The more taxes you roll into the calculation, the less the 1% pay as a total share of all taxes.

IRS / Tax Foundation: Only counts federal individual income taxes, which are highly progressive. It completely excludes the other half of federal revenue (payroll taxes) and all state taxes.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Includes all federal taxes. This adds payroll taxes (FICA for Social Security and Medicare). Because Social Security taxes cap out at an income limit, middle- and lower-income workers pay a much larger percentage of their income toward this tax than the ultra-wealthy.

ITEP: Includes federal, state, and local taxes. Adding state sales and excise taxes drastically shifts the balance. Lower-income families spend almost their entire paychecks on immediately consumed, taxable goods (like gas and groceries), while the wealthy save or invest most of their money, shielding it from sales tax.

IRS / Tax Foundation, Individual Income Taxes Only 38.4% 3.3%
CBO (Government), All Federal Taxes (Income + Payroll + Corporate) ~25.0% ~4.0%
ITEP (Think Tank), All Taxes (Federal + State + Local + Sales) ~24.5% ~7.5%

If MAGA was good at math they wouldn't have voted for Trump.

Buying Iranian diesel via Russia, and throttling Starshield so defensive interceptors don't work, definitely surprised people. Mostly Ukranian.

"Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Fedorov reports that Starlink has been restored to the previous setting so that it can be used for speed up to 160 kph (100 mph). In the last 24h the speed was throttled to 70 kph - 100 kph. Apparently, this "interference" has been corrected.

Starshield on the other hand, which was previously not limited, is seemingly yet throttled. Unlike Starlink this system is under control by the US DoD and ultimately the White House. This has been reiterated by Elon Musk. It confirms my assessment from the morning that the White House is responsible."

Speaking of running away from things, remember that time Ken Paxton fled his home, in a truck driven by State Senator Angela Paxton, so he could very illegally avoid being served a federal subpoena?

Why allow the stories to go non-linear when there's an easy solution to the problem.

#53 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-10-14 08:01 PM | Reply | Flag:

He didn't disappear for 13 days that's already a lie. His campaign never stopped running during that period.

"Allow stories to go non-linear". You can't control outright liars. It was traced back to Nick Sortor, known ---- poster who has an active warrant in Kentucky for probation violations.

Rcade out here just ruining the headline.

No ----.

Pretty much writes itself doesn't it?

If cognitive dissonance caused cancer many, many Texas Republicans would drop dead in a week.

Pretend it's true for a moment.

To MAGA, getting mental healthcare is worse than...

Cheating on your wife.
Being impeached for corruption by your own party.
Securities fraud.
Whistleblower retaliation.
Abusing state taxpayers.
Partying with campaign donors that are also indicted healthcare fraudsters.
Voter fraud.
State contract vote fraud.
Trust violations.
State Bar professional misconduct.
Flip-flop legal opinions based on how much his donor gave him or the party.

It certainly would be a good play.
I was really surprised Talarico was claiming he was at home. Doesn't he have Internet?
Just seems quite odd, running for something in a tight race to just disappear for 12-13 days no appearances, then claim the flu on day 14.

#39 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-10-13 08:03 PM | Reply | Flag:

It's a desperate play. Texas Republicans are running on fixing a state they've been in charge of my entire life.

Lets play pretend though, Talarico really went to go talk to a mental healthcare professional at a really stressful time in his life where he's being slandered 24x7. I'm supposed to believe that's worse than Paxton spending most of his campaign travelling Europe and the Middle East, partying with indicted fugitives that donated to his campaign?

DON'T ALLOW THE DISHONEST BASTARDS TO GET AWAY IT AGAIN !!

#35 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-10-13 04:46 PM | Reply | Flag:

What makes this so funny is that it's Ken Paxton, the guy impeached by Texas Republicans for corruption.

I'll wager that

#6 | Posted by catdog at 2026-10-13 12:18 PM | Reply

What's on the line?

Almost like they're desperate to deflect from Ken Paxton headlines like:

"A new video uncovered by the Wall Street Journal on Monday shows Texas Attorney General and current Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton partying in Dubai with two men described as U.S. fugitives."
"Ken Paxton calls his own campaign a dumpster fire directed by Washington."
"Ken Paxton abandons press conference in Fort Worth after being asked about real estate holdings and potential voter fraud violations."
"Ken Paxton's wife divorces him on biblical grounds for infidelity."
"Ken Paxton impeached by the Texas House for 20 articles including bribery, abusing public trust, and misuse of office."
"Ken Paxton takes 1,000 trips in 10 years, sticks taxpayers with $3.3 million security detail bill. Only 1 in 6 had state business purposes."

Then he went 'missing.'

#21 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-10-12 02:42 PM | Reply | Flag:

Did he flee to Cancun because it was cold?

N750MF isn't "his plane", it's a charter with dozens of clients that use that plane among many that Jet Linx own. If you don't know why charter jets go into HAO specifically, maybe look that up first.

For this conspiracy theory to work, you have to explain why he didn't fly direct to HAO in a jet that's allegedly "his" and has 3100 miles of range but only needed to make a 900 mile flight.. I can give you a few hints if you need them.

October 10, 2026: Flew round-trip between Austin (AUS) and Dallas Love Field (DAL).
October 9, 2026: Returned from Hamilton (HAO) to Austin (AUS), and later completed another round-trip to Dallas (DAL).
October 8, 2026: Flew a round-trip from Austin (AUS) to Baton Rouge (BTR) before departing for Hamilton (HAO) later that evening.
October 7, 2026: Flew round-trip between Austin (AUS) and Shawnee, Oklahoma (SNL).
October 6, 2026: Flew from Eagle, Colorado (EGE) to Austin (AUS).
October 5, 2026: Flew from Dallas (DAL) to Rochester, Minnesota (RST), and then on to Eagle, Colorado (EGE).

"they agreed because I told them they agreed"

Actual quote from the President of the United States of America.

Just a Putin stooge. That's way worse lol.

That's why they measure it, because it's not binary.

You're right, but also wrong.

It's not binary.

And a russian would ask you, what freedoms are you talking about? Then go on to lecture you that they can be democratic without liberalism. There's a really good paper on it and what russian views of democracy and how it should be implemented in their country. I have to find the link later.

Fewer blue checkmark purchases. Analysts saying they wont be rebuilt until 2028. Ukraine aiming for more of them.

You said they never claimed to be one. They very much do. Their view of what a Democracy is, especially liberal ones, is a different matter.