Reagan was easily the second worst president in history following Bush the lesser. I won't go into his godawful foreign relations but stick to economics. Reagan's crowning failure was the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Not only did this act massively lower taxes for the rich it did NOTHING but create debt and DID NOT, contrary to myth increase tax revenues. For example, of the increase from $600.6 billion in 1983 to $666.5 billion in 1984, $26 billion is due to inflation, $18.3 billion to corporate taxes and $21.4 billion to social insurance revenues (mostly FICA taxes). Income tax revenues in constant dollars decreased by $2.77 billion in that year. Supply-siders cannot legitimately take credit for increased FICA tax revenue, because in 1983 FICA tax rates were increased from 6.7% to 7% and the ceiling was raised by $2,100. For the self employed, the FICA tax rate went from 9.35% to 14%. The FICA tax rate increased throughout Reagan's term, jumping to 7.51% in 1988 and the ceiling was raised by 61% through Reagan's two terms. Those tax hikes on wage earners, along with inflation, are the source of the revenue gains of the early 1980s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply-side_economics In addition this abomination tax act redistributed the AMT to hit middle class America. The tax was created in 1969 to prevent the very rich from using the many loopholes then available to avoid all federal income taxes. How did the tax's reach expand? In 1986, when President Ronald Reagan and both parties on Capitol Hill agreed to a major change in the tax system, the law was subtly changed to aim at a wholly different set of deductions, the ones that everyone gets, like the personal exemption, state and local taxes, the standard deduction, certain expenses like union dues and even some medical costs for the seriously ill. At the same time it removed and revised some of the exotic investment deductions. A law for untaxed rich investors was refocused on families who own their homes in high tax states. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/a/alternative_minimum_tax/index.html Thanks to Reagan's bungling every year Congress has to pass an AMT patch which last year was strategically included in the stimulus package to drive it up even though of course wasn't stimulus. The cost? 70 BILLION dollars or roughly 10% of the stimulus package itself.
Oh, this is precious. Democrats entire fanbase runs this picture as its platform. That said, there simply aren't rationed discussions on here any longer. It has become too lopsided and not worthy of any "debate."
Dude, will you please learn the difference between "rationed", "rational", "rationalize", and "rationale". Here's a hint- They don't all mean the same thing because they begin with an r.
"dems rule this board, boohoo" well then do something about it. Make quality posts. Get funnier walrus pictures. Convert the long line of trolls trying to bait the overwhelming number of liberals into good posters. you ain't gonna kick us commies out with tears
And this is what this forum has devolved into: I'm looked upon as one of the "trolls." As I've said, this forum is a circle jerk these days.
If it makes any difference, I think you are pretty much a troll when it comes to nonpolitical/Hangout topics as well as D&D ones.
No offense, but if that is your actual stance, you're an idiot. I make some brutal comments at times, no doubt. But if you think that about myself the entire time? Again, even most of your cohorts would call you an idiot at that response. For better or worse, I'm honest. Here's what I do know. If you can't handle me, you're antisocial.
You can't handle anyone other than yourself. If anybody makes any criticism of your posts, you cry that the board is too liberal, and everyone else is just too sensitive. You are more than welcome to discuss some of the points you like or don't like about Reagan's presidency, and see what kind of response you get. You dish it out, but dont' seem to be able to take it, even when it is incredibly minor criticism.
Fatty, you've said this (are something just like it) several times recently. Here and elsewhere. If you find D&D such a den of masturbation, why are you here?
Because this is my board. I don't want to go to other sites. Quite frankly, I don't need to with facebook, et. al. but I enjoy a lot of folks on this board, and I have for years. But it has become a cesspool in here recently. There really aren't many good debates anymore. Seriously, I guess I'm getting the brunt of it from people starving to rant on a T_J post. He's been gone a couple months. I've tried within myself to keep respectful, including banning myself for 6 months after Obama won (the fact that BJ didn't recognize that was as shameful as anything T_J or Texxx did) The saddest part is that I've actually come into this cesspool and commended what Obama has done, so far. It has fallen on deaf ears. You and I both know this forum has become a mockery of what it once was, and needs to be eliminated. I've seen FAR too many barbs thrown in the hangout simply because of something I wrote in here. I had a few folks email me about other, nicer political forums where I can circle jerk with others about politics and scream at the trolls who dare to have another opinion. I didn't join this site for that. I joined because I'm a true blue Houston fan that wanted to talk about teams I love in the city I was born and raised in. This forum doesn't belong on here anymore. It is causing too much ****.
Deck: An aside, you recall before the D&D was created, how folks were respectful, for the most part? The sad part was some went on tangents that needed to be locked. And then we set up a forum to deal with this crap? Three things you don't talk about with acquaintances: Politics, religion, and exes. And yet, that is what this monstrosity of a forum is. It divides us. Hell, I could know you 20 years and we wouldn't get into my or your crap unless we were closer. It is borderline r****ded and it is screwing our community as whole up. This ain't 2000 anymore. You want to talk politics? I'm sure BJ can blast you an email on the site. You want to be respectful? The hangout still works. But the D&D is just absolute **** as far as a place to talk. Libs have ruined it, and I'm reporting both my posts to David to see if he thinks otherwise. This was never meant to be a political board. It's time to end the forum. As I've said, there are dozens of sites more popular than this one.
Fatty, yes you've said good things about President Obama, which you may not get credit for, but now you are just complaining about the forum. I think you shouldn't have to defend yourself in Hangout for posts you've made in here, unless there is a very good reason, like you brought it up, etc., but I disagree about the value of this forum. It has its ups and downs, but I enjoy it more often than not. I think a lot of this is driven by the "circus" of you and Batman arranging an absurd "debate" at a bar over the holidays. In my opinion, it's rediculous. Neither of you should do it. Get together for some beers with Batman and whomever? Sure. This other thing, regardless of how it is painted, is stress that I, for one, would not need. Both of you can deny there is stress involved and the whole thing is a lark, but I don't buy it. Why don't you guys blow it off? Have some fun, instead?
I agree with nearly everything you say. This forum has become a complete joke. Basso's and TJ's threads are the perfect example. It doesn't matter what they post, it becomes a troll fest from the very first reply. This forum has become a complete cesspool. This forum is less about D&D and more about 1 upping the other side. It would probably do the site some good to close the forum, but it does a good job at containing the trolls. This is a Rockets fan site first and foremost, not a place to tear down fellow fans, regardless of their beliefs. I invite everyone to avoid this forum, trolls and serious posters alike. Lets all get back to the main objective of this site.
Whoa, I don't think you realize that I'm an extrovert. It's the main reason I'm doing this. I don't falter easily. That whole thing I'm fine with. That said, nobody in their right mind hasn't watched this forum devolve into Dems talking to themselves with an occasional troll stirring the pot. I swear it is like coming into a Lakers board sometimes. There is no need for it. If it can't be kept civil enough in the hangout, ban the poster or lock the thread. I'm tired of this pissing contest in here.
1. Still not buying it. 2. Then why are you here? Why is Space Ghost? Every time I read posts like that from members who still post in D&D, it's the first thing that pops into my head. Why are those folks here if it is so "god awful?" No one is twisting anyone's arm. Clutch doesn't make posting in D&D a requirement for membership (far from it!). I just don't get the sound and fury.
