Mitch McConnell and Grover Norquist dubious contention that not keeping tax cuts for the ultra wealthy will hurt small businesses has always been a flimsy fig leaf to hide favors for the privileged behind. A New York Times article just caused Mitch and Grover's fig leaves to fall to the ground where they're about to be swept away by a media whirlwind.
Tax Increase Would Hit Few Small Businesses
"It’s a body blow to the small-business community," said Grover Norquist, president of the conservative advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform.
Despite that emotional appeal, Internal Revenue Service statistics indicate that only 3 percent of small businesses would be subject to the higher tax, and many studies of previous tax increases suggest that it would have minimal impact on hiring.
According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, 97 percent of all businesses owners do not earn enough to be subject to the higher rates, which would be levied on income of over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for families.
Yup Mitch and Grover are naked now all right.
Even if they're naked don't expect them to stop crying crocodile tears for family owned businesses. But McConnell and Norquist are really blubbering for families like the Waltons. They have a small business named WalMart.
But the way the I.R.S. classifies small businesses is vastly different from the public perception of the neighborhood dry cleaner or the small tool-and-die shop. A report released by the Joint Tax Committee in July found that many of the tax returns categorized as small businesses were actually filed by wealthy taxpayers who earned business income through limited partnerships or S corporations to allow their firms to avoid paying corporate taxes.
I turns out that many of small business owners McConnell and Norquist want to help are actually wealthy sole proprietors with no employees, and no matter what they won't be hiring any. The Republicans' recent whine-athon over deficit spending is exposed as insincere (at best) by their contradictory approach to tax cuts for the wealthy.
The Tax-Cut Racket
Mr. McConnell, who was self-righteously denouncing the budget deficit just the other day, now wants to blow that deficit up with big tax cuts for the rich. But he doesn’t have the votes. So he’s trying to get what he wants by pointing a gun at the heads of middle-class families, threatening to force a jump in their taxes unless he gets paid off with hugely expensive tax breaks for the wealthy.
If extortion isn't bad enough Newt Gingrich with along Joe Miller want to take the Republicans' primitive tantrum tactics up a notch next year.
Gingrich threatens extinct strategy: Shut down the government.
Newt Gingrich is saying if Republicans win back control of Congress and reach a budget impasse with the President, they should shut down the government again. GOP pollster Dick Morris is echoing those sentiments, as is Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R. Ga), and Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller.
The Republicans are liars and bullies. Its always their way or the highway, and they'll say and do anything to get their way. Of course a few Democrats buy into their myths too. Oddly enough like Republicans these are the same Democrats who whine most loudly about the deficit.
See: WHIP COUNT: Democrats in favor of extending all of the Bush tax cuts
Wimp Count would be a better headline for these weak kneed Democrats.
If you see your congresscritter on the wimp list show your dismay by giving them a call. Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121
I just hope this New York Times story gets half as much media attention as the McConnell and Norquist lies have.
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UPDATE 12:05 PDT: Newt Strikes Again
Newt Gingrich Accuses Sebelius of 'Soviet Tyrany'
"When Secretary Sebelius said the other day she would punish insurance companies that told the truth about the cost of Obamacare, she was behaving exactly in the spirit of the Soviet tyranny," Gingrich said. "And if she's going to represent left-wing thought police about Obamacare, she should be forced to resign by the new Congress."
To Newt reining in runaway insurance costs qualifies as "Soviet tyranny" and anyone who dares to challenge these corporations running regional monopolies becomes part of a nefarious "left-wing thought police".
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