I've long since scratched Rudy Giuliani off my list of Republicans I Could Imagine Myself Voting For…a list that until fairly recently also held the name of John McCain. There are many reasons Rudy's off but a biggie is that I don't think macho swagger and mentioning 9/11 in every other sentence is an excuse for not having a grasp on foreign policy.
If I'd needed another reason to cross Giuliani off, I got it this morning when I read…
Giuliani, who has strong national polling results but trails former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, planned to "give the death tax the death penalty," his campaign said. What some politicians call the "death tax" involves the taxes on wealth passed on through inheritance.
I think the drive to reduce or eliminate Inheritance Taxes is one of the great crocks of Western Civilization, and a perfect example of wealthy folks figuring out how to transfer their fair share of the tax burden to others. Every so often, I'm going to link to this post which, in turn, links to two others that explain why this is not only a scam but a deliberate, calculated sham.
But I have to say that I was fascinated to read the following line in the news stories on Giuliani's statement…
The current rate is set at 45 percent through 2009. It would drop to zero in 2010 but jump to 55 percent in 2011.
Is that true? If so, make a note. 2010 would be a great time to murder that wealthy grandmother of yours.