Electile Dysfunction (Current students plz look!)

[JPolen01]

How about, instead, we agree it's not tax reform OR relief if it adds $1.4 trillion to the deficit?

[WRXtranceformed]

On that note, anyone have foreign investments that are more than a blended fund of international stock?

Yeah I've got a small chunk (less than $10k total) between BREAX and the emerging markets IEMG ETF.  IIRC earlier this year we reallocated a chunk in my mutual funds and my 401k allocations away from the international funds and toward the US-focused funds because the US market has been killing it.  Unrealized profit ensued.

Both of those have done fine, they are both considered blended equity styles.

[ViPER1313]

Answer the following:

To grow the current US economy, we should

1. Increase demand through increased capital distributed to the lower and middle classes through tax incentives and penalties for businesses holding vast sums of capital.

Or

2. Increase the supply of goods at lower rates and available jobs by increasing investments in American businesses through lowered taxes.

And why.

[Apoc]

Yeah, there's no doubt the current political powers favoring business profits is good for US-based wealth building. At some point, though, the deficit is gonna catch up to us... I think. Foreign investment is keeping the dollar strong, but I gotta think there's eventually a currency that is a better investment than the dollar. Of course, if the rest of the world keeps doing stuff like currency manipulation (China) and Brexit than we'll golden for generations.

---

Answer the following:

To grow the current US economy, we should

1. Increase demand through increased capital distributed to the lower and middle classes through tax incentives and penalties for businesses holding vast sums of capital.

Or

2. Increase the supply of goods at lower rates and available jobs by increasing investments in American businesses through lowered taxes.

And why.

I choose Option 3 because your questions are loaded with biased assumptions.

[ViPER1313]

Ok then, explain.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Of course, if the rest of the world keeps doing stuff like currency manipulation (China) and Brexit than we'll golden for generations.

How about India getting rid of their higher denomination bills for a couple weeks?  

Some deficit is good for the economy but good lord, setting us up to increase our deficit during a "boom" cycle?  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  Still not as dumb as 75% of the EU nations currently, which is the sad part.

[Apoc]

Yeah, there's no doubt the current political powers favoring business profits is good for US-based wealth building. At some point, though, the deficit is gonna catch up to us... I think. Foreign investment is keeping the dollar strong, but I gotta think there's eventually a currency that is a better investment than the dollar. Of course, if the rest of the world keeps doing stuff like currency manipulation (China) and Brexit than we'll golden for generations.

---

Answer the following:

To grow the current US economy, we should

1. Increase demand through increased capital distributed to the lower and middle classes through tax incentives and penalties for businesses holding vast sums of capital.

Or

2. Increase the supply of goods at lower rates and available jobs by increasing investments in American businesses through lowered taxes.

And why.

I choose Option 3 because your questions are loaded with biased assumptions.

I personally don't care what the business tax rate is because I know consumers inherit the cost through higher cost of goods or higher personal taxes... so the man is getting his regardless.

That said, most economic reviews I've read do not agree with your outcomes (in bold). 

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/30/theres-l...-jobs.html

While cuts in personal income taxes helped boost employment, investment and consumer spending, the same was not true for cuts in corporate taxes. Lower business taxes did help boost production but didn't lead to much new hiring, they found.

"In contrast to the personal income tax cut, there is no evidence that a cut in corporate taxes is associated with any significant impact on employment, despite the considerable and significant immediate increase in output," they wrote.

I'd also be interested in hearing how either of these are better at growing the economy* in the long run than reducing expenditures and balancing the budget.

*This tax plan has zero to do with growing the economy, but I'll give you that point for the sake of discussion.

[G.Irish]

The tax bill may benefit me personally in the short run, but I'm pretty disgusted by it. Ending the individual mandate is certainly going to fuck up the health care exchanges which will lead to millions of people losing health insurance. The way they've structured the standard deduction will effectively eliminate any benefit most people will get from the charity deductions, which will devastate non-profits. And of course the massive run-up in debt, is going to be used as an excuse to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Just a fiscally irresponsible money grab for the benefit of the ultra-wealthy.

[WRXtranceformed]

Big offers of investment so far after the bill passes, we'll see if these companies and others actually follow through
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/...oyees.html

[Ryan T]

New tax plan benefits me as well, at least in the short term, so I’m happy with it. I’m not going to pass judgment on it till it’s been implemented and see how things really shake out. Too much partisan reporting on how terrible or awesome it is to really bother trying to sift through, so I’ll just wait and see.

[D_Eclipse9916]

$10k wether you are an individual or married sucks.  Basically a new tax on being married (by reducing your available itemized deduction).  Thought there might be a loophole in filing separately but IRS rules state you have to both itemize or both take standard, not one can itemize while the other takes standard.  

[JPolen01]

Another Trump Tweet comes back to (possibly) bit him in the ass.

Judge William Alsup wrote in his decision that a tweet from Trump himself demonstrated that leaving DACA in place would serve the public interest...

“We seem to be in the unusual position wherein the ultimate authority over the agency, the Chief Executive, publicly favors the very program the agency has ended,” the ruling read...

Alsup also said in his ruling that Trump’s Dec. 29 tweet, in which he wrote that “there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL,” helped to support the plaintiffs’ claim that Trump ended DACA to use it as a “bargaining chip” for his proposed border wall.

[CaptainHenreh]

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Rex Talks Politics.

We're well out of the midterms and I'm very happy with the result!

Things that amuse me:

A: Denver Riggleman goes to Washington. 

Yes, the "bigfoot guy" but I really think that was an unfair smear by the Cockburn campaign. I've met him, I've drank his booze, and I think he's an honestly good guy who cares. I hope washington doesn't change him too much. But damn I couldn't stand Cockburn. And even your famous daughter and her comedian husband knocking on doors couldn't get you to congress. Go write another book about how much you hate teh j00z and leave the rest of us alone.

B: Corey Stewart dries his tears with a confederate flag

I make no secret of my disdain for my junior senator Tim Kaine. Like, I'm sure he's very nice but as a politician he couldn't be more diametrically opposed to me, politically. In spite of that, I guess you could say I'm "glad" he won. I dont' care for Trumpism, though I do understand the idea of the giant middle finger to the left that he is. Corey Stewart had the exact same appeal. I guess in 50 years maybe someone will erect a statue of him on a rearing horse? Anyway, he sucks, and even though I hate them both, I guess the devil you know is better than Corey Stewart.

C: Fake Mexican loses to the Zodiac Killer

I only wanted one outcome out of this whole GD election and this is it. Do I like Ted Cruz? No, not really. Do I like "Beto" O'Rourke? No. I wouldn't even put "like" in the same language as this guy. Smarmy and self-important, everything about him made me want to roll my eyes and say "fuck that guy" so I'm super glad he lost. Now people are talking about "Beto 2020" and jfc y'all. 

D: Commies IN DA HOUUUUUUUUUUUUSE

LOL Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes officially the dumbest person to ever be elected to Congress, and by a landslide! You yankee turdnuggets deserve everything you get. Can't vote yourself rich, dummies! 

E: House Finance Chair Maxine Waters

A regular Adam Smith, this one. Can't want to see what harebrained psuedokeynesian horse shit her interns churn out.

In short, I'm very excited for Congress to continue to do nothing, and Trump to continue appointing more strict constitutionalists to the SCOTUS. Three cheers for divided government!

---

OOH! I almost forgot. That one-eyed SEAL that SNL shit on won. That was pretty cool too.

[JPolen01]

C: Fake Mexican loses to the Zodiac Killer

I only wanted one outcome out of this whole GD election and this is it. Do I like Ted Cruz? No, not really. Do I like "Beto" O'Rourke? No. I wouldn't even put "like" in the same language as this guy. Smarmy and self-important, everything about him made me want to roll my eyes and say "fuck that guy" so I'm super glad he lost. Now people are talking about "Beto 2020" and jfc y'all. 

D: Commies IN DA HOUUUUUUUUUUUUSE

LOL Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes officially the dumbest person to ever be elected to Congress, and by a landslide! You yankee turdnuggets deserve everything you get. Can't vote yourself rich, dummies! 

---

OOH! I almost forgot. That one-eyed SEAL that SNL shit on won. That was pretty cool too.

Geeze I wanted Cruz to lose just because I am tired of hearing him talk, but Beto was not a good replacement. And wtf NY. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.

[Ken]

C: Fake Mexican loses to the Zodiac Killer

I only wanted one outcome out of this whole GD election and this is it. Do I like Ted Cruz? No, not really. Do I like "Beto" O'Rourke? No. I wouldn't even put "like" in the same language as this guy. Smarmy and self-important, everything about him made me want to roll my eyes and say "fuck that guy" so I'm super glad he lost. Now people are talking about "Beto 2020" and jfc y'all. 

D: Commies IN DA HOUUUUUUUUUUUUSE

LOL Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes officially the dumbest person to ever be elected to Congress, and by a landslide! You yankee turdnuggets deserve everything you get. Can't vote yourself rich, dummies! 

---

OOH! I almost forgot. That one-eyed SEAL that SNL shit on won. That was pretty cool too.

Geeze I wanted Cruz to lose just because I am tired of hearing him talk, but Beto was not a good replacement. And wtf NY. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.

It was the Bronx - about the deepest blue you could possibly be. Anybody surprised by her election is the, "dumbest person."

[CaptainHenreh]

Not really surprised. Figured it would happen, what is the fucking' bronx gonna vote GOP? I'm not a moron.

I'm saying I am amused by it.

[JPolen01]

It was the Bronx - about the deepest blue you could possibly be. Anybody surprised by her election is the, "dumbest person."

Not surprised. Just disappointed.

[Ken]

Beto also made that race way closer than expected - GOP also lost some house seats in TX and had other super close races that normally aren't really close at all. Interesting results, to say the least.

[CaptainHenreh]

Beto also made that race way closer than expected - GOP also lost some house seats in TX and had other super close races that normally aren't really close at all. Interesting results, to say the least.

After spending 65 million fuckin' doll hairs I should hope the race was "closer than expected". Jesus wept.

[JPolen01]

The best part about that race was when Cruz called Beto a "Triple meat Whataburg Liberal". Whatever the hell that means.