Fox news had someone on who was saying the gov't should cancel the 2008 income tax

[gristy]

Did anyone else see that? Something about how all the poor people are in dire straights. Amazing.

[Idealism]

1. "Poor people" don't pay income taxes...

If they don't make a certain amount, usually around the poverty line with exemptions, they don't pay federal income taxes...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Income tax isn't the worst problem for poor people.

If you have no job, and no income, you have bigger worries than income tax.

[sandnsea]

3. They should cancel the FICA tax

if they care about poor people. Although they really shouldn't because the government has to have money to run on. What a bunch of idiots.

[dflprincess]

5. They should cancel the FICA on the first

$10K or $20K of earned income and do away with the cap on it. Just to make it a tad more progressive.

[Skink]

7. Yes up to the poverty level.

Raise the cap a coresponding 15000. I'd rather see universal health care but atleast this way more people would buy into employer based health care.

[dflprincess]

9. The FICA rate is 6.2%

(Medicare is an additonal 1.45%). On $15,000 it come to $930 annually (or $77.50 a month). When you're struggling to pay the rent of buy grocerices, that money isn't going to help you buy into an employer's health insurance plan. The only way to see that everyone is covered is to move to a single payer system.

[Demobrat]

11. FICA pays for social security.

It needs to be adjusted, not cancelled.

[sandnsea]

16. The excess goes into the budget

which is supposed to pay for the boomers' retirement. The excess needs to go to pay down the debt so that any necessary money is available for the boomers. After that, the next generation can decide how they want to fund their retirement. Regardless, anybody who wants to use taxes to help poor people needs to be talking about FICA and tax credits. And anybody who wants to boost the economy through taxes needs to be talking about huge tax credits for renewable energy for homeowners.

[jwirr]

4. They are still running with the idea that tax breaks will stimulate the

economy that has been tried over and over. That no longer works if it ever did because you give a tax break to the rich and they spend it overseas. The middle class seldom get a tax break and when they do they pay their bills and the poor don't pay enough into taxes to work as a stimulus.

[Chulanowa]

6. Oh yes. Because of the poor. I'm sure.

Nevermind that canceling income tax would HURT those same poor because the loss in government revenue from the top 20% that really wants this cancellation, would result in a loss of the government services those poor depend on.

The two-facedness is disgusting

[Incitatus]

8. Um, Don't poor people get more money - Earned Income Credit?

[Demobrat]

10. I would be for that if was for people making under $40,000 or so.

Course I'm sure that's not what they had in mind.

[MrSlayer]

12. I'd go for that.

I'd like to have that 23 grand I've already paid back.

[pitohui]

13. some poor people get an earned income tax credit so cxl'ing it wouldn't help them

this is a poorly thought out idea, one of my friends is a student who often qualifies for the earned income tax credit and when you qualify for that, with no kids, it's because you're DAMN poor

cxl'ing the income tax would actually hurt her because in some years (maybe this year will be one) she gets money back due to the credit

a monthly payment of some kind might be a better idea to bail out the poor

the $1,200 didn't do much because it came all in one chewy chunk and got swallowed but maybe $200 a month deposited into everyone's acct below a certain income would make a difference

(or $500 or whatever is needed, it's just a suggestion i'm throwing out at random)

[gulliver]

14. Seems like their suggestions have been tried.

Fox News represents the views of unrepentant failures. They are Bush lovers. Anyone Fox News approves of should be branded by that fact. A positive news story on a politician coming from Fox News is exactly like an endorsement from George W. Bush.

They are the Bush News Channel. Forever. No escape.

[Sanctified]

15. I would support no taxes on incomes below $30k.

And by no taxes I mean nothing withheld from checks, not the current take the money out and then return it at the end of the year.