Comments on: Fear and the Fiscal Cliff

By: The Doktor

The Doktor — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:03:49 +0000

Mr. Dowd, you seem to suffer from false equivalency perception. It is the Republicans who refused to raise taxes over these last 3 decades, even when they said they would. ( The Bush Tax cuts were temporary) So it is not the Democrats who are being unreasonable on this particular issue. Income inequality seems to be forgotten during these discussions, how can we possibly have shared sacrifice when a tax increase would in no way impact the lives of millionaires and billionaires and contrarily even the slightest cut could mean homelessness and hunger for millions of working Americans!!!

By: Shondell Patterson

Shondell Patterson — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:50:40 +0000

I shouldn’t have to tell you the consequences if you fail. All of you need to consider who will suffer most. Isn’t that right L.B.

By: Noz

Noz — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:09:13 +0000

Hey Barry won and we need to get over it.
He now has a wonderful chance to secure his legacy as the worst President ever.
I say let President Anti-Lincoln do what he does best and fail to bring the Congress and country together to avert the fiscal cliff.
Let the tax cuts expire, take the pain now and set the foundation for a real recovery in future years.

I mean really, does anyone here think that Barry will all of a sudden become fiscally responsible and offer big spending cuts to get his revenue increases?
Pffffttttt!

By: AB282

AB282 — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:51:42 +0000

CND – The same ideas of uncertainty were discussed this morning on Morning Joe, with plenty of Democrat representation, without so much as an objection. So it isn’t a “GOP” vs “Liberal” media bias issue. Nice try.

I am not sure what your point of 4% higher marginal rates is supposed to prove. There is really no fact or point in your diatribe. I was, and am, well aware of what Clinton and Congress “did”. And again, the tax increase, when it was levied in 1993, did nothing to stimulate investment. It was only after he moderated, telegraphed a cordial working relationship with a Republican Congress, decreased taxes and reformed Welfare did we see “reinvestment”. That was close to 3 years after his tax increases. So your argument is moot and without merit.

Librarian – it’s a republic. They are representing their constituency. Just like your Dems did…

By: Librarian53

Librarian53 — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:00:37 +0000

I strongly disagree with the premise for this article. It isn’t fear preventing Republicans from raising taxes on the rich, it is not wanting to lose their political campaign contributions or the support of the teapartiers.
That isn’t fear, that is doing the wrong thing for your own gain.

By: CND FOX

CND FOX — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:59:39 +0000

AB282….so you want me to ‘listen to’ an extension of Faux Noise money rhetoric (CNBC) and read propaganda from a conservative ‘rag’ like the WSJ? By the way….until Rupert Murdoch changed the face of the way news is reported at the WSJ…it was worth reading. It isn’t now. It is total GOP propaganda. And for your information, the tax rate on the rich was only 4% higher under Clinton. And they consistently reinvested in this country. The GOP, Bush and “Graham – Liley – Beach’….changed that whole scenario and ‘skewed EVERYTHING to the wealthy’ side of the ledger. And if we don’t ‘correct’ that… and soon…the middle class will never have a chance again.

By: Perplexed

Perplexed — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:02:24 +0000

Good way to raise taxes. Delay until the last minute a major fiscal decision. Get the MSM to whip up the fear factor. Walaa!!!! You get your tax rate increases.

By: AB282

AB282 — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:48:08 +0000

CND FOX – Clinton increased taxes in 1993. The economy sputtered, the Dems were trounced in the House and Senate, and then Clinton presided as a “moderate” in 1995. As he telegraphed a moderate governing style, he worked with a Republican Congress to DECREASE the capital gains rate from 28% to 20%, championed “welfare to work” and increased the “death tax” exemption from $600k to $1M, the economy in ’96/97 reached the levels you speak of. All of that stimulated investment, increased the tax base, and created significant revenue for federal coffers. Oh, and by the way, Clinton admitted publicly in 1995 that he increased taxes too much. So, your own party proved that “certainty” is an important ingredient in a strong economy, as well as getting people back to work. And finally, watch CNBC or read the WSJ if you think CEO’s aren’t withholding investment based on the uncertainty Obama has created around taxes and Obamacare.

By: Todd Lowery

Todd Lowery — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 04:03:36 +0000

The Fiscal Cliff is more like a Fiscal Fault Line. If or when it happens, it won’t be the direct fall that breaks to recession necessarily, it’ll be the psychological effect that will cause futures speculations and dynamic changes in volatility on Wall Street to perhaps, if anything, cause the economy to plummet.

By: realsickofit

realsickofit — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 03:28:16 +0000

For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is “Bush ‘ s Fault”, think about this:
January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.
The day the democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007