Franken on Morning Joe says the tax cuts for 400 people in the GOP healthcare bill...

[Honeycombe8]

Last edited Mon Jun 26, 2017, 11:43 AM - Edit history (2)

would pay for Medicaid for 750,000 people.

This is a tax bill, not a health care bill.

This bill is worse than mean. It's cruel, he said.


(Poster below provided a link to source the numbers that Franken used. Thanks, Squanderer!):
http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/harsh-tradeoff-at-core-of-gop-health-bill-keep-medicaid-expansion-or-cut-taxes-for

[SHRED]

1. Good for him

Go Al!!

[Squinch]

2. EXCELLENT messaging! Great point.

[FakeNoose]

3. Let's name the 400 people

I say their names should be printed in every newspaper in the USA.

Why are they entitled to even more tax breaks (I'm sure they pay almost nothing anyway) and the rest of us have to suffer for this truly horrible piece of legislation?

[Honeycombe8]

9. I don't think he's speaking of specific individuals. It's that the amount of 400 amt of 750,000.nt

[FakeNoose]

10. Their names are probably already listed in Forbes anyway

It wouldn't be too hard to figure out which people Al Franken is talking about.

[lostnfound]

15. Forbes usually focuses on wealth; this is based on income. Some overlap certainly

"EARNINGS.The 400 highest-income taxpayers — whose incomes average more than $300 million a year — would get average tax cuts of at least $15 million a year each, we estimate from IRS data. Their annual tax cuts would be more than five times the typical college graduate’s lifetime earnings.[2] (See Figure 1.) The total tax cut for these 400 households would be at least $6 billion annually." http://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/trump-tax-plan-would-give-400-highest-income-americans-more-than-15-million-a

"Our estimates are based on the tax cuts that the top 400 would receive from just two provisions of the Trump plan: reducing to 15 percent the tax rate on “pass-through” business income (income from businesses such as partnerships, S corporations, and sole proprietorships that is claimed on individual tax returns and is taxed at the same rates as wages and salaries) and repealing the 3.8 percent Medicare tax on unearned income that high-income households receive."

[whathehell]

47. I believe it's 400 families. n/t

[The Wizard]

34. Republicans argue that the top 1% pays 80% of the taxes

Not a bad deal for the top 1% when they're making 90% of the money.

[Ilsa]

43. Forbes has a summary of their wealth, income, etc.

But yeah, I think we need to get their names, addresses, and start some shit with them. Cut them off. No services unless they pay 1,000 times the going rate. Just let them know that we know who they are and where they live.

[OnDoutside]

4. Joe, being the Rep snake he is, threw in "This is not a Conservative Bill". If one were to entertain

such bullshit, what would a "True Conservative" Healthcare Bill be like ? Is Rand Paul not the "true conservative" ?

I would have thought Republicans want all healthcare to be private, and if you can't afford it, then just turn up at ER when your sickness has gone too far ?

[Honeycombe8]

8. No, Rand Paul is not a "true conservative." He's a libertarian who follows the Ayn Rand philosophy.

Like Paul Ryan. Rand Paul thinks that govt is mostly unnecessary because it interferes with freedom and the free market. He believes, like Ryan, that there are producers (the wealthy people) and the non-producers who merely take up valuable resources.

[OnDoutside]

11. So what does a "true conservative" want ?

[Honeycombe8]

13. You have to ask a conservative. nt

[Cosmocat]

22. Seriously, whatever bullshit their collective idiodicy cooks up at any given moment

In the 90s

* States rights because it sounds good and echos racist tones from earlier periods.
* No nation building because of Clinton engaging in efforts to help countries under repressive regimes or genicide.
* Concerns about radical muslim terrorism was overblown a distraction from a blow job.
* The federal deficit was absolutely paramount and had to be addressed IMMEDIATELY or the world would come to an end.

In the 2000s.

* Congress literally was abruptly called into session during a recess to use legislation to over rule a state judiciary ruling to supercede a state courts ruling and keep poor Terry Shivo on life support.
* Nation building in Iraq because they said so.
* TERRORISM, and you lefty scumbags are in league with them if you don't bend over and take whatever bullshit we want.
* You can't trust government with a surplus!

BHO and democrats pass THEIR FUCKING HEALTH CARE REFORM and they lose their shit and gin their zombies into believing it is the worst threat to the country in our history.

I mean, I can do this all damn day, but I have to actually earn a living ...

[orangecrush]

27. Thread winner!

[leftstreet]

28. +1

[OnDoutside]

31. Great reply, thanks !

[The Wizard]

35. bada bing, bada boom (NT)

[Alice11111]

38. Bush v Gore usurped states rights too. The Florida SupCrt

already decided. The US Sup Crt reached down and STOPPED the ballots from being properly counted in those precincts that were going to go for Gore.
Then, the hypocrites say this opinion does not set precedent...just wanting their options open for the future.

Yes, you are right, we could write a tome.
You made a good start!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

39. That would be objectivist, not libertarian.

Half their policies and actions go against libertarianism.

Objectivism is simply a way to say "I've got my stack, fuck you".

Objectivists (followers of Ayn Rand) who claim to be libertarians are trying to hide their true beliefs because they know that libertarianism is a hundred times more respectable than objectivism.

[alfredo]

36. It's the "no true Scotsman fallacy."

https://m.

[OnDoutside]

37. Meh.

[thesquanderer]

5. Does anyone have a "news source" for these figures?

It's a great one to point out to some of my less liberal friends, but "Al Franken said..." won't hold as much weight as if I can send a "real" article that has actual figures from a reasonably respected source.

[Honeycombe8]

7. No. Franken is not given to exaggeration, tho. Maybe you can Google his source.

I guess he was speaking just of his state, but I'm not sure.

The point was to bring a picture to the numbers at how great the tax cut is in the bill vs. the health care benefit.

[DK504]

14. The soon to be scored CBO announcement.

The economists that have seen the disgusting parts thatstate they will be handing the tax cuts to the Waltons.

[WinkyDink]

17. If ONLY there were some kind of, Oh, I don't know, Search Engine or something.

[thesquanderer]

19. I see it wasn't SUCH a cinch to find that you provided the link. But for those who care...

...here is where you can indeed find the stat documented.

http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/harsh-tradeoff-at-core-of-gop-health-bill-keep-medicaid-expansion-or-cut-taxes-for

Honeycombe, feel free to edit that into your OP, I think it could be helpful to people.

[Honeycombe8]

25. LOL. nt

[LanternWaste]

32. It certainly is rather bad form to merely ask for sources

It certainly is rather bad form to merely ask for sources; as we chide the incompetent boob who cites his work, and trivialize those who rely on such academic waste-of-times. We are clever!!! (so says the trendy t-shirt)

[Scarsdale]

6. Publish their

names and adddresses. We have to ask them WHY their bank balance is more important than healthcare for ordinary people. I want to see their names in PRINT. They hide behind the gop politicians, who do their bidding for $$$.

[Achilleaze]

12. Another reason why republicans are known as the KGOPee

[WinkyDink]

16. It's worse than "cruel"; IT IS SATANIC. Even Satan would say, "I'm going to need a bigger circle."

Gallows humor.

[DownriverDem]

18. Sadly

I fear it will pass. Folks will die. trumpcare is all on the repubs. If there is a hell ...

[Cosmocat]

24. Oh, its passing

and it will be the evil liberals fault ...

[downeastdaniel]

20. I'd say that this bogus healthcare bill is worse than cruel, it's SHAMEFUL AND SINFUL. In fact, it

Is worse than a lousy healthcare bill, it's really a theft of a Trillion $ over ten years hidden as saving on healthcare costs.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

21. I hope he runs for President.

Well, unless he gets totally smeared by right-wing media lies between now and 2020.

Once that BS trickles into the minds of the mostly inattentive "average Joe" in this country, many of them won't even give him a chance, ala Hillary.

[barbtries]

23. good talking point

for my senator calls. wow.

[Frustratedlady]

26. If those 400 were honest and fair, they'd come out and say they don't need that tax break.

They'd certainly gain some respect from the rest of us. Being so greedy and letting the money sit and draw interest isn't doing any good for anyone. Get it in circulation.

Until that happens, they are just as cruel as Republicans hiding behind closed doors until their horrid health bill is passed. They should stay there. We have long memories.

[haele]

29. They won't - most of them get their income gaming the system.

I'd wager that 85% of the people getting a significant tax cut out of this deal are either born on third base and thinking they hit a homer on their own, bought up a bunch of investments cheap and sold during a bubble, or otherwise shilled their "leadership capabilities" when in actuality, they simply got lucky and managed to leverage other people's money and intellect to make it look like they were the ones in total charge when a project or company succeeded.

Most people work hard and try to work smart at "success" - where they won't have any financial worries in life. But only a very few are lucky enough to actually succeed. Too bad most of them have no clue that it was luck that was the major contributor to their success, not their own "superior efforts and greatness".

Haele

[Frustratedlady]

40. Worked hard and built up their pension funds only to have the Republicans put them in danger.

They are messing with our state-run public pension and I'm scared to death they will cut the payments or shut it down completely. Evil people.

[FakeNoose]

46. It wasn't luck it was Ronald Reagan

Let's face facts. The extremely wealthy people in America all have Reagan to thank for their money.
He created the largest transfer of wealth (from poor to rich) in the history of our country, probably the world.

How many people even realize that?

[Ilsa]

44. The kochroaches met this weekend and said they aren't getting enough.

Said the bill is too soft, doesn't kill enough people.

[Gothmog]

30. Senator Franken is rightthis is a tax cut bill

[ConnorMarc]

33. I'd like Al Franken to be

our next President.

[Honeycombe8]

42. I would run, no walk, to the polls to vote for him. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

41. It's psychopathic. And Al Franken is great!

Giant of the Senate!

[L. Coyote]

45. #WealtyCare is a homicidal bill. It will kill people so 400 billionaires can steal 33 billion

Last edited Tue Jun 27, 2017, 09:18 AM - Edit history (1)

and the 1%'ers can make off with half a trillion. It is blood money.

Link to tweet

[Honeycombe8]

48. It is, REALLY, blood money. People really will DIE, and many will suffer.

I'm no bleeding heart. I don't believe in providing everything to everyone. But come on, people! That ad about the mom and the 10 yr old boy having an asthma attack brings it home. That child would suffer if his mom couldn't get that asthma pump. He might die w/o it.

This is not our country. We don't do this sort of thing. We're better than this!

NO WAY are we going to stand for this. Going after kids on Medicaid and Grandma, too!