Mickelson To Discuss 'Drastic Changes' Over Taxes

CalDef - So I was right you don't look at your tax returns. Everyone has the standard deduction and personal exemption. Plug those in for a married couple making a total of $75K and my figures are accurate. Look at the IRS tax tables. Even if their TAXABLE income (after the standard deduction and exemptions) were $75K they would only pay $10,800 in federal tax.
Questions Everywhere - I am sure Mickelson has MANY deductions but my point was that the example amounts given by CalDef was WAY off. Also at his level of income Mickelson will be limited by the AMT.

February 2, 2013 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mickelson To Discuss 'Drastic Changes' Over Taxes

CalDef, it is obvious you have either never paid taxes or never looked at your tax return. With your example of a married couple earning a total of $75K with a $300K home "mortgaged to the hilt" there is NO WAY they are paying $21K to the fed and $6K to CA. You got SS/Medicare/Property tax right but the primary income taxes are ridiculously incorrect. I also sincerely doubt that a family making $75K spends $20K in taxable purchases, more likely most of their income is going to that mortgage payment and food (no sales tax).

$75,000 Married filing jointly (with no children) would pay at most $7,500 in federal and $2,000 in CA income tax. Assuming they have the "average" 1.9 children it drops to $6,300 federal and $1,900 CA. This is an ACTUAL tax rate of 10% federal and 2.67% CA adding the 7.65% SS/Medicare and 1.125% property tax for a total of 21.445%. With 1.9 children 8.4% federal and 2.5% CA adding the same SS/Medicare/Property it is 19.675%.

So that means not including sales tax your married couple are paying a total of $16K or $14.8K. Allowing a more likely $10K in purchases add about $800 in sales tax. Per your other posts still high but I couldn't let it just lay there that your average family was paying your inaccurate tax amounts. To have to pay $21K to the fed for income tax a married couple filing jointly would have to have $135K in combined income or $143K with those 1.9 kids. BTW none of these figures allow for any of those deductions such as mortgage/charity/child/education or all of the myriad others.

January 25, 2013 at 10:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Brown's Budget: Calif. Rebounding With Tax Hikes

How much does Governer Brown's budget reduce the debt of the billions and billions in proposition costs? As I understand it, it barely covers the minimum required payments. That is like paying only the minimum on your personal credit card. Read your statement. If that is all you do it will take decades to pay off your debt and thousands in additional cost. This is not a balanced budget this is a copout.

Keep this in mind when you are told that a proposition will not increase your taxes. Of course not, they are never paid off, just the required minimum interest is paid in Brown's budget.

January 11, 2013 at 1:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

USD Cancels Visit Over Academic's Same-Sex Marriage Support

As a CATHOLIC University USD is REQUIRED to follow established church doctrine. If you choose to attend a CATHOLIC learning institution you already know this, read the USD mission and vision statements. It should not be a surprise that opinions contrary to current church teaching are inappropriate and not allowed. If you choose to attend USD and are NOT Catholic I would presume the reason to be you believe it is a great school, after all it isn't cheap. That doesn't mean you get to try and change their policy.
As a Catholic, I have a much harder time understanding how other supposed Catholic institutions such as Georgetown and Notre Dame can have speakers who are prominently anti-Catholic.

November 11, 2012 at 1:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mom Of Slain Former SEAL Killed In Libya Lashes Out At Romney (Video)

Well I was planning on commenting on this story but from all of the other comments apparently we aren't talking about that.

If we were talking about the actual story my comment would be that I don't see where Doherty's mother says it is a lie that her son met Mitt Romney or that Romney spoke about normal life things such as skiing and military service with her son, just that she doesn't like Romney talking about him. I am sorry for her loss but I am pretty sure she doesn't mind other people talking about her son, just Romney.

October 12, 2012 at 12:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Fewer Californians Like High Speed Rail or New Pension Law

Derek are you comparing apples to apples? Is your quoted $158 billion on airports and freeways supporting the same destinations as the HSR? Personally I do not have the need to get from LA to SF quickly on a regular basis and although the idea of getting to Vegas quickly is appealing I don't think the taxpayers should be footing the bill. I am wondering what your $158 billion is based on?

September 17, 2012 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hunter Announces Bill Punishing States That Give Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants

Your Social Security card is specified as a NON-ID card. In many states the driver's license is used as the government issued photo ID required for many, many things these days. However, if they are given to individuals who are not legal residents then the drivers license will not/cannot be used and EVERYONE will need to get a separate government issued photo ID that is not the driver's license. Check with Arizona.

That said, the license for these individuals can be made distinct from the current license to ensure it is used only for driving. Underage licenses are distinct, these can be too.

September 7, 2012 at 2:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Four Camp Pendleton Marines Accused Of Beating Gay Man (Video)

Re-read Gchristian's comment, Len. He stated the previous post had nothing to do with THIS story and then his comment of "they will get burnt by they system" meant if guilty they will be punished. and ended with "It will come down to context, situation and intent."

The facts will be adjudicated in a court of law not on a comment board.Seems YOUR bias is showing.

September 7, 2012 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Downtown's Shade Trees May Be Replaced With Palms

I have to agree with the majority. This is a waste of money and totally inappropriate as palms are not native, not pretty, not pedestrian friendly, not fiscally sound, not in any way a good idea. Maybe the Centre City Development Corp. and SANDAG should get the opinion of some local urban landscape experts first and maybe get some submissions?

April 14, 2012 at 2:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Teen Driver Arrested In Fatal Racing Crash

The "accident" happened at 11:46pm on a weeknight with under 18 year olds. Why were these kids out this late? Why were they driving other under 18 year olds? This was obviously a case of teenagers believing they are invincible and parents not enforcing the law of who their children are allowed to transport late at night.
Based on previous years this is only the beginning of the spring break to end of school year teen driving "accident" season. It is up to all parents and students and ANYONE who sees the breaking of these needed laws to speak up and let someone know when this is happening.

April 14, 2012 at 2:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )