The Tax Cut Myth

If it’s been a while since I’ve posted, it’s because I’ve been thinking. For example: The myth perpetuated by the Republican Part about tax cuts for the rich is that it increases employment. It doesn’t. It simply increases the amount of money the rich take home. The idea that adding a 3% tax on their income would cause someone to lose their job is preposterous, unless we’re talking about Jose Mow-de-Lawn or Anita Keep-de-House. The entities that create jobs are businesses, not individuals.

Of course the argument could be that giving the rich more of the money they earn will be spent and that will create jobs, but that argument is better for the middle-class than it is for the rich because there are millions more middle-class than there are rich. So, giving the middle-class tax breaks makes more jobs than giving tax breaks to the rich. On the other hand, one could look at it like Congresswoman Bachmann does; “…there are not enough rich people.” That statement is so stupid that it astounds any sense of decency. She favors wealth transfer from the poor to the rich. She survived 2008 reelection 47% to 44% in the sixth district in Minnesota. That must mean that at least 47% of the voters in Minnesota's sixth district are stupid.

But, Bachmann is just the tip of the iceberg. All Republicans appear to have jumped onto the Limbaugh band wagon. He is their spokesman and he wants Obama to fail. And, no, I’m not taking Limbaugh statement out of context. He was very clear on that. And, to hear all the Babel coming out of the Republican Party, they are bent on causing Obama to fail. Out of one side of their mouths they preach that allowing the Bush tax cut for the rich to expire and giving the middle-class a tax cut is “Socialism”; transferring wealth to the middle-class. But, what is giving the rich a tax cut while not giving one to the middle-class? That sounds like “Socialism” for the rich; transferring wealth in the other direction. They speak with forked tongue selling their tax cut snake oil as an elixir for all government ailments.

Progressive tax on all is a good thing. It means that if you make more because of the opportunity and fortunate circumstances given you, then you should pay more dues. There’s nothing wrong with being grateful to the country that provided you with your good fortune. It’s difficult to find grateful rich people now days or even people who want to support their country. The fact is that the U. S. of A. is broke; more than broke. The only way to get us out of the hole is taxes. So, if you make it, then pay up.

If Obama does fail, I don’t think it will be because of anything he did; it will be caused by the opposition to his success. That’s too bad. It will cause America to fail too.

The Devil and KGO NewsTalk Radio

Nothing pisses me off more than a so-called news source playing with the news. KGO is taking on that hue by playing devil’s advocate with the noisiest opinion of the day. This morning was no exception. For example, the latest prattle on the wires is that Obama is losing the “message” war with the right-wing Babel. So, yesterday Obama sounded off with some pretty straight talk about what the stimulus bill ought to be; that of creating jobs… period. So, instead of emphasizing what Obama said or assessing whether what he said had merit, the Babel focused on his temperament or whether he was throwing a tantrum or not. True to form, the KGO Morning News show with Ed Baxter and Jennifer Jones, with a Lynn Jimenez’s assist, plays devil’s advocate, not with what Obama said, but with the Babel’s take; i.e., whether he threw a fit or not. They, Ed and Jen, brought on some opinionator from somewhere to speak as a so-called expert on Obama’s message while they, Ed and Jen, questioned him on Obama’s temperament. It doesn’t matter that the expert accurately described Obama’s message and intent. The fact is that the lasting impression KGO gave is that Obama has an anger problem. The message was secondary.

So, in response to a previous email I sent Ed regarding these “devil advocate” positions the he and Jen frequently take, Ed responds that “he thinks KGO is fair.” Well of course he would, since it’s his job. I, of course, as a listener think he’s all wet and that KGO needs to take another look at how it addresses the latest Babel of opinion. It is, after all, only opinion and is noisily spewed out by people whose only skill at all is talking. Why would KGO side, even when playing the Devil’s Advocate game, with those who wish failure on President Obama when his failure will mean that we all fail? We are not in a game. We are in a severe downturn of the economy machine that maintains our very survival. Is it for ratings or his/her job? Is an argument of opinions worth continuing the paralysis of the decision process with more argument?

To listen to KGO Morning News one could begin to believe that the old Republican mantra of tax cuts is the one and only save all. Yet, out the other side of their mouth they wonder what is going to pay off the debt. Taxes pay off government debt. It’s the only thing that pays off that debt. Ah, but there is another argument against that too; cut the spending that will create the jobs. One would think that we would be happy to support our country, but it appears, per the KGO devil, that we’d rather have a tax cut.

Jobs, not tax cuts, are the most important part of the stimulus, and it’s already been proven that tax cuts do not create jobs; government projects will create jobs. Yet, the Babel cries about all the spending on these projects and deceives the public by calling it “pork.” I’ve looked through the bill, especially at the things being called pork, and it looks like 99% are needed investments in America infrastructure someplace in America. How is that pork? Calling it pork is just another deception by those who got us into this mess. Improving infrastructure creates jobs. Sewers don’t dig themselves. Concrete doesn’t mix itself. Computers don’t install themselves.

But, when Ed thinks he’s right and listeners are left out, I have very little hope of anyone else being heard and little hope that we will succeed. We are paralyzed by the continuing cacophony of Babel.