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NOT A GAFFE

Howard Dean: 'Everybody Needs to Pay More Taxes, Not Just the Rich'

It's a verboten concept for progressives, he admits

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: MSNBC

Former Democratic presidential nominee Howard Dean recently uttered something most politically unpalatable on MNSBC with his notion that Americans who both own limos and drive them ought to be paying more taxes.

"The truth is everybody needs to pay more taxes, not just the rich," said Dean in an appearance on Lawrence O'Donnell's program. "We're not going to get out of this deficit problem unless we raise taxes across the board."

Dean said his words amount to a progressive "heresy," though they'd no doubt be noise to the ears of conservatives as well. Dean also weighed in with the view that defense cuts are a must, despite his pessimism that those cuts will actually take place.

"We haven't really cut the defense budget much in the last 30 years," said Dean, who complained of freshly "ordered new uniforms for the chauffeurs for the top brass."

Via Real Clear Politics.
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Is Dean right that taxes need to go up for everyone, not merely the rich?

Comments (view in Forum)

  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    What planet so these idiots come from? Liberal or conservative if you spend more than you take in you can't just tell your employer to give you a raise. The government has no understanding of this simple and basic truth. Government should have to operate like the rest of us when they spend more than they take in. No its ands or buts about it.
  • u
    CommonSense
    !
    What kind of logic is that? The government spends more than it takes in, so we shouldn't increase its revenue by raising taxes?
    Do you like that we are in debt and that this is costing us extra in interest every year? The number one priority of this country should be to pay off the debt and then secure a rainyday fund so we don't have to worry about going into debt again. We need both higher taxes and more spending cuts(particularly defense and agricultural subsidies and end the war on drugs) to get rid of the national debt.
  • PNWest
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    @CommonSense When you are right you are right.... We should work to make government work more efficiently also.
  • Buzzfriendly
    !
    @CommonSense Its sound logic and it is a math problem. Nothing more nothing less. You reduce government spending below what you take in and apply the difference to pay off what you owe in a specific amount of time. All you need is a copy of the budget and a red pen. I am all for cutting military spending, ending the senseless war on drugs, internal spy programs, cutting social services, medicare,medicaid, FEMA, EPA, TSA,CIA, etc etc etc funding until it hurts then cut a little deeper. That's how you or I would have to do it with our own finances and so should the government.
  • u
    Middleman
    !
    @Buzzfriendly I so agree... Now if we could only get the narcissists who we elect to do our bidding vs their own... The just maybe we could get it done... I promise you there is no one in Washington who is to put it on the line!
  • PayThatCEO
    !
    The taxpayers should not have to pay for the poor leadership and mismanagement of government over the last decade. WE shouldn't have to do without while nearly every country in the world, including Russia and China, get foreign aid from us. We shouldn't have to tighten our belts while money is thrown away on unnecessary wars.
  • TheJimmy
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    If he means "everyone" as in welfare recipients, the homeless, folks on disability, prison inmates, etc. then I am leaning to the left just a bit and agreeing with Mr. Dean on this concept.
  • o
    Cool_voter
    !
    Actually Romney lost.
    Let me explain before your brain explodes.

    Romney wanted the government to delegate the following
    Gay rights
    Women's rights
    Civil rights
    Free enterprise

    Romney was all about taking the rights of some to ensure the happiness of others, like yourself.
    He lost Obama won move on please
  • Ashstop
    !
    @Cool_voter
    I've moved on, I acknowledged we must now pay for what Obama promised, he never said how he was going to pay for it but some of us figured it out. I wish more would have but we are all in this together now, just accept it, that's all we can do, the majority spoke, all this free stuff is expensive!!
    ( maybe we can get him elected a third term and just have our wages sent directly to him? Think of the money saved by eliminating the middleman!!)
  • Jeff_Woehrle
    !
    Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

    Instead of asking those who already pay to pay even more, what's wrong with asking that 47 percent to pay SOMETHING? The free ride needs to end. Step up.
  • Tralee
    !
    As usual, you hit the nail on the head. I like this one better, even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while. Put that out and wait for the screaming from the left, they'd be happy if they all got a free ride and the few of us paid it all. They need to move to Cuba.
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    @PoliticalSpice

    You aren't telling me anything I don't already know. Washington is so bass ackwards that I expect stupidity from them.

    But I keep pestering my reps any way. Maybe some day they'll wake up.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    @Thunderchicken
    Well I may not agree with your politics, but if more people would pester their reps maybe this system would start being more responsive and the level of public debate would improve...
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    @PoliticalSpice

    I have the tar. Will you get the feathers? ;-)

    Seriously, I think we both want the best for our country. We probably differ more on how to get it rather than what it is.
  • MRMacrum
    !
    I would not be against higher taxes for everyone and some severe cuts in discretionary spending, particularly Defense. Entitlements, specifically Social Security I would leave the Hell alone. Medicaid and medicare, well, I am not sure.

    I was against the Bush Tax cuts right from the beginning. What I feared would happen did happen. They need that money back. So take it. Hit us all hard and get it over with.
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    I agree to a point. Although I don't like the idea, I think we're going to have to means test SSI. I also think the federal pension system needs reform.
  • MRMacrum
    !
    @Thunderchicken - For the short term there is no need to mess with SS. It is solvent and according to everyone will be for quite a few years. Let's get the rest of our house in order and then look at it.
  • u
    Hrsqsiest
    !
    The spending cuts I agree with wholeheartedly. Tax increases no. Tax fairness is what I'm thinking. Everyone paying the same %. There's no reason why a low wage earner should be paying taxes at a higher percentage than those in the top brackets. And get rid of all this 'income tax return" BS. It goes in, it stays in. Do away with offshore tax havens also. There are many ways to increase tax revenue without raising them. It's just that those with the political clout (money) won't let it happen.
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    @MRMacrum

    But SSI is a big part of our spending.(The lock box, trust fund went out the window a long time ago. Like it or not SSI is part of the general fund.) With our biggest expenses being Medicare, SSI and Defense, that's likely where we'll get our biggest spending cuts.
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    @Hrsqsiest

    Are you talking "Pay as you go" taxes such as a national sales tax? I'd be all for something where the average Joe knows just how much he pays in all taxes combined. It'd probably get Joe so made he'd demand spending cuts.
  • View all 7 replies >
  • DerivePI
    !
    And this highlights the main difference between the conservative-liberal divide:
    --- Liberals tell you the government is screwed up and needs more of your money to bring it under control (they're better at spending it)
    --- Conservative tells you the government is screwed up and should have less control of your money (you're better at spending your own money)
    --- The politician screws things up so that they can pretend to fix it. By the way, your guy is the only one fixing it (lol).
  • u
    seedtick
    !
    Wow...did ole Howard suddenly see the light? Hell yes, everyone needs to pay their fair share...ain't that what Barack Husssein Obama keeps saying? But...NO, NO, they don't need to pay MORE taxes, they need to pay THEIR FAIR SHARE. And, 35% on a family making $250K is plenty. If you want to raise capital gains taxes, OK. But, remember, that affects more than just the rich.
    I do wonder, however, what might happen if we raise taxes 1% across the board, lower corporate taxes to a competive level with other countries, raise the minimum wage 25cents/hr., adjust the Social Security and Medicare age for those under 50 y/o, cut federal spending, and cap the debt ceiling. That way nobody WINS, and everyone SHARES in some way. But, the fly in the ointment is Obamacare. That crap is going to negatively affect everyone...and that is a fact. No matter how we stimulate the economy to grow the GDP, Obamacare will retard its growth. And, all who hate "trickle-down" economics will soon see what "government-forced" economics will do.
  • Tralee
    !
    Maybe you should have run for president, this is the common sense way to balance the budget. Families do it all the time.
  • u
    seedtick
    !
    @Tralee No way the White House and Oval Office is ready for a Blue Dog Democrat like me. The rich elite of both parties would have little or no influence and the lazy takers would have to go to work. Our foreign policy would directly reflect how other countries treat our nation. And our borders would be secured.
    Prayer would be back in the White House...for traditional American religious leaders. So, you see, someone like me just cannot be elected.
  • Tralee
    !
    @seedtick I'd vote for you. A little common sense would go a long way in Washington DC about now. I don't want influence, I want a balanced budget, my taxes not wasted and for politicians to call the green thing with all the colored lights and ornaments on it to celebrate the season, what it is, a Christmas Tree.
  • DyingBreed
    !
    I'm on the bottom, and I'd be glad to pay more taxes as contribute to my country. People always talk about making the rich pay their fair share, but I live here too and pay not much more than just sales tax.

    Sure, in general I think income taxes are wrong - but if we are going to have them, at least make them fair.
  • u
    Nemesis3X
    !
    @CommonSense we've beat that dead horse. Many of the so called "poor" live every bit as well as I do. They have all the same "goodies", often times more than I do. Yet I pay a 5 digit figure in taxes after its all said and done. They paid nothing and in many instances actually get back more than they paid in at the end of the year. I really don't think it's too much to ask for EVERYONE to actually contribute something.
  • u
    CommonSense
    !
    @Nemesis3X
    What gives you the impression they live "every bit" as well as you do? And if that's the case then why not quit your job and start doing something simpler for less money if you really don't think being poor effects how well you live.
  • u
    Nemesis3X
    !
    @CommonSense I have eyes (and a welfare queen as a sister). As to quitting? As soon as my children have all left the nest and I am no longer indentured to the ex, I plan on doing just that!!! That's what happens when the redistribution of wealth starts. Eventually you run out of producers.
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