Reagan Raised Taxes 11 Times

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030729-503544.html

Ronald Reagan Myth Doesn't Square with Reality

February 4, 2011 3:06 PM

By Brian Montopoli

<snip>It's certainly true that Reagan entered office as a full-throated conservative vowing to cut both spending and taxes. And he quickly followed through on part of that promise, passing a major reduction in marginal tax rates. (According to author Lou Cannon, the top marginal rate fell from 70 percent when he came into office to 28 percent when he left.)

But following his party's losses in the 1982 election, Reagan largely backed off his efforts at spending cuts even as he continued to offer the small-government rhetoric that helped get him elected. In fact, he went in the opposite direction: His creation of the department of veterans affairs contributed to an increase in the federal workforce of more than 60,000 people during his presidency.

And while Reagan somewhat slowed the marginal rate of growth in the budget, it continued to increase during his time in office. So did the debt, skyrocketing from $700 billion to $3 trillion. Then there's the fact that after first pushing to cut Social Security benefits - and being stymied by Congress - Reagan in 1983 agreed to a $165 billion bailout of the program. He also massively expanded the Pentagon budget.

Meanwhile, following that initial tax cut, Reagan actually ended up raising taxes - eleven times. That's according to former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson, a longtime Reagan friend who co-chaired President Obama's fiscal commission that last year offered a deficit reduction proposal.

[FreakinDJ]

1. 1 of those Inconvienent Truths

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. 11 divided by zero mention of it equals infinite ignorance of the fact. n/t

[Scuba]

3. Yeah, but that's math, and math's a science, so it doesn't count anyway....

...only a whackjob liberal would argue differently.

[lpbk2713]

4. Mommy!!11!

"They're picking on me again!"



:rofl:

[louis-t]

5. I would like to know specifics.

What taxes were increased? I know the payroll tax for SS and Medicare and the gas tax were raised. Repugs don't believe Reagan raised taxes. Come to think of it, they won't believe it even after shown proof.

[mrcheerful]

6. He also taxed paper boys, waitresses tips, kids mowing grass, lemonade stands run

by kids in front of parents homes, Reagan made the claim that it was children's duty as US citizens to pay taxes and it gave them pride of ownership in the country. So Of course it was cheer leaded by the nit wit squad.

Edited to add, Reagan also backed in up with one of his famous pull crap out of your ass speeches about how he personally knew a little girl that made $400 a month selling lemonade in front of moms home.

[louis-t]

8. That's right. Mandatory tax on waitresses 15% (assumed) tips.

Whether they actually made that much or not.

[lazarus]

7. Tear Down This Myth

a great book that reveals the true Reagan, stripped of all the hagiography that's been rampant in the media for the past 30 years.

It's by Will Bunch.

http://www.amazon.com/Tear-Down-This-Myth-Right-Wing/dp/1416597638/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307909096&sr=8-1

[Drahthaardogs]

9. Of course he did

He has his issues, but he was not a neocon. Now the Republicans have a choice between the neocons or the Tea Partiers. There are no reasonable Republicans left. They are all radical.

[dennis4868]

10. THAT DAMN SOCIALIST!

[Heavenly Blues]

11. WHO CARES?????????

HE'S DEAD:evilgrin: why are people still talking about Reagan he's been outta office for almost a quarter century....