The Senate Budget: A $2641 Per Household Tax Increase and No Entitlement Reforms

Heritage Foundation ^ | March 22, '07 | Brian M. Riedl

[T.L.Sink]

The Senate Democrats, writing their first budget resolution since winning control of Congress last fall, have produced a budget blueprint that:

. Raises taxes by $900 billion over five years and a projected $3.3 trillion over ten years;

. Translates into a tax increase of $2641 per household annually over the next decade;

. Includes 22 reserve funds that could be used to raise taxes by hundreds of billions more;

. Increases discretionary spending by nearly 9 percent in FY 2008 and does not terminate a SINGLE program;

. Completely ignores the impending tsunami of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid costs; and,

. Employs the same gimmicks that Congress criticized the President for using in his budget proposals.

That's just the five year total. Projected over the ten year period, the expiration (or required offset) of all existing tax cuts would raise projected revenues by $3,268 billion -- easily THE LARGEST PEACETIME TAX INCREASE IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

[chiefqc]

The elected officals in Washington have cares about the voters. Look at the drug companies and the way our elected officals sell their votes for fools gold.

[The Pack Knight]

Democracy is demographics. People on the dole will always vote to continue taking our money because that money is their livelyhood. Once a critical mass of tax recipients exists, it is democratically self perpetuating. We have achieved that mass and smaller, less parasitic government is no longer electable. The only thing that is to be decided is which recipient blocks will grow the fastest this year.

The Founding Fathers knew democracy was wrong, and this is why. That's why they gave us a constitutional federal republic.

Think of the Constitution as the dam holding back the floodwaters of mob rule. The Founding Fathers were great men, and built that dam strong, but they were still only men, so there were flaws, small cracks for democracy to gain purchase. Cracks such as the Commerce Clause, or an amendment process that isn't strict enough. Over the decades and centuries, those cracks have grown under the crushing weight of populism, until the Great Depression caused that dam to crumble and burst.

Now we find ourselves with something of a democracy, despite our forefathers' best efforts. Now we have the situation Alexander Tyler predicted for all democracies, where voters have "discover[ed] that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury."

What are we going to do to stop it? Whatever it is, it won't be easy, and it won't be quick. Who knows, in the end, it may not even be bloodless. But if we want to live up to Benjamin Franklin's challenge and keep the republic he and his fellow heroes gave us, we're going to have to do it soon.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Thanks again, “protest voters.”

Hey you're welcome! Staying home in 2006 and not worrying about gutless Republicans was so much fun. I actually finished some of my projects leftover from summer.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Explain to me why losing this election was good????

And the 12 years that the GOP controlled Congress there was spending cuts?

[T.L.Sink]

I think, sadly, we all spend most of our time working for the government to pay taxes- federal, state, and local. But what is most frightening - to me - is the blatant attempt to destroy the spirit of independence of Americans.

In other words, we depend upon government to solve ALL our problems - great or trivial. In this sense, we become addicted to government and become, in a sense, addicts. We’re in serious danger of losing such fundamental concepts as personal responsibility, free choice, and accepting the consequences of our own decisions and actions.
I know to many this seem an oversimplification of complex problems but I would say that we’ve overcomplicated some very simple problems and solutions!

[The Pack Knight]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but that sort of trend doesn't appear to be sustainable for long though unless the currency is devalued or the population increases at a rate equal to or greater than the growth of the recipient pools (cue to illegal immigration?).

You're quite right. For example, see Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, History of.

Unfortunately, though, politicians rarely concern themselves with logic or consequences beyond the next election when they make empty promises and raid the public treasury to buy votes. Likewise, most voters simply want to be told what they like to hear.

[Antoninus]

Thanks again, “protest voters.”

It's tough to blame the voters when the party in power gave them absolutely no reason to come out and vote for them. Fear of the "other" is never enough to win elections. When you look as weak, impotent and inept as the GOP looked from 2004-2006--with both branches of Congress and the presidency under their control, you can't expect to win.

We're paying the price for electing spineless Republicans to begin with.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Dude, you don’t have to explain anything to the bootlickers. They feel that anyone with an R before their position is better than the Democrats. The fact is that the Republicans lost due to historical trends and that they lost Libertarian and independent voters with their hypocrisy on social issues. The Republicans stunk, bottom line, and blaming conservatives for the GOP’s loss is really getting old here.

[Antoninus]

Ditto to that. Looks like some will do it again in 2008.

It will be worse in '08. The president looks weak and done. The House and Senate minority leadership are non-entities. If we're stupid enough to put up a liberal like Gungrabiani as our nominee, we could be looking at a Republican wipe out of epic proportions.

[Centurion2000]

Thanks again, “protest voters.”

You're quite welcome. Let us know when Frist or Trent Lott actually get a frakking backbone and are ready to fight old school rules politics and we will be back.

Till then the GOP can kiss my left one.

[Prost1]

Thanks again, “protest voters.”
You’re quite welcome. Let us know when Frist or Trent Lott actually get a frakking backbone and are ready to fight old school rules politics and we will be back.

Till then the GOP can kiss my left one.

---

I thought I would repeat what is a very point message.
If the GOP has leaders who are wimps and crooks, then they are not my party.
If the GOP wants to spend my money like a democrat, then they are not my party.

Get the candidates and the support will come.

(And enough of this abortion litmus test. I vote my pocketbook!)

[The Pack Knight]

You’re right, and it’s getting old for me, too. We need to quit whining and think about exactly WHY Republicans lost. Blaming voters for their votes is pointless. It’s the candidate’s job to get elected. The Republicans need to show some leadership and fix what’s broken, and quit passing the buck down to the voters or up to the President.

[zerosix]

Republicans, when in charge, failed to vote those tax cuts "permanent" as maybe they could conger up some goodies for their lobbyist buddies and they were certainly spending like drunken sailors to keep themselves in office by giving away our hard earned dollars for votes.

That's but another reason they went down in flames in '06.

The measly few left, still haven't figured out the truth, they listen only to their media consultants and sycophants, else they'd really filibuster some of these bills and especially the "freedom-for-pesos" giveaway to Mexico!

[Centurion2000]

We need to quit whining and think about exactly WHY Republicans lost.

Because the candidates suck. Because the GOP has forgotten how to fight in the political arena and are getting walked on like Jack Tripper. Check out some of the old 1800's political discussions ... those guys had hot rhetoric and could make a political showdown.

[T.L.Sink]

I fully agree but I hope they’ve learned a lesson. As I said to another FReeper, we’re all sick of RINOs who’ve done nothing but given us a choice between “tweedle-dum” and “tweedle-dee.” I know I’ll be roasted for saying this but I blame George Bush (no conservative!) for much of our plight.

[freespirited]

In all likelihood, Hillary will support the increase and Rudy will oppose it.

Assuming that is the case, it boggles the mind that anyone here can insist that there is no difference between the two, or worse, that they’d rather have Hillary.

[The Pack Knight]

That's exactly what I mean. For starters, its time to end the left's monopoly on righteous indignation. For example, Inhofe started off well against Al Gore, but he really should have let Boxer have it after her whining.

Maybe we need a couple Taiwan-style parliamentary brawls to get things started.

[zerosix]

Bush, is no conservative. Most of us realized that after, if not before 2000, but he was the only way to survive in War on Terror in 2004.

Now things are different, many Republicans lost, though not as many RINOs and others who either did or did not were told, public did not like war and crack down on border with Mexico.

Even semi-conservative, though pro-open borders, Brownback, think that merely being "pro-life" is enough to gain him top spot.

After true pro-life conservative, pro-American values give way to "moderate values", liberals would much rather vote for the real thing than vote for the phony sissy RINOs any day and in '08 they'll certainly get that opportunity from the CommiecRATS.

I can only hope that the "pubbies" give us a real, honest, conservative to vote for instead of holding our noses, as we did with Dole (never again) or the party will truly dry up and blow away.

[FairOpinion]

“In all likelihood, Hillary will support the increase and Rudy will oppose it.

Assuming that is the case, it boggles the mind that anyone here can insist that there is no difference between the two, or worse, that they’d rather have Hillary.”

It really is pretty amazing, isn’t it, especially in a consrvative forum, where people should fully realize the threat Hillary is to the nation.

[hosepipe]

[... The Senate Budget: A $2641 Per Household Tax Increase and No Entitlement Reforms ..]

Wait until Hitlery is elected in 2008...
Universal health care is NOT CHEAP..