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Obama’s Global Tax Proposal Up for Senate Vote

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Revmitchell, Feb 14, 2008.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    A nice-sounding bill called the "Global Poverty Act," sponsored by Democratic presidential candidate and Senator Barack Obama, is up for a Senate vote on Thursday and could result in the imposition of a global tax on the United States. The bill, which has the support of many liberal religious groups, makes levels of U.S. foreign aid spending subservient to the dictates of the United Nations.

    http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-global-tax-proposal-up-for-senate-vote/


    So much for being a strict constructionist. It appears the libertarians are willing to sell their soul in order to take a stand on the war in Iraq.
     
    #1 Revmitchell, Feb 14, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 14, 2008
  2. Dagwood

    Dagwood New Member

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    This sounds like a good bill to me, and since it being supported by Sen. Joe Biden, I hope it is passed.
     
  3. Palatka51

    Palatka51 New Member

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    You've got to be kidding me. If anyone in these United States wants to give up their freedom this is the sure path to slavery. I for one do not want a paganistic organization such as the UN looking into my Christian life by extracting a income tax to fund their whims.
     
  4. windcatcher

    windcatcher New Member

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    an excerpt from the article:
    Anti-American!
     
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Un-constitutional! It was suggested that Obama is a strict constructionist. :BangHead:
     
  6. windcatcher

    windcatcher New Member

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    They are all traitors. If they don't uphold our Constitution and the sovereignty of our country..... they are socialist-communist and anti-American.
     
  7. Rubato 1

    Rubato 1 New Member

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    Correction: Should read 'our souls.' Gov't legislation to abolish poverty is foolish. Let him control poverty in his good 'ol town of Chicago first...
     
  8. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Here is the operational part of the actual bill. The whole bill is too large to post but you can find it at www.senate.gov.

    Global Poverty Act of 2007 (Introduced in Senate)


    S 2433 IS
    110th CONGRESS
    1st Session
    S. 2433
    To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

    IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
    December 7, 2007


    Mr. OBAMA (for himself, Mr. HAGEL, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
    A BILL
    To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
    • Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
    SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    • This Act may be cited as the `Global Poverty Act of 2007'.

    SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY.

    • It is the policy of the United States to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
    SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY.

    • (a) Strategy- The President, acting through the Secretary of State, and in consultation with the heads of other appropriate departments and agencies of the United States Government, international organizations, international financial institutions, the governments of developing and developed countries, United States and international nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, and other appropriate entities, shall develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
    • (b) Content- The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables to achieve the objectives described in subsection (a).
    • (c) Components- The strategy required by subsection (a) should include the following components:
      • (1) Continued investment or involvement in existing United States initiatives related to international poverty reduction, such as the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.), the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), and trade preference programs for developing countries, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
      • (2) Improving the effectiveness of development assistance and making available additional overall United States assistance levels as appropriate.
      • (3) Enhancing and expanding debt relief as appropriate.
      • (4) Leveraging United States trade policy where possible to enhance economic development prospects for developing countries.
      • (5) Coordinating efforts and working in cooperation with developed and developing countries, international organizations, and international financial institutions.
      • (6) Mobilizing and leveraging the participation of businesses, United States and international nongovernmental organizations, civil society, and public-private partnerships.
      • (7) Coordinating the goal of poverty reduction with other development goals, such as combating the spread of preventable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, increasing access to potable water and basic sanitation, reducing hunger and malnutrition, and improving access to and quality of education at all levels regardless of gender.
      • (8) Integrating principles of sustainable development and entrepreneurship into policies and programs.
    • (d) Reports-
      • (1) INITIAL REPORT-
        • (A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the strategy required under subsection (a).
        • (B) CONTENT- The report required under subparagraph (A) shall include the following elements:
          • (i) A description of the strategy required under subsection (a).
          • (ii) An evaluation, to the extent possible, both proportionate and absolute, of the contributions provided by the United States and other national and international actors in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
          • (iii) An assessment of the overall progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
      • (2) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS- Not later than December 31, 2012, and December 31, 2015, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees reports on the status of the implementation of the strategy, progress made in achieving the global poverty reduction objectives described in subsection (a), and any changes to the strategy since the date of the submission of the last report.
    SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    • In this Act:
      • (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES- The term `appropriate congressional committees' means--
        • (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
        • (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
      • (2) EXTREME GLOBAL POVERTY- The term `extreme global poverty' refers to the conditions in which individuals live on less than $1 per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity in 1993 United States dollars, according to World Bank statistics.
      • (3) GLOBAL POVERTY- The term `global poverty' refers to the conditions in which individuals live on less than $2 per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity in 1993 United States dollars, according to World Bank statistics.
      • (4) MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS- The term `Millennium Development Goals' means the goals set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, General Assembly Resolution 55/2 (2000).
     
  9. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I see nothing in the bill about .7% spending of GDP.
     
  10. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    At least as much so as is John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
     
  11. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Birds of a feather....
     
  12. Dagwood

    Dagwood New Member

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    ...sit in trees with other birds.
     
  13. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    Let them have their thirty pieces of silver for now...they'll choke on it later when it sinks in how they've helped to betray their own nation and countrymen. BTW we aren't even at war with Iraq. War was never declared on Iraq or Afghanistan. We're a nation of nation builders now. Unconstitutional and totally un american. For people who think of themselves as Americans to gleefully accept these kinds of tyranical usurpations just goes to show how far down the global sewer we've gone already.
     
    #13 poncho, Feb 15, 2008
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  14. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Since I believe that the United States is a sovereign nation, I oppose the bill.
     
  15. Gold Dragon

    Gold Dragon Well-Known Member

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    From what KenH posted, the bill sounds like it requires the next POTUS, whoever that may be, to develop a strategy to reduce global poverty. The steps to do this seem to be general statements about continuing and improving upon what the US gov is already doing.

    1. There does not appear to be any mention of a tax
    2. There does not appear to be any mention of specific numbers
    3. Aside from working in consultation with global leaders and organisations, there does not appear to be any involvement of those outside of the US and no challenge to the national sovereignty of the US.

    I'm not sure what impact a bill like this would actually have on US policy making regarding global poverty, if any. But I like the general thrust that says that the POTUS should care about global poverty and not just national poverty. Canada should have a similar bill.

    I see several reasons why first world governments should be concerned about global poverty.

    1. It is right to care for our fellow man who is suffering. It is part of loving our neighbour.
    2. Poverty leads to disease and with global travel, disease in poverty stricken countries impact people in first world nations
    3. Poverty leads to war and gives terrorist groups more candidates to carry out their warped agendas.
    4. Our first world lifestyles owe a lot to communities in poverty stricken nations like those who have lost homes so that land could be farmed and we can have our 0.50/lb bananas. Or the factory workers that work 24/7 so that we can have our $10 shirts. Or the communites with contaminated water supplies because polluting companies that can't operate in first world nations move to nations with lax laws that need their money.


    I'm glad Obama is making this an issue and if he becomes POTUS, I look forward to seeing how he approaches this responsiblity he is trying to give to himself.
     
    #15 Gold Dragon, Feb 16, 2008
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  16. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    We do not have a respnsibility to do more than we are currently doing for several reasons:



    1.We give more foriegn aid than any other country
    2.We are in debt that needs to be addressed first
    3.Americans do not actually have it to give. Many Americans are living off of credit rather than fluid assets.
    4. Americans give a great deal more than is recorded in public documents:

    "The scope of U.S. private giving often is overlooked in statistics that compare the relative generosity of various countries, the authors of the report say. Most of the other developed countries deliver their international aid primarily through official development aid programs run and financed by government agencies.

    U.S. official development assistance (ODA) in 2005 was $28 billion, the largest of all official donations by an individual country. But, according to the often-quoted measure used by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which compares government aid as a percentage of a country’s gross national income (GNI), U.S. government aid is only 0.22 percent of GNI, which ranks the United States as the 20th of the 22 listed donor states.....

    ......Most data on development aid also neglect those forms of foreign help that do not fall within the traditional notion of “aid programs,” such as foreign scholarships offered by U.S. universities, research and development that benefit the poor, special lending and insurance programs, and direct investment, say the authors of the report.
    In 2005, loans and investment by U.S. companies to the developing world totaled $69.2 billion, according to the index. "


    http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/May/20070524165115zjsredna0.2997553.html
     
    #16 Revmitchell, Feb 16, 2008
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  17. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    So the OP is yet another lie...scare tactics about a supposed tax that is not even in the bill. Typical.
     
  18. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    And this bill, without dramatic restructuring that would make it virtually unrecognizable from its present form, could not be enacted as law without substantial taxation. Typical.
     
  19. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    No scare tactic... no lie was told:



    What caught my eye more than a possible tax was:

     
  20. Magnetic Poles

    Magnetic Poles New Member

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    Sure it's a lie. The language you cite is commentary, not in the bill.
     
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