You really have to wonder what Marco Rubio could accomplish if his political party allowed him to publicly acknowledge reality. Once again, as he did in the immigration debate, Rubio is nudging the party toward an obvious solution on poverty relief that it is not yet ready to accept.
In a tax plan assembled with the help of Sen. Lee from Utah, Rubio is proposing the beginnings of a basic income. His proposal would expand the earned income tax credit to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families. The plan would retain a very minimal work requirement and the amount obviously isn’t enough to stave off poverty, but in other respects it is similar to Milton Friedman’s plan that Nixon tried to introduce 50 years ago.
The rest of Rubio’s tax plan retains the entire panoply of far right fiscal delusions, from ending capital gains and dividend taxes to upper income tax cuts. It retains America’s most popular welfare program for the affluent, the mortgage interest deduction. And of course, like virtually every Republican budget proposal ever drafted, it dramatically increases our annual deficits.
Still, even one nugget of partial sanity is worthy of some celebration in this climate.
Chris Ladd is a Texan living in the Chicago area. He has been involved in grassroots Republican politics for most of his life. He was a Republican precinct committeeman in suburban Chicago until he resigned from the party and his position after the 2016 Republican Convention. He can be reached at gopliferchicago at gmail dot com.
GOPLifer 
Sounds like a pretty good idea coming from Sen. Rubio. The due diligence requirements should be hellacious given the level of fraud with the current EIC.
I’m hoping for a “Hold” type of election this time around. We can’t give the Liberals so much to work with like we’ve been doing lately. This does not mean jettison the base, but I suppose we’re due for a GOP version of the Sister Souljah moment the P Clinton had in 1992.
I suppose I’ll have to call over to the HCRP and get on the list for Precinct Judges. As much as the party seems to be catering to crazy, those crazies also happen to be my friends and co-workers.
Tolerance is not tacit complicity.
So, BW, if those crazies are your co-workers (I’ll leave aside the friendship), who will you be monitoring? Them or the voters?
Who is the Republican base, in your opinion, BW? And why would it not only be a good thing for the Republican Party to get their butts whipped but deserved given their absurd performance these past 6+ years? Marco Rubio may have a few good ideas but he isn’t strong enough to champion them in this political environment. Look at how Jeb backtracked on the IN religious freedom legislation. The GOP holds its finger to the wind and doesn’t seem to know which way it’s blowing. Flip flopping is damaging on core issues as well it should be.
Facetious crazy funny friends. I live in Zone E 54 Quadrant 3. A very different reality, I’m afraid than yours.
It’s a bit rough and tumble out here with the kids all galavanting about on the lawn. They sound so chirpy and cheery.
I can see no need to interfere. Laissez Faire!.
So glad you told me exactly where you live…..zone….quadrant…wherever this is, sounds like you’re enjoying it so that’s great!
OT, BW & RobA, but I think you’ll find this a provocative read.
http://www.salon.com/2015/04/05/youre_praying_to_the_wrong_god_what_organized_religion_gets_wrong_about_prayer/
Fascinating and thought provoking 1mime.
Ive read it twice.
Kansas is getting bad.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/04/03/3642787/kansas-schools-close-early-due-to-money-drought/
Is the state in revolt? do they still think this guys policies are anything but a disaster? Or would they vote him to a third term today if given the chance?
“Or would they vote him to a third term today if given the chance?”
Is there an “R” next to his name?
But seriously you do have to wonder how long Kansas voters will keep doing the political equivalent of putting their fingers on a hot stove.
I feel sorry for the kids. An education is the ticket out of a life of hard scrabble and these kids are being denied that opportunity.
Like Texas, it’s in the Kansas State constitution that the state provide public education. I’m discussing this on another forum too, and that prompted me to look at the Gubernatorial election results. Brownback squeaked by with 50%. So I feel sympathy for half of Kansas, and a bit of schadenfreude for these who voted to be screwed over.
Kansas bans poor people from using their welfare on cruise ships. LMAO…..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/04/kansas-welfare_n_7001116.html
The cruise ship bit was absurd political histrionics, but the rest of the law is not a laughing matter. The cash assistance to Kansas’s needy is delivered via debit cards and this law prevents recipients from taking out more than $25 in cash per day. Oh, and there is a $0.85 fee for every debit after the first one per month. How sick do you have to be to propose a law that screws the poor to that degree?
They love to punish poor people.
That’s going to be a major hit on Kansas’ cruise ship industry.
Sure, I will go along with the tax cuts if military spending is reduced by the same amount as those cuts.
Also, a war tax that goes into effect the very second a decision is made to invade. And all members of congress must volunteer for some type of military duty.
In a just world that would be the norm.
Amen, Bobo. And the whole country needs to go on a war footing. I hear complaints about the disconnect between most Americans and the military people who bear the brunt of such decisions (and their friends and family who also make sacrifices). Well duh, when you had a President telling people to keep shopping, visiting Disneyworld, and living life as if there were no war going on. That and cutting taxes at that time are among the dumbest things the Bush Jr Admin did.
Bring back the draft and see how fast they back petal.
You’re right, ROR. That might connect them to reality.
YESSSSSSSs! Make those who want others to play their wars, strap on a Kevlar vest and boogie out to the minefields – no desk jobs. I like it, Bobo!
FLY – That and cutting taxes at that time are among the dumbest things the Bush Jr Admin did.
The only thing dumber was giving these SOBs a second term.