Obama backs off tax increases; Schwarzenegger mulls tripling car taxes, raising pet taxes, and more
Welcome to the funhouse mirror world of Rebranding 2008.
Team Obama reportedly is backing away (for now) from its signature campaign pledge to roll back the Bush tax-cuts on wealthy Americans…
President-elect Barack Obama may consider delaying a campaign promise - to roll back tax cuts on high-income Americans - as part of his economic recovery strategy, two aides said on Sunday.
David Axelrod, the Obama campaign strategist who was chosen to be a senior White House adviser, was asked if the tax cuts could be allowed to expire on schedule after tax year 2010 rather than being rolled back by legislation earlier. “Those considerations will be made,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Bill Daley, an adviser to Obama and commerce secretary under former President Bill Clinton, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the 2010 scenario “looks more likely than not.”
President George W. Bush’s tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2010. After that they would revert to 2001 levels, when the top individual tax rate was 39.6 percent.
Obama has called for reducing taxes for the middle class, but requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay more than the current top rate of 35 percent.
His aides’ comments suggest Obama may be wary of imposing any additional tax burden at a time of deep crisis, despite the outlook for record budget deficits and mounting national debt. He may also be seeking to bolster Republican support for his recovery measures.
Meanwhile, GOP Gov. Arnold “Rebrand the GOP” Schwarzenegger is mulling possible hikes in California’s vehicle license fees – the very idea that got Democrat Gov. Gray Davis kicked out of office. Brilliant (hat tip - Patterico):
State lawmakers began moving toward a deal this week to close California’s deficit with the help of steeper car fees that would cost many drivers hundreds of dollars annually, according to people involved in budget talks.
Under the plan, GOP lawmakers — most of whom have signed anti-tax pledges — would vote to triple the vehicle license fee that owners pay when they register their cars every year in exchange for a ballot measure that would impose rigid limits on future state spending. Motorists’ annual license fees would rise from 0.65% of the value of their vehicles to 2%. For a car or truck valued at $25,000, the increase would be $336.
The higher fees would generate $6 billion annually, helping to fill a budget gap that is projected to reach nearly $28 billion over the next year and a half.
The proposal is being championed by incoming state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). Democrats and advocates for the poor have opposed strict state spending limits, saying they would cripple government services.
…In a meeting with Times reporters and editors last week, the governor said he would not rule out raising the car tax.
“Everything is always on the table,” Schwarzenegger said when asked about the prospects for a sharp increase in vehicle license fees. “If I hate something, you can bring it up and you can show to me why that is a good idea, and maybe you know with the new circumstances, there is a good idea that I maybe looked at it in the past and didn’t think it was a good idea. This is a crisis situation and one has . . . to look at it in a fresh new way.”
More “fresh” taxes on the table:
Potentially just days from now, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be moving to tax veterinary services for your pets.
According to the Governor’s website, his new budget proposal would mean “[e]ffective February 1, 2009, the sales and use tax rate will be applied to appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services. Effective March 1, 2009, the sales and use tax rate will be applied to amusement parks and sporting events.”
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- Gas Tax Revenues Decline « Verus Politics: Truth and Reason
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Categories: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama
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Yes, higher fees - there’s a way to get people to buy more cars in a lousy economy. Moron.
Note to Ahhhnold - Hillary is stepping down, please go to NY and be a Dem Senator, and give California a chance.
And the reason this isn’t always a good strategy is…..???
Because the wealthy are all, like, evil and stuff…didn’t they teach you that in
socialism indoctrination campschool, AlohaGuy?First - I’m glad Obama is talking this way, if even for the moment. It plants a seed.
Second - I’m sure this is driving the netroots and commies absolutely batty, so 2 points for Obama.
Third - Schwarzenegger is a RINO. PERIOD. Canoodling with Kennedys will do that to a guy, apparently. How about California - and all other cash-strapped states with bloated governments (hell, Jim Doyle & Wisconsin!) cut budgets. You know, not a spending freeze. ACTUAL cuts. Tighten belts and you can see that people will respect you for it. Especially the tax payers.
California is a case study in Liberal government. Can the GOP pleeeeaaasssee make this case?
Arnold is hamstrung because the CA voters keep electing tax and spend Democrats. Sacramento Politicians simply won’t cut spending so I guess they will now tax the crap out of everything they can think of.
These elected officials are out of control…they think that they’re “white knights” that should come to the rescue of any business or person that mismanaged themselves into financial trouble. And they’ll do it…at our expense!
He’s not President-elect (the Electoral College hasn’t voted for President yet), and he’s Constitutionally ineligible to be President of the United States.
This candidate, who bore witness that thre is no deity except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, who claims to be a Christian but has never confessed “Jesus is Lord”, who wrote of his Hope to bring Assault from Jakarta to the White House and how “my journey is part of a larger journey - one shared by all who’ve ever sought to apply the values of their faith to … bring an Empire to its knees“, had a father who was a British citizen.
British law conferred British citizenship to the son.
That means the candidate known as Barack Hussein Obama II (also known as Indonesian citizen Barry Soetoro when he was presumably adopted by his step-father Lolo Soetoro), was, at his birth,
but rather a
Yet another reason to jump this sinking ship. I think that’s reason #568 if I recall.
Soooooo. Not that I mind taxes being lower, but…
The media bleated continuously that Urkel had a superior plan for the ailing economy, yet he hasn’t even been inaugurated yet and he’s already changing his plan?
Perhaps if he had more experience, his prior planning would be preventing his p!$$ poor performance.
Thank god I am on hyrdrocodone pain pills at the moment.
Someone terminate the term-ee-nay-dor.
That’s the Politics of Fear at its finest my friends.
I would really like to know if these spendthrift politicians run their family budgets the same way…if they do, we should be seeing them asking for bailouts shortly.
Me thinks Ahhnold has read his own press clippings…maybe he will be ingratiated by the”Clan” if he keeps pushing Cailf. into bankruptcy…what an idiot. Been here 40 + years and still talks like he’s in da Fatherland
make that Faderland
You may very well be right, now tell me whose DOJ is going to pursue this? Certainly not Bushes, for damn sure the da Leader’s…buy ammo and stock up.
I will never submit, NEVER!
British Nationality Act of 1948 (Part II, Section 5):
On November 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am, rightisright said:
A lawsuit about exactly this issue has been DISTRIBUTED for Conference by the Supreme Court of the United States. The justices will discuss it on December 5, 2008.
America Must Know
Heard about this the other day. If there is any silver lining it appears that it’s not going to pass. I understand he was wanting to raise it by 12 bucks which is peanuts but an increase none the less. My least expensive vehicle to register last year was my 92 Mazda Miata and it was 80 bucks. Yep I’d love to pay 240!! Not. Why does the water seem to keep getting warmer?
I am more than tired of the Dems that run this state thinking the only way to do things is tax, tax, tax.
As much as it sucks I’m going to hang in for now. As the saying goes experimentation starts in Cali and the disease then spreads across the US.
ITookTheRedPill said: (#7)
You forgot his mother was a US Citizen, therefore he is too. And if he was born in Hawaii, as the preponderance of evidence and allegation indicate, he is therefore a US citizen by that reason as well. If he were adopted by his Indonesian step-father and thereby lost his US citizenship, that is another issue.
I don’t like any of his policies, and am dreading the next four years, but let’s be accurate and fair.
Kevin K.,
If he was born in Kenya (as his paternal grandmother says he was), then his mother was too young to confer U.S. citizenship upon him. She was 18, and by the law at that time she would have had to have been 19.
Even if he was born in Hawaii, as a dual citizen, the British Citizenship disqualifies him from “Natural Born U.S. Citizen” status.
Here’s a novel idea for CA. Get rid of the 11 million illegals here and we’d be back in the black in no time.
Ahhnold “We are the future of the GOP” Schwarzenaager is a buffoon pure and simple…Arnie baby…please leave the governor’s mansion and make a few movies before you really f___ up evrything.
Remember the movie ‘Creepshow’….Mr. Pratt(U.S.taxpayer)infested with cockroaches(tax&spend politicians,bailout recipients)?
I wonder if Arnold will decree state mandated Tax-O-Meters to be installed on citizens’ toilets…to flush your net worth by.
*or bye*!!
Three lessons for Republicans here:
MCCLINTOCK…MCCLINTOCK…MCCLINTOCK
I agree with BlameAmericaLast. CA must acknowledge that illegal immigration strains the education, healthcare, and prison systems beyond the limit.
Add to that the stanglehold that powerful unions have on the state, and you get a recipe for disaster.
Good thing is, it seems like the nation felt that the Democratic vision is the way of the future. California is what the hope and change liberal policies of the Democratic party will get you.
Question:
Where is the Hollywood crowd to help out for the common good of the state?
I mean… they’re always telling us what we should do for others, yet they’ve been dead silent on ponying up more for the common good.
I don’t hear calls for a
taxredistribution incentive on movie tickets, do I?Of course not.
Keep it up Govenator, hopefully your stupid policies will run everyone who’s not a socialist or living off of welfare out of California. I have no problem with your state having fewer electoral votes (which are all but guaranteed to the Democrat candidate every election).
Furniture repair! I have no doubt that is gonna generate the 27 Billion they need to balance that budget!
Arnold is hamstrung….
Baloney. He is suppose to set the agenda.
We in Arizona while not much liking the additional traffic, we’ll be glad to take folks, business and sell them cars to avoid the California expenses.
Like all worthless, “haven’t got a clue”, “protect the special interest groups” politicians, the only solution they can think of, is to raise taxes. The tree of liberty must be nourished from time to time, with the blood of tyrants. Soon the national government will do the same thing…raise taxes to support their re-election contributors. First step, not raise taxes; just let the tax cuts expire, and “fool” the people.
RINOs are unceasingly amazing.
Raise taxes to pay off debts, but don’t stop shoveling money in failed welfare programs. Don’t stop dumping truckloads of money into school systems to teach illegal aliens or hospitals to give them free aspirin at $10.00 per tablet.
Dingleberries.
…[e]ffective February 1, 2009, the sales and use tax rate will be applied to appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services…
Can they tax a tax?
That was my first thought, too, Blame. Check out how well off localities and states are that aren’t paying for illegals’ healthcare, schooling and other social services. Wasn’t it Oklahoma that stopped renting apartments to illegals? Notice, the world didn’t come to an end.
If there’s any upside to this economic mess, I hope it’s that illegals aren’t finding the U.S. the land of opportunity anymore and are hightailing it back to May-hee-co before the weather gets colder.
OT, if authorities are looking the other way at all the crimes being committed by illegals on the border states, what’s to prevent legal U.S. residents from protecting themselves en mass? If entire towns started enforcing immigration laws (since the feds say they’re whelmed over), what’s law enforcement going to do? Put everyone in jail? When the feds mistakenly let 178 hardcore illegal felons loose (as was the case recently), the time for major citizen self-protection and enforcement has come.
There’s a war going on in the border states, and I feel for those people who can’t even get a good night’s sleep for worrying for their families’ safety while in their home country!
So, those who have to use their vehicles to get back and forth to work get nailed to the wall once again.
Did they consider that exorbitant taxes would drive (pun intended) the population to migrate to states with lower taxes?
Arnie should go back to making Terminator movies. He was good at that.
He is NOT the future of the Republican Party. That strategy has lost us two straight elections.
Obama actually said, before the election, that he wouldn’t roll back the tax cuts if the economy was struggling. Sadly, the media didn’t make anything of it, and neither did McCain.
Has anyone ever heard of reducing overhead by a hiring and budget freeze. Four percent of California employees retire every year.
Never mind. I guess I’m just a stupid conservative.
Urkel. I like that. Wait’ll the Kos Kids hear that one.
We should track the number of broken promises and failed socialist plans Obama has.
Socialism/Obama 0
Taxpayers 1
Arnold is another story but let’s just state for the record he is a fake republican.
I’m surprised California hasn’t figured out that a drive-thru window tax would be great in that it would raise revnues and stop people from eating at fast food places!
/liberal logic
Ok, now I’m convinced! Schwarzenegger just watched the movie Popeye and realized there’s a whole world of untapped possibilities just waiting out there.
Arnold, may I suggest a “Being an illegal alien tax”?
Tea - meet harbor.
The “Gubernator” certainly changed over the last few years. He used to be a much more conservative person–and seems to be a bright and talented guy.
I guess this just shows what living with a wife with Kennedy family ties will to to your brain! He acts like ex Governor Grey Davis now. However, the people still remaining in California get what they deserve / elected. The smart people and companies are bailing out fast.
John Bibb
Danceswithdachshunds (#42) post above is great–I remember the Popeye movie and always thought it was quite appropriate to the liberal tax and spend mentality.
John Bibb
isn’t it absolutely amazing that these governments, state, local and federal, NEVER THINK OF CUTTING SPENDING AND CLOSING OUTDATED OR FAILED PROGRAMS. reminds me of the government worker joke about the dept of agriculture “worker” crying at his desk, and his colleaques remarking that he might lose his job because his farmer had died. last month, huge job loses, but 17% job growth in government. it takes way more people to screw up an economy this size.
any one want to guess just how much of the budget deficit is directly caused by the open boarder pro illegal alien lobby .
The State of California would make up it’s budget shortfall in short order by doing just two things. First, stop paying for undocumented alien healthcare, schooling, food stamps and welfare, and second, STOP SPENDING “NEW” MONEY.
Neither of these things will ever happen, and the result is that California taxpayers will be forced to endure a homosexual assault by it’s own legislature, all without the use of KY jelly.
California residents should consider relocating the state capitol from Sacramento, to San Francisco…their proposed solutions to fiscal problems always seems to suggest that the taxpayers bend over…not just backwards.
Funny how the big Liberal bastions such as Chicago, Detroit, New York and the populated areas of Californis love to dump on Middle America…..but if it weren’t for the tax payers in middle America subsidizing their dysfunctional economy…they would fall apart. I say to hell with them.
The photo reminds me, if Obama is so smart, how come he smokes?
Gee, just when I was thinking of buying a new car. I’m sure the auto dealers are thrilled too.
I have a suggestion to fix CA’s woes: a hydrogen bomb on Sacramento. It’s the fault of both the governor and the idiotic legislature (not to mention the employee unions) that spending is out of control.
Another suggestion: if you must increase taxes, I suggest we jack up taxes on abortions, on sanctuary cities, on companies that employ illegal aliens, on those “pot clinics,” on items gifted to Hollywood celebrities, and on anyone who brags about being “green” or “eco-friendly.” That way we can get the libs on board for a tax revolt.
Well yes, … but they usually elevate it to the peerage first. It then becomes a Sir Tax.
How do we begin to recall Mr. “Total Recall”? We did it to Gray Davis after he proposed tripling the DMV registration fee and giving licenses to illegals. I will never vote for this fool again! I won’t vote Democrat, but I will not vote for Arnold!
How about spending less money and getting rid of wasteful programs, just like we do with our families each and everyday!!
At the time of the Davis recall, Davis was dirty and was doing things for his own interest and against the will of the people. Hmm, where have I heard that before? He was so engrained in the Cali political infrastructure, the only way to dislodge him was to have a big name ticket like Arnold who was ‘outside the beltway’. And it was sketchy then.
I guess there is no beltway in Sacremento but I digress…
I dont know, be careful what you ask for. You may end up with that LaRaza dude or something on the order of Boxer/Feinstein.
Incidently, since when has “conflict of interest” meant squat to a Democrat?
eg Barny Frank and his “boyfriend” at the very senior levels of Freddie Mac?
Chuck Schumer insuring the demise of IndyMac by “leaking” a letter outlining its potential failure?
The naming of the Chairman of the NYFed to head up the Obama financial “bailout” committee. One of the “inner circle” of banks leading the NYFed just happens to be CitiBank?
Imagine That hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
PC is Thought Control
LEE