The Post-Election Blues
The Market Ticker ® - Commentary on The Capital Markets
Posted 2012-11-12 14:12
by Karl Denninger
in Blogtalk
Ignore this thread
The Post-Election Blues
 

Well now it's over, and the Fiscal Cliff looms.  Understanding what's really going on with the government statistics and how it all fits together is arguably the most-important thing you can do right now.

Take the red pill with Tickerguy....

3:30 Central today at http://blogtalkradio.com/marketticker

Discussion below (registration required to post)
 

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User Info The Post-Election Blues in forum [Market-Ticker]
Mannfm11
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Looking forward to it. Will try to be there live for a change

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The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.---John Kenneth Galbraith
Apotheoun
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MN
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"HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY?!?!? Doesnt anybody give a sh@t about the rules?... This is not Nam Smokey, there are rules... League game Smokes."

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"when despair is all you can see, the end is finally near."
"Because there is some good left in this world, AND ITS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!"
Mortgageguymn
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Here's the problem: asshats like Bill Kristol
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2....

who say "I don’t really understand why Republicans don't take Obama's offer to freeze taxes for everyone below $250,000 -- make it $500,000, make it a million."

Because raising tax rates back up to Clinton-era rates only for people with income >$250k only brings in about $70B per year. That's less than 6% of the annual deficit. I don't have a problem with income tax rates going up, but if they do, they need to go up on EVERYONE, for two reasons: 1) that's where the money is - an estimated $400B/year if ALL of the Bush/Obama tax cuts were to expire and 2) everyone should pay some income taxes - it's the only way to make sure they care about wasteful spending.

Reason: typo
Mortgageguymn
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PS. A big chunk of my day is looking at people's tax returns. There are too many people who live comfortable middle-class lives in McMansions, going out to dinner, taking beachside vacations, etc. whose tax obligation on line 61 of their 1040's ("this is your total tax") is $0. Not $2,000, not $1,000, not even a lousy $500, but ZERO. You can't run a democracy with 1/2 the people paying nothing.

And don't give me that crap about sales taxes, property taxes & payroll taxes. Those things are for specific local purposes and - ostensibly - for one's "retirement".
Genesis
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Yep...

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Uppity_peasant
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Mortgageguymn wrote..
There are too many people who live comfortable middle-class lives in McMansions, going out to dinner, taking beachside vacations, etc. whose tax obligation on line 61 of their 1040's ("this is your total tax") is $0. Not $2,000, not $1,000, not even a lousy $500, but ZERO.


Surely they have to cough up some through withholding, don't they? And what about the AMT?

Are they doing this with business losses?

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====
If it's true that "assault weapons" are "weapons of war" and don't belong on the streets of America, why do the police need them? Who are the police at war with?
Wearedoomed
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Nope, withholdings is the next line (#62) and doesn't get included.

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And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Djloche
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KD, any chance of something comes out between now and when the electoral college votes, such that something persuades the electoral college to vote against Obama?


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"If we wish to be free, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us! Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?"
Genesis
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Nyet

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Joe
Posts: 1232
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Boston, MA
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Quote:
Because raising tax rates back up to Clinton-era rates only for people with income >$250k only brings in about $70B per year. That's less than 6% of the annual deficit.

Mortgageguymn -- do you have a link on that figure? If true, it's almost criminal that it was not brought up by Mittens or moderators during any of the "debates".
Comrader
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pa
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karl, that pa. county is pronounced "june-e-ata",indian named i think
Genesis
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Ah well you can't get 'em all right ;-)

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?
Mo
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Obama is only interested in raising taxes on the people who already pay taxes, not on the FSA.

How will he accomplish that?

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Gamma
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Mortgageguymn, would you be kind enough to supply a < 10 line profile for such a couple when you get a minute.

How can they afford a $3K-$4K house payment and a $1K/mo restaurant tab & cel phones etc etc with no taxable income beyond a typical collection of deductions?

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This stuff we're going through, this is nothing compared to the Middle Ages.
They told me if I voted for John McCain, an idiot would be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Sure enough...
Blurtman
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Thorium explained. KOMO 4 Seattle video:

http://www.komonews.com/news/Solution-to....

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I have a reading comprehension problem and the owner banned me for repeatedly displaying it after being warned.
Mo
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Gamma, it's done via child tax credits, I think.


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Welcome to Pottersville
Gamma
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Understand the anecdotal, Mo, I would just like to hear it from someone who processes actual 1040's.

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This stuff we're going through, this is nothing compared to the Middle Ages.
They told me if I voted for John McCain, an idiot would be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Sure enough...
Jstanley01
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San Antonio, Texas
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Boehner, right. And before him, the Teaparty, and before them, the Shrubs, and before them, Gingrich, and before them all, Reagan. Revolution my ass. ****ups of historic proportions. All of them "would-a', could-a', should-a'." Chisel it on the so-called conservative Republi-turds' gravestone. They're done. Over. Kaput. Finis.

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You can't cheat an honest man. ~P.T. Barnum
Ghopper
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The White House wants the Fiscal cliff. The whole thing.

And they want to blame it on Boner.

That way they get the House back in 2014.
Cluelessinfl
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Anybody else find it interesting that all of a sudden the MSM is bleating "fiscal cliff"? Did anybody hear anything about this from the media before the election?

Anybody find it interesting that the day AFTER the election the term "fiscal cliff" jumps sky high in Google search trends? Take a look:
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=%....


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Land of the Free my ass.
Votenoconfidence
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Quote:
"HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY?!?!? Doesnt anybody give a sh@t about the rules?... This is not Nam Smokey, there are rules... League game Smokes."


"Mark it 0..."

And of course, my favorite:

The Dude: "He's got problems! Emotional problems..."
Walter: "Beyond pacifism?"

Both appropriate responses to what's happening in today's world imo.

Also...
Quote:
Gamma, it's done via child tax credits, I think.

Not just child tax credits...I'm not sure if this is only in my (un)fair state of CA or on a federal level, but someone was telling me you can write off every dollar of interest you pay on a mortgage (someone correct me if this is inaccurate). If that's true, talk about penalizing savers and encouraging debt!

Reason: Additional response
Mo
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Quote:
The White House wants the Fiscal cliff. The whole thing.

And they want to blame it on Boner.

That way they get the House back in 2014.


That's the way I see it too: Obama would be more than happy to let the Bush tax cuts expire for all the white people, not just the 1 percent. And he can claim the Repubs wouldn't raise taxes on the rich so it's their fault.

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Welcome to Pottersville
Genesis
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Bring it on. That's half the deficit and would be excellent, in terms of what it would finally force people to realize.

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I don't care if it makes sense -- only if it makes money. -- Me
Bank (n): See scam, fraud and theft. Eat a bankster -- they're low-carb.
What part of "shall not be infringed" was unclear?

Mortgageguymn
Posts: 1561
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North Coast
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Gamma,

I haven't been collecting data, although I'll try to start. The people whose tax return tripped my trigger - once I looked more carefully - actually had a big (legitimate) loss carryforward from sale of a commercial property. In general, though, if you start with someone's gross income, take off their health insurance premiums (pre-tax) their 401k contributions (pre-tax) their personal exemptions, their itemized deductions (mortgage interest, property taxes, state & local income taxes, charitable contributions), and you get down to a pretty low taxable income. That's before any BS credits like for weather stripping, buying a high-efficiency appliance or buying a Chevy Volt.

Just saw a situation where a financial planner who ostensibly makes about $50k taxable income wrote off $25,000 of vehicle expenses. I think the per mile deduction is currently about 52 cents. Is he driving 50,000 work-miles / year? I don't think so.

One hears two main comments about taxes: (from the left): "The rich are paying a smaller percentage of their income than at any time in the last X years". (from the right): "The rich are paying a bigger percentage of total federal income tax revenue than at any time in X years." Both are true. Tax rates were lowered for everyone and one of the main effects is that a lot of middle income people no longer pay any federal income tax. Or they don't pay very much.
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