It took Mort Kondracke until now to figure this out?
If Washington, D.C., politicians were serious about fiscal discipline, especially to prepare for the baby boom retirement crisis, they'd raise taxes and cut spending. But they aren't serious.
As the debate on budget reconciliation right now shows, Republicans are trying to cut spending some and cut taxes more. Democrats want to raise taxes some and spend a lot more. And the twain shall never meet.
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Well, the twain sort of met during the Clinton administration. Taxes went up some, and I think spending got cut some -- at least spending didn't increase much because of the gridlock between the Democratic President and the Republican Congress. I could go for a bit more gridlock -- seems like we're all safest that way.
Fiscal discipline
Leo Morris at Opening Arguments posts Opening Arguments: No fiscal discipline? Shocking which quotes Mort Kondracke If Washington, D.C., politicians were serious about fiscal discipline, especially to prepare for the baby boom retirement crisis, they'd...
Fiscal discipline
Leo Morris at Opening Arguments posts Opening Arguments: No fiscal discipline? Shocking which quotes Mort Kondracke If Washington, D.C., politicians were serious about fiscal discipline, especially to prepare for the baby boom retirement crisis, they'd...
Republicans are trying to CUT spending???
Ever read the transportation bill? Republicans seem to think spending is okay, as long as they control the checkbook!
It is not shocking at all. Neither Party wants to cut The Federal deficit at all.
Every incumbent in office wants to keep increasing spending because they feel it brings them votes.
The Republicans are currently in power. They should cut Federal spending by at least 5% a year for the next three years. This would still leave us with a massive, bloated Federal government; but, it would make a start it eliminating wasteful spending.
The Republicans should then immediately simplify The Tax Code. The tax code should be changed to a simple consumption tax that would be set to bring in about 20% of GDP. The tax code is over 60,000 PAGES long and no one understands it.
Instead, the Republcians want to slightly limit the increase in spending while cutting taxes by an even larger amount, this is fiscal insanity. Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagon would be APPALLED by the modern day Republican Party. It is another large government party.
I am not sure what The Democrats want to do. It is clear they do not want further tax cuts. It sounds like they want to increase spending and leave taxes alone. This also makes no sense.
The Democrats need to stop sniping at The Republcians and come up with a plan. If The Democrats would come up with a simple, fiscally conservative plan to reign in Federal spending AND the out of control tax code they would regain power in both 2006 and 2008.