Thursday, October 14, 2004

Unusual strategy

John Kerry has promised to raise taxes.

I have to ask you to do one thing: Join me in rolling back the president's unaffordable tax cut for people earning more than $200,000 a year. That's all.

Actually he has promised to "rollback" tax cuts, which mean the same thing as raising taxes. John Kerry has been able to avoid using the negative term of "raise", very well.

I general if you are going to raise taxes, you should not tell anyone that you want do it (Bush I) and do it during times of prosperity (like Clinton) hoping very few people notice. I am surprised that Kerry has promised to raise taxes, and still even with Bush.

Apparently, just picking on the rich is ok also.

cube

6 comments:

Dave Justus said...

Class Warfare. Always a democratic strategy.

Andrew said...

Class warfare or fiscal responsibility. Or maybe a mix of both. We're running a large deficit, and I don't see Bush cutting programs... so without a *very* devout faith in future growth (the kind Kerry used to sidestep Social Security), you're going to have to raise taxes.

But really: when you're opponent is a big-government Republican, anything goes. You need to define a new axis for contrast, like "I'll *pay* for my programs!".

Brian said...

The only problem with that idea, Andrew, is that Kerry's proposed tax hike won't even come close to paying for the new spending Kerry has proposed during his campaign. In the perfect Kerry Administration, where he passes all of his tax increases and all of his programs, the deficit would go up, not down. (And not by a little bit.) Of course, a President Kerry would likely accomplish none of this, since Congress will remain Republican for the foreseeable future and Kerry's popular support will almost certainly evaporate the moment GWB isn't president anymore. Still, though, for Kerry to claim he'd "pay for his programs" would be disingenuous at best, and an outright lie at worst. Not that the American electorate is particularly disturbed by politicians who lie, of course, but since Kerry's whole campaign is based on the claim that "Bush Lied!," it would be, well, ironic for him to start telling bald-faced lies on the campaign trail.

Dave Justus said...

How many times has Kerry spent his tax on the rich?

2 to 3 times for his health care
Who knows how many times for funding social security
That money is going to pay for inspecting cargo on ships and in airplanes as well
Is this the money he is using for expanding the military as well?

Andrew said...

I never said Kerry's plan was solvent, but that it was more realistic than Bush's "more government spending and more tax cuts for everybody!" Insomuch as Bush's plan isn't a lie, it's the hallmark of a pretty radical faith in future growth.

But you can you argue against returning to pay-as-you-go? Demanding that all bills that get voted in must look reasonably revenue-neutral, or revenue-positive? With this kind of deficit, it sounds like a good way to slow the flood.

Man of Issachar said...

"it's the hallmark of a pretty radical faith in future growth."

Andrew i am sure you are aware of real business theory.

Here is a link that explains it really well.
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/10/a_nobel_for_rea.html

It seems to me that this reccession might have preparaed us for amazing growth in the next few years.

I think that if the president is able to stream line the tax system, encourage savings, and instate a few progrowth polices. Their is a good chance that the growth will be realized, though probably in the four years after bush.