Does Rick Perry Read Bills Before Passing Them?

The New York Times Reports: A few weeks ago, Mr. Perry signed into law an online sales tax measure that the state says will raise $60 million over the next five years.

Grover Norquist’s influential organization, Americans for Tax Reform, calls the measure a dreaded "new tax." Mr. Perry opposed it as a stand-alone measure, but this summer it was tucked into a must-pass bill during a legislative session that otherwise saw deep budget cuts.

State lawmakers passed an amendment during the special session to force online retailers like Amazon to collect sales taxes. The rule takes effect on Jan. 1, 2012, but the online giant is fighting to keep things as they are. 

The state wants all online retailers to collect and remit the taxes, but there's no question who's first in line. Amazon has a distribution center in Irving. Because of that presence, state Comptroller Susan Combs sent a letter to the world's biggest online retailer in 2010 saying it owed Texas more than a quarter of a billion dollars in back taxes. The Seattle-based company refuses to pay the tab, saying it wasn't required to collect and remit those taxes under current law. A related tax audit of the company is "in the administrative hearings process," according to Combs' representatives.

To protect its interests, Amazon has threatened to shut down its operations in Texas (and has taken even more stringent actions in other states, including California). During the session, it also dangled a carrot, offering to invest $300 million in five or six warehouse and distribution centers in the state, employing 6,000 people, if lawmakers would let the company operate for four and a half years without collecting sales taxes from customers. Gov. Rick Perry liked the idea. The Legislature never bought it.

Online retailers will have some time to learn the new tax code. The law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2012. Businesses that meet the state's definition of engaging in business in Texas will have to send sales tax reports like storefront businesses, and will be subject to audits.

The state estimates the provision could bring in an estimated $16 million in general revenue for the next biennium.

Obviously the Texas legislator thinks $16million in revenue for the public sector over two years is more valuable than $300million over four and a half years for the private sector.  If Rick Perry does not carefully read bills as Governor of Texas, what makes him think he will read bills better as President of the United States?

This Tax could prove to be detrimental to Texas's economy in the private sector.  Will Rick Perry pass similar tax increases if elected President?

Sources:                                                                

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/82nd-legislative-session/day-25-state-struggles-collect-online-sales-taxes/

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/scott-galupo/2011/08/26/rick-perry-the-flip-flopper

The Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2011 is not Simple Enough

For individuals: Wyden-Coats reduces the number of individual tax brackets from the current six to three: 15 percent, 25 percent, and 35 percent and eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax completely.   According to the Tax Policy Center, most (not all) families making up to $200,000 a year will pay the same or less in taxes under Wyden-Coats than they do today.

For businesses: Wyden-Coats also makes American companies more competitive by reducing the top corporate tax rate and replacing the existing six corporate rates and eight brackets with a single flat rate of 24 percent.  But, reducing the corporate tax rate does not help small businesses which are the largest employer in the country representing 53% of US workers.  “A corporation is a legal entity that is created under the laws of a state designed to establish the entity as a separate legal entity having its own privileges and liabilities distinct from those of its members.”  Most small businesses do not fit the aforementioned description of a corporation.  Small businesses fit the individual description.  A small business owner may decide not to grow their business to avoid making more than $200,000 a year causing fewer employees to be hired.  This could prove to be detrimental to the growth of the US economy.  The 30 million small businesses in the US account for 64% of net new jobs (jobs created minus jobs lost).  70% of jobs created in the last decade were by small business.  The economy of 1986 is not the same as the economy of 2011.  The proposed Act appears outdated.  Big corporations are not going to bring manufacturing jobs back to America because countries such as China can produce most of the tangible consumer goods for a lower cost than producing the same goods in the US.  Outsourcing manufacturing jobs increases the corporation’s profits.  Small businesses need a break they are the ones that keep the US economy going.  Instead tax laws punish them.

Why can’t Congress enact a flat tax for all US citizens?  A flat tax would allow Americans to have more disposable income to purchase consumer goods and small businesses could flourish without fear of tax hikes.  The total of collections before refunds for fiscal year 2007 was 2,691,538,000,000 (I cannot find records of 2010).  If every American 15 and over was taxed 16% without refunds and deductions the IRS would collect 2,812,901,637,135.42 which is actually more than they collected in 2007.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/TopStories.aspx?Id=1682263

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

http://www.averagesalarysurvey.com/article/average-salary-in-us/15200316/income.aspx

http://wyden.senate.gov/issues/legislation/details/?id=fb5b603a-ed94-48a8-8ff1-c220c1052b3f

Bachmann Fails Question About Her Faith And Being A Submissive Wife

Thursday night in the Fox News GOP debate in Ames, Iowa, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, was asked by columnist Byron York whether she would be "submissive to her husband" if she were elected president.

"Thank you for that question, Byron," Bachmann responded with a wry smile. "Marcus and I will be married for 33 years this Sept. 10. I'm in love with him. I'm so proud of him. What submission means to us, it means respect. I respect my husband. He's a wonderful godly man and great father.

The question of wives being submissive to their husbands comes from a passage in the New Testament in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

Bachmann identifies herself as an evangelical Christian. Her congressional office said recently that she has been attending a nondenominational church as her schedule allows.

She has shown over the years that she is fluent in "Christianese," using words and phrases that ring true to evangelical listeners.

She formally withdrew her membership in her former church days before she formally announced that she was seeking the White House.

It is not possible for her to be President and submit to her husband.  Respect and submit are not synonyms.  To submit is to yield to governance or authority.  A correct synonym for respect would be esteem.  If Michelle Bachman were President her husband should be submissive to her.  President of the United States is the most powerful position in the free world.  Our President should not be submissive to a non-elected official.  Based on this statement my support for her has really dwindled.

Source:

http://www.wfmz.com/politics/28847419/detail.html

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