Among GOP, Anti-Tax Orthodoxy Runs Deep

Washington Post:

The Republican Party once had a home for the thinking of Tom Coburn, Mike Crapo and Saxby Chambliss. But that party is long gone.

The three U.S. senators banded together a few months ago in support of higher tax revenue as a means of balancing the federal budget. Even with drastic spending cuts, they concluded, Washington could not vanquish its soaring $14.3 trillion debt without additional income.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[procrustes13]

06:41 PM on 06/11/2011

If I wanted to destroy a country, a state or an empire I'd make sure that taxes are slashed and made impossible to restore. That would weaken the country fatally and destroy it. I hope that Usama bin Laden donated to Grover Norquist as his work to destroy the empire is most effective.

[procrustes13]

06:38 PM on 06/11/2011

Norquist is a traitor who should be executed.

[NYC123]

01:19 PM on 06/07/2011

My comment!
The Republican party has a doctrine that supersedes their pledge "to do right by the American people" - and that doctrine is "do not tax the rich!"

The Middle Class should also enact a doctrine to support the interest of all Americans, and let it be: "Our boys and girls will no longer fight in wars or pay taxes to protect the interest of the rich in America. Let them hire their own military!" Iraq, Afghanista­n, Pakistan, Yemen, and in the pipeline, Iran and China are all interest of the rich!”

Important reply!
Like many life issues, it is all about the Benjamins. The sons and daughters of the comfortabl­y affluent would not dream of wearing camo, sweating and dying in some godforsake­n Middle Eastern land. They are having too much fun with daddy's dollars.

Meanwhile, many in the military volunteere­d for service in the Army or Marines because of their lack of money. The iconic photo of a grinning female soldier humiliatin­g an Iraqui prisoner featured Ms. England, whose previous civilian job was in a chicken processing factory in poverty-st­ricken Appalachia­.

These unfortunat­e folks are bleeding and dying to protect the commercial interests of conglomera­tes like KBR and Big Oil. Bring the troops home now.....

[shooter486]

04:23 PM on 06/07/2011

Canned cliches are all the left have to give. I guess if you ever researched the military, you would find a well-matched sopread of the classes.

But since all you have are guesses, you would never know that.

PLEASE show us your research on who is in the military.

[NYC123]

11:48 PM on 06/07/2011

Evenly spread of the classes in the military? That's false -- and everyone knows it! In fact that is a clueless comment! Clueless! Blacks, Latinos, and poor Whites - that is the primary makeup of our military!

[NYC123]

11:50 PM on 06/07/2011

You find your own clueless resaerch! In fact don't waste your time -- it doesn't not exist! Lol

[madkoz]

12:39 PM on 06/07/2011

No Taxes, no health care, no social security, no medicaid, no pensions, no unions, no choice, no negotiations, no military service, no public education, no infrastructure improvement or repair, no separation between church and state, no gay marriage, no accountability, no responsibility, no supporting the Constitution, no clean air, no clean water, no environmental protection, no endangered animals, no alternative energy, no global warming, no peace, no, no, no. the party of no

[shooter486]

04:24 PM on 06/07/2011

Actually, no idea of what you are taliing about is what is going on here.

If you have no facts, just replace it with hyperbole.

[madkoz]

06:42 PM on 06/07/2011

Which ones are hyperbole? A Republican that has no idea is only par for the course.

[petey64]

12:31 PM on 06/07/2011

well you Dems have done it, we are all Californians now.

[mflorian]

12:26 AM on 06/08/2011

That's like the guy hitting a parked car saying "Why'd you let me hit you?!"

[den1953]

11:04 AM on 06/07/2011

Well take your pick no taxes and no jobs or return taxes to what they were prior to Bush and help spur economic growth, or perhaps revamp the whole tax system to make everyone pay including tourists!

[shooter486]

04:24 PM on 06/07/2011

Remember, the govt knows how to spend money better than you do. Just sign over your paycheck. You will be better off.

[EbonBear]

06:16 PM on 06/08/2011

More cliches, that's all the right has.

[procrustes13]

06:49 PM on 06/11/2011

There are collective services required and they must be financed somehow.

[Philclock]

06:25 PM on 06/11/2011

So you're telling me that, in your household, if you pay MORE taxes, you're family's better off??

Please explain, I don't get the logic, but then I'm just a Republican, and we're just a lot slower than "progressives", and need a lot of explaining to understand our place in your world of social engineering, where I see myself as a commodity, not as a human being with freedom of choice, and freedom of responsibility. And my free choice is to have LOWER tax rates, preferably NONE, on my income, so I have the unencumbered freedom to create wealth for my family, and to pay taxes when I SPEND for something instead. Do I have a voice in your world?

[Chazzam]

03:56 PM on 06/12/2011

More taxes=better infrastructure, greater social mobility, greater national institutions, better society. It's not that difficult a concept.

[Veganie]

10:18 AM on 06/07/2011

Look closely at those who patronize you. Half are unfeeling, half untaught. Wolfgang Von Goethe

[RedDog79]

09:52 AM on 06/07/2011

i wonder if any of the GOP "thinkers" has considered the fact that our population grows all the time - that means more people who need services - roads, disaster relief, social security, safety services, etc., and that without increasing revenue it will be impossible to sustain even the most basic of services - like roads, military, safety services. So, if we cut our government down to just roads and military because of the growing population it will be impossible to sustain any of these items without growing revenue. Taxes is the main source of revenue stream for the government, eliminate that and you have no government. And even thought they say they want little government, who is the first person people in need run to and blame the government for not doin more. Examples include e coli, highway deaths, etc. so much for great gop "thinkers"

[petey64]

12:33 PM on 06/07/2011

then more people will be paying taxes, oh that's not it let's just expand government workers and make the illegals have an underground economy that helps no one, the mirror is California, take a good long look at your future.

[procrustes13]

06:44 PM on 06/11/2011

Making more people pay taxes is a new tax... and Norquist is supposed to oppose this.

[shooter486]

04:27 PM on 06/07/2011

Then why do we spend tax money on sevices that can easily be handled by the private sector?

Roads? Prisons? Disaster Relief? Quit wasting it on bridges to nowhere,etc. If you looked at the nbudget, there is easily $100's of billions that can be cut that are not needed. Look at the fauiled war on poverty the left wanted 40 years ago. It wasted $1 Trillions.

[mflorian]

12:27 AM on 06/08/2011

Prisons can be handled by the private sector? How so? For-Profit Prison industries push for insane laws so they can make more money. Arizona's an example of this.

[EbonBear]

06:20 PM on 06/08/2011

OK. It costs the private sector just as much to make a road as it costs the public sector. Then the private sector adds a profit margin on top of that. The only way they can do it cheaper is to cut corners. Private prisons cause companies to push for more criminals so they can make money locking them up.

[Common Sense 69]

09:13 AM on 06/07/2011

Hey Repubs - you can't have it both ways. We must RAISE taxes (especially on the rich) and reduce spending simultaneously. It's the only way to reduce the deficit. Cutting spending is not enough and is only half of the equation. Why don't you get this?? More taxes is more revenue for the government to reduce the deficit. Geesh, this isn't rocket science. Tax the rich already!!!!! The current tax rates are the lowest in 60 years. Time to raise 'em. Clinton raised taxes to balance the budget and the economy soared. WTF??!! I'm so sick of the Repubs defending the rich --- enough already! The rich have admitted that with the bush tax cuts that they received they did NOT create new jobs - instead they built dance floors, bought bigger boats, and took more vacations. It is time to tax the rich heavily, and that time is NOW!

[shooter486]

04:29 PM on 06/07/2011

Actually, there has NEVER been any government entity that was able to tax its way into prosperity.

I guess if you wanted to raise the tax revenue, you would probably cry if they raised your taxes. But that would be common sense and you wouldn't understand that.

I suppose you think the poor and middle class can do more hiring to get us out of this recession Obama keeps us in.

[procrustes13]

06:44 PM on 06/11/2011

Mexico's tax collection per GDP is lower than the USA's and so it clearly must be a much more prosperous place.

[Philclock]

06:32 PM on 06/11/2011

Hello, I am an evil Republican as concerned about my family as you.

Yes, we must raise revenues, Paul Ryan agrees with you. So what's your problem??

No, eating the rich won't raise the revenues we need; growing the economy will, Check your history, tax revenues are consistently just below 20% of GDP, regardless of tax policy.

My solution: free up banks and businesses from overburdening regulations and regulators, let we the great unwashed bust our butts for ourselves and our families, our success will fill up government revenues, so "progressives" can fight over a bigger pot for their handouts, redistributions, infrastructure and "safety nets".

But like the T-shirts say, "no money, no honey", raise the tax rates, you kill the incentive to work, and kill the incentive to HIRE AND BUILD COMPANIES IN THIS COUNTRY!

Got it, Mr. Uncommon Sense??

[HMON]

08:49 AM on 06/07/2011

Bruce Bartlett (who was an economic advisor to Pres. Reagan) has been doing his best to point out that our total effective tax rates are today lower than they have been for decades.

When I saw his report it made me think about the Greatest Generation who about sixty years ago were paying higher tax rates and decided to invest that money in the future prosperity of the United States - the GI Bill, infrastructure (rural electrification, roads, modern airports, etc.), the community and state college systems, reasonable oversight and regulation of the financial system, etc. Now many of the folks who benefited the most from that investment - older white Americans - want to turn their backs on making investments in the future prosperity of the United States by keeping tax rates low and starving government spending and investment. This is selfish beyond measure.

[shooter486]

04:30 PM on 06/07/2011

But spending was a small percentage of now. You cannot compare apples-to-oranges based on historic tax revenues unless you look at the spending compared to GDP from back then until now.

[HMON]

05:28 PM on 06/07/2011

it has gone up as a percentage of GDP, but you should take a look at the numbers ... not as much as you think. And by the way, Mr. Barlett's analysis was also as a percentage of GDP. So this is pretty close to orange to orange (maybe tangerine), but not so far.

[WakeUp2021]

08:33 AM on 06/07/2011

If republicans hate taxes stop taking Social Security, Medicare, Public School and Using Public Roads.

[spuds]

08:37 AM on 06/07/2011

Apples and oranges. What the tax code and law is or should be has nothing to do with how it is spent.

[wdw808]

08:42 AM on 06/07/2011

i believe it said new taxes

[ugotabkidnme]

09:20 AM on 06/07/2011

The Republican mantra is that the repeal of Bush Tax Cuts is new taxation

[Carachama]

08:28 AM on 06/07/2011

No new taxes means that they have to get the money from somewhere. In Alabama, state workers will face a 7.5% pay cut as the legislature is set to approve an increase in what we need to pay into the retirement system. Never mind that we haven't had raises in several years, why not pull the money from a select few instead of spreading the pain around or cutting down the numerous corporate loopholes that exist in the state. No new taxes, but not exactly a plan for growth. Meanwhile, tehy also passed a tax credit for small businesses to hire people. Too bad that in college towns like mine, the people will have less money and won't be able to buy anything that they produce. I really hope that people will jump ship from the Republican party.

[wdw808]

08:43 AM on 06/07/2011

i will be voting conservatively

[shooter486]

04:32 PM on 06/07/2011

Nivce anecdote to try and compare to the rest of the country. I guess if you take money away from small businesses, they will do more hiring?

What about teh rich? Will they spend more and revive the country if they have less? Is this how it works in your little city?

[ZeraLee]

07:27 PM on 06/07/2011

Do you think that small businesses will hire more if you take more money away from their customer base?

The rich are not going to "spend more and revive the country" under any circumstances. As a group, they never have and never will. This is why taxing the rich has always resulted in economic growth, it funnels more money back into the real economy. Money that would otherwise sit relatively idle, an effective drain on the economy.

It's not about being fair or unfair, it's about being realistic.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the initial Bush Tax Cuts. They utterly failed to spur economic growth. Instead, they contributed to massive deficits and weakened the economy. Get over it and move on. The country cannot recover while they are in place.

[procrustes13]

06:47 PM on 06/11/2011

Bribing business owners to create jobs, which is what conservatives say must happen, will cause the business owners to take the money, look at the information of the state of the market, conclude that there is no demand for additional product, and pocket the money. Number of jobs created - zero. Number of new products produced - zero. Effectiveness of the measure - none.

[donnyraindog]

08:27 AM on 06/07/2011

Any reasonable economist including many conservatives will tell you that the government needs to increase revenue along with making some cuts in things like defense and inefficent programs like farm aid. The left has to stop framing this as a moral issue and talk about it in practicle terms. Too many average americans still believe that democrats want to "punish success" and give their hard earned money to the undeserving These same people know the top 2 % are getting a free ride but they feel we want to go after everyones money and therefor they hold there nose and vote R.Along with coded r@cism this is what is meant by "reagan democrats" to move forward we have to win some of these voters back.

[spuds]

08:32 AM on 06/07/2011

What might have begun as a plausible argument ended quickly when you threw in the race card.

[donnyraindog]

08:36 AM on 06/07/2011

I wish it weren't so and I do believe that america has come a very long way in the last 40 years but the so called southern strategy and "states rights" among other things all play into that. To be clear this is not the case for everyone that votes R but it is real.

[WakeUp2021]

08:36 AM on 06/07/2011

The pretense that you are not a r.acist b.igot ended quickly when you used the phrase "race card".

[wdw808]

08:46 AM on 06/07/2011

agreed..........however the only way to get the spending cuts is to stop feeding the beast.........then and only then when spending is cut to the bone.......increase taxes to pay down the national debt

[redsox4]

08:20 AM on 06/07/2011

Stop the spending and you don't have to raise taxes...and yes the wars can be done also! so don't give me that crap either.....

[WakeUp2021]

08:26 AM on 06/07/2011

How many jobs does that create? The last person s.tupid enough to do that was Herbert Hoover.

[redsox4]

08:31 AM on 06/07/2011

LOL! Hoover Really???? Government can only create jobs by lifting regulations and cutting spending. The private sector creates jobs not government.

[Common Sense 69]

09:17 AM on 06/07/2011

You are completely wrong. You have to do both. They need to cut spending AND raise taxes (especially on the rich). Do you know how much trillions in debt is?? You must do both. It's the only way. Oh, you're a red sox fan, should have known.

[shooter486]

04:36 PM on 06/07/2011

It seems a person that wants to think jhe has commone sense doesn't understand common sense.

Taking money our of the hands of the people doesn't improve their lives. Taking money out of the hands of corporations and small business doesn't help them grow and create new jobs.

[ConsensusReality]

08:17 AM on 06/07/2011

The party of no new ideas...

[shooter486]

04:38 PM on 06/07/2011

Then why, after several bills promoted int he last 5 years, have they been shot down by the tax ans spend liberals? Do you think it is because the Democrats have ruined this country to bad that you pretend nobody has any ideas?

Look at what the Democratic Congress and an unexperienced community organizer has gotten us. Double dip recession.

Thanks, I HOPE we can CHANGE it back, soon.

[ConsensusReality]

06:42 PM on 06/07/2011

Take a deep breath, organize your thoughts, and attempt to type a coherent post...I don't have even the slightest idea of what you're jabbering about.