Sam Seder
A new CBS reality TV show puts families in a moral quandary regarding whether to help themselves or another family with the money contents of a briefcase.
But is the show “poor shaming?” Does the show have a delusional relationship to poverty?
CBS: “CBS this summer will invite a dozen families to open The Briefcase and then decide what to do with its contents — $101,000.”
(Updated article)
A number of Republican-led states are considering tax changes that in many cases would have the effect of cutting taxes on the rich and raising them on the poor, according to the New York Times.
The Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen discusses plans in several Republican gubernatorial mansions to raise taxes… on the poor! Benen:
“Republicans are not, strictly speaking, a party obsessed with cutting taxes. The caricature is rooted in fact, but it’s incomplete – Republicans are actually a party committed to cutting taxes on the wealthy.
“This has been an underappreciated aspect of the GOP vision for several years. Indeed, it was part of Mitt Romney’s ’47 percent’ problem a few years ago – the Republican presidential hopeful complained, among other things, about the millions of families who ‘pay no income tax.’ A wide variety of GOP officeholders, candidates, and pundits have made related complaints about the poor not having “skin in the game” because their tax burdens simply aren’t significant enough.”
Of the 10 or so Republican governors who have proposed tax increases, nearly all have called for increases in consumption taxes, which hit the poor and middle class harder than the rich, according to the New York Times.
Favorite targets for the new taxes include gas, e-cigarettes, and goods and services in general. Gov. Paul R. LePage of Maine wants to start taxing movie tickets and haircuts, but is also proposing a tax break for the lowest-income families to relieve some of the pressure.
TYT Network
Mitt Romney is preparing to run for president for a third time.
The day before Romney announced he may run, The Wall Street Journal said:
“For Republicans circling the 2016 race, the focus on struggling segments of the population is a response of sorts to the 2012 contest, when the party’s nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney , struggled to present himself as an empathetic figure. Many Republicans considering bids this time seem set on forging a new path, one that stays true to conservative beliefs but with a firmer eye on seeking potential solutions to address Americans’ continued frustration with the economy.”
TYT: “…if he is looking for one that could appeal to the middle class and the poor, there are plenty of ideas out there.”
According to euronews, until recently, post re-unification Berlin has been a symbol of German open-mindedness, liberalism, and alternative lifestyles.
In the aftermath of the collapse of the wall curious visitors arrived in droves to visit a city that had been divided for decades, and that had appeared mysterious and perhaps a little forbidding.
Berlin attracted creative types and used to be inexpensive yet vibrant. But is it still true?
euronews
Rush Limbaugh tries to drive a wedge between the poor and middle class and explains why gridlock will continue…
Majority Report video.
OK, Fine. 