╌>

Democrat O'Rourke Proposes War Tax on Affluent U.S. Families Without Military members

  

Category:  News & Politics

By:  texan1211  •  5 years ago  •  55 comments

Democrat O'Rourke Proposes War Tax on Affluent U.S. Families Without Military members

une 24 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke on Monday proposed taxing affluent American families who do not have members in the U.S. military as a way to fund healthcare for veterans.

The former congressman from Texas unveiled a plan for military veterans that includes a "war tax," in which taxpayers who earn over $200,000 a year would pay $1,000 in a new tax for each war embarked on by the United States.
O'Rourke, who did not serve in the military but sat on the House of Representatives Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees, said the tax would be levied on households without current members of the U.S. military or military veterans. He did not specify what types of war, or the scale and origins of the wars, on which the tax would be levied.

The money raised from the war tax would be deposited into a newly created Veterans Health Care Trust Fund, which would be created at the start of each new war and be used to support veterans' healthcare, disability and other medical needs when they return from conflict, O'Rourke said.
The proposal was part of a broader plan by O'Rourke, who has struggled to gain traction in opinion polls among Democratic contenders, to improve services for military veterans. He also urged an end to "wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," and reinvestment of the savings in veterans programs.
The military has about 1.36 million active-duty members out of a total U.S. population of some 327 million people. The country's armed forces have been all-volunteer since the military draft ended in 1973 as the United States wound down its involvement in the Vietnam War.
In language borrowed from former Democratic President John F. Kennedy, O'Rourke said Americans must be "willing to pay any price, and bear any burden" to provide care, support and resources to all veterans. He called for ending the "blank check for endless war" waged by the United States and to invest spending on the care of those who had served in armed conflicts.
O'Rourke, 46, launched his presidential bid in March after rising to national prominence last year when he narrowly lost his bid to defeat Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz in Texas. His national support among likely Democratic primary voters is currently around 4 percent.
(Reporting by Tim Reid in South Bend, Indiana; Editing by Peter Cooney)

© 2019 Microsoft


Article is LOCKED by author/seeder
[]
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
1  author  Texan1211    5 years ago

Time for O'Rourke to join Buttigieg on the sidelines.

If Democrats get their way, we will have a shortage of "rich" people to pay for all of what they want.

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
2  Sparty On    5 years ago

This is just going to get better and better.  

A clown car full of clowns, each trying to outdo each other.

Not enough popcorn in the world .....

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3  Sean Treacy    5 years ago

His campaign has been a disaster, this won’t help 

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
4  Ronin2    5 years ago

The Democratic clown are of candidates national give away of tax payer money continues unabated. I am sure one of the other candidates will pickup on this plan once he drops out.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
5  JohnRussell    5 years ago

The extremely wealthy should be taxed more on general principle, not because they do or dont have family members in the military. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
5.1  author  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @5    5 years ago

That isn't what the article is about.

Please stay on topic.

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
5.2  Ronin2  replied to  JohnRussell @5    5 years ago

Who gets to decide what is considered, "extremely wealthy"?  Taking into to consideration the vast difference in cost of living across the US.

 
 
 
livefreeordie
Junior Silent
5.4  livefreeordie  replied to  JohnRussell @5    5 years ago

So they already pay 40% of the entire tax burden which is more than double the share they paid when the top rate was 71%.

The left will never be satisfied with how much it can steal from what others earn

 
 
 
Ed-NavDoc
Professor Quiet
6  Ed-NavDoc    5 years ago

Hey "Beto"! How about we start with you. You are rich. You never served your country in the military. You have zero family in the military. Yep, you're the perfect candidate. How about you be the first to one to fork your tax over money for vets! Oh that's right, you're a politician in DC so it would not apply to you would it?

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
7  evilone    5 years ago

Wow! Just never going to happen. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
7.1  author  Texan1211  replied to  evilone @7    5 years ago
Wow! Just never going to happen.

It certainly could if enough fools vote for this clown.

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
7.1.1  evilone  replied to  Texan1211 @7.1    5 years ago

Firstly, I highly doubt O'Rourke can win. Secondly, it would have to pass both houses of Congress which is even more unlikely. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
7.1.2  author  Texan1211  replied to  evilone @7.1.1    5 years ago

I doubt he can win, either, but that doesn't mean it can't happen if enough idiots vote for him.

It could pass Congress exactly that way, too.

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
7.1.3  evilone  replied to  Texan1211 @7.1.2    5 years ago
It could pass Congress exactly that way, too.

It's also possible O'Rourke could get hit by a meteor next week, but I'd rather deal with the probable than the possible. It's probable that ideas like this will reduce those likely to support his campaign.

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
7.1.5  Sparty On  replied to  Release The Kraken @7.1.4    5 years ago
hop on his skateboard

Motor or macho power?

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
7.1.8  evilone  replied to  Release The Kraken @7.1.7    5 years ago
I heard he can run in heels.

No, that's Ted Cruz.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
8  Buzz of the Orient    5 years ago

Can anyone understand why potential candidates have this impulsive need to commit political suicide?

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
8.1  Sparty On  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8    5 years ago

The lunatics are running the asylum ....

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
8.2  author  Texan1211  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8    5 years ago

I believe that the serious Democratic contenders are all trying to run with Bernie.

Seems you just can't be too far left for some of the Democratic base--especially when it comes to taking money away from Americans!

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
8.2.1  Snuffy  replied to  Texan1211 @8.2    5 years ago

It's not just Bernie.  It seems as if the extreme left has taken power in the D party and everybody trying to win the party vote continues to see who can out-do each other in the next leftward lurch. Don't know how much of this we will see in the general election, but it sure is crazy watching the extremes run the party.

This isn't to say the R party doesn't have it's own issues, but it shouldn't see any of this crazy this go around.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
8.2.2  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Snuffy @8.2.1    5 years ago

Talking about spending money - Bernie is promising to cancel 1.6 Trillion Dollars in student debt.  I wonder how the lending banks feel about that - and if the government pays them, where THAT money is coming from.

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
8.2.3  Snuffy  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8.2.2    5 years ago

Yeah, but all presidential candidates make all sorts of promises. If he were to win the election would he actually go about to cancel that debt or would it become just another campaign promise forgotten. I think it's rather easy to promise the moon when that far away from a goal,  especially when the standard for many many years has been to promise the moon and the stars only to ignore such words after the election is won.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
8.2.4  author  Texan1211  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @8.2.2    5 years ago

Bernie is a flaming idiot.

And he is the Democrats' problem!

Hee hee!

 
 
 
Jasper2529
Professor Quiet
9  Jasper2529    5 years ago

Other than taxing everyone to death, giving reparations to people who were never slaves, and offering "free stuff" (even to illegal aliens) ... what the hell is the Dem platform?

Robert Francis is toast.

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
9.1  Sparty On  replied to  Jasper2529 @9    5 years ago

Yeah Toast!

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
9.1.1  Krishna  replied to  Sparty On @9.1    5 years ago

Speaking of toast-- anyone remember this one (After Dark Screensaver from..the 1990's!):

Here are the "lyrics" (they show on the bottom of screen but in rather small letters):

The smell of toast is in the air

When there's a job to be done

The Flying Toasters will be there!

And it's flap! Flap! Flap

Now help is on the way

A victory song they si-ing

We pop up to save the day

On flying toaster wings!

In brightest day or after dark

When times of trouble are at hand

The flying toasters set a spark

And hope is blazing 'cross the land!

And it's flap! Flap! Flap!

Salvation from above

A precious gift they bri-ing

Gleaming angels of love

On flying toaster wings!

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
9.1.2  Krishna  replied to  Krishna @9.1.1    5 years ago

Probably most NT users are to young to remember "AD" (as it was affectionately known).

Here's more from Wikipedia:

After Dark  is a series of  computer   screensaver software  introduced by  Berkeley Systems  in 1989 for the  Apple Macintosh , and in 1991 for  Microsoft Windows . [3] [4]

[...]

The most famous of the included screensaver modules is the iconic   Flying Toasters   which featured 1940s-style chrome   toasters   sporting bird-like wings, flying across the screen with pieces of toast. Engineer Jack Eastman came up with the display after seeing a toaster in the kitchen during a late night programming session and imagining the addition of wings. [6]   A slider in the   Flying Toasters module enabled users to adjust the toast's darkness and an updated   Flying Toasters Pro   module added a choice of music—Richard Wagner's   Ride of the Valkyries   or a flying toaster anthem with optional karaoke lyrics. [7]   Yet another version called   Flying Toasters!   added bagels and pastries, baby toasters, and more elaborate toaster animation. The Flying Toasters were one of the key reasons that After Dark became popular, and Berkeley began to produce other merchandising products such as T-shirts, with the Flying Toaster image and slogans such as "The 51st Flying Toaster Squadron: On a mission to save your screen!"

The toasters were the subject of two lawsuits (Read it All)

And on another note--IMNSHO, both O'Rourke and Buttagieg are indeed "toast"..... even if Biden continues to make his famous "gaffes", Biden's got the nomination.

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
9.1.3  Greg Jones  replied to  Krishna @9.1.2    5 years ago
Biden's got the nomination

And he is not electable.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
9.1.4  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Krishna @9.1.2    5 years ago

Hey, I remember the flying toasters.

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
9.1.5  Sparty On  replied to  Krishna @9.1.1    5 years ago

Lol .... i guess i missed that one.  

Nice!

 
 
 
Sunshine
Professor Quiet
10  Sunshine    5 years ago
what the hell is the Dem platform?

That is a mystery, even to the Democrats.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
10.1  author  Texan1211  replied to  Sunshine @10    5 years ago

LOL!

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
10.1.2  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Release The Kraken @10.1.1    5 years ago

Does the average American Joe realize how "pie in the sky" the Democratic platform is?

Promise the voters the moon and it will hit them in the eye like a big pizza pie.

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
10.3  Krishna  replied to  Sunshine @10    5 years ago
what the hell is the Dem platform?
That is a mystery, even to the Democrats.

Actually that brings up an interestiong question.

Why aren't the Dems capable of setting forth clear, consistant plans-- and sticking to them (like Trump always does?).

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
11  Vic Eldred    5 years ago

Even if, God help us, one of these liberals was ever able to win the White House & Congress and pass such a tax on the wealthy, history has shown us what happens to countries that have tried it.

The "Iron Maiden" said it best: "It (the taxed group or generation) will either demand that past promises are broken, or it will not work, or it will not pay taxes, or the most talented people will leave. Socialist governments which have tried to tax "till the pips squeak" have ample experience of that."

So went Socialist Britain.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
11.1  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Vic Eldred @11    5 years ago

Actually, historically, when we had the draft, the rich did have a way to get their kids out of service. 

Think the civil war. If you had $300 you didn't have to serve. (btw, that policy didn't pan out well in NYC). My own grandfather stepped off the boat and was enlisted (he wasn't literate in English when he made his mark, coming from Austria) There were loopholes all the way into Vietnam to get out of service. 

But now we have a voluntary armed force, so I am not sure where this is coming from.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
11.1.1  Vic Eldred  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @11.1    5 years ago

The rich are proficient at dodging the rules

 
 
 
Krishna
Professor Expert
11.1.2  Krishna  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @11.1    5 years ago
But now we have a voluntary armed force, so I am not sure where this is coming from.

Here's why:

Political contests aren't rational.

And, BTW-- they don't have to be...in order to win.

All a candidate must do is to figure out what  the deepest prejudices are of a few demographic groups he/she/it can put together to win, then pander to them.

In the recent discussion here re: opposition to Amazon's moving to NY I saw an interesting phenomenon-- both those of the right as well as those on the left opposed it.

And rather emotionally.

Why?

The lefties because their current Weltanschauung is to hate success-- and anyone who is highly successful. (In this case Jeff Bezos). 

But what about those on the right? Well, Bezos owns WAPO, WAPO regularly bashes Trump-- so the righties also hate Bezos.

(Bezos, of course, can laugh at those fools, both on the left and the right. As the saying goes-- he's laughing all the way to the bank).

The losers in all of this? The people of NYC who were deprived of an opportunity to have greatly lowered taxes, more jobs,and a much improved transportation system.

But it serves them right-- stupidity can and must be punished!

But then, the "true believers', regardless of political strip, have always been what's f*cked up this country.

Ok-- now its time for the personal attacks..ROFL!

jrSmiley_91_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
11.1.3  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Krishna @11.1.2    5 years ago

As an objective observer, I simply shook my head in wonderment at the stupidity of New Yorkers for opposing the Amazon proposal. Even though, as you pointed out, it would cost them NOTHING and would be a HUGE benefit they opposed it.  

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
13  Jack_TX    5 years ago

OK....I'm going to buck the trend here....

This is actually not the worst idea among Democrats today.

It's a relatively small tax for a good cause.

The normal criticism of Democrats is that they're just wackadoodle, and their ideas are just completely insane fantasies.  Compared to socializing healthcare, forgiving 1.6 trillion dollars in student loans,  or giving people money simply because they're black, this just seems pretty tame.

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
13.1  Tacos!  replied to  Jack_TX @13    5 years ago
It's a relatively small tax for a good cause.

If the threshold were higher, I think I would agree. $200K a year isn't exactly "the rich" depending on how many mouths you're feeding and where you live.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
13.1.1  Jack_TX  replied to  Tacos! @13.1    5 years ago

The threshold goes to the bottom.

For families under $30k, they owe like $25, and then it increases as AGI goes up.

Personally, I have zero interest in these leftist bullshit ideas where only a few people pay because they had the gall to actually make some money.  If we think something is worth doing, then it ought to be important enough to make everybody kick in something.

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
14  Tacos!    5 years ago

Believe it or not, the last time Congress actually declared war was 1942, so he might have to carefully define what he means by "war."

 
 

Who is online




78 visitors