Off Topic: The Issues and Politics Now

I cannot tell you how many conversations we have had with friends and neighbors about the candidates for President. There have been so many. Never before have I been so involved and interested in politics. Maybe it is because I have children now, and I want so much to make sure that my vote counts in November for their sake as well as ours.

Below is a chart that a friend of mine sent to me via email that compares Obama and McCain on key issues in this election. It says that you can verify this information on the following websites. It is interesting reading for those of us that need a little special help with seeing the whole picture when looking at these candidates....

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.htmlhttp://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.htmlhttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS
AND ISSUES

JOHN McCAIN AND BARAK OBAMA

Favors new drilling offshore US
McCain Yes
Obama No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
McCain Yes
Obama No
Served in the US Armed Forces
McCain Yes
Obama No
Amount of time served in the US Senate
McCain 22 YEARS
Obama 173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan
McCain No
Obama Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
McCain No
Obama Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
McCain No
Obama Yes
Supports gun ownership rights
McCain Yes
Obama No
Supports homosexual marriage
McCain No
Obama Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
McCain No
Obama Yes
Voted against making English the official language
McCain No
Obama Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
McCain No
Obama Yes
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500

Single making 50K - tax $12,500

Single making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 60K- tax $9,000

Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800

Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

There is a chart made by another friend above. Click on the chart to make it larger and easier to read.

Also, I found these websites comparing the candidates on key issues:

http://2008election.procon.org/

http://www.grist.org/candidate_chart_08.html

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008/games/candidates_stand/issues.htm