 were overturned. These were the days we Democrats was the party of irresponsible spending..

[NaturalHigh]

4. Raise the minimum wage.

[TheFarseer]

15. That wouldn't cost the government any money

as far as I can see. It would probably help us to bring in more money. That's why that's not in the poll.

[dave_p]

5. And...

Build an education system that makes Americans competent to wield the power they possess on the planet. A real No Child Left Behind that means there won't be tens of millions of future voters abandoned to support policies out of ignorance and mindless hatred.

Give Americans the social secutity they paid for, not some doubtful claim to crumbs from the corporate table.

Let those who took the money pay off the deficit: Steep progressive taxation on the super-rich, a prohibitive war-profits windfall tax on those who got the corrupt contracts.

That's for the future. But it's that or a slightly milder version of business as usual. It's too late for business as usual.

[Sapphire Blue]

6. Why on earth do you have "eliminate the estate tax" up there?!?!?!?!?

[TahitiNut]

9. Bizarre.

Income from the death of another - untaxed. When people who WORK for their income get taxed at the highest rates - and people who get income from the labor of others get taxed at half those rates - some argue that an 'estate' should not only escape capital gains taxes but be untaxed to the inheritors? Of all the perverted senses of equitable tax policy, that's the most perverted by far.

:puke:

[Sapphire Blue]

11. Since the OPer hasn't replied, I'm left to wonder whether he doesn't know what the Estate Tax is...

... or just posted it as an option for the trolls among us.

I'd hate to think that he would consider it to be something Democrats would pursue, let alone a high priority.

[leftchick]

13. 3 votes for it

bizarre indeed.

[TahitiNut]

14. I don't subscribe to 'litmus tests' ... but if I did ...

... privatization of Social Security and elimination of the inheritance tax are sure not what I'd regard any liberal (even a "third way" flavor) to be in favor of. But there's no accounting for ignorance ... even rock-hard, lead-dense ignorance.

[TheFarseer]

16. for any freeptards in the audience

I like to put in a choice that represents their views in order to make their priorities look as ridiculous as they are.

Now I wish I wouldn't have put that in. My real intention was to weigh balancing the budget (which I voted for) vs. worthy social programs that I'm not certain we can afford. The third option was put in as a sick joke.

[Sapphire Blue]

18. Thanks for coming back to clarify that.

Sure enough, there are 4 among us so far.

On the budget v social programs... rescinding bush's tax cuts for the extremely wealthy would provide funding for worthy and necessary human needs programs. Balancing the budget on the backs of the poor is cruel and inhumane. There's been enough of that over the past six years.

[Sapphire Blue]

7. Reality check for those who voted "Eliminate the estate tax"; PLEASE read this:

From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (http://www.cbpp.org)

The Estate Tax: Myths & Realities:

(Excerpts)

Reality: Repealing the estate tax would add trillions of dollars to future deficits.

Reality: The few estates that pay any estate tax at all generally pay less than 20 percent of the value of their estate in taxes.

Reality: The number of small, family-owned farms and businesses that owe any estate tax is small — and shrinking rapidly.

Reality: The estate tax would more appropriately be called an "inheritance tax," as it ultimately affects only the heirs of large estates.

Reality: The estate tax affects only those most able to pay, and the funds it raises are used to support a range of programs that benefit the nation.

Reality: Eliminating the estate tax wouldn’t dramatically affect private saving, and it would greatly increase government dissaving (i.e., deficits).

Reality: Large estates are comprised mostly of "unrealized" capital gains that have never been taxed; the estate tax is the only means of taxing this income.

Reality: To match the effective tax rate on capital gains, the top estate tax rate would have to be 35-40 percent, not 15 percent.

Reality: The cost of estate tax compliance is modest, and is not much different than the cost of complying with other taxes.

http://www.cbpp.org/pubs/estatetax.htm

What is the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities?

The Center’s Mission

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

The Center conducts research and analysis to inform public debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that the needs of low-income families and individuals are considered in these debates. We also develop policy options to alleviate poverty, particularly among working families.

In addition, the Center examines the short- and long-term impacts that proposed policies would have on the health of the economy and on the soundness of federal and state budgets. Among the issues we explore are whether federal and state governments are fiscally sound and have sufficient revenue to address critical priorities, both for low-income populations and for the nation as a whole.

Over the past two decades, the Center has gained a reputation for producing materials that are balanced, authoritative, accessible to non-specialists, and responsive to issues currently before the country. Our materials are used by policymakers and non-profit organizations across the political spectrum, as well as by journalists from a variety of media outlets.

More @ http://www.cbpp.org/info.html

[Sapphire Blue]

12. PLEASE also read this:

From the Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org)...

Promoting a Progressive and Fair Tax Code That Raises Adequate Revenue

Over the last five years, a projected $5.6 trillion ten- year surplus has turned into a $3.2
trillion deficit. Tax cuts account for 49% of the legislation passed during this period that
has contributed to the deficits. These tax cuts have overwhelmingly benefited the
wealthiest and most privileged among us, while draining federal revenue needed to make
the lives of all Americans better. Repealing the estate tax would provide $1 trillion over
10 years to the richest one percent of estates. The poor and low-income have been
especially hurt by the resulting deficits, as the deepest cuts in federal spending made in
response to the deficits were shouldered by those Americans who were least able to bear
them. Approximately 99 percent of all estates pay no federal estate tax.

The Coalition on Human Needs supports a progressive tax system that is fair and raises
sufficient revenue for funding needed government investments. CHN supports closing
loopholes that allow corporations and individuals to evade hundreds of billions of dollars
in tax liability. CHN supports tax revisions that would expand help to low-income
families and individuals, such as expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, making the
saver’s credit refundable, and making the refundable Child Tax Credit available to more
low-income families. The CHN supports rolling back recent tax cuts that predominantly
benefit people with high incomes in order to address critical national priorities.

To ensure that resources continue to be available for critical needs and to avoid passing
large debts on to our children and grandchildren, the Coalition on Human Needs
supports a budget that brings in sufficient revenues and allocates them in a responsible
and equitable manner. CHN opposes tax cuts that are not paid for by other revenue
sources, and which do not make the tax system more progressive. CHN opposes using
offsets from cutting human needs programs to pay for tax cuts.

The Coalition on Human opposes repeal or costly gutting of the estate tax, and the
permanent extension of tax provisions that would lead to a loss in revenues and make the
tax code less progressive. CHN opposes preferential treatment for investment income,
wealth and the transfer of wealth.

http://www.chn.org/pdf/2007/2007PolicyPriorities.pdf#xml=http://chn.org.master.com/texis/master/search/mysite.txt?q=estate+tax&order=dd&id=5801a0ca9cc4466d&cmd=xml

About CHN

The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) is an alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations. The Coalition's members include civil rights, religious, labor and professional organizations and those concerned with the well being of children, women, the elderly and people with disabilities.

http://www.chn.org/about/index.html

CHN Member Organizations : http://www.chn.org/about/chnmembers.html

CHN Public Policy Priorities for 2007 : http://www.chn.org/pdf/2007/2007PolicyPriorities.pdf

Sign up for CHN Emails: http://www.chn.org/signUp.jsp

[alfredo]

10. Put the war on budget so America can see how it hurts us financially

Too many only respond to money, the deaths and dismemberment has little effect on them, so hit them where it hurts.