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Reid Introduces ‘Soak the Rich’ Act of 2011

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has introduced a measure to require millionaires to make “a more meaningful contribution” to reduce the deficit.

The resolution offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday asks lawmakers to sign off on a “Sense of the Senate” that “any agreement to wealthier taxpayers should reduce the budget deficit should require that those earning $1,000,000 or more per year make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort.”

The measure comes as Democrats argue tax breaks for businesses and the wealthy should be eliminated to help close the deficit. Republicans say such tax increases would hurt the economy.

Reid’s bill, S. 1323, is entitled “Sense of the Senate on Shared Sacrifice.” It makes a series of findings that set up an argument for why wealthier people should pay more taxes to reduce the deficit.

Can’t wait to see it, but I’m guessing it won’t include any references to this chart. Here’s an idea, if Harry Reid really wants the rich to make “a more meaningful contribution” to deficit reduction, he could sign on to the Coburn-Lieberman Medicare plan — or the Paul Ryan plan for that matter — both of which employ means-testing that would require highers earners to pay more out of pocket. Of course, neither involves rich people forking over their money directly to the government through higher taxes, so where’s the fairness in that?

New on The Corner. . .


COMMENTS   46

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   07/01/11 15:00

Reid is disgusting. Had his resolution called for BLACK taxpayers to make a bigger effort to reduce the deficit, he would be run out of town on a rail. But, he thinks it is all right to single out successful citizens and infringe on their right to keep what they have earned. Disgusting. When government tramples on one groups rights, soon it is trampling on all citizens rights. We are already there and sadly the MSM and libs don't recognize that successful people have rights which should also be protected.

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   07/01/11 17:36

Well said. That chart from the Mercaus Center (linked in the original post) is a real eye-opener. Just staggering to think how much of the tax burden is shouldered by the top 10%, 25% or even 50%. It's sad to see how few Americans aspire to achieve greater wealth through their own hard work and ingenuity, and how many parrot the liberal orthodoxy that the wealthy got that way through some nefarious means.

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Steve Goodman
   07/01/11 15:00

Glad to hear it. The rich have been soaking everyone else lately, so they're overdue for a good soaking themselves. Turnabout is fair play.

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   07/01/11 15:23

Right, so when they make more you of course make less ... funny but for some reason I seem to recall the national GDP being about 3 trillion in 1981 and now it around 14 trillion in 2011 ... how is that possible since the pie can't grow ?

Or did you send a check to a rich guy last month ?

darn, can I give you my banking info so next month you can save yourself a stamp and just direct deposit it into my account ...

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Steve Goodman
   07/01/11 15:53

When they take more, I have to pay more. I'm sick of subsidizing billionaires who sit on their keisters all day while I work longer to make less.

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   07/01/11 16:04

And this, people, is how a dunce like Harry Reid gets elected.

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   07/01/11 16:38

I have no doubt that Steve voted for Obama based on Obama's promise to redistribute the wealth. He's probably also a union member.

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   07/01/11 16:37

So earning more is now taking more?
When you earn more, are you taking it from those who earn less than you do?

As to your contention that the rich sit on their keisters all day, nothing could be further from the truth. Most rich people work harder, longer hours than you do. But reality is much less fun than hatred, isn't it.

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   07/01/11 16:59

They certainly work harder -- and smarter -- than our Bloviator in Chief.

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   07/01/11 15:35

Just how have the rich been soaking you?
By making products that you willingly buy?
By not having the govt take every penny that they make in order to give it to you?

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Steve Goodman
   07/01/11 15:51

By weaseling government bailouts from Repulicrats and Demolicans, with my tax dollars, while rewarding themselves with fat unearned bonuses.

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   07/01/11 16:34

So every rich person is getting govt handouts and every bonus gotten by a rich person is unearned.

Man, there is so much that you know that isn't so, that it continues to amaze me.

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 JPK
   07/01/11 16:44

You wouldn't by chance referring to Goldman Sachs, Fannie Mae, and JP Morgan? You know, home of the Democratic Finance Arm?

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   07/01/11 15:00

The Democrats won't give up until they have the tax rate up to 100%.

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   07/01/11 15:08

And why is it that private citizens making in excess of $1M per year should be required to "make a more meaningful contribution" to the effort to reduce a deficit that they had no hand in creating? I'd like to think that members of Congress, the folks responsible for creating the deficit, should be the ones making a "more meaningful contribution" to the deficit reduction effort.

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   07/01/11 15:17

like the race card the soak the rich card appears to have lost their cache ...

in the good old days they could play 3 card monty with their opponents always wondering if the card they selected was going to get them attacked ...

now they seem to miss the fact that they are playing 3 card monty with one card and can't figure out why everyone see's their game for what it is ...

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   07/01/11 15:32

I was walking down the sidewalk in downtown Raleigh NC today, near all the banks off Fayetteville Street. A guy stepped out of a bank right in front of me, all spiffed up in his expensive suit and carrying a leather briefcase. I fell into step right behind him and took inventory of his shoes, watch, etc. I couldn't tell for sure if he was one of those rich people, but just in case I went ahead and spit on his back anyway. B*st*rd.

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   07/01/11 15:39

At least we know where your last name comes from.

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   07/01/11 15:56

If you're serious (and I don't think you are) that's funny.

He's probably in debt up to his rear playing at being rich. Meanwhile, most of the people I work with (and we're rich finance guys although I'm not sure where my rich part is) and I'm one of the best dressed in my group. I don't wear tee shirts or sneakers to work, but I doubt you'd think someone in a sports shirt (with tee shirt under), jeans, and Doc Martins is a rich banker.

Thomas Stanley is probably laughing at the acting rich with spit all over their backs.

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   07/01/11 18:31

Indeed, I am not serious. I was just extrapolating out what Obama wants folks to with all his class warfare nonsense. He's trying so hard to stoke classist hatred that merely taxing the rich isn't gonna cut it - us average poor folk are gonna have to spit on their backs, tease their kids, kidnap their cats, maybe even worse.

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