It is so tiresome having to read the many letters from Rod Livdahl. You can almost count on his first paragraph denouncing something “the Republicans” have done. His bias is so obvious that it seems to get in the way of good logic. His latest attack is against “the GOP mantra that revenues go up when taxes go down.” There is some truth in this charge, but the tax loopholes which make for lower taxes on “the rich” were just as often created by Democrats as by Republicans. Neither party has a monopoly on crony capitalism!
However, he goes further to prove his point by carrying the idea to the extreme — “wouldn’t cutting taxes to zero absolutely flood our government with so much revenue...?” To illustrate the obvious error in his extreme example one only need to reverse it, i.e., if increasing taxes would solve our problems, why not raise them to 100 percent? As you can see, that would be a stupid example as well. I’m sure neither of us believe that zero or 100% rates are an appropriate solution. There should be a balance between rates which incentivize job-makers and those which kill the entrepreneurial spirit. So what IS an appropriate rate? I think rates above 35 percent bring fewer and fewer tax revenues, but I’m not an economist (as my $35,000 per year retirement would indicate.)
Finally, why should we begrudge the “rich 2 percent” their wealth? And while the 2 percent already pay more than 50 percent of all taxes at least 40 percent of Americans pay no (income) taxes — so, what is their “fair share”!?
Dustan “Dusty” Everman
Mesa
Slabside posted at 4:25 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
Good letter Dusty. Livdahl is an idiot.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 4:48 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
Rod keep writing your letters. So you have a bias....who the heck hasn't. Just look at our "Manchurian Candidate" in the White House, Barack Barry Hussein Soretoro Obama (or whatever name he is using lately along with his Connecticutt Social Security number that no one can explain how he got that, never having lived or worked in Connecticutt.....lol.
Just like belly-buttons and other orifices...everybody has one. The Democrats, Liberals and Progressives still haven't replaced Old Glory with the United Nations Flag....so keep typing away.
I respect you for putting your real name out there when you write a letter or make a comment more that these people that hid behind icons, emoticons, cutsie pseudonyms and the like.
Rod, keep those loonie-tune comments and letters coming into the EVT...and I will sure do the same............[beam]
Dale Whiting posted at 5:05 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
Dustan,
The letter from Rod you refer us to is March 18th. Rod drew numerous comments from at least 11 of us. But none bore your name! Do you have a 'handle' you use when commenting? I don't! Stand up and be counted. If you were dedicated enough to this space to have written a letter complaining about Rod, I'd bet you commented on his letter contemporaneously. Come out of hiding Dustan!
Cerulean posted at 5:33 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
Why did we go to war in Iraq? The Bush administration told us it was to secure “weapons of mass destruction”- those weapons did not exist.
Who benefits most from war in Iraq? It depends on why you think we invaded in the first place. If the war was to keep Russia from developing the oil reserves (while allowing Haliburton that job); then it is very difficult for me to see how I benefit from a $1.6 - 3 trillion price tag to invade Iraq. That means that, at the very least, every citizen of the US owes $6,300.00 plus $4.00 per gal (or current rate) at the gas pump. Was OPEC the main beneficiary of the invasion of Iraq, was Haliburton and shareholders, KBR, etc.?? Were the wealthy who invest their money and benefit from stabilized nations also the largest beneficiaries? I believe it was all of those and more.
So, it is my opinion, the wealthy MUST pay a higher tax to pay for a war that only served to benefit them – not me!
See: http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/profiting-from-the-iraq-war-1.118099
Cerulean posted at 5:38 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
P.S. Rod Livdahl is, without doubt, one of the best letter writers for the East Valley Tribune. [smile][smile][smile][smile][smile]
Slabside posted at 5:45 pm on Sun, Mar 25, 2012.
Dusty, please post using whatever name you want. This is a free country so please don't let Dale try to get you to align yourself with his eccentric ways.
Dale Whiting posted at 4:40 am on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Slabside,
Dustan will post using whatever name he or she wants. The question is will he or she remain masked, standing behind a false name like you do, or will he or she bravely state who he or she is like Leon and I do?
"Bravery" or "fear," is your choice Dustan! Slabside and his kin chose the latter.
wdgnas posted at 6:07 am on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
and let's not forget that some 60% of businesses pay no federal income taxes.
Slabside posted at 9:27 am on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
The thing is this Dale, no one but you seems to care about the true identity of other posters, Why is that? I couldn't care less just who you are Dale. Why are you so obsessed by this?
chatmandu002 posted at 9:28 am on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Hey, let Rod bloviate all he wants so we can bloviate all we want.
Masterrogue666 posted at 11:02 am on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Slabside: I think I figured it out why "Dale" is so fixated about others revealing their "true name" for all to see/read. I admit that I have no "PROOF", but it certainly could be a possibility, even though "Dale" will claim otherwise.
Perhaps "Dale Whiting" really isn't Dale Whiting at all! It is possible that it's someone that knows that a Dale Whiting, of Chandler, exists and is using his identity, calling it his own.
Why? Perhaps "Dale's" purpose is to draw negative attention towards Dale Whiting of Chandler, because "Dale" wants to use others as his "cat's paws" so that some misfortune will occur to the REAL Dale Whiting!!!
Even though I (and others) have given reasonable explanations why we don't wish to share our "true name", that isn't good enough for "Dale"! It seems that ONLY HIS REASONING seems sound. What is more disturbing is that "Dale" doesn't realize that HE'S THE ONLY PERSON THAT SEEMS TO CARE!!! Has "Leon" ever express himself in such a way?
Nevermind that there are these people out there, some people call them homicidal maniacs, that have no compunctions about tracking down someone whose view they don't agree with, and end their life in order to silence them. The REAL TRUTH is that just because "Dale" claims that his true identity is Dale Whiting, of Chandler, DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE!
"Dale" has shown me his true character, on more than one occasion, and because of those experiences I will not accept HIS CLAIM that he is in fact Dale Whiting!!! As far as I'm concerned, it's just another pseudonym!!!
Argue all you want "Dale", but I'm correct.
[wink]
Slabside posted at 12:21 pm on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Very sound analogy rogue. I too have witnessed Dale's true character and he/she is not someone I care to know.
VofReason posted at 1:45 pm on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Rod Lidvahl a liberal nut with no apparent logic- and other news water is wet and the sky is blue. Dusty, if that is your real name and not really Albert Einstien writting from the grave, you must just take several of these characters with a grain of salt. I think the Trib just keeps them around to let us know that crazy people with wacko ideas do really exist in the world. Many of us never get to see them up close, but they are out there.
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:24 pm on Mon, Mar 26, 2012.
Thank you, Slabside. I may not agree with Rich all the time, but his comments are about the article, as it should be.
I've asked "Dale" many times if he showed up at the Jack In The Box, but I've NEVER received an answer from him. And he has the gall to claim I don't ask direct questions!
He's exactly the type of person I think of when I hear the phrase, "He's a legend in his own mind."
Dale Whiting posted at 6:55 am on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
Mr. 666,
"Many times" you say! I don't recall even one. But kj can verify that he and I did meet near his home at a restaurant on a Saturday morning. So go back into your files, find at least 3 times [for 1 or 2 requests at the end of a long list of comments does not "many" constitute] and show us you are not full of "it." Then describe the Jack where you would meet and the date and time. I'll work it into my schedule, confirm the date and time and we can meet.
But I warn you. First, I have never met a man I did not like. Like Will Rogers, the man who coined this phrase, when I meet people I get to know them and help them get to know me. And in doing so, I learn to respect them. I learned to respect kj but he cannot see how. For I still critique him for the short-sightedness I saw in him. And getting to know him as I did, that critique got under his skin.
And second, I use incidents from my life to explain to them why I believe like I do. As with kj, most don't listen, most don't learn, most have nothing especially remarkable about their lives which distinguish their experiences from the masses. And if they don't get to know me, they leave having met someone whom they don't like. And only Will Rogers and I benefit.
Just to keep it simple, Rogue, I shall keep monitoring this post until you answer me and will refer you back to this post until you do answer. Got that?
Dale Whiting posted at 6:56 am on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
P.S. Rogue
Ask kj. We've met!
Dale Whiting posted at 6:58 am on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
Slab,
"Talk" and "posting" on this blog are both cheap, and even cheaper when done anonymously! Slab, MasterRouge666, VoReason, you and your opinions are cheap!
VofReason posted at 12:56 pm on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
Cheap doubtful and apparently echo many of the beliefs and voting tendency of Arizona at large. Hmmm, wonder what that says about Dale's opinion? Or this opinion-Why did we go to war in Iraq? The Bush administration told us it was to secure “weapons of mass destruction”- those weapons did not exist. Unfortunatly, Congress sent us to War in Iraq. Not President Bush. Democrates, Republicans and all who voted. Notice the silence on President Obama sending us to War in Libya without Congressional approval. Or is that different- or is that "cheap".
Slabside posted at 2:22 pm on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
@Dale, ""Talk" and "posting" on this blog are both cheap, and even cheaper when done anonymously! Slab, MasterRouge666, VoReason, you and your opinions are cheap!"
What I find amusing Dale is:
1. You whine about Masterrogue666, VofReason and myself using anonymous tags yet you never say anything to CooperG, Cerulean, and Arizona Willie for doing the same. Why? Because they share the same viewpoints as yourself. You're such a hypocrite.
2. Your posts are cheap as you are the most racist poster at EVT. Remember this gem?
"Dale Whiting posted at 7:36 am on Mon, Sep 5, 2011.
We Whites do have own support groups. Ever heard of the KKK? And when was the last time you saw a picture of a Tea Party ralley with a minority pictured in it?"
Dale, you are the last one to be casting stones there buddy. Worry about the cheapness and hypocritical nature of your own posts.
Masterrogue666 posted at 2:28 pm on Tue, Mar 27, 2012.
No, "Dale", I won't spend my valuable time proving you wrong AGAIN! I've also asked KJ several times. Neither of you answered, but the questions are there. It's enough that I know I've asked . However, I'll give you this morsel, the FIRST TIME I ASKED was in the same article where meeting at Jack In The Box was discussed, and YOUR REQUEST for decorum was discussed. You want proof, YOU DIG IT UP THIS TIME. THE PROOF IS THERE!
"Dale", you've shown me time and again that in YOUR OPINION, you are always right, and everyone else is wrong. YOUR OWN ENTRY ABOVE HELPS PROVE WHAT I STATED IS ACCURATE!! LOL!!
Posted at 6:58 am on Tue, Mar 27, 2012:
("Talk" and "posting" on this blog are both cheap, and even cheaper when done anonymously! Slab, MasterRouge666, VoReason, you and your opinions are cheap!)
Your use of word "anonymously" alone proofs my statement. Then calling all of us "cheap" as well continues to prove you will not follow rules of decorum that YOU ASKED FOR TO BEGIN WITH!
Then you mentioned that you share your life experiences so others will understand you. Yet, when I did the say, you said it had no relevance. You seem content to remain blind to those shortcomings you CLAIM are others, but refuse to see them in yourself.
"Dale", you see to be a well read person. However, your lack of logic and social skills places such a disadvantage on you that I can't help but shake my head in disbelief, and laugh at most of your OPINIONS that you regard as fact.
You have my answer.
Masterrogue666 posted at 1:19 pm on Wed, Mar 28, 2012.
Gee, one of my comments was removed. I wonder WHOM complained about it.
It referred to Slabside's comments posted at 2:22 pm on Tue, Mar 27, 2012
Basically, I completely agree with both of Slab's points. Further, I REMEMBER the article Slab referred to in item #2. I actually provided about three links that had pictures and comments from members of the Tea Party that happened to be considered a "minority" by some.
Now, what did I write that was so bad it needed to be removed?
Rodini posted at 1:29 pm on Wed, Mar 28, 2012.
Oh the joy of being criticized by another tax cutting Republican trying to bolster the GOP's tax cuts for the rich "claim to fame."
At least the writer was honest enough to admit there was "some truth to the charge."
In like manner, I'll admit to forgetting to stress I was mostly referring to the uselessness of tax cuts for the wealthy, not all tax cuts in general.
But on the other hand, the same achievement, an increase in economic expansion and investment, could be accomplished with a steady increase in middle class wages rather than tax cuts.
Recent reports have pointed out clearly that since Reaganomics, the incomes of those at the top have risen by 275%, while the majority of American workers have watched their incomes basically stagnate with miniscule gains of from 20-50% over a 30 year period.
The net result of 20 years of GOP tax cutting has produced billionaires and mega-corporations sitting on trillions of dollars of capital and yet the majority of their investment has been in overseas manufacturing facilities and the shuttering of American factories!
As further proof of my point, let's look back to the period between 1950 and 1980, when the top individual tax rates ranged from 70-91% and both millionaires and corporations easily paid "twice" what they are now paying the IRS.
Average GDP growth was actually "higher" during this period than it was from the 1980's through 2008 despite GOP tax cuts and massive deficit spending!
How is this possible conservatives?
Masterrogue666 posted at 8:17 pm on Wed, Mar 28, 2012.
Did "sharing the wealth" work for the "USSR"? NOPE!
Rodini posted at 4:13 pm on Thu, Mar 29, 2012.
But it HAS...for most of Europe and Canada.
Rational Human posted at 9:28 pm on Thu, Mar 29, 2012.
Europe is about to go under and we're next on the liberal agenda. The only places that are prospering are Asian and India where liberalism is shot on site.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:50 pm on Fri, Mar 30, 2012.
Really, Rodini? My British and Canadian friends tell me "horror stories" about how things are there. Whom shall I believe? Not a hard choice....