"You may remember that Governor Palinâs great accomplishment was that she had given all that money back to the Alaskan people. Of course, the people of Alaska never paid any income tax in the first place (Alaska doesnât have one), but Alaska was somehow so flush with money that Palin decided to share some of the wealth with each and every man, woman, and child - working or not working, deeply in need or very rich.
This annual disbursement from the âAlaska Permanent Fundâ has long been standard Alaska practice, but Palin bragged that she gave more back than her predecessors and (in at least one televised speech on her triumphal return to Alaska) promised to do the same for all Americans. At the time, this was touted as the very heart and soul of Republican concern for giving money back to âyou, the American peopleâ because âyou know what to do with it better than the government does.â That the money had never been âtheirsâ because they had not paid it in taxes did not seem to be particularly troubling to her.
The first was that Sarah Palin claimed to have âstood up to the big oil companiesâ forcing them into open bidding for Alaskan oil and gas reserves and subjecting them to even higher royalty payments on their extractions. This of course looks suspiciously like âtaxing corporations,â and we are constantly told (although it is not true) that âAmerican corporations pay the highest taxes in the world, higher than Sweden!â But when a Republican is doing it, that is apparently OK. When a Democrat might raise corporate taxes, that is âsocialism.â
Alaskans were receiving cash repayment because Americans in the lower 48 were paying more for oil and gas than they would have paid if Alaskaâs state mineral royalties were lower, and Alaskans had money to spare because Americans in the lower 48 were paying for nearly all of Alaskaâs infrastructure needs through earmarked spending, of which Alaska received more earmarked federal dollars in relation to federal taxes paid than any other state. Of course, Governor Palin claimed to be the maverick who would help put an end to earmarks, but that is another hypocrisy.
Now, we are told that if Barack Obamaâs tax plans result in some people receiving ârefundsâ on tax credits that exceed their federal income tax liability, this would be âsocialism,â âspreading the wealthâ Soviet style. I guess Alaska, where no one paid any state income taxes and everyone got more than $1000 from the governmentâs kiddy, must be the most socialist state in the country. âShare the wealthâ indeed! I can assure you we received no such âhandoutâ from the state of Virginia, but we did (as a net tax âgiverâ) help pay for the Alaskan windfall."
From a left wing writer but none the less he makes good points. Further proof that BOTH demons and redumbs along with the majority of americans who support the graduated tax system. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Joe the idiot who is whining about Obama raising taxes by 3% on the wealthy would have a hissy fit if we moved to a "fair" flat tax where everybody pays 30% across the board. So lets all go ahead and pick our poison because we enjoy all our freedom and democracy by being able to choose from 2 candidates.
Ron Paul for president!
This annual disbursement from the âAlaska Permanent Fundâ has long been standard Alaska practice, but Palin bragged that she gave more back than her predecessors and (in at least one televised speech on her triumphal return to Alaska) promised to do the same for all Americans. At the time, this was touted as the very heart and soul of Republican concern for giving money back to âyou, the American peopleâ because âyou know what to do with it better than the government does.â That the money had never been âtheirsâ because they had not paid it in taxes did not seem to be particularly troubling to her.
The first was that Sarah Palin claimed to have âstood up to the big oil companiesâ forcing them into open bidding for Alaskan oil and gas reserves and subjecting them to even higher royalty payments on their extractions. This of course looks suspiciously like âtaxing corporations,â and we are constantly told (although it is not true) that âAmerican corporations pay the highest taxes in the world, higher than Sweden!â But when a Republican is doing it, that is apparently OK. When a Democrat might raise corporate taxes, that is âsocialism.â
Alaskans were receiving cash repayment because Americans in the lower 48 were paying more for oil and gas than they would have paid if Alaskaâs state mineral royalties were lower, and Alaskans had money to spare because Americans in the lower 48 were paying for nearly all of Alaskaâs infrastructure needs through earmarked spending, of which Alaska received more earmarked federal dollars in relation to federal taxes paid than any other state. Of course, Governor Palin claimed to be the maverick who would help put an end to earmarks, but that is another hypocrisy.
Now, we are told that if Barack Obamaâs tax plans result in some people receiving ârefundsâ on tax credits that exceed their federal income tax liability, this would be âsocialism,â âspreading the wealthâ Soviet style. I guess Alaska, where no one paid any state income taxes and everyone got more than $1000 from the governmentâs kiddy, must be the most socialist state in the country. âShare the wealthâ indeed! I can assure you we received no such âhandoutâ from the state of Virginia, but we did (as a net tax âgiverâ) help pay for the Alaskan windfall."
From a left wing writer but none the less he makes good points. Further proof that BOTH demons and redumbs along with the majority of americans who support the graduated tax system. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Joe the idiot who is whining about Obama raising taxes by 3% on the wealthy would have a hissy fit if we moved to a "fair" flat tax where everybody pays 30% across the board. So lets all go ahead and pick our poison because we enjoy all our freedom and democracy by being able to choose from 2 candidates.
Ron Paul for president!