Weekend Roundup
We’llhit this weekend’s roundup in a moment, but first, a public service announcement: At the risk of sounding unpopular, with the dawn of a new NFL season, please allow me to remind you that regardless of what you may think, no one — and I mean no one —cares about your fantasy football team.
On to the tax stuff…
As you may have heard, the Democrats threw their once-every-four-yearsoiree last week, and despite what The Onion might have said, the DNC involved more than just applauding the image of adead Osama bid Laden for three hours. No, there was some actual tax policy discussion going on, and now that both the Republicans and Democrats have finished their little pep rallies, the interwebs are rife with reaction from tax eggheads:
The Tax Foundation crafted this analysis comparing Romney and Obama’s tax plansto the one devised by theSimpson-Bowles Commission, a bipartisan group established in 2010 and charged with recommending a tax plan that would simplify the Code while reducingthe national deficit.The conclusion? While neither plan mirrors that of theCommission, Romney’s proposals — if politically possible to implement — come much closer to meeting the Simpson-Bowles goals of cutting rates and eliminating deductions in a manner that leads to a decreased deficit, economic growth, and a simplified tax code.
Next, Howard Gleckman over at the Tax Policy Center sums up both conventions — and bipartisan politics in general — wonderfully by pointing out that both Romney and Obama spent all oftheirtime taking issue with theother candidate’s plans, neglecting to ever clarify the proposals for tax reform they would enact ifelected.
Lastly, David Johnston at Reuterspublished a scathing column attacking the tax goals of the Romney-Ryan campaign, arguing that the Republican income tax proposals would further enrich the super wealthy while nearly doublingthe incometax burden of the middle class, whiletheir push to remove the estate tax would create a nation of dynasties that would have a devestating effect on economic growth.
In non-convention news, Kelly Erb over at Forbes has this tidbit: Hustler Magaizine publisher Woody HarrelsonLarry Flynt is offering $1,000,000 cash for the unpublished Romney tax returns. Wonder why he hasn’t just brokered a deal with these guys?
Finally, allow me to send you off into the workweek with this wonderful montage of the slow transformation of Breaking Bad’s Walter White from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to ruthless meth kingpin. [May not be safe for work. Unless you work in a meth lab, in which case it should be fine.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuN-70bICR4
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