Free Republic

To make fun of big efforts that produce small results, the famous Roman poet,Horace, wrote “The mountains will be in labor, and a ridiculous mouse will be brought forth.” That line sums up my view of the new tax reform plan introduced by Congressman Dave Camp, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. To his credit, Congressman Camp put in a lot of work. But I can’t help but wonder why he went through the time and trouble. To understand why I’m so underwhelmed, let’s first go back in time. Back in 1995, tax reform was a hot issue....

Contending Americans have embraced his conservative agenda, President Bush pledged Thursday to aggressively pursue major changes in Social Security, the tax code and medical malpractice awards, working with Democrats if they are receptive and leaving them behind if they're not. "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it," Bush said a day after a decisive victory that made him the first president in 68 years to win re-election and gain seats in both the House and Senate. CBS News Correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports the president's idea of reforming Social Security begins with creating...

Unintended Consequences of Republican Tax Reforms Tax-Credited Welfare by Bruce Bartlett Republicans are having a hard time getting traction on the idea that it is wrong to increase refundable child tax credits to families with no income tax liability. It’s not a question of being stingy -- many are genuinely concerned about the growth of a non-taxpaying class that potentially can vote subsidies for itself under the guise of tax reduction. In practice, however, this is less of a problem than it appears. In truth, Republicans have no one but themselves to blame for the mess they have gotten into....