Republican Primary

[RACJ]

Santorum yesterday:

“‘Will you be the generation that sat on the sidelines and watched as candidate after candidate comes up and the national media takes their ax out to try to destroy them in every way possible as they’ve done with every single Republican candidate and as they will between now and the election?’ he asked. ‘And will you sit on the sidelines and say, ‘Boy that’s not fair,’ or will you stand up and fight back for freedom?’”

That is inspirational oratory. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[ProVobis]

I guess that would be a 10th Amendment issue, since property (personal and real) are handled at the state level.

Hmmm. Aren’t there limits of how many fundamental rights a state can deny?

 

[AlwaysCurious]

I wonder if either Santorum or Gingrich will have ashes on their foreheads tonight.

 

[Rence]

But it doesn’t eliminate the revenue altogether; it merely creates a whole new set of winners and losers. Your pocketbook should tell you which one you are.

That said, IMO the first tax they need to eliminate is the PROPERTY tax. We live in a country where holding unleveraged property, be it real estate, gold, or bananas, like life and liberty, should be esteemed not penalized.

But property taxes go to the maintenance of the public property around it: fixing the streets and public sidewalks, snow removal in the winter, garbage pickup, tree trimming, mainentance of the street lights, etc.

 

[scipio337]

But property taxes go to the maintenance of the public property around it: fixing the streets and public sidewalks, snow removal in the winter, garbage pickup, tree trimming, mainentance of the street lights, etc.

Check your state budget, in most states I’ve lived in, a vast majority (80%+) goes to public schools. I send my children to parochial schools, but am taxed at the same rate.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Check your state budget, in most states I’ve lived in, a vast majority (80%+) goes to public schools. I send my children to parochial schools, but am taxed at the same rate.

We homeschool our kids and are taxed same as everyone. Some brilliant Democrat state senator tried to pass legislation that would forbid homeschooled kids from participating in public school athletic programs. I meean, most people here know that I despise political parties, but it is becoming a reflex reaction to cringe every time I hear a Democrat do something. I ask myself “What liberty or right are they trying to deny me now?”

 

[Havard]

I wonder if either Santorum or Gingrich will have ashes on their foreheads tonight.

That’s a no brainer.

Mark my words, the HHS mandate is going to be on the lips of every man up there. With such a strong outcry from the Catholic bishops, it’s an especially good time for a GOP primary candidate to be a Catholic.

Heck, if Mitt could get away with it, it’d behoove him to toss some on his forehead too.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Since when are the well-being of the economy and addressing the sufferings of the poor mutually exclusive? That is the fundamental mistake well-meaning people make. A strong, robust economy will help those who are poor find a job more easily. Plus, a robust economy will help people contribute more to charities - if I got laid off, I wouldn’t be able to donate as much to charity as I do now.

But how do you measure “doing too much” ? Is it based on how much of my money is confiscated and then given to a bureaucracy to redistribute to others? We are called to help the poor. However, if the government takes $1000 from a rich guy and lets $20 trickle down to a poor guy (and makes him dependent on that money) that doesn’t relieve you or me from our obligation to help the poor with our own time and money. The Democrat policy to “help” the poor is really “trickle down charity” with others’ money. It is time we stop measuring compassion by how much a party supports confiscating others’ money. We need to measure compassion for the poor by what we ourselves are doing.

Ishii

Well stated Ishii.

What’s that saying? A high tide raises all boats?

People get caught up too much in the government “charity” vs. private charity debate. The church has not come out and said which one is better. All they have given us is a framework that says govenrment has it’s place but socialism is bad.

 

[catholictiger]

Well stated Ishii.

What’s that saying? A high tide raises all boats?

People get caught up too much in the government “charity” vs. private charity debate. The church has not come out and said which one is better. All they have given us is a framework that says govenrment has it’s place but socialism is bad.

and this will be the position of the church for a while. the church will put forward social justice and let the people decide what to do.

and to your analogy a high tide does rise all boats but it doesn’t fix the boats that have a leak or fix boats that don’t work.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

I know it’s not a Church document from the Vatican, but this Economic Justice for All document the USCCB put out in 1986 calls for a progressive tax structure. But you don’t have to agree with it.

A progressive tax system is fine and all (and I agree with it to a point).

But there are two issues currenty at play:

1. The government budgets have grown out of control.
2. There’s a ton of waste in government (they aren’t good stewards of our money)

 

[Rence]

Check your state budget, in most states I’ve lived in, a vast majority (80%+) goes to public schools. I send my children to parochial schools, but am taxed at the same rate.

Yes, it goes to public schools. It’s the community’s responsibility to help fund the schools in the form of taxes. The fact that you send your children to a private school doesn’t usually change that. It’s your choice, after all, to send your kids to private school. My parents chose to send me to private schools too. They still had to pay their share of taxes to support the community in which they lived.

 

[anp1215]

This doesn’t really have anything to do with the debate, campaign, etc. but I will be curious to see if Santorum and Gingrich have ashes on their foreheads tonight.

Just out of curiosity.

 

[anp1215]

I wonder if either Santorum or Gingrich will have ashes on their foreheads tonight.

I was wondering that too. I think they will. The debate is in Arizona. Does anyone think perhaps they would not wear the ashes if the debate was in, say, the Bible Belt, where Catholics are a small minority and very misunderstood?

 

[_Abyssinia]

Lots at stake in first debate in nearly a month

“A lot has changed in the battle for the GOP nomination since the last debate, a CNN-Republican Party of Florida showdown in Jacksonville on January 26. Romney went on to win big in Florida and Nevada, while Gingrich, who had just scored an impressive victory in South Carolina, faded fast. Then Santorum surged in state and national polling after sweeping the February 7th contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. The debate Wednesday is the last time the candidates will share a stage before primaries in Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday” - CNN

 "The former Massachusetts governor was long considered the clear GOP leader in Arizona, but polls have narrowed considerably in recent days and now indicate a dead heat between him and Santorum." - [Arizona Republic](http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/02/21/20120221republican-debate-mesa-what-to-watch-for.html)

 "The stakes are high for Mr. Gingrich, who is low on money and facing eclipse by Mr. Santorum’s surge even in Southern states that were to be his bulwark. He needs to give voters, especially conservatives, a reason to return to him." -[ New York Times

](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/u...self-at-arizona-debate.html?_r=2&ref=politics)
“Team Romney tells me there will be a bolder tax-cut plan released either at the debate tomorrow night (if Mitt gets it in) … the new plan will be across-the-board with supply-side incentives from rate reduction, and that it will help small-business owners” - National Review

Poll shows Romney back on top in Michigan

“It’s just one poll, but that’s the first time he’s led in the state in nearly three weeks — and the same poll had him trailing Santorum by nine just a week ago. Another poll out today has the race tied and PPP’s new one, while showing Santorum still ahead by four, has Romney roaring back from a 15-point deficit over the past seven days.” - Hot Air

 "A surging Rick Santorum is running even with Mitt Romney atop the Republican presidential field, but neither candidate is faring well against President Barack Obama" - [AP](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_POLL_REPUBLICANS_VS_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

Romney only 4% ahead in a supposedly friendly state, Arizona - [Weekly Standard](http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/arizona-poll-romney-36-santorum-32_631710.html)

Romney, in an attempt to step on Santorum’s territory, gets tough on social issues

“Romney [said] his vice presidential pick would be anti-abortion… pledging to pick strict constructionists to serve on the Supreme Court and castigating the Obama administration for launching a war against religion. “I can tell you as someone who has understood very personally the significance of religious tolerance and religious freedom and the right to one’s own conscience, I will make sure that we never again attack religious liberty in the United States of America if I’m president,” Romney said, in a rare reference to his Mormon faith." - LA Times

 

[_Abyssinia]

Santorum comments on “Satan” attract controversy

“Asked whether he still thinks Satan is attacking the United States, Santorum called the inquiry “not relevant to what’s being discussed in America today.” “If they want to dig up old speeches of me talking to religious groups, they can go ahead and do so, but I’m going to stay on message and I’m going to talk about things that Americans want to talk about,” Santorum said” - National Journal
“There is no way that a man who expresses such a dark view of the American national character can win the presidency.” - John Podhoretz

"Santorum not only defends beliefs that are looked down upon as dated and unrealistic; he does it with a passionate sincerity that opens him to mockery and attack." - [Rich Lowry](http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/291518/effrontery-rick-santorum-rich-lowry)

**Byron York investigates why Santorum lost Pennsylvania by 19% in 2006 **

“The biggest policy reason was Santorum’s outspoken support for the war in Iraq. By November 2006, the war was going badly and threatened to turn into a full-scale catastrophe. President Bush resisted calls to change course. While Santorum’s Democratic opponent, Bob Casey, called for a new policy, Santorum stuck with the president, and with the war. He even made it his primary focus in the last days of the campaign.” - Byron York

 Santorum says he's no Washington insider - [USA Today](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/02/rick-santorum-arizona-speech-insider-lincoln-dinner/1#.T0TNXvEf5LI)

Gingrich campaigning on low gas prices

“Down in the polls and increasingly overlooked in the Republican nominating contest, Mr. Gingrich’s campaign is betting it can claw its way back into the conversation with a focus on rising gas prices, an issue that is viewed as an increasing liability for the White House. “There’s no reason we can’t get gasoline down to $2 and $2.50 a gallon,” Mr. Gingrich said Monday in Tulsa.” - WSJ ($)

Obama seeks to deflect GOP criticism over escalating gas prices - The Hill

Obama to offer corporate tax plan

“Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told a Senate panel last week the plan will be an effort to find “common ground” on broad principles between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. … Senior administration officials Tuesday would not provide details of the president’s plan. They said it will be consistent with his commitment to fairness and the message he laid out in the State of the Union address.” - CNN

Politicians fiddle while fiscal crisis looms - John Stossel for Town Hall
Rahm Emanuel, Bill Daley to be named Obama campaign co-chairmen - LA Times

Democratic senators want super PAC crackdown - Politico

Supreme Court adds more time for oral arguments on Obama healthcare law - The Hill

 

[pnewton]

Yes, it goes to public schools. It’s the community’s responsibility to help fund the schools in the form of taxes. The fact that you send your children to a private school doesn’t usually change that. It’s your choice, after all, to send your kids to private school.

That’s the line we keep getting fed anyway. There is not even a tax break for home-schooling and private schooling, even though it saves tax dollars and makes parents pay twice for that education, once in taxes and once in tuition. That is why I vote always, against every bond issue for the public school, until some equity is reached.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

That is why I vote always, against every bond issue for the public school, until some equity is reached.

Me, too.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

Yes, it goes to public schools. It’s the community’s responsibility to help fund the schools in the form of taxes. The fact that you send your children to a private school doesn’t usually change that. It’s your choice, after all, to send your kids to private school. My parents chose to send me to private schools too. They still had to pay their share of taxes to support the community in which they lived.

Rubbish. Communities have no such “responsibility”. Once again you put forward an claim about community responsibility with an argument about paying taxes. (You have to pay your taxes therefore communities have a responsibility to fund public schools?! That makes as much sense as saying that because you have to register for the draft America has a responsibility to invade Iran.)

Do I need to correct you again on this?

 

[Rence]

Rubbish. Communities have no such “responsibility”. Once again you put forward an claim about community responsibility with an argument about paying taxes. (You have to pay your taxes therefore communities have a responsibility to fund public schools?!)

Do I need to correct you again on this?

Oh yes, please do Tell me I’m wrong that our taxes don’t go for paying for the public school system. Tell me that I am wrong that we are required to pay for our community services through our taxes for things such as garbage pickup, road repairs, snow removal, and yes, funding for the public school system.

 

[Rence]

That’s the line we keep getting fed anyway. There is not even a tax break for home-schooling and private schooling, even though it saves tax dollars and makes parents pay twice for that education, once in taxes and once in tuition. That is why I vote always, against every bond issue for the public school, until some equity is reached.

I don’t see why there should be a tax break for those who choose to home-school or send their kids to private schooling because the public schools are there for the use of those living in the community. Just because a few people decide to send their kids to private school or home school, doesn’t make the resource (which is publicly funded) disappear, or the need for the resource to disappar. There’s still quite a few children who go to public school and public school is funded by the taxpayers. So if I decide I don’t want garbage pickup anymore because I can bring it to the dump myself, should I get a taxbreak for deciding I’m not going to use the service provided by the city? So if I decide I have a long enough ladder, and decide I want a tax discount because I change the bulbs in the streetlight across from my house, I should get a tax discount for it? This is all just petty IMOHO…people just don’t want to pay their taxes to finance the city’s expenses because they’re going to pick away at the policies becaues of their own decisions to not use this that or the other service, despite the fact that others are using them and the taxes are there to support the city’s expenses for running the city. Just petty IMOHO…