Class Warfare, Taxes Style

[bain_sidhe]

A post in the SMW thread made me think of this old flyer I created... It was in 2005, so I'm not sure why. It wasn't for an election... maybe a bill being considered.

Anyway, I posted it there, but it was after the close, so nobody will see it.

I *think* it makes it's point without explanation. But I'd like to know if you don't think so, because I'm thinking of updating it for a t-shirt to sell (or, at least, a flyer to hand out) during the GE. If I can find the new numbers.

Anyway, the opinions of smarter economic minds than mine are requested!

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. From a marketing perspective...

I think the taxes graph makes a better point. From a.........how do I put this....



...gut wrenching perspective, the investment graph is very strong.


But...

Bright red colors, illustrating the failure of current policy might be more salable than an attack across class lines.

I underlined "might" only because it is my opinion. I think it makes a stronger point to show people how they are being negatively affected, as opposed to how others are being positively affected.

Just my point-oh-two, worth exactly that.

Nice concept though.

Edited cause I left out the "but"

[bain_sidhe]

2. Well, the reason I'm thinking of updating it

is that McCain has been promising an even *more* regressive tax policy. And this is the point he wants to start from.

But it may be that I need to come up with a new concept for him. One of the more outrageous (to me) things is that he wants to pay for his upper-level tax cut by reducing programs that benefit those of us with more modest means... Social Security & Medicare, education, law enforcement, student aid programs, and a whole host of smaller programs that nonetheless make a big difference to the recipients.

The problem with making a graph showing "winners/losers" in that scheme is that breaking down all the programs is too cluttered, and putting the number in to one big 'contrasting" bar on the graph doesn't really give the sense of what YOU (the reader/viewer/ordinary citizen) will be asked to give up.

I'm not sure what you mean by this:

Bright red colors, illustrating the failure of current policy might be more salable than an attack across class lines.

Could you expand on that?

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Looking at your graphic.....

It seems to me that the section at the upper left showing how the tax cuts have had the effect of making a bigger dent in the taxes paid on wages, and the lowering of taxes paid on investments makes, in my opinion only, a stronger point than a green bar that goes through the roof, as is shown in the graph at upper right.

Colors have a powerful effect. Red means "Stop!" or "Bad", while green means "Go!" or "good". Blue has a sort of neutral connotation, but when it is displayed as it is in the graph to the right, it impresses me less than does the red sections showing how much I've been screwed.

I don't give a damn if someone else does well, I give a damn if my doing OK or even mediocre is shit upon and screwed over.

See?

Did that make sense?

On edit to add, it's sort of like the old "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs" kind of thing.

"This is your financial future. This is your financial future with Republican control"

[bain_sidhe]

4. O.I.C.!

Yes, that makes sense. But I need to figure out a way (maybe not *this* way) to short-circuit the argument that so many people are "investors" now (through 401Ks or Mutual funds) that tax cuts on capital gains benefits them. Yes, in technical terms, it does, but that income is such a small percentage of their earned income that the few dollars worth of savings really doesn't justify them voting on the basis of that "benefit."

But now, I have to go order the pizza, and get ready for "The New Adventures of Sarah Jane" to be followed by the return of Dr. Who!!

(SciFi nut here. Sorry... ok, not really sorry.)

*edit: close parenthesis, damnit!**

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. LOL...go on, you "Banshee". Have a great evening. I think you're on the right track....

and I want a T-shirt if you get them printed!

[bain_sidhe]

6. Deal!

If I come up with a new graphic, I'll post it here for comments, too.