Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Define Rich V: Looking at the historical labor economy

We are taking a little side trip inthis series of defining rich based on the prior tax rate schedulesbut, this post is keeping with the process of looking at history formarkers as to the definition of rich. For any new readers, I believeas a society we knew and had definite boundaries as to what definedrich. […]

So much for GOP Siren of voter fraud

Maybe the appropriate title for this is: Do as I say and not as I do…. Just listening to Thom Hartman and he noted something that struck a cord (chord?) with me: voter ID, electronic ballots. In the caucuses last night, the Republican party did not require and ID, they allowed onsite registration and hand […]

Competing GOP Tax proposals Graphic

An organization that is called: American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches has put up a summary graphic of the various tax proposals ofthe GOP candidates. It not only notes the major points of their plans, but what their plans would cost. It is presented in a sort of game board race layout. The Institute introduces […]

Defining Rich IV: Corporate vs Personal Tax collection patterns 1934 to present

When I left this series in September, I had introduced the idea of looking at past tax tables as a means of understanding how We the People define rich. One specific note from history was a surcharge on top of themarginal tax rates to pay for the Great One (WWII). Obviously, that aspect of our […]

It’s not how rich we are, it’s how equal we are.

This is a 16 minute * lecture by Richard Wilkinson. It is posted at TED. I am posting it here, as I can not believe this information has not received more attention now that the US is awakening from the decades long delusion of prosperity which did not and as shown in the lecture could […]

A little OWS, a little 99%, a little history

So today I read at the Yahoo Finance (it’s my home page because I can look at the stock numbers on the left and read the headline on the right for a guaranteed laugh) that  John Mauldin thinks the OWS would be better off if they occupiedCongress: Mauldin believes America still has time to figure […]

This is the reality of a real small business

By Daniel Becker This is a bit of an interlude in my writing regarding the income tax of yore. Though, this does involve taxation. This is also a continuation in my postings regarding real world small business experiences. Yes, you are going to get to read about a real situation that involves a real small […]

Define Rich, Part III. What the tax tables of yore say.

 By Daniel Becker Randolph Duke: Money isn’t everything, Mortimer. Mortimer Duke: Oh, grow up. Randolph Duke: Mother always said you were greedy. Mortimer Duke: She meant it as a compliment. Trading Places 1983 A while ago (an understatement) I posted on the question of what is rich. The first dealt with what issues to consider […]

Go ahead. Implement Austerity at your own peril

by Daniel Becker (This is a long post. The time for sound bite debate to the demise of learned discussion is over for we are flirting with danger.) Via a post at Financial Armageddon I learnt of a paper looking at the relationship of austerity implementation and social unrest. It is recent, dated August 2011. […]

It’s not the tax and spending cuts, it’s the destroyed trust that has doomed our economy

By Daniel Becker In the comments to my post “A reminder from Obama’s February 2009 speech”, there is the following: “I guess it relates to the fake Obama they had made up in their heads,…”  This sums up the early comments to the post suggesting that those who trusted Obama have only themselves to blame. […]