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Economists Fear Trump’s Tax Plan Only Heightens a ‘Mountain of Debt’
New York Times ^ | 04/28/2017 | By JAMES B. STEWART

Posted on 04/28/2017 9:23:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

During his campaign, Donald J. Trump embraced the cause of fiscal responsibility and accused President Barack Obama of shackling the country with a “mountain of debt.”

Mr. Obama “doubled our national debt. Doubled it,” Mr. Trump claimed in a speech in Virginia Beach.

Then on Wednesday, Mr. Trump unveiled the outlines of his much-anticipated tax overhaul, calling for steep tax cuts with only modest offsetting revenue increases. Economists I spoke to this week estimate it would add trillions to the national debt over the next decade.

“We’ve only done the rough numbers, but this looks like a tax cut of a magnitude of about $5 trillion,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan advocacy organization for fiscal responsibility. “That is simply unimaginable given our fiscal situation and the size of the deficit, which is already the worst since World War II.

The sense of incredulity was widely shared.

“Paul Ryan and Kevin Brady must be beside themselves in private,” said Leonard E. Burman, director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and a professor at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, referring to the House speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee chairman. “They put in years of work on a tax reform plan that at least tried to be revenue-neutral,” meaning tax cuts would be offset by closing loopholes, “and wouldn’t explode the deficit.”

Or as Steven M. Rosenthal, a business tax expert and senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, put it: “Mr. Trump’s plan basically is tax cuts for everyone. Real reform, with revenue neutrality, is difficult. There are winners and losers, but Trump apparently just wants winners.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: debt; taxcuts; trump
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1 posted on 04/28/2017 9:23:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Economic History 101 should be a prerequisite for anyone seeking a degree in economics.


2 posted on 04/28/2017 9:24:40 AM PDT by ManHunter (You can run, but you'll only die tired... Army snipers: Reach out and touch someone)
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To: SeekAndFind

NY Slimes never cared when OBAMA was President.

FAKE Concern from a FAKE News organization.


3 posted on 04/28/2017 9:26:03 AM PDT by LeonardFMason (426)
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To: SeekAndFind

Odd the same economists had no problem with 0bama racking up debt like a drunken sailor


4 posted on 04/28/2017 9:26:31 AM PDT by okie 54
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To: SeekAndFind

Odd the same economists had no problem with 0bama racking up debt like a drunken sailor


5 posted on 04/28/2017 9:26:33 AM PDT by okie 54
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To: SeekAndFind

They have nothing to fear because historically a tax rate cut increased federal revenue year over year.


6 posted on 04/28/2017 9:27:01 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: ManHunter

Doubling the national debt used to be a good idea, if you’re a Democrat. Doubling the national debt used to be a bad idea, if you’re a Republican. Things are different now.


7 posted on 04/28/2017 9:31:59 AM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: SeekAndFind

Where were these “Economists” while Obama doubled the National Debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion?

Also, none of these Economists ever heard of the laffer curve. If you are heavily over taxed and reduce tax RATES, you should see tax REVENUES increase as economic activity booms and more people participate and become tax payers, or work longer and pay taxes on more hours of labor.

The devil is in the details and cutting tax rates too far will cause tax revenues to drop. I expect that is not the case.

Cutting taxes cause people and business who have “gone Galt” and dropped out of the work/tax cycle, to get back working again, or working longer hours. A lot of people went Galt during Ibama’s Reign of Terror. Labor participation plunged. Many millions will come back with a booming economy spurred by appropriate tax cuts.


8 posted on 04/28/2017 9:33:11 AM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (Trump: What to do now I can't repeal Obamacare? I know, lets start a war with Russia!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Whose “economists”? Ours or theirs?


9 posted on 04/28/2017 9:33:37 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Illegal immigration is the first step in the voter fraud process.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“Economists” fear.

“Many” say.

“Scientists” warn.

“Experts” alarmed.

Always the mystery team of unnamed persons who are meant to mask opinion as fact with the gravitas of authority.

Fake is an understatement.


10 posted on 04/28/2017 9:34:41 AM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: central_va

Stats came out awhile back that the Feds are collecting more revenue than ever before. It’s super high. I say it’s time to cut them down to size. I don’t want them to have anymore money to spend. Period.


11 posted on 04/28/2017 9:34:43 AM PDT by sheana
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To: FlipWilson

Diabolical is the most fitting word for me.


12 posted on 04/28/2017 9:36:59 AM PDT by 3boysdad (The very elect.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh. Now they’re worried about debt?? FU!


13 posted on 04/28/2017 9:38:25 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (WKU 2016 Boca Raton Bowl Champions)
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To: SeekAndFind
Economists Fear Trump’s Tax Plan Only Heightens a ‘Mountain of Debt’ - 2017

Economists Fear Reagan’s Tax Plan Only Heightens a ‘Mountain of Debt’ - 1981

14 posted on 04/28/2017 9:45:47 AM PDT by henkster (Orwell, Rand and Huxley would not be proud of our society, but they'd have no trouble recognizing it)
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To: SeekAndFind
Things that have come back since January 21:

Federal Debt
Homelessness
War Protests
President's vacations

15 posted on 04/28/2017 9:46:30 AM PDT by AU72
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To: AU72

“The deficit is big enough to take care of itself”.

Ronald Reagan


16 posted on 04/28/2017 10:06:34 AM PDT by Chauncey Gardiner
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To: sheana

We should slash the amount the Feds are collecting, but it is stupid to do it without also cutting spending.


17 posted on 04/28/2017 10:11:36 AM PDT by Wayne07
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To: Redmen4ever

Critics of the plan are obviously being hypocrites, but it doesn’t mean debt is suddenly OK. The debt is the country’s single biggest problem (maybe second to illegal immigrants), and it has to be dealt with on the spending side.


18 posted on 04/28/2017 10:14:06 AM PDT by Wayne07
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To: okie 54

“An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.” - Laurence J. Peter


19 posted on 04/28/2017 10:16:36 AM PDT by Parmy
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To: ManHunter

After 8 years of monumental debt because of out of control spending, they’re [now] worried about debt? Unbelievable....


20 posted on 04/28/2017 10:30:37 AM PDT by mikelets456
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