CBS News: Taxes are at their lowest levels in 60 years

[sabra]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002548-503544.html?tag=stack

What's Obama Doing to Your Taxes?

<snip>

Today, thousands of Tea Partiers will descend on Washington to declare they've been "Taxed Enough Already." Yesterday's poll found that 64 percent of Tea Party supporters think the administration has raised taxes -- a finding that might leave Democrats banging their heads against their desks.

"The American people need to be reminded that 98 percent of Americans got a tax cut last year," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday.

Reid was referring to the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the stimulus -- essentially, the only Obama policy to really impact people's 2009 tax returns. In fact, tax refunds reached an all-time high this year in part because of the stimulus, the president said in his weekly address on Saturday. Meanwhile, taxes are at their lowest levels in 60 years, according to William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Center and director of the Retirement Security Project at the Brookings Institution.

"The relation between what is said in the tax debate and what is true about tax policy is often quite tenuous," Gale told Hotsheet. "The rise of the Tea Party at at time when taxes are literally at their lowest in decades is really hard to understand."

Skepticism surrounding the president's tax policies likely stem from a variety of factors: First, it's simply harder to open one's wallet for the government during a recession, and some state and local tax increases added to some people's burden. Additionally, many Americans may be more concerned with potential tax increases in the future. On top of all that, it can simply be hard to have a firm understanding of what's going on in Washington from the hyper-partisan rhetoric often used to talk about taxes.

[BootinUp]

1. I'm glad they didn't report it on April Fools Day. nt

[WolverineDG]

2. My refund is way higher than it was last year

I can't believe these idiots haven't noticed this. I'm not talking $20-30 difference either.

dg

[csziggy]

4. I am getting back all my estimate payments and MORE

So not only am I not paying any taxes for last year, I am getting a bonus amount back. What is funny is that I found a mistake on my return which increased my income by about $9,000, but it increased my refund by $200. The accountant went over everything and it is correct, but he is amazed how that worked out.

[csziggy]

3. Proving again that the Tea Partiers have no grasp of reality

And that they are working off talking points handed down to them by the GOP.

[havocmom]

5. Nothing hard to understand at all: Teaparty is the new Fundy Xian Right to the GOP

They are just the latest in a long line of fools who are easy to mislead, use, abuse, and toss out like a piece of toilet paper by the overlords in the class war.

Mental health care and good education for the masses is the only hope, and it will take time to turn these near-dark-ages of superstitious, ignorant, tools into a population that can regain some enlightenment and ring in a new age of reason.

Cycles. We are living in the downward turn of a cycle that repeats throughout history. We need to be the archivists of knowledge so the cycle goes back up at some point.

[Kahuna]

9. DING DING DING DING DING!

:patriot:

[havocmom]

11. A salute from a Kahuna?

Thanks, I needed that this week! :hug:

[Kahuna]

13. Heh?

:hug:

[FSogol]

6. K & R. n/t

[one_voice]

7. I've been saying..

these idiots aren't protesting taxes. They're protesting against Obama, for whatever reason, but it has nothing to do with taxes.

I have some thoughts on why they don't like Obama, but I'll leave it at that. :eyes:

I'll also say that there probably is a small percentage of these nuts that actually do believe their taxes are/have gone up. They'd rather believe what Fux noise, and wingers rather than their own financial situation.

Losers. :spank:

[Flipper999]

8. Weird Teabagger thought process...

I've read several comments by teabaggers where they argue that any taxation is just organized theft. It's illogical, but many of them seem to think that closing down the government and eliminating all taxation will result in some kind of Randian utopia.

Still, one can't help notice that they only started whining about taxation and corporate bailouts after we elected someone who isn't white.

[jaysunb]

10. Welcome to DU

good post ! :hi:

[frylock]

12. i paid more in taxes this year than i ever have..

it was only about $400, but it was the first time i've ever had to pay out.