Blind Leading The Blind. (C) Lee McLaughlin
Anyone notice Speaker Boehner on NBC's Meet The Press yesterday claiming the only answer to our economic troubles is to end tax loopholes while lowering tax rates? Anyone else have a problem with this approach? When pressed on this notion by David Gregory, Boehner insisted that there is a "Mountain of evidence to prove this approach leads to direct economic growth!" But there is NO evidence this actually works. In fact, evidence exists that proves it does NOT work (see: Congressional Research Service Report, 11/2012)!
Lost in this statement is the reflection that Republican leaders, including Speaker Boehner continue to play fast and loose with a tax strategy that simply does nothing to lower the deficit...nothing. Why? Because by the Republicans' own thinking, any raising of revenue achieved from closing loopholes and deductions in the tax code should be set-off by any lowering of tax rates. Now how in the world is this supposed to help to cut the deficit? It isn't. The entire strategy of the GOP is to lower taxes for the wealthy because they are the only demographic the Republicans seem to care to protect. So much the the "Grand Bargain" to right the Deficit we all deserve from our political leaders in Washington!
As predicted (again), the Republicans have already offered new Bills to extend an additional $2 Billion to the defense budget to offset some of the cuts required by Sequestration . Republicans remain very predictable in their political strategies. Why else do the they keep doing the same things over and over expecting a different result? With the cuts to the tax rates during the Bush years, there was no deficit reduction. In fact, the deficit soared once we began accounting for the unpaid wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the gift given to Big Pharma. Boehner, in an effort to defend the current Republican position, cites Ronald Reagan's tax cuts as the basis for economic growth, but Boehner conveniently (and hypocritically) ignores the fact that President Reagan also obtained targeted tax increases to offset the cuts. Oops, minor detail right?
So what is up with the Republicans in Washington? Clearly they plan on cutting social programs, including entitlements while slashing tax rates for their wealthy supporters. But do most Americans feel the same as the Republicans? Not according to Pew Research, which suggests Americans understand the need to reduce our federal deficit, but not at the sole cost of slashing government to the bone. Until Republicans figure out that their basic ideology is so wrong on the economy, the role of government, and social issues such as a Woman's right to choose, immigration, health care, college tuition and student loans, they will remain on the outside looking in. Perhaps Boehner should heed some advise from Theodore Roosevelt who once said, "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." Keep trying Speaker Boehner, one day you just might figure out that Leaders lead followers, and lately, no one is following you besides the GOP fringe and its supporting Ideological For-Profit Media.
Lost in this statement is the reflection that Republican leaders, including Speaker Boehner continue to play fast and loose with a tax strategy that simply does nothing to lower the deficit...nothing. Why? Because by the Republicans' own thinking, any raising of revenue achieved from closing loopholes and deductions in the tax code should be set-off by any lowering of tax rates. Now how in the world is this supposed to help to cut the deficit? It isn't. The entire strategy of the GOP is to lower taxes for the wealthy because they are the only demographic the Republicans seem to care to protect. So much the the "Grand Bargain" to right the Deficit we all deserve from our political leaders in Washington!
As predicted (again), the Republicans have already offered new Bills to extend an additional $2 Billion to the defense budget to offset some of the cuts required by Sequestration . Republicans remain very predictable in their political strategies. Why else do the they keep doing the same things over and over expecting a different result? With the cuts to the tax rates during the Bush years, there was no deficit reduction. In fact, the deficit soared once we began accounting for the unpaid wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the gift given to Big Pharma. Boehner, in an effort to defend the current Republican position, cites Ronald Reagan's tax cuts as the basis for economic growth, but Boehner conveniently (and hypocritically) ignores the fact that President Reagan also obtained targeted tax increases to offset the cuts. Oops, minor detail right?
So what is up with the Republicans in Washington? Clearly they plan on cutting social programs, including entitlements while slashing tax rates for their wealthy supporters. But do most Americans feel the same as the Republicans? Not according to Pew Research, which suggests Americans understand the need to reduce our federal deficit, but not at the sole cost of slashing government to the bone. Until Republicans figure out that their basic ideology is so wrong on the economy, the role of government, and social issues such as a Woman's right to choose, immigration, health care, college tuition and student loans, they will remain on the outside looking in. Perhaps Boehner should heed some advise from Theodore Roosevelt who once said, "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." Keep trying Speaker Boehner, one day you just might figure out that Leaders lead followers, and lately, no one is following you besides the GOP fringe and its supporting Ideological For-Profit Media.
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