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Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#53551: Apr 25th 2013 at 8:05:11 PM

Rand Paul: “Because it’s not so much the drone that we object to. If some guy’s robbing a liquor store two blocks from here and the policemen come up and he comes out brandishing a gun, he or she can be shot.”

Gee, Paul. How nice of you to finally acknowledge the argument that many of us have been making for a long time: it's the extrajudicial killings that are the problem, not the methods used to conduct them.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#53552: Apr 26th 2013 at 12:24:05 AM

Rand Paul is making sense. Must means he's irrelevant now.

I'm a skeptical squirrel
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#53554: Apr 26th 2013 at 12:49:24 PM

Good to see Bachmann and Rand Paul both fail the english language

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#53555: Apr 26th 2013 at 12:52:52 PM

[up]

In fairness to Rand, he was intentionally quoting Bush.

Senators Brown, Durbin unveil tax credit bill have introduced legislation to permanently extend enhanced versions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the child tax credit.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#53556: Apr 26th 2013 at 12:57:54 PM

Misunderestimated... Should we make that word a redirect for Beware the Silly Ones?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#53557: Apr 26th 2013 at 1:29:20 PM

US economy grows by 2.5 percent in first quarter of 2013

Proving once more that the GDP going up doesn't necessarily have anything to do with actual prosperity.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#53558: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:15:20 PM

Former Congressman Todd Akin breaks silence: talks comeback, takes on Republican establishment

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#53559: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:26:17 PM

[up]Is there room for a comeback? Guy dug a hole so massive, you can probably see it from orbit. <_<

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#53560: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:26:23 PM

Yes Todd. Its all the establishment's fault and nothing to do with the fact you're a woman-hating troglodyte. Or that your views are exactly whats killing the republican partyu because "standing on principle" is why everyone but white suburbia hates you.

Why do I even live in the same state as you.

edited 26th Apr '13 4:27:52 PM by Midgetsnowman

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#53561: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:40:58 PM

Is there room for a comeback?

Let's hope not.

Senate Dems introduce tobacco tax measure

The bill, called the Tobacco Tax and Enforcement Reform Act, would tax all tobacco products at the same rate and hike taxes by 93 percent. The bill also aims to crack down on tobacco trafficking by requiring unique markings for shipments, demanding that export warehouses file reports with the Treasury Department and banning the sale or lease of tobacco product manufacturing equipment to people without licenses.

edited 26th Apr '13 4:41:32 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#53562: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:43:22 PM

Aren't tobacco taxes already life support for local goverments?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#53563: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:49:34 PM

Only in states where any and all attempts to increase cigarette taxes dont get voted down violently by republicans.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#53564: Apr 26th 2013 at 4:55:38 PM

[up][up] It's there bread and butter.

GOP Pollster Frank Luntz: Limbaugh, Levin, And Right-Wing Talk Radio Are ‘Problematic’

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#53565: Apr 26th 2013 at 5:11:22 PM

I think this counts as politics since it's legislation, but the Marketplace Fairness Act is likely to get passed. Basically, it lets states charge sales tax on online purchases from vendors earning more than $1 million a year.

Here's the full bill. Do you think it's a good bill, or a bad bill?

Well, one plus will be that Amazon will more likely build warehouses in every state (I think they apply sale taxes to orders within states where they have warehouses and such), so there's faster delivery.

On the other hand...taxes.

Also, there's the whole question about ebooks and .mp3 files. Do virtual products count?

edited 26th Apr '13 5:14:43 PM by chihuahua0

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#53566: Apr 26th 2013 at 5:15:08 PM

Its going to be hilariously difficult to enforce, thats for sure. Especia;lly on international vendors.

chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#53567: Apr 26th 2013 at 5:20:48 PM

[up] Hmm...I'll need to look at whatever this bill is enforceable on international vendors, but in terms of difficulty of implementation:

(D) Provide—

(i) information indicating the taxability of products and services along with any product and service exemptions from sales and use tax in the State and a rates and boundary database;

(ii) software free of charge for remote sellers that calculates sales and use taxes due on each transaction at the time the transaction is completed, that files sales and use tax returns, and that is updated to reflect rate changes as described in subparagraph (H); and

(iii) certification procedures for persons to be approved as certified software providers.

I feel like the big businesses will have better ease with this.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#53568: Apr 26th 2013 at 6:46:43 PM

Yeeeep.

It basically sounds like "small vendors are going to be forced off the internet"

Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#53569: Apr 26th 2013 at 7:55:08 PM

Senate Dems introduce tobacco tax measure . . . hike taxes by 93 percent

Yeah, ask New York and Canada how well prohibitively high taxes on cigarettes worked.

Oh right. They both drove the majority of sales to the black market. /golfclap

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#53570: Apr 26th 2013 at 8:03:02 PM

But if it's only from businesses earning one billion a year, like Chihuahua said, how will this drive the smaller vendors off the internet? Doesn't seem like it would effect them much with that rule.

Also, at this point I'm pretty certain that any business that wants to survive has to STAY on the internet in order to have a shot, regardless of whatever taxes are in place.

And ninety three percent does seem prohibitive if they really want to make money off tobacco. (Although I don't know how big the taxes they're doing the ninety three percent increase on already are.)

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#53571: Apr 26th 2013 at 10:08:14 PM

Yeah, a 93% increase is only big if the current rate is big. As for it pushing sales to the black market, it looks like they a cracking down on that to. Though if the tax rate goes up by % won't that result in a bigger increase in those states with a bigger current tax? Could that lead to tobacco tourism? (Where you drive across state lines to buy, because the amount saved on tax is more then the cost of fuel)

As for the online sales tax, it could work. I don't see how it's gonna cripple small businesses with the minimum size requirement. Most likely, it will simply slow down the decline in actual physical shops.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#53572: Apr 26th 2013 at 10:19:37 PM

I dunno; Texas is a huge place so if this is a thing that happens here.... yeah, most people would probably just stay where they are unless they live right next to the state border. Or Texarkana. Or the Mexican border, I guess. I mean, our gas is cheaper because the stuff is mined and refined in some places here, but you can go from one place to another and take ten damn hours and still be in Texas! That's a bit far to go just to get cheaper cigarettes.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#53573: Apr 26th 2013 at 10:32:40 PM

I'm just thinking of things like the booze runs my mum use to take me on to France. I don't think it was a tax thing, but because of the prize difference and our closeness to the channel I have many childhood memories of trips to France to buy a load of booze and come back. I also know that in Northern Ireland you get people crossing the border into the republic for cheaper fuel. so one assumes that if the difference is big enough with something like cigarettes, you'll get the same thing.

Edit: just re read the thing, it says that it would establish the tax rate as the same across the board, so you'd only get tobacco tourism on the Canadian border, you might actually see people on the borders buying more locally if they won't get a better tax rate by going out of state.

edited 26th Apr '13 10:35:05 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#53574: Apr 26th 2013 at 10:59:52 PM

That's a bit far to go just to get cheaper cigarettes.

Not to smuggle them. Equalizing a really high tobacco tax across the board will just lead to even more people buying it from smugglers. In some states that already comprises well over half the tobacco market.

edited 26th Apr '13 11:02:33 PM by Pykrete

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#53575: Apr 26th 2013 at 11:31:00 PM

Well seeing as the law also cracks down rather hard of the black market I think you'll be okay.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

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