Monthly Archives: August 2016

5

I’m not saying the night is young, but 80 days is a loooong time, especially if you believe >> slate.com/articles/news_…

| 8 years ago on Twitter

15

It looks like Trump may have lost Dan Senor nyti.ms/2bmujib

| 8 years ago on Twitter

15

The relatively mild “vet” plan Trump wound up w/ makes this NYT piece look even more unhinged than it did @ the time nyti.ms/1tmjvWf

| 8 years ago on Twitter

62

Call me crazy, but I tend to think Twitter should see what the Bannon/Conway approach is before declaring it a failure. They’re not fools

| 8 years ago on Twitter

22

Andrew Breitbart thought for himself, but it’s kind of insane to say he “was not ideologically driven,” no? nyti.ms/2bxWs3g

| 8 years ago on Twitter

22

Soros groups spent millions to pass amnesty. They failed. But they’re proud of what they’ve accomplished. twitter.com/MarkSKrikorian…

| 8 years ago on Twitter

10

Bannon/Conway seem like an offense-over-defense team. But I still think they need 2 defuse the finger-on-button fear kausfiles.com/2016/07/09/a-v…

| 8 years ago on Twitter

19

Manafort seems to have been worst of both worlds for Trump: dulled him down but couldn’t stop him from stepping on his story.

| 8 years ago on Twitter

62 Trump Can Impose His Tax Cuts Without Congress

Donald Trump recently proposed a dramatic tax reform plan that lowers the top income tax rate to 33% from the current 39.5%. It also cuts the tax on “pass through” income — the partnerships and S Corporations often favored by the rich — to only 15%. Media outlets have speculated about whether these measures could quickly pass Congress, if Congress remains in Republican hands. Trump himself suggested his proposed rates would change after they’re “negotiated” with the legislators, many of whom (especially Dems) would complain the cuts are regressive.

This is all silly. Trump doesn’t need Congress to effectively lower tax rates. All he needs is two words: “prosecutorial discretion.” As president, he could simply have his Internal Revenue Service announce that, while existing law seems to require the rich to pay at 39.5%, it will choose (as it must, given its limited resources!) not to prosecute any individual taxpayer who pays at least 33%. Same for “pass through” recipients who fork over 15%.

Of course, these taxpayers would have to comply with various other criteria that Trump’s tax authority will reasonably take into account: Have they used the proceeds to buy American-made goods? To invest in American factories that refuse to ship jobs overseas? To respect First and Second Amendment rights? All laudable goals! Those that meet those criteria — spelled out in some detail in the fine print — would be rewarded with a letter from the IRS to show investors, saying that they are in the clear.

The inherent executive authority to do this is “well established,” according to Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid.**

__________

** — Of course, Reid was commenting on President Obama’s action to give work permits to — and rule out prosecution of — “dreamers” and certain other undocumented immigrants who met his criteria.  But what difference, at this point, does that make?

27

Utah is just weird on immig. See “Utah Compact.” Wldn’t expect them to like Trump. PS They’re wobbly on welfare too! twitter.com/DavidMDrucker/…

| 8 years ago on Twitter

16

“Culturally, fiscally & otherwise, there is not an inkling of liberalism in Utah’s DNA.” No. They’re weird on immig washex.am/2aWJM7x

| 8 years ago on Twitter

2

Jonathan Bernstein: Democrats seem sort of tepid about the public option bv.ms/2aXTm98 via @BV

| 8 years ago on Twitter