What if Americans had to confront the tax issue in their daily lives instead of basically once a year?  Yeah, we see it in our paychecks occasionally and bitch.  However, most of us don’t comprehend the impact of taxes on a regular basis.  We especially don’t understand how the tiered progressive system works that we live under.  Personally, I have direct deposit and unless I go look at the paperwork, I just see the final tally. 

Imagine going to the grocery store, or any store for that matter, and having to confront this each time.  Let’s put a plan similar to Obama’s in to play on the usage side, and let’s call it the Barack Usage-Side Tax Equalized Disbursement Plan (BUSTED) Plan. 

In this new BUSTED world, each American would be issued a passport-like document that has his/her family’s Adjusted Gross Income Total After Tax Equalizer, or AGITATE, number.  The AGITATE number would be a multiplier that would take into account a family’s income, number of children, college tuition (if applicable), child care credit (if applicable), mortgage interest credit, a savings credit if they make savings deposits, and credit for purchasing a “clean car” if they did so in the previous year.  That number would be a multiplier any where from -1 to +5.  That multiplier changes throughout the year as the credits are used up.

So, say Joe and Jane Six-Pack head to the local Wal-Mart to make their weekly purchases in January.  They have two kids, one in college, a mortgage, and they make about $60,000 together.  Their multipler is 1.15.  After picking up all their groceries, they head to the line.  Their purchases ring up to $75 total.  Now, the Wal-Mart associate applies their multiplier, and they have to pay $86.25 on top of any local and state taxes. 

Behind them in line is Blaine and Buffy Carrington.  They have no kids, a big mortgage, and they make $225,000 together in their business (which employs five people by the way).  Luckily, they bought a brand new Free-us, which lowers their multiplier slightly to 2.25.  They have to pay $168.75 for the EXACT same groceries.  They have to pay more so they can help level the playing field and subsidize a family like Lee and Lila Lester, who are right behind them in line.

Lee and Lila have three kids, two of which are in day care.  They both earn minimum wage, which brings their income to about $27,000.  They rent so they have no mortgage, and they manage to save a little bit each month.  Their multiplier is -0.75 — yes NEGATIVE 0.75.  After the clerk rings up the EXACT same $75 worth of groceries, she hands them $56.25 out of her till. (To be fair, later in the year, after all their credits are used up, they will just get the groceries for free instead of getting money back.)

How would you feel if you were confronted with this on a WEEKLY basis?  You’d look at the BUSTED plan a lot differently, wouldn’t you?  You’d compare your AGITATE number against the next person.  You’d see some people paying a huge amount of money while others are GETTING PAID.  And if you have that lower AGITATE number, there’s little motivation to move up and out of that situation.  And if you have a higher AGITATE number, you’d have more motivation to make it smaller than bigger, especially when you see the extra is just being GIVEN to the next person in line.

Let’s look at next year’s numbers.  The Six-Packs have no significant changes, so their AGITATE number stays at 1.15.  The Carringtons’ business is doing very well, and they now make about $275,000.  However, they lost their car credit this year, and since business is up, they moved into the higher AGITATE bracket, which tacks on 0.5 extra no matter what the number.  Their AGITATE number moves to 3.45, which makes their $275,000 income look like a lot less.  In order to make up the slack, they either have to slow down business or lay off one of their employees.  The Lesters welcomed another bundle of joy last year.  They now have four children.  One did move to school, so they still only have two in day care.  Their number moves to -0.8, which means they will be paid more by the cashier.

THAT’S REALLY HOW IT WORKS!  We just don’t see it because it happens once a year.  Obama’s tax cuts are actually WELFARE payments, just like the Lee and Lila scenario above.  And the Carringtons could be this guy who confronted Obama about his tax plan.

Don’t think so?  Think again.  We’re all going to be BUSTED under Obama’s plan.

I’ve about had it with this whole thing.  In the past week alone (ed: originally posted 10/7), here’s a list of what has made us all racists.  This doesn’t include all of the things that came up during the primaries about Obama’s wife and pastor for which we were called racist when we pointed them out (Patterico has a list of those here).

Call out the Democrats for encouraging loans to people who can’t afford them. You’re racist.
Call out Obama for the people he chooses to hang out with. You’re racist.
Call out a debate moderator for her book about one of the Presidential candidates. You’re racist.
Call out Obama’s campaign for accepting donations without checking citizenship. You’re racist.

But you know who is the only person in this campaign who has actually made a racist statement during this election?

And he fucking got away with it!  In fact, we were called racist when we played the clip!

“Words matter.”

And just to show how “racist” I am, here’s a great video showing Obama’s associations.

Update: Here’s another one to add to the list. 
Use the terms ”hockey mom” or ”Joe six pack.”  Yep, you’re racist. 

You know what?  Keep it up.  White, blue-collar, Regan Democrats are the ones still on the fence that Obama needs to win over.  If criticism of him is going to lead to this every time, they won’t want to be called racist for the next four years.

Update II: Are you now scaring us with race riots?  Seriously?  Like I said, keep it up.

Update III: Link Obama to one of his own economic advisors.  You’re racist.
Discuss a rumor that Obama is not a Christian. You’re a racist trying to hide your racism by proxy of religion.

That’s eight — EIGHT — calls of racism this past week.

Update IV: Will it ever end?  Call John McCain an “American President Americans have been waiting for.” Yep, racist again.  This quiz is getting very predictable.

Update V: Here’s one from the debate I forgot. Be flippant and call Obama “that one.” Of course – racist.

Then, there’s a new one from a man who John McCain called one of the people he admired during the Saddleback forum – John Lewis.  He flat out compared John McCain to George Wallace.  He says McCain is creating an “atmosphere of hate,” and practically warns that it will lead to violence agianst African-Americans, like Wallace’s comment lead to the bombing of a church and the death of four little girls.

Update VI: The hits just keep on coming!  At least this one has a new twist. 
Stand up as an African-American and support John McCain and BEG him to continue his exposure of Obama’s associations despite the cries of racism.  You’re a race TRAITOR.  Allah makes a very astute observation on the irony of the situation at the link.

FNC read an excerpt of a new McCain stump speech today.  I found what they quoted in the “urgent queue.” I’m not sure how the pages work there, so I’m not going to link it for fear it might disappear on you.  I’ll just quote what they have (emphasis mine).

Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 22 days to go. Were 6 points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, weve got them just where we want them.

What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but Ive (sic) never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.

THAT might be a good speech.  He FINALLY links an Obama white house with Pelosi and Reid being in power in Congress.  He also brings up card check.  I’m getting the Matthews tingle here!

Additional thought: McCain can bring up the experience issue and play on the horrible favorability numbers for Congress by asking who will REALLY be in charge in DC with Obama / Pelosi / Reid in charge.  Has Obama ever stood up to either of them?  Pelosi and Reid REALLY know how DC is run and can walk all over an inexperienced Obama.

Update: Hot Air has the video here along with a juicy tibit!