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Monday, October 30, 2006

Who needs Taxes


Over and over we keep hearing that the Reagan administration lowered taxes and miraculously, rather like Jesus with the fish and loaves, the actual revenue increased. So when little Bush cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans, everyone waited for manna to fall from heaven.

The Bush-lites didn't let the fact that they had entered into an expensive war change their plans. They didn't let the rising deficit change their plans. They still had the temporary fix of the miracle credit card to play; and they could increasingly send off pork to quell any unease in their people while they waited for the multiplying. They have currently worked the debt to such a level that their children's children won't pay it off while they wait.

What about that miracle Reagan plan? In reality while he did decrease the rate on the highest income earners, he also cut a lot of what had been tax deductions-- things like deducting the interest you paid on consumer loans. That used to be something the average citizen could deduct come tax time. I knew about that well because suddenly my family lost it and it hurt. We had a lot of consumer debt in those days.

Then after Reagan's tax cut, along came big Bush's time as president. Big Bush faced reality. He was a man who had done that a lot given he was in a war and actually did fight. He was a man who had earned his way up the rung politically, run a lot of bureaus and understood budgets. He knew that what Reagan had promised was, as he had earlier called it, voodoo economics; and so he bit the bullet and raised taxes to straighten the mess out. He paid the ultimate price: Tell the American people the truth and you are out of office.

Now here we are years later, many tax cuts later, while there is talk of more tax cuts, and a growing budget deficit which nobody currently working in the administration has any interest in cutting. After all there is pork to satisfy. There is a war to fight without causing the American people to feel the pinch from it.

So the magic credit card keeps being extended. The idea of actually paying for what you are doing is used as a threat to most frighten Americans about those yucky Democrats who might call an end to the party. Besides that, Democrats are wimps who won't fight for their rights or anybody else's. Meanie, high spending Democrats have no guts for going to war, like Republicans have, they will raise your taxes (does wimpy Democrat and toughie, increase-tax Democrat seem to go together in your head?).


The Republicans have their arguments down pat. Why should anyone have to pay taxes goes the argument? You can manage your money better than we can is a favorite phrase to get people to not think that maybe that war, their freeways, their police and fire departments, border protection, their military, the care for the truly indigent and disabled, the elderly, not to mention just paying the interest on that rising debt... all of those things might just cost money.

Well who should worry. Just vote out anyone who suggests you can't have it all and remember the magic credit card!


I was thinking for this subject that a picture of a moose was most suitable. It is a reminder that without tax revenue, there would be no Yellowstone National Park where we could all see and photograph animals such as this moose. It also represents the third party that Theodore Roosevelt once tried to start. I don't actually think anybody in the current government-- on either side-- truly is ready to bite any bullets and tell the American people the truth about paying the piper. Maybe it's time to get a real third party and revive that old Bull Moose Party, ya think?

7 comments:

Maya's Granny said...

And I wonder when it will all end. When will the voter figure out that bills come due and the longer overdue they are before they're paid, the heavier the price?

Anonymous said...

When did the conservatives decide not to conserve anything? This flip-flop is the flip-flop to end all flip-flops, to me.
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Diane Widler Wenzel said...

This reality of our debt just gave me some more ideas that will not work. I have stated in earlier comments that we need education which gives each individual the feeling of worth and the skills to work with diverse people to solve real problems. Though they may not work I will state them anyway. We could ask Iraq to pay for us staying on and occupying their country. Well that might not go over well. There must be other ways of pumping up money to pay our debt. Maybe we could start "the save the world project." Declare the oceans are rising and build floating islands for millions of people to inhabit.These islands would be designed to pay for themselves and divert soldiers from war to construction. Do you think a political party could run on these ideas?

Anonymous said...

You pretty well nailed it. When it comes to programs, spending, taxes, and campaign promises, I don't think either party is clean. But over the last 20 or 30 years, the Rs have been far more vicious, and have lied more to the American people just to get the votes. anonymous also had a good point. During our lifetime, the basic tenets and roles of the parties have flip-flopped. I'm no longer sure that left-right and liberal-conservative even begin to describe and differentiate the Ds and Rs.

Too bad you did not have a picture of a jackass - not the one used as a symbol for the Democratic party, but one that depicts what Bush really is...

Ingineer66 said...

The parties are flip-flopped all over the place. Bush and the republican Congress are spending like drunken sailors and here in California Arnold and the new republicans are acting more like democrats from the 1960's looking at providing services and jobs for the working man while the dem leadership in the state legislature seems to be leaning towards a total welfare state if that is what will keep them in power.

Anonymous said...

Though I usually disagree with ingeneer66's comments, I'm with him all the way on this one, as a fellow Californian. You have kept to your word to keep us informed until the election from your POV, which is largely my own POV. The absolutely staggering cost of the war in Iraq pretty much precludes any other social program. I voted absentee two days ago as I will be in Laughlin, NV on election day, and I spent a lot of time researching the measures this time. I did end up going straight Democratic on the candidates, however, though I almost voted for Schwarzenegger who seems about as close to a Democrat as a Republican can be. Got it from osmosis with Maria, I guess. That man is everywhere!

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