On taxes, it's Washington vs. America

NY Post ^ | April 28, 2010 | Michael Barone

[Scanian]

The Obama Democrats' stealth strategy for increasing the size and scope of the federal government is well under way, despite huge voter backlash. Federal spending has risen from a 30-year average of 21 percent of gross domestic product to 25 percent, and a bipartisan commission tasked with reducing the deficit may recommend tax increases.

Presidential economic adviser Paul Volcker has already called for a value-added tax, a form of national sales tax. President Obama yesterday refused to rule out any tax hikes, saying of the deficit commission: "We're not playing that game. I'm not going to say what's in. I'm not going to say what's out. I want this commission to be free to do its work."

The assumption in some quarters is that a tax increase is inevitable and that the public won't allow any significant decrease in public spending. But there's reason to question that assumption.

Spending cuts have proved politically sustainable in other advanced countries. Economist Tyler Cowen, writing in The New York Times, notes that in the last two decades Canada, Sweden and Finland all cut government spending 20 percent within a few years when faced with structural budget deficits.

[Leisler]

Government, is the enemy.

[Man50D]

The better national sales tax alternative is The Fair Tax Act(HR25/S296). The difference between The Fair Tax and a VAT is that the former will replace all federal income taxes with a national sales tax instead of be imposed in addition to the federal income tax code and will abolish the IRS. Fair Tax ping!

[dennisw]

DC= Imperial capital
Just as decadent and bloodsucking as Imperial Rome. If I live in Montana, Arizona or Alaska I’m thinking, “What do I owe these parasites that live 3,000+ miles away”? “They do nothing for me”

“They don’t even defend the borders”

[The Working Man]

I sometimes feel like I am in a bad movie. One that has the spoiled brat saying: “If you aren’t going to play my way I am taking YOUR bat and ball and taking your sandbox too.”

Unfortunately for us they won’t go away and leave us alone. If they did, I could marginally accept this. But they won’t, it will just be another thing and then another. For a long time I thought that some people were moonbats for saying that Obama and company wanted any reason to institute Martial Law. And now? Yes, I DO believe it too.

[GlockThe Vote]

The only thing that will change this mess is a total collapse so that these criminals are not able to spend the money in the first place.

[Texas resident]

Meanwhile, the european economy is starting a slow motion crash, our “leaders” are going full speed ahead in raising taxes on us, targeting industries for takeover, targeting a state for enforcing federal law and outright disrespecting the half of the country that had the sense not to vote for the street thug from Chicago. We are at alice in wonderlandville.

[mapmaker77]

And a liberally applied death penalty.

[The Working Man]

I don’t think a total collapse of the money supply will bug these guys to much. I think it is power they are after.

[Oceander]

[ALPAPilot]

If I had a dime for every neighbor (and Freeper for that matter) who expects me to pay for their kids education, I’d be rich. Most people will only claim that governments are instituted to secure unalienable rights until you suggest that they pay for their own kids education, then 80% of the country is made up of liberals crying “don’t take away MY government money;”