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Title: Donald Trump once proposed a more left-wing tax policy than Bernie Sanders
Source:
Vox
URL Source: http://www.vox.com/2015/3/18/8244115/donald-trump-wealth-tax
Published: Jul 7, 2015
Author: Dylan Matthews
Post Date: 2015-07-07 09:48:19 by cranko
Keywords: None
Views: 14006
Comments: 39
In 1999 and 2000, he considered a bid for the nomination of Ross Perot's Reform Party, which was at the height of its influence after Jesse Ventura won the Minnesota governorship in 1998 as a Reform candidate. Trump's big idea was a one-time wealth tax of 14.25 percent on all individuals and trusts with a net worth in excess of $10 million. The proceeds would be used to wipe out the national debt, with the savings in interest payments going to shore up Social Security and pay for middle-class tax cuts. This is a totally insane idea for a whole variety of reasons, many of which Bruce Bartlett ran through in the Wall Street Journal at the time. The tax wouldn't raise nearly as much as Trump thought it would, it'd encourage massive evasion, and it'd force huge sell-offs of stock and other assets, leading to, as Bartlett writes, the "liquidation of thousands of businesses." "We must have universal healthcare," wrote Trump. "I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one. We should not hear so many stories of families ruined by healthcare expenses." The goal of health care reform, wrote Trump, should be a system that looks a lot like Canada. "Doctors might be paid less than they are now, as is the case in Canada, but they would be able to treat more patients because of the reduction in their paperwork," he writes. /cdn0
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The wealth tax isn't the only left-wing proposal Trump has flirted with over the years, either. He also used to be a fan of Canadian-style single-payer health care.
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Let's see... An economically destructive wealth tax and a Canadian-style single payer healthcare system. So this is what "conservatives" support now. NO THANKS.
Who GAS?
Is that what the anchor mama is whispering in your ear? By the way you're not conservative. You are the liberal jwpegler.
Correct. I don't believe in big government as do "conservatives" like the Bushes, Mike Hucklebee, Rick Santorum, Bill Kristol, and the rest. I stopped referring to myself as a "conservative" when Reagan left office. Incorrect. I am a libertarian. I believe in small, limited government pretty much across the board.
Whatever you are. You're dumb. Have you supplanted FR yet?
What are his current policies? What is his tax reform plan? What is his regulatory reform plan? What is his entitlement reform plan? We already know he supported socialized healthcare, like Canada. As far as I can tell, the only policy Trump has articulated in 2015 is to build a giant wall across the Rio Grande and somehow have Mexico pay for it. Trump reminds me of Big John Connolly, the big spending Democrat governor of Texas that the far right went ga ga for in 1980 and George Wallace, the big spending Democrat governor of Alabama that the far right went ga ga over in 1976. Who cares about their policies? The only thing that matters is that they were willing to trash talk the D.C. establishment on TV. It's a great show that makes the angry, bitter and powerless feel better about themselves. But it won't solve any problems.
Back to your liberal, MSNBC ways, attacking people instead of trying to refute their facts. No surprise.
There was a time I called myself a Libertarian. And there was a time I was a Libertarian. I just wanted to get government to leave me alone, to leave people alone and to go all crazy and limit itself to doing only that which is spelled out clearly in the Constitution. That was what a Libertarian was. But it’s not anymore. The word no longer has any meaning, no definition or parameters, certainly no coherent philosophy to speak of. And there’s no one to blame for that except Libertarians themselves. So what happened? By not even loosely defining the parameters of a set of beliefs, Libertarians allowed their brand – as it was – to be hijacked by anyone willing to wear the label. They went from the movement for individual responsibility, small government and free markets to a gaggle of misfits who want pot and prostitution legalized and a total non-interventionist foreign policy. That pretty much sums it up. Honestly, what does being a Libertarian mean beyond legalizing drugs, banging hookers and sitting by while the rest of the world blows itself up? The great Reason magazine is a wonderful publication filled with great articles, solid journalism you won’t find elsewhere…and a voice that does little more than complain. Reason is great at highlighting abuses by every level of government, stories ignored by other media outlets. But you won’t find much in the way of philosophy or solutions. (There’s some, it just doesn’t seem to be a focus.) They preach to the choir, and it ends there. I love the Cato Institute and have a lot of good friends who work there, and they do offer some good solutions. They just refuse to do anything about them. Cato has a deserved reputation for refusing to play nice with anyone else. When was the last legislative “victory” spearheaded or introduced by Cato? What Libertarians do exceedingly well is sit on the sidelines, arms folded, and complain. No idea was ever put into action by complaining that it wasn’t so, yet that seems to be the Libertarian modus operandi. On election night 2008, I was at a Reason/America’s Future Foundation (another Libertarian group) election night party in a Chinatown bar in DC. The results of the election were a forgone conclusion, so what better way to mark the night than with a few drinks and friends. Hell, the band played as the Titanic sank, so why not imbibe a bit as the nation hit the iceberg? It’s not like anyone was thrilled to vote for John McCain that day. But as bad as McCain was (and still is), he was better than Barack Obama. At least that’s a conclusion you’d expect anyone who supported liberty to draw. Yet that night, as each state was declared for Obama, cheers rose from the crowd. When Obama won Ohio, you would’ve thought you were in a bar in Green Bay and the Packers had just won the Super Bowl. High-fives and laughter filled the room. It wasn’t as though these self-described Libertarians wanted Obama to win. Well, actually, many of them did. But the majority of them wanted McCain to lose. They wanted Republicans to lose. Their victory was to let the country lose, to get that smug sense of self-satisfaction they were feeling. In the years since, that attitude has only grown. And what it means to be a Libertarian has blurred even more than before. So much so that a “Libertarian” candidate for governor in Virginia – many of whose views would disgust “real” Libertarians – pulled 7 percent in a race decided by much less pretty much solely on the strength of his party ID. Libertarians have devolved from the pro-liberty wing of the right side of the ledger to the annoying kid who, when he doesn’t get 100 percent of what he wants, takes his ball and goes home. The team he agrees with more than half the time loses to the team he barely agrees with at all, and he cheers while marinating in his smugness. Perhaps the best-known of the bastardized self-definition of Libertarian is Bill Maher. Maher is a Libertarian like David Ortiz is a world-class sprinter. But with a definition as firm as a bowl of Jell-O, there’s no one to say he isn’t. In his largely ignored HBO show, Maher labels himself a Libertarian. On the Internet, a lazy, compliant media perpetuates that label, and soon it becomes accepted fact. In reality, Maher doesn’t have the first clue about the virtues of individual liberty, nor does he possess any love of a Libertarian philosophy beyond wanting to smoke weed and bang hookers. But who’s saying he’s not a Libertarian? Who challenges his claim in any public and sustained way? No one. So the progressive pap that slips past his bleached teeth and onto the Internet is associated with, and is becoming, Libertarian orthodoxy with a new generation of confused people. Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, famously tells the story of how Maher came to his Wednesday Meeting once and made his Libertarian claim, then proceeded to rant of how government needs to do this, that and the other thing. And they need to raise taxes to pay for it all. Grover, in a room of 150 people, ask Maher, “So you’re from the pro-high tax wing of the Libertarian movement?” Everyone in the room laughed hysterically, except Maher. He didn’t get it. At least it didn’t seem like he’d gotten it, but maybe he did. Maybe it was everyone else in the room who didn’t get it. Thanks to Maher and his ilk, the term Libertarian does now come closer to what he thinks it is than it used to. If prominent Libertarians and Libertarian organizations continue to accept through silence this bastardization, it will continue to intensify. If they continue with their “my way or the highway” approach to electoral politics, their 100 percent-or-nothing purity tests, I’m not sure there will be anyone except them left to give a damn. There’s a lesson in all this for the GOP establishment too. The disintegration of Libertarians is similar to what we’re seeing happen in the counterproductive battle between conservatives/Tea Party and the Republican establishment. If the GOP establishment can’t win with their candidate, they’d rather lose. It’s not cutting off your nose to spite your face; it’s more like cutting off your head to spite yourself. The Virginia gubernatorial race wasn’t lost by Ken Cuccinelli. It was lost by the GOP establishment. The national party took their ball and went home early, leaving the Republican candidate astronomically outspent. Even with that disadvantage, he barely lost. Say what you will of Michael Steele’s tenure as GOP Chairman, at least he won. That’s more than can be said for the elections under Reince Priebus. Much like Libertarians, the GOP establishment took their ball and went home in Virginia. How’d that work out for them? They “succeeded” – the guy they didn’t want to win didn’t win. But Terry McAuliffe, perhaps the sleaziest person in all of the Clinton universe, is now governor of Virginia. Pretty perverted way to make a point. Derek Hunter
Budget: Government must cut spending more. Speaking on Fox News in 2013, Donald Trump said that automatic budget cuts, or sequester, does not go far enough and Congress must reduce spending further to address impending increases in the deficit. Climate Change: It is a hoax. Trump does not believe climate change is real, tweeting out his skepticism with strong language and calling it a hoax on Fox News in 2014. In a 2012 Twitter post which is no longer accessible, Trump charged that the concept of climate change was created by the Chinese to supress the U.S. economy. In addition, Trump has expressed firm opposition to wind turbines, which he sees as an environmental and aesthetic problem. Entitlements: Do not cut Social Security or Medicare benefits. Grow the economy to save those programs. The real estate tycoon told CPAC in 2013 that Republicans should not cut Social Security or Medicare because most Americans want to keep the benefits as they stand now. His solution is unclear, but he has indicated that general economic growth would play a role. Trump tweeted in May that he knows “where to get the money from” and “nobody else does.” Gun Control: Limit restrictions on guns. Ban some assault weapons and extend the waiting period for purchase. During a 2013 interview with Fox News, the real estate mogul defined himself as, “a very strong person on the Second Amendment.” He believes guns are necessary for self-defense and has written that he generally opposes gun control. In his 2000 book, “The America We Deserve” Trump wrote that he supports a ban on assault weapons and a slightly longer waiting period to buy a gun. Immigration: No path to citizenship for undocumented workers. Allow more European immigration and a legal status to those graduating from U.S. colleges. In his January speech to the Iowa Freedom Summit, Trump called for securing the southern border and indicated that he believes half of the undocumented residents in America are criminals. In 2013 at CPAC, the businessman said Republicans should block any path to citizenship or voting status for undocumented immigrants but should expand legal immigration from Europe. In addition, Trump would give a legal status to foreign students who complete a degree at an American university. Obamacare: Repeal it. Replace it. Speaking at the Iowa Freedom Summit in January, Trump said Obamacare is a catastrophe that must be repealed and replaced. In 2011, Trump suggested that the health insurance industry have more ability to cross state lines. In “The America We Deserve” Trump wrote that he supported universal healthcare and a system that would mirror Canada’s government-run healthcare service. Social Issues: Abortion should be limited. Marriage is between a man and a woman and should be defined state by state. Describing himself as “pro-life,” Trump told Bloomberg News in January that he believes abortion should be banned at some point in pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother. In 2011 he explained to the Christian Broadcasting Network that he had changed his mind on the issue. In “The America We Deserve,” Trump then wrote that he supported a woman’s right to choose. In the same Bloomberg interview in January, the businessman asserted that he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman. While he sees it as a state issue, Trump indicated that the Supreme Court could issue a ruling to determine the law. Taxes: End corporate taxes. Lower individual rates. Consider a one-time tax on the wealthy to pay down the debt. In his 2011 book “Time to Get Tough,” Trump outlined a plan to end corporate taxes and significantly reduce individual taxes with a five-tier income tax system. In his proposal, the lowest earners would pay a 1 percent income tax and Americans earning more than $1 million would pay 15 percent. In his book, Trump proposed a one-time 14.25 percent tax on America’s wealthiest residents in order to pay down the national debt. Iran and Israel: Walk away from nuclear talks. Increase sanctions. Trump has said that the U.S. is mishandling current Iran negotiations and should have walked away from the table once Tehran reportedly rejected the idea of sending enriched uranium to Russia. The real estate developer told Fox News that he would increase sanctions on the Persian state. Trump has been sharply critical of the Obama administration’s handling of relations with Israel and has called for a closer alliance with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Islamic State and Iraq: Send a limited number of combat troops on the ground. In early 2015, Trump told CPAC that he felt the U.S. may need “boots on the ground” to fight the Islamic State. Soon after, he clarified to Fox News that he would send limited numbers of troops if all of his military advisers recommended it.
And you support this? Conservative my ass! In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to Much I love it, a tax that targets liberals. The biggest liberals in America are the left wing globalist billionaires. Need to tax their foundations, and that hedge fund masquerading as a university, Hah-vahd. Bill Gates is as left wing as they come, these liberal billionaires make a big deal about malaria in Africa, thee same left wing globalist billionaires reintroduced tuberculosis into America with their immigration policy.
That is old news and no longer the case. Dredging up old news from the past and regurgitating it without showing his current position….is extremely weak. That is obviously all they have....great! Trump wrote 15 years ago that he supported universal healthcare. Times change, events change….smart people adjust and change for the better with them. Trump has seen the failure of Obamacare and he thinks Obamacare is “a big, fat, horrible lie” and “a total catastrophe,” which he’s promised “is going to be a disaster.” Trump has said that the health care law should be repealed and replaced but has ended his past talk of a universal, single-payer health care system.
Trump's idea of a Wealth Tax was right, as was his idea of paying off the national debt and using the interest savings to improve services, but his implementation of it: 14.25% of the top wealth, was a bad idea. Too draconian. What we really need is about a 2% gross wealth tax, without deductions, that hits ALL wealth, bottom to top, at the same rate. And the gross wealth tax should REPLACE income, Social Security, property, sales and all other taxes. In other words, expand the base to cover EVERYTHING, tax EVERYTHING, at a very low rate, and do away with the complex jungle of piecemeal taxation. It's the fairest tax of all. Therefore, of course the Republicans and Democrats will hate it - because it doesn't give breaks to their prized constituents at the top, and because it taxes the FIRST dollar of their poorest constituents at the bottom. All in, from everybody, at the rate of 2 cents. Trump didn't propose that, but had he, then his logic was good. Trump is also right about health insurance. It should be universal and single payer, like in France.
No different than the label "conservative". Rick Santorum voted for Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, and the 2002 pork barrel highway bill with bridges to nowhere. Today he says that Social Security and Medicare don't need to be reformed. He also wants big federal government intervention in marriage, abortion, marijuana, and end of life decisions instead of letting states decide these issues. Conversely, Rick Perry believes in states rights and once called Social Security a Ponzi Scheme. And they both call themselves "conservative". The term "conservative" means whatever one wants it to mean, which makes it a meaningless term. That's why I don't use it to describe myself. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Well, he should return to it. We should have the health care system they have in France: universal Medicare. Single payer INSURANCE, with a rational legal system that keeps malpractice rates low, and with free public education for doctors so they don't come out of medical school a half-million dollars in debt and have to take on golden handcuffs and overcharge. Educate the doctors, leave them independent, and let them operate in a sane legal and insurance environment. Patients pay for their care, and send the receipt to the government for reimbursement of 80% of it. The poor get part or all of the 20% gap reimbursed also. The doctors don't deal with billing. It's a simple, sane system that provides health care on a par with America at about 60% of the cost, and that covers everybody in the country. THAT is the system we should have. So, who will hate it?: Medical schools: they lose cash cows. Malpractice lawyers: they lose a lot of business. Health insurance companies: they lose a huge cash cow. Who will love it?: Patients. Doctors. The Congressional Budget Office.
Government must cut spending more. That's not a policy. It's a platitude. What will he cut and how much? Do not cut Social Security or Medicare benefits Entitlement programs and debt service comprise 71% of the budget. If he is not going to cut there, he is not serious about cutting spending. Climate Change: It is a hoax That's not a policy, it's a belief. How would he change the way the EPA regulates? Obamacare: Repeal it. Replace it. Replace it with Trump Care -- a Canadian-like Single Payer System. I challenge you to find any policy discussion on Trump's Campaign Web Site. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
THAT is the system we should have. 10/10 agree Healthcare is a basic human right, and should be recognized as such. So, who will hate it?: Everyone who steps between the Doc & the Patient to take a profit. "we are tartets from evil doers!!!" [ and ] U looked up birfer on the dcitionary. It isn't a movie. "Listen piece of shit. Call me anti American again and your're banned. I don't like you." - aka stoned -
Exactly right. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Apparently universal heathcare is OK as long as it's a Republican proposing it. Same with infringing the 2nd Amendment. In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to Much Trump said: “Ban some assault weapons.” He did not say: “Ban ALL assault weapons”….you stupid asshole. There is no more fiercely discussed topic on the Internet forums that what constitutes an assault weapon. Do you know the “some” of which he speaks….I don’t. I feel sure since he qualified his statement that he is not talking about semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines and “military” features like pistol grips, flash suppressors and collapsible or folding stocks….or guns that are routinely used in target shooting and hunting. I support Trump. I of course will not agree with 100 percent of his positions….there never will be a candidate I will be able todo that with.
Trump is not supporting universal healthcare....Trump is one SMART man!
The management of preventable, chronic diseases is the real driver of healthcare costs in the U.S. Here is my plan to provide the McDonald eating, Marlboro smoking, beer guzzling lard asses with their "right" to healthcare: During the month of April everyone in the country will have to show up at a government office and weigh in. The government will severely tax you for every pound you are overweight. The money will be put in a chronic disease fund to manage people's diabetes, heart conditions and other chronic diseases. If you don't show up or don't pay, the government will lock you in prison and make you perform hard labor until you shed your fat. How's that for a plan to provide you with your "right" to healthcare? "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Who'da thunk it? LOL. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
That's silly. "we are tartets from evil doers!!!" [ and ] U looked up birfer on the dcitionary. It isn't a movie. "Listen piece of shit. Call me anti American again and your're banned. I don't like you." - aka stoned -
Did you ever think about looking for them elsewhere….obviously not. You found a reason for an insignificant talking point and you quit looking….shame on you. His policy statements are everywhere, here is but one: Donald Trump on Foreign Policy.
Why? It gets right to the heart of the issue -- people make poor lifestyle choices which makes them unhealthy and drives up healthcare costs. Instead of forcing me to pay for the tubalards' poor choices, let's force them to pay for those choices themselves. The money will go into a big pool to manage the chronic diseases of people who overeat, smoke, drink, and won't exercise. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
That's not a policy. It's a platitude. What will he cut and how much? Who is your libertarian candidate? Oh, wait….Gary Johnson, right? (***snicker***).
Oh, wait….Gary Johnson, right? (***snicker***). Where did I say I vote for Libertarian Party candidates? Nowhere. As usual, you are just making stuff up with no facts to back up your wild assertions. I have voted in 9 Presidential elections -- 5 times for Republicans and 4 times for independent and 3rd party candidates. Here who I could support in 2016: Rick Perry, Rand Paul, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, Ben Carson Here is who I would NEVER consider supporting in 2016: Rick Santorum, Mike Huckleberry, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Lindsey Graham. Here is who I am undecided about: Bobby Jindal -- I used to like him, but lately he seems to have lost his mind. If he manages to get the GOP nomination, I would probably vote for him. Marco Rubio -- I don't trust him. He has a horrific tax program. When he first entered the Senate he sided with the Hollywood Moguls on a bill over the technology industry. It's very doubtful that I could vote for him if he got the nomination. George Pataki -- What's the point? He's going nowhere. Donald Trump -- He will not be the nominee. If he is the nominee I might vote for him just for the entertainment value of having him the White House for four years. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Why? If you don't show up or don't pay, the government will lock you in prison and make you perform hard labor until you shed your fat. Ridiculous. "we are tartets from evil doers!!!" [ and ] U looked up birfer on the dcitionary. It isn't a movie. "Listen piece of shit. Call me anti American again and your're banned. I don't like you." - aka stoned -
First, determining someone's "wealth" is not an easy thing to do. Are you proposing an army of government furniture, clothing, jewelry, and gadget assessors to inspect people's homes during tax season? Second, most people's wealth is tied up in illiquid assets like homes and business properties. What happens to small business people who have modest incomes but property values that have escalated dramatically over the years? Do you force them to sell their business because they can't pay the tax? I think a better approach is a transaction tax on all B2B and C2B transactions, including the purchase of stocks and bonds. Only bank savings and checking transactions would be exempt. Someone did a study a few years ago which showed that a 1.5% tax on all transactions would be enough to replace all federal taxes. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Ridiculous.If you don't show up or don't pay, the government will lock you in prison and make you perform hard labor until you shed your fat. Ridiculous. You want rights? Then you have to have responsibilities. You don't have a right to lay on the couch, stuffing your face with fast food and then make me pay for your high blood pressure medicine. I don't accept that. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
A libertarian who will not support and vote for the libertarian party candidate? That's weak...
Yeah, it's all about you. Pretending that you'd favor "locking someone up" is nonsense. Here's an Idea (that you'll hate) how about taxing the "bad decision makers" at the source.... Fast food tax, alcohol tax, tobacco tax, XXL clothing tax, excessive hours of TV watching tax, excessive internet usage tax.....on and on.. There will always be those who are too weak/ignorant to compromise and make some changes for the better. "we are tartets from evil doers!!!" [ and ] U looked up birfer on the dcitionary. It isn't a movie. "Listen piece of shit. Call me anti American again and your're banned. I don't like you." - aka stoned -
Excessive taxes on products will just create black markets for those products. It's already happening with tobacco. You have to tax outcomes, like obesity if you want to solve the problem and lower healthcare costs. We throw people who use drugs in jail. Drug usage doesn't have anywhere near the impact on healthcare costs as obese people do. Oregon is started to tax people for the miles they drive in their cars. It's time to start taxing poundage. "We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one." -- Donald Trump
Yes it is. Financial assets: bank accounts, stocks, bonds, wages, dividend and interest payments are all registered. Real property assets (houses, buildings) and large personal property assets (planes, boats, cars) are also all registered and taxed. What remains? Two sorts of movable personal property: (1) Things of minimal individual value (most clothing, used mass-printed books, CDs, computers, etc.), and (2) Things of major financial value (artwork, coin and stamp collections, jewelry). Both of these things are mostly privately registered in the form of property insurance. Housing insurance generally covers personalty, with a deductible, up to a certain amount. For really valuable things: art, jewelry, coin and bullion collections, to have insurance coverage people must schedule them or buy separate insurance. So, to capture most of the wealth in America, you need only look at registered assets, and then add to that the amount of personal property insurance that people carry, and tax them on that. People don't spend money insuring personal property they don't have. It isn't too terribly hard to determine the average amount of personal unregistered property that most Americans have - I'll go look it up on the net when I'm done with this - and then simply apply the tax rate to that assumed floor. If most Americans have about $20,000 in personal property, then everybody pays a flat head tax of $400 per year (2% of $20,000) based on that, and that covers the lower end. (Remember that sales taxes and dog license taxes and car taxes and gas taxes and Social Security taxes should all go away, so for those at the bottom, a flat tax is a tax cut.) This is a really simple way to administer the bottom end without having to count underwear or Ikea chairs. Essentially the only tax evasion you would have would lie in people who have major assets in art and gold bullion, who did not insure them. Those people bear a substantial risk, for if their goods are stolen and they are uninsured, they lose. A police claim of the theft of uninsured major assets that were not declared on the tax returns would be an admission of tax evasion. By those expedients: registered assets (which is almost everything), plus insured property (which covers almost all real property of value), with perhaps an assumed $20,000 of personalty resulting in a fixed floor tax of $400 per person per year, the issue is handled with little potential for evasion. The potential for evasion is further squeezed as we move to a no-cash economy, as then even if one has hidden art and gold, when one liquidates it, the assets pop into the system as cash, and then the cash is converted into something. And remember what would be replaced: sales taxes and receipts, sales tax accounting, DMV fees, all of that petty, annoying bakshish that happens down at the margins. Toll booths on roads that devour so much time. Right now, we tax wealth multiple times. We earn new wealth as wages and pay three, four or five taxes on it (Social Security, Medicare, Federal and State and City income taxes). Then we pay taxes on that money AGAIN when we convert it into goods, through sales taxes. And then, with certain wealth (houses, cars, boats), we pay a wealth tax every year. If we want to avoid taxing personalty, then just treat stocks, bonds and annuities like houses: tax securities holdings at the same rate that houses are taxed (about 1.5%), and tax securities transactions at the same sales tax rates that apply to cars or clothes. The reason to tax wealth and not wages and sales and property separately is that the latter (the current) system warps the economy as people take suboptimal economic positions to avoid taxes, because of multiple taxation of the same wealth - when earned and when spent, and each subsequent transaction - and because of the plethora of administrative tax collection agencies. With a flat wealth tax things become much easier to track, the tax is less intrusive, and it if very difficult to evade and impossible to avoid - so the tax code ceases to warp the economy. The one thing it DOES do is force more active attention to investments. One cannot simply part assets earning less than 2% per year, because if one does that, one loses money. Consider what small businesses pay in taxes now: licencing fees, LLC taxes, payroll taxes, unemployment insurance and personal income taxes on the profits. Now consider how much lower and less intrusive the taxes would be on that small business. They'd pay 2% of the value of their assets, and 2% of the value of their revenues. The business taxes and 28% personal income tax would all go away. Truth: this tax would hit everybody the SAME - a flat 2%. The very top of the income scale, whose wealth is mostly in the form of accumulated assets, would pay more than they currently pay, but as a percentage of what they have, it would be the same as the homeless guy: 2%. And THAT is why the super-rich would hate this tax. All of the special tax tricks that shield them from taxes would be gone, and they'd be paying taxes at the same rates as all others. They'd still have more, but stuff they have that is currently not taxed (accumulated securities) would be. It's completely fair. And it's easier to administer and more difficult to substantially evade than our current system. Democrats would hate this because it's not "progressive" (even though it actually DOES tax the wealthy more money than the current high marginal rates and punitive estate taxes that are easily avoidable). Republicans would hate it because it does hit the Alphas in ways that are not evadable or avoidable.
Don't expect us to fall for your cheap Trump-hating tricks! : )
Same with infringing the 2nd Amendment. Trump was a lifelong Dem (and big Dem donor) until 2009. He claims he did vote for McStain instead of Obola in 2008 but can offer no proof. Trump has continued donating to Dem candidates much more than GOP candidates since he became a GOP. I recall Perot was also a lifelong Dem (and Dem donor), just like Trump, until he heard that giant sucking sound and helped Xlinton rape his way to two terms in the WH.
Why do you make up this shit? Trump was a Republican until 2001. After he saw what a POS Bush was. Then he flirted with being a democrat. Then he saw what Obama was and he went independent and back to Republican. Stick to the facts not made up anti Trump propaganda.
Trump has an odd history. SmokingGun, 2/2012: The fungible nature of the purported billionaire’s political beliefs, of course, is one of the 65-year-old developer’s many bothersome traits. To call The Donald a weathervane is an insult to the stability of weathervanes everywhere. But let’s cut to the documents. Trump’s political flip-flopping over the past quarter-century is best chronicled in the files of New York City’s Board of Elections, where the businessman’s assorted voter registration cards are stored. Here’s what they reveal: * In July 1987, Trump first registered from his penthouse in Manhattan’s Trump Tower. He enrolled in the REPUBLICAN PARTY, listing his prior residence as his boyhood home in Jamaica Estates, Queens. * Twelve years later, in October 1999, Trump dumped the GOP, and enrolled in the INDEPENDENCE PARTY. * Less than two years later, in August 2001, Trump again changed his party enrollment. This time, he emerged as a member of the DEMOCRATIC PARTY. * He lasted eight years as a Democrat. In September 2009, Trump changed his affiliation, this time returning to the REPUBLICAN PARTY. * As of press time, Trump’s latest party switch occurred six weeks ago, on December 21, when he again ditched the GOP. But instead of siding with a particular party, Trump checked off the box indicating “I DO NOT WISH TO ENROLL IN A PARTY.” So Trump was an indy as recently as 2012. Do we have any proof that he is a registered Republican currently?
"We must have universal healthcare," wrote Trump. "I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one. The goal of health care reform, wrote Trump, should be a system that looks a lot like Canada.
#2. To: cranko (#0)
In 1999 and 2000...
Post not what Trump proposed 16 years ago - Post what Trump can do for America after he is elected. ~ Author Unknown
#3. To: cranko (#1)
So this is what "conservatives" support now. NO THANKS.
#4. To: A K A Stone (#3)
(Edited)
By the way you're not conservative.
You are the liberal jwpegler.
#5. To: cranko (#4)
#6. To: Gatlin (#2)
(Edited)
Post what Trump can do for America
#7. To: A K A Stone (#5)
Whatever you are. You're dumb.
#8. To: cranko, A KA A Stone (#4)
I am a libertarian.
#9. To: cranko (#6)
What are his current policies?
Here is where Donald Trump stands on ten key issues.
#10. To: Gatlin, A K A Stone, cranko (#9)
(Edited)
Gun Control: Limit restrictions on guns. Ban some assault weapons and extend the waiting period for purchase.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#11. To: cranko (#0)
Trump's big idea was a one-time wealth tax of 14.25 percent on all individuals and trusts with a net worth in excess of $10 million.
#12. To: cranko, A K A Stone (#0)
"We must have universal healthcare," wrote Trump. "I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one. We should not hear so many stories of families ruined by healthcare expenses."
#13. To: cranko (#0)
#14. To: Gatlin (#8)
By not even loosely defining the parameters of a set of beliefs, Libertarians allowed their brand – as it was – to be hijacked by anyone willing to wear the label.
#15. To: Gatlin (#12)
Trump has said that the health care law should be repealed and replaced but has ended his past talk of a universal, single-payer health care system.
#16. To: Gatlin (#9)
#17. To: Vicomte13 (#15)
It's a simple, sane system that provides health care on a par with America at about 60% of the cost, and that covers everybody in the country.
#18. To: Deckard (#10)
Conservative my ass!
#19. To: cranko (#18)
"We must have universal healthcare. I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one."
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#20. To: Deckard, A K A Stone, cranko (#10)
And you support this?
#21. To: Deckard (#19)
Apparently universal heathcare is OK as long as it's a Republican proposing it.
#22. To: Jameson (#17)
(Edited)
Healthcare is a basic human right
#23. To: Deckard (#19)
Apparently universal heathcare is OK as long as it's a Republican proposing it.
#24. To: cranko (#22)
How's that for a plan?
#25. To: cranko (#16)
I challenge you to find any policy discussion on Trump's Campaign Web Site.
#26. To: Jameson (#24)
(Edited)
That's silly.
#27. To: cranko (#16)
Government must cut spending more.
What does your libertarian candidate say he will cut and how much?
#28. To: Gatlin (#27)
What does your libertarian candidate say he will cut and how much? Who is your libertarian candidate?
#29. To: cranko (#26)
That's silly.
#30. To: Vicomte13 (#13)
What we really need is about a 2% gross wealth tax, without deductions, that hits ALL wealth, bottom to top, at the same rate. And the gross wealth tax should REPLACE income, Social Security, property, sales and all other taxes. In other words, expand the base to cover EVERYTHING, tax EVERYTHING, at a very low rate, and do away with the complex jungle of piecemeal taxation.
#31. To: Jameson (#29)
If you don't show up or don't pay, the government will lock you in prison and make you perform hard labor until you shed your fat.
#32. To: cranko (#28)
Where did I say I vote for Libertarian Party candidates?
#33. To: cranko (#31)
I don't accept that.
#34. To: Jameson (#33)
(Edited)
Fast food tax, alcohol tax, tobacco tax, XXL clothing tax, excessive hours of TV watching tax, excessive internet usage tax.....on and on.
#35. To: cranko (#30)
(Edited)
First, determining someone's "wealth" is not an easy thing to do.
#36. To: cranko (#16)
I challenge you to find any policy discussion on Trump's Campaign Web Site.
#37. To: Deckard (#19)
Apparently universal heathcare is OK as long as it's a Republican proposing it.
#38. To: TooConservative (#37)
Trump was a lifelong Dem (and big Dem donor) until 2009
#39. To: A K A Stone (#38)
The links above are to Trump's voter cards through 2012. 
Only 43 days after abandoning the Republican Party, Donald Trump today is expected to scurry back to the GOP and endorse frontrunner Mitt Romney (or perhaps Newt Gingrich).
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