February 13, 2012 Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away Danielle Kurtzleben: The Peace Process is over. Finally Susan Johnston: The Myth of Economic Inequality Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Farro Salad: An ancient grain is now new again as the base of a tasty tangle of flavorsome vegetables, chickpeas and salami February 10, 2012 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The biblical case against small-mindedness involved diminishing His precious prophet Caroline B. Glick: The Peace Process is over. Finally Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage Rachel Koning Beals: Gen X Women Continue to Shrink Gender Investing Gap The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Who Says You Can't Make Restaurant Favorites at Home?: MANGO AND STICKY RICE February 9, 2012 Jeff Strickler: An argument a day keeps the divorce away, they say Clifford D. May: CAIR's Crusade against The Third Jihad Melissa Healy: Study finds jolt to the brain boosts memory Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Winter Squash and Red Swiss Chard Risotto is Colorful Cozy Cold Weather Fare (includes detailed dos and don'ts) February 8, 2012 Rivy Poupko Kletenik: Tree hostility: The auspicious history of the evolution of Tu B'Shevat Steven Emerson: Planting Trees is Racist?! Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups Anne Applebaum: Russia's Potemkin democracy Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets) February 7, 2012 Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons: Obama not worried that birth-control move will hurt his re-election chances with Catholics, other faithful Caroline B. Glick: Obama's rhetorical storm Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design David Francis: How to Avoid an IRS Audit The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: These homemade energy bars (3 recipes) are far better workout fuel than commercial ones, packing power and taste February 6, 2012 Scott Peterson: Iran's top ayatollah: We're trumping the West Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland' Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good Philip Moeller: Where Smart Investors Put Their Money Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard? The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: Vegetable Frittata --- leftovers never tasted so scrumptious February 3, 2012 Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein: Living with ideals --- in reality Caroline B. Glick: Fool me twice Jonathan Tobin : Adelsonphobia Strikes in Nevada Caucus Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US Kimberly Palmer : 8 Ways to Get Ready for Retirement Now Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: A quick cookie recipe: Hazelnut and Olive Oil Shortbread: Sweet, Nutty, and Savory February 2, 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt : Welcome Home, Governor Perry Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran Kelsey Sheehy : 5 Tips for Choosing an M.B.A. Concentration Rachel Koning Beals : Investors Increasingly Tap Social Media for Stock Tips Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Savory vegetable pie is a taste of European bistro with minimal effort and maximal flavor February 1, 2012 Nara Schoenberg: What to do when you've been dissed Michelle Malkin: First, They Came for the Catholics Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran Lisa M. 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Jewish World Review August 15, 2005 /10 Av, 5765 AMT repeal would hurt red states By Peter A. Brown http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Those of us who live in what the politicians in Washington, D.C., call the red states ought to think twice when we hear them talk of repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax. That's because those folks want to put one over on us by repealing a levy we in the red states pay less frequently, with the likelihood of replacing it with one that would cost us more. This bizarre reality stems from the AMT being the only tax that discriminates based on geography among those with similar incomes. There's also a political twist. Republicans generally want to cut taxes, while Democrats are more skeptical because they want more government spending. But on this one, the situation is much more complex because of how the tax falls. Every state that voted for President Bush in 2004 would be net losers if the AMT is repealed and another sales or income-based tax were created to capture that revenue. Those in most states that voted for John Kerry would be net gainers. That's why when you hear the politicians in D.C. talking about making the tax system more fair, make sure you ask them: Fairer for whom? Think of the AMT as an alternative, and higher, federal income tax. It has different rules for deductions and credits than the one most of us live under. The deduction for a state income tax makes the most difference in creating this geographically uneven playing field. Those who pay the AMT can't write off state income or sales taxes, as other filers can. In addition, there are a series of other deductions and exemptions — disproportionately enjoyed by those who live in the blue states — that are available to most taxpayers that do not count for those paying the AMT. States that voted for Bush are much less likely to be hit by the levy because those are the same states where the politicians in power (mostly Republican) have created a system of either minimal or no income taxes. In addition, those states, because of living costs, tend to have lower salaries for jobs that pay more elsewhere. A commission appointed by Bush to recommend changes in the federal tax system wants to eliminate the AMT. It has not suggested how to replace the $1.2 trillion it is projected to bring the U.S. Treasury during the next decade. But given a federal deficit of more than $300 billion and forecasts that it could grow in the "out" years, it seems highly likely another levy would need to be put in the AMT's place. The AMT was passed by a Democratic Congress in 1969 to deal with public unhappiness that 155 people with incomes of $200,000 — about $1.2 million in today's dollars — paid no federal income taxes. The Democrats figured it would hurt only rich people, who they assumed were synonymous with Republicans. But they forgot about inflation, and did not foresee the emergence of tax-averse Sun Belt and Rocky Mountain regions where citizens would pay much lower state taxes than in the then-thriving and populous Northeast and Midwest. In the interim, the AMT has grown out of control and has become a parallel tax system that has been hitting about 2.4 million members of the upper-middle class, especially in what are now Democratic states. However, unless Congress extends its 2001 temporary fix, the AMT is projected to nail 20 million taxpayers next year, possibly 75 percent of those with incomes of $100,000 to $200,000 but with a geographically tilted distribution. Because of the way the tax works, those in the remaining Democratic bastions are much more likely to pay it. In fact, based on 2003 IRS figures, every state that voted for Bush had a lower percentage of residents paying the AMT than the national average of 1.8 percent. New Jersey, for instance, had 4.3 percent of its taxpayers paying the higher AMT, while Florida had less than a quarter of that share. In New York, 4.1 percent paid the AMT, compared to .07 percent in Texas. That's because taxpayers with high incomes in states such as Florida have no income taxes to deduct. That means a Floridian or Texan who earns $300,000 — or, for that matter, $10 million — pays no state levy on that money. Their counterparts in California or New Jersey pay about $27,000 in state income taxes. Under the regular tax system, those in states such as California and New Jersey can deduct that amount when they file with the IRS, and therefore have their taxes reduced proportionately. But that deduction is not available to those who are caught by the AMT. This issue boils down to the philosophical question of whether the relatively wealthy who choose to live where fiscal discipline is more a part of the political culture should subsidize their counterparts in states where it is not. Seen that way, the AMT doesn't seem all that bad. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Peter A. Brown is an editorial page columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Comment by clicking here. Archives © 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services

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