# Trump's Republican primary campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828 "2015-09-03T18:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/321 "2015-09-29T03:28:25Z")
Well then, to use friend **inscrutable** ’s reasoning and terminology, they get taxed because the deceased was too much of a loser to convert all his assets into non-taxable stuff before they died and left it to someone. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/322 "2015-09-29T05:11:12Z")
Nonsense, they have people for that sort of thing. We all them “Congress”, they call them whenever they like. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/323 "2015-09-29T10:00:33Z")
> [@inscrutable](#): > > But the decedent would have already paid income tax on the $1000 he used to buy the stock. Why should he (through his heirs) be penalized for being a prudent and responsible saver/investor? If you remove the parenthetical, that’s an argument for a capital gains tax of 0%. The thing is, you can say that about practically any tax. The decedent would have _worked_ for the initial $1000; why should he be penalized for working? Every tax penalizes _something_. Whatever level of government you have, has to be paid for somehow. You’ve got to have a _comparative_ argument at some point. Even if you’re a libertarian who believes all taxes are evil, if you’re gonna participate in a debate about taxes in the real world, you’ve got to make an argument that this tax is ultra-evil, compared to that other tax that’s only middlin’ evil. If you can make _that_ sort of argument about this tax, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![inscrutable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e4f/32.png) [@inscrutable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inscrutable)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/324 "2015-09-29T12:04:48Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Not unless it’s cash. > > Property / Stocks / Family Heirlooms only become income if / when they are sold. > > Why not charge tax as some form of capital gains / income tax at the point when the inheritance is liquidated? Sounds reasonable, but remember, the inherited cash will be taxed again when it is invested to generate income. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/325 "2015-09-29T12:17:58Z")
> [@inscrutable](#): > > The heirs already pay taxes on their own income. Why should they be billed for more just because their father wasn’t a dumb loser? > > Torches and pitchforks? No thanks. When the time comes, I’ll side with the conservative gun-owners. Let’s turn it on its head. Person A starts a business and now earns $1,000,000 a year which of course he pays tax on. So in say 2015 he pays tax on $1 million of income. Person B inherits $1 million which of course he did no work for whatsoever. Why does it make sense for person B to get a tax-free windfall for contributing nothing to the economy while person A pays tax on the same amount of money? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/326 "2015-09-29T16:14:23Z")
It would seem that the way around this issue would be to have the cost basis of the investments transfer to the decedent. So that rather than getting 1 million never taxed money he gets $999,000 in unrealized capital gains that he will have to pay taxes on when he liquidates it. The problem with this is that it requires that the heir know the cost basis of assets based on transactions that he didn’t make himself. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/327 "2015-09-29T16:21:42Z")
Taken to the ridiculous extreme, one could make the case that lottery winners should not be taxed. “I already paid tax on the dollar that I bought that lottery ticket with!” ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/328 "2015-09-29T16:23:15Z")
> [@inscrutable](#): > > Where is the logic in letting the government get the windfall? > [@inscrutable](#): > > Income, or family property/heritage? > If a sixteen-pound, solid gold historical Hispanic icon has been handed down for generations, would you honestly expect the latest recipient to pay inheritance tax on it? Because you live in a country which protects you, has public services to serve you, and people who do things that’s impossible for you to do by yourself, you pay taxes to support that. The increase in value didn’t come about because you kept it, it came about because this country is growing and the value of commodities grows with it. Your family heirloom’s value is piggybacking on the value this country created and that’s why the government deserves to tax it ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/329 "2015-09-29T19:33:29Z")
[Conservative Tax Group Says Trump Tax Plan Would Cost $12 Trillion](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/tax-group-trump-tax-plan-would-cost-12-trillion-n435666) > [@](#): > > Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s tax plan would cost an eye-popping $12 trillion over 10 years, according a new estimate that runs directly counter to the billionaire’s pledge not to increase the deficit with the proposal. > > The conservative Tax Foundation, which has been scoring candidates’ tax proposals throughout the race, found that Trump’s changes to the individual tax code would add $10.2 trillion to the deficit using traditional scoring methods, his corporate tax cuts would add $1.54 trillion and his proposal to eliminate the estate tax would add another $238 billion. > > In addition, the gains from the cuts would disproportionately benefit ultra-wealthy Americans like Trump, whose personal income, business earnings and inheritors all stand to gain from a number of its provisions. According to the analysis, the wealthiest 1% of Americans would see their after-tax incomes increase by 21.6% versus just 1.4% for the poorest 10%. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/330 "2015-09-29T19:42:30Z")
“I’m gonna make the deficit yoooge!” ---
**Author:** ![ChickenLegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ChickenLegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickenLegs)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/331 "2015-09-30T00:27:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Taken to the ridiculous extreme, one could make the case that lottery winners should not be taxed. “I already paid tax on the dollar that I bought that lottery ticket with!” I agree with that. Consider: If you win, say, a million dollars in a lottery, there was more than two million dollars in the pool, all contributed by post-tax dollars. Lotteries have the lowest payouts of any legal gambling in the country, and worse than almost all illegal forms, too. The government juice is always over 50%. (Roulette, in comparison, pays the house just over 5%.) Now of the less than 50% the “winner” gets paid, you want the house to take another 28% or so? WTF? In what world is this fair? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/332 "2015-09-30T01:39:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [Conservative Tax Group Says Trump Tax Plan Would Cost $12 Trillion](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/tax-group-trump-tax-plan-would-cost-12-trillion-n435666) There was once an ancient king of Mesopotamia in Lagash called Urukagina. He not only proposed just about what Trump and the Republicans are now doing, that king made it real. He cut taxes, and made many reforms, something not heard of even in those early days. So he became popular with his people, but the problem was that many had not figured out what was the sensible amount of how deep tax cuts should be before the consequences got too problematic. Also, most city people were not warriors. What happened was that he king failed to get the support of the warrior classes, yes, those that also defended the city. So, he had no army available and with no money to raise one when the conquerors came, the king had to flee and the people were conquered and forced to pay the invaders, so a harsh lesson learned. And it is clear that many republicans just do not know history. I wonder now if Trump failed history because while he graduated he did it with no honors of any kind > **[Decades-Old Questions Over Trump’s Wealth and Education (Published 2015)](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/business/dealbook/decades-old-questions-over-trumps-wealth-and-education.html?_r=0)** > > Donald Trump has boasted about being rich and smart, but he has not released data to back up his claims. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/333 "2015-09-30T01:56:28Z")
Yeah I thought everyone learned about Urukagina’s ill planned tax reforms in grade 3. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/334 "2015-09-30T01:58:15Z")
GIGO, while your argument is solid, your example is just… weird. I’m a history buff and I’ve never heard of that guy. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/335 "2015-09-30T02:06:38Z")
[ > [@](#): > > “I will tell you that, in terms of leadership, he’s getting an ‘A’ and our president is not doing so well,” he said. “They did not look good together.” > > It was Trump’s first appearance on Fox since he announced last week that he’d be boycotting the network for “the foreseeable future” because of what he deemed unfair treatment. > > The boycott lasted less than a week. > [@Donald Trump](#): > > Putin is a nicer person than I am. ]([http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8833fe7d352d427b8717708646c7ddbf/trump-gives-putin-leadership](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8833fe7d352d427b8717708646c7ddbf/trump-gives-putin-leadership)):eek: ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/336 "2015-09-30T02:15:03Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > GIGO, while your argument is solid, your example is just… weird. I’m a history buff and I’ve never heard of that guy. [History-world.org](http://History-world.org) [http://history-world.org/reforms\_of\_urukagina.htm](http://history-world.org/reforms_of_urukagina.htm) Myths of Babylonia and Assyria By Donald A. Mackenzie [https://books.google.com/books?id=erhMCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT118&dq=Myths+of+Babylonia+and+Assyria++By+Donald+A.+Mackenzie+"against+the+invader"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIkvCukdedyAIVga-ACh3OVAPT#v=onepage&q=Myths%20of%20Babylonia%20and%20Assyria%20%20By%20Donald%20A.%20Mackenzie%20"against%20the%20invader"&f=false](https://books.google.com/books?id=erhMCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT118&dq=Myths+of+Babylonia+and+Assyria++By+Donald+A.+Mackenzie+%22against+the+invader%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMIkvCukdedyAIVga-ACh3OVAPT#v=onepage&q=Myths%20of%20Babylonia%20and%20Assyria%20%20By%20Donald%20A.%20Mackenzie%20%22against%20the%20invader%22&f=false) > [@](#): > > Urukagina’s motives were undoubtedly above reproach, and he showed an example to all who occupied positions of trust by living an upright life … but seven years when he was called upon to defend his people against the invader. He appears to have been utterly unprepared to do so. Funny thing, I became aware of that thanks to [Larry Gonick](http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-History-Universe-Volumes-1-7/dp/0385265204) Of course that only made me look more deeply about 15 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/337 "2015-09-30T02:23:51Z")
Of course that book only made me look more deeply about many historical subjects 15 years ago. But as my background is in Social Studies I’m still more interested on how information like that is bounced around in other spheres,. And as a curious note I have to report that I have seen that tale of Urukagina referenced by conservatives as a history that supports the idea of cutting taxes in a radical fashion. Of course the right wing spheres of information do not tell their readers or viewers what did happen after those taxes were cut. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/338 "2015-09-30T03:57:12Z")
C’mon, there is no Gawddamn good reason to get rid of the estate tax. The fact that even Trump has co-opted this stupid part of GOP orthodoxy is fuckin’ sad. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/339 "2015-09-30T04:41:50Z")
Well, I’d like to see it just taxed as regular income to the recipients. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/340 "2015-09-30T15:08:52Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, I’d like to see it just taxed as regular income to the recipients. I’d like to see a graduated Federal estate tax rate that hit 99% over $1 billion and 99.9% over $10 billion. Why? Because, [as one of them guys on Mt. Rushmore said](http://onpoint.wbur.org/2010/12/15/teddy-estate): [QUOTE=Teddy Roosevelt] The really big fortune, the swollen fortune, by the mere fact of its size, acquires qualities which differentiate it in kind as well as in degree from what is possessed by men of relatively small means. Therefore, I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and … a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, properly safeguarded against evasion, and increasing rapidly in amount with the size of the estate. [/QUOTE] People shouldn’t be able to inherit sufficient wealth to have a real effect on our political system primarily by virtue of their wealth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=18)