Was your group actually crunching the data? Or were they limited to advocacy only?
Dynamic Scoring (DS) has never been used but it’s been tested against actual results.
The Harvard Economist (forget his name at the moment) who was one of the original writers of the DS equations (the mathematical model) was given access to the data and ran tests against it.
When tax data results came in, the DS Model was applied and compared to the Static Scoring projections. The DS Model showed superior accuracy and more precision every time.
Superior ideas, even tested, confirmed and endorsed methods, are these days not accepted by groups inside the Beltway. DS was even legislated to be used and the democrats stopped it with flimsy excuses.
I was offered access to the tax data as well for a different but related purpose.
One of the things I was busy with was HR 25, the FairTax microeconomic model as it applied to the MacDonald’s corporation supply chain when replacing the federal income tax with a consumption ‘with floor’ (rebate) tax at the consumer end (retail endpoint). The results showed vast superiority of the FairTax application across every metric.
I had met Leo Linbeck Jr. in his offices in Houston, Tx in 2006 (he passed away a year and half ago) and went to DC for a brief time from Seattle to work with the architects of the HR 25 legislation.
Having grown up in DC (father was an attorney under the AG) I had left at age 19 in the early 70s for university work. Upon returning to DC for meetings my JCT contact told me “things have changed in Washington”. He told me “people no longer care so much about what can be done for the nation as much as they care about what’s in it for them”. And it was true.
The JCT and CBO political masters were more interested in closing in on the 300 Billion tax gap left by the underground economy to bring in more revenue to the federal government so that federal committees could have a bigger pie to grow their fiefdoms. It’s all about them; “Good of the Country” is not really a genuine consideration as much as it’s a marketing line for more budget inside committees. My JCT contact coached me that receptiveness of HR 25 could best be gained by angling on the underground economy effect. Of course I was advocating beneficial effects for consumers but found deaf ears. When I addressed how the FairTax captured the underground economy, I was a hot commodity until Nancy Pelosi told Leo Linbeck Jr. that the FairTax would never pass no matter how good it was for the country.
So it doesn’t surprise me that your efforts were shutdown and bad legislation was substituted in its place.
I found in 2006 the republicans to be supportive of improvements and new efficiencies in government whereas democrats were intransigent. Today both parties are intransigent.
“What’s in it for me?” defines Washington DC today for both parties. The political parties truly act like what people call the ‘Uniparty’.
That’s why you’ll see me writing here on FR about Article V and the Convention of States (COS) Project. More people are warming to COS especially given votes like yesterday’s Speaker vote.
Ours was a 20 or so person working group drawn FRom many influential conservative groups Inside the Evil Beltway (ITEB).
Ah, those were heady days! We really thought we'd be able, what with the Republican takeover of Congress and all, to make a difference. Didn't work out that way -- though we had the ear of many Members, we were not influential enough to upset the old order, and the DS attempt failed.
Dynamic Scoring (DS) has never been used but it’s been tested against actual results.
And, invariably, as you note below, DS rings the bell! I used to be able to quote studies that clearly showed the benefits of DS as opposed to static scoring. Been too long ago, and the info is no longer in my head or my files.
I cannot remember the economist's name, either. But, back in the day, I had a couple of sit-downs with Arthur Laffer, the author of the Laffer Curve. The Laffer Curve discussion got the DS ball rolling.
One of the things I was busy with was HR 25, the FairTax microeconomic model as it applied to the MacDonald’s corporation supply chain when replacing the federal income tax with a consumption ‘with floor’ (rebate) tax at the consumer end (retail endpoint). The results showed vast superiority of the FairTax application across every metric.
When and where were you when you were working on HR 25? I was heavily involved with the FairTax FRom the get-go. I was an ITEB lobbyist for it until I moved to Flori-Duh in 2004.
By the time you got to WDC in 2006, I was out of the game, except for being a FairTax activist. HST, I gave testimony before the House Committee on Ways and Means on April 12, 2000. Leo was there, and testified, of course! What a day that was; Good Lord Willing and the Creeks don't rise, we'll have some more of those hearings in the near future!
. . . Upon returning to DC for meetings my JCT contact told me “things have changed in Washington”. He told me “people no longer care so much about what can be done for the nation as much as they care about what’s in it for them”. And it was true.
Your FRiend is absoFReepinglutely correct! The ITEB crowd care only for themselves. The game is about "Who Wins," and the guaranteed outcome is that We the People lose!
Please don't get me wrong -- I am not really that cynical, but after 9 years ITEB, and having observed WDC FRom Flori-Duh for 10 years, it appears to me that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans care a whit about We the People or the USA!
There are some good Congressmen and Senators, and my hope and prayer is that this Congress will realize that the most important thing for them to do is obey their oath to the US Constitution!
I'm not holding my breath!
The JCT and CBO political masters were more interested in closing in on the 300 Billion tax gap left by the underground economy to bring in more revenue to the federal government so that federal committees could have a bigger pie to grow their fiefdoms. It’s all about them; “Good of the Country” is not really a genuine consideration as much as it’s a marketing line for more budget inside committees. My JCT contact coached me that receptiveness of HR 25 could best be gained by angling on the underground economy effect. Of course I was advocating beneficial effects for consumers but found deaf ears.
Their rejection of FairTax ensures a vigorous and growing underground economy! Dumbasses!
When I addressed how the FairTax captured the underground economy, I was a hot commodity until Nancy Pelosi told Leo Linbeck Jr. that the FairTax would never pass no matter how good it was for the country.
Nancy is not the only CongressCritter to have that view!
I found in 2006 the republicans to be supportive of improvements and new efficiencies in government whereas democrats were intransigent. Today both parties are intransigent.
“What’s in it for me?” defines Washington DC today for both parties. The political parties truly act like what people call the ‘Uniparty’.
Well said!
That’s why you’ll see me writing here on FR about Article V and the Convention of States (COS) Project. More people are warming to COS especially given votes like yesterday’s Speaker vote.
I must confess to having mixed emotions about Article V and the Convention of States Project. HST, I have an open mind; I am most concerned about excessive LIEberal input. Do what you can to limit or eliminate LIEberal influence, please?