Pirate's Cove

(This is a letter and email that I have sent to Speaker Boehner, as well as to NC Senator Richard Burr and Congresswoman Renee Elmers, who will hopefully be my Rep. when redistricting is done, moving me to NC2, rather than Democrat Brad Miller in NC13. I’m also hoping that someone from one of their offices reads Right Wing News, which is certainly a lot bigger than my site, Pirate’s Cove)

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am advocating a return to the Clinton era tax rates, something which Democrats, liberals, and progressives have been agitating for and whining about for years. They seem to love those rates. Of course, they generally love those rates for Someone Else, not themselves. Usually, “the rich.” But, it’s high time we give in and give them what they want. No, really. And it wouldn’t be too hard to do.

All that needs to be done is to look at the State of Massachusetts, and their law which allows citizens to voluntarily pay a higher tax rate of 5.85% instead of the mandated 5.3%. But, let’s go one step further beyond Congress passing a law which sets up a system like they have in Mass. with one rate, but, institutes the entire 2000 federal tax brackets as secondary and voluntary alternate rates

(information from Money Chimp, where you can also see the current rates, along with the rates for married filers.)

The best way to do this would be to have an extra form, which would be filled out after completing a 1040 or 1040EZ, which would allow the chumps Democrats the ability to see the full difference between what they keep now and what they kept under the Clinton era rates. The form should be kept simple. Or, there could be a way on the standard 1040’s where you check a box saying “I love higher rates”, and they would reference a different income schedule. I’ll leave the details to you. The one thing that shouldn’t be done is to have businesses collect the alternate tax rate. There’s no reason to create more work for businesses, or burden them.

Furthermore, we need to give Democrats/liberals/progressives the ability to pay the higher capital gains taxes from that era. We can use the 2000 rates, as well, said rate dependent on length of ownership before sale. 20% if over 1 year. If under 1 year, they pay the same as their actual tax bracket. This would allow all those “Millionaires for Tax Increases” to enjoy the same benefits of paying more, since so much of their income is based on capital gains, rather than earned income.

Is this a political stunt, a bit of “I triple dog dare you” to our comrades on the Left? Sure. It’s politics. But, it also lets them literally put their money where their mouths are, much like when they were forced to vote on pulling out of Iraq (and most voted to stay in Iraq). When Democrat voters are told “hey, you can send extra money to the IRS” when they moan about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy (or, are they the Obama tax cuts for the wealthy now?), they always say “but, there’s no law!!!” This would give them an official law and form for them to fill out.

But, this is also dead serious legislation. Democrats want to pay the higher rate? Let them. Of course, as we see in Massachusetts, only about .03% actually pay the higher rates. Rather strange for such a liberal state, eh? It’d  be a great way to put Democrats on notice. If they want higher rates, this will give them a chance to “give back” and “pay their fair share.”

Of course, there will be all sorts of teeth gnashing, hysteria, and name calling coming your way from not only the Democrat lawmakers, liberal media types, and Mr. Obama, but from the squishy Republicans who would rather play nice with the Left than stick to Republican principles. Treat them like Blue Dog Democrats: try to persuade them, but, don’t spend too much time on it. And if they persist, ask them if they will voluntarily pay a higher tax rate themselves.

Crossed at Right Wing News.