Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sez

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Notable statements, indeed....

New York freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cited cases of ringworm in places like Alabama as an example of the lack of access to healthcare, in an apparent attempt to reference earlier reports of the more serious hookworm in the Southern state.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., spoke out on Monday about the urgency to take on climate change, comparing it to World War II.

Speaking at an event commemorating Martin Luther King Day, Ocasio-Cortez expressed how the issue of climate change is a “generational” issue that younger people are more focused on.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ SLAMS AARON SORKIN FOR TELLING NEW DEMS TO 'STOP ACTING LIKE YOUNG PEOPLE'

“Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we’re like: ‘The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?'" Ocasio-Cortez said.

The Democratic Socialist said the fight against climate change is war and that it’s “our World War II.”

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In another interview, speaking with former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett on the liberal podcast “Pod Save America,” Ocasio-Cortez claimed the “upper-middle class doesn’t exist anymore.”

Ocasio-Cortez was discussing the political ideology of the country’s different socioeconomic classes when she made the claim:

I think that politically, this upper-middle class is probably more moderate, but that upper-middle class doesn’t exist anymore in America, and thanks to the continued deregulation of Wall Street, thanks to the continued gutting of working- and middle-class people, we need stronger champions.

However, both the Urban Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute have presented evidence showing the upper-middle class is actually growing.

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When asked in an interview with Jorge Ramos last week about how to pay for Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-V.T., “Medicare for All” proposal, which Ocasio-Cortez has put at the center of her campaign, Ocasio-Cortez responded, “You just pay for it.” She continued:

People often say, how are you gonna pay for it? And I find the question so puzzling because, how do you pay for something that’s more affordable? How do you pay for cheaper rent? How do you pay for—you just pay for it.

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In the same interview, Ocasio-Cortez also referred to the situation in Palestine as an “occupation” by Israel.
When Hoover asked Ocasio-Cortez to clarify her position after pointing out the term “occupation” was controversial, Ocasio-Cortez, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from Boston University, struggled to explain her comment.

“I am not the expert on geopolitics on this issue,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “You know, for me, I’m a firm believer in finding a two-state solution on this issue.”

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A system that allows billionaires to exist alongside extreme poverty is immoral

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez agrees that "a system that allows billionaires to exist" is immoral. The freshman congresswoman made those comments at an event celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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NBC news -

Poll: 3/4 Dems would consider backing Ocasio-Cortez for president — but she's not old enough
The 29-year-old New York lawmaker is a rising star in the party.

[not2big Senior Super ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close not2big]

I gather you are not a fan of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

[TheZZMan Moderator Member of the Month Sept 2018PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close TheZZMan]

I kind of liken her to my daughter who by her standards "knows a lot more than I do". Clearly someone who has not been around long enough to understand complex situations. When looked at from utopian eyes, it seems so easy for her. I also have a degree in economics, she clearly didn't understand much that was taught to her.

Bash the rich, tax them into oblivion and that will solve all problems. Just do it, worry about paying for it at a future date. Lot of ignorance exposed every time she opens her mouth. Can't understand why she was supported and won election other than a fluke and her republican opponent was a complete doofus.

[Golf1094 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Golf1094]

I enjoy the way she carries herself and presents herself to the public while being able to connect with people in a genuine way. It's one of the reasons why she is likable.

I find a good deal of what she has said before to make sense.

Her 70% marginal tax rate isn't bad when it is for someone making $10,000,000 a year. Heck, our tax system back in the 50s and 60s were around at a high point of 90% for people making $200,000 or more a year (around $1.65 million when accounting for inflation).

For example, if a well-paid doctor or lawyer sits at the current top tax bracket paying 37% in federal taxes looks and sees a person making around 20 times what they make and are being taxed at the same rate it would be absolutely fair for said doctor or lawyer to be pissed at the situation. A progressive tax rate up to 70% would be reasonable in the eyes of many Americans because it makes sense.

A large majority of Americans agree with the idea of her 70% marginal tax rate according to recent polls about her tax proposal.

pollsters from the Hill–HarrisX asked voters, “Would you favor or oppose a tax proposal that would apply a 70% rate to the 10 millionth dollar and beyond for individuals making $10 million a year or more in reportable income?” — and 59 percent said yes.

The idea was “popular in all regions of the country.” Southerners backed it by a 57-to-43 percent margin, while 56 percent of voters in rural zip codes agreed that the socialist congresswoman was onto something. Even 45 percent of self-identified Republicans approved.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

I bet you she must be good in bed.

Now for the other issue; someone who makes a good living gets mad at those making 10 times more; can anyone give me a moral argument for taking a persons money? How moral is it when I'm paying 40% tax and the guy who makes 10 times more than me should be taxed at 70% because he makes more. That's moral or greed?

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Margaret Thatcher
“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

[CrouchetyOldMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CrouchetyOldMan]

Does AOC voluntarily pay 70% of her income?
I noticed everyone that says "We should" never do themselves.
--1500 private jets to an environmental gathering
--give up your self defense while hiring their own
--pay more - though their charity entry on the 1040 is blank
--pay more - though their % of taxes has every trick in the book to keep it around 13%
+++they sure sound good though, when they say it.

[TheZZMan Moderator Member of the Month Sept 2018PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close TheZZMan]

Funny how economics work sometimes. How many times do you hear that they are going to raise taxes on "X" and it will bring in a certain amount of money. Come later to find out that the amount of tax collected is far under what was expected. A perfect example is taxes on cigarettes. In New York City a pack of cigarettes costs over $10 (a pack, not carton). They spout the benefits of reduced use of cigarettes as a win for more healthly individuals. Consumption is way down in NYC. Truth is that people now buy there smokes in Pennsylvnia, or New Jersey. I spoke with one guy who said his sister mails him cartons from Florida to his home in NYC. Point being that taxing something to a confiscatory level merely causes a change in purchasing habits.

Same goes for taxing a persons income at 70%. There are consequences and those people (who have great accountants by the way) will find ways to hide money, receive non-monetary compensation, will accept stock options in lieu of money and so forth and so on. All you do is change the way these people receive their compensation.

Looking back to the 50's and 60's is not an apples to apples comparison. Even though the top tax bracket was 90% - no one paid that. There were lots of deductions that were available that offset that number. Again, people get creative when it comes to keeping as much or their money as possible. Not to mention the ripple effect on others who support these wealthy people - carpenters doing remodels, agents selling second homes, brokers managing their portfolio, boat manufactures, exotic car dealers and probably caterers who provide lavish parties.

True story, there was a "Luxury Tax" placed on all water pleasure crafts over a certain dollar amount. The result - boat manufactures almost went out of business.

Tax the rich sounds great because it doesn't effect your pocket book. But in reality, it probably will in some fashion. Either in the increased price of goods sold to consumers or in the resulting scarcity of certain services.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Funny but many say it's okay to tax the rich much higher which is another way of saying take some of their money. I'd like to know who determines how much to take and from whom. It's always some number that someone pulls out of the air because no studies were ever done on stuff like that. We don't feel bad at all taking their money because they have too much, in our opinion.

Now let's change the word money and insert the word food. Would we feel it's in our right to take someone's food because we think they have too much and we don't?