US Taxes

[Xantar]

Originally Posted by Not Professor X

I was under the impression that inflation had remained pretty much static over the last few years. At least that is what the economist said I was watching on CNN. He was talking about how the new gas prices were finally causing an increase in inflation.

I'm not sure what you're asking here. If inflation has remained static (and I wouldn't really know), that means that the price of everything still goes up. And anyway, I calculated all my inflation using the calculator on the website of the people who calculate the CPI. I just entered a number for 1993 and it gave me what that amount is worth in 2005. Seeing as it's the CPI that determines the official rate of inflation, I'm pretty sure it's accurate.

So if inflation has remained static, why have revenues gone up?

Ok, I'll go over this just one more time.

Gross revenues according to your spreadsheet:

2002 - 2,016,627,269,000
2003 - 1,952,929,045,000
2004 - 2,018,502,103,000

There is no increase in revenues there. I don't even have to do any calculations. Just look at the numbers. And you will note that before 2002, gross collected taxes always increased by a hundred trillion dollars.

And now per capita:

2002 - 6,977.92
2003 - 6,691.47
2004 - 6,848.87

6,848.87 is smaller than 6,977.92. Even without taking inflation into account, any fourth grader can see that your claim that "Revenue and and taxes collected per capita have GONE UP under Bush" is clearly false. I don't know how much more clearly I can say it.

I'm not trying to attack your political viewpoint or your stance on tax policy. It's just that the facts you're using to make your case are unequivocally wrong. I can only hope that you're actually reading this post instead of just skimming through it and getting the general gist.