Open thread
Submitted by James Protzman on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 5:08pm
Interesting numbers.
$482 billion - How high the federal budget deficit is projected to be in 2009.
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If only...
Our government isn't subject to Sarbanes Oxley. There's some creative accounting going on:
BJ
William (B.J.) Lawson
Congressional Candidate, North Carolina's 4th District
Laughable
And your "solution" to the problem is quite simply laughable.
Your website claims you would like to repeal the income tax and tax consumption. Except on the same page you say that a consumption tax is a bad idea. I can only assume from this that you believe government either should not exist or should be 'so tiny it can be drowned in a bathtub'.
So you want us to shrink the size of government while still paying for a strong national defense and doing things you think are important like having some sort of (albeit minimal) involvement in environmental regulation. Except in reality everything you want to pay for would still account for over 50% of the current budget. So how would you pay for that dear old deficit hawk? And if you allude to the Laffer Curve I will respond by pointing at our economy.
"Keep the Faith"
I must admit
that my campaign site falls short of providing a comprehensive national budget proposal. But so does my opponent's. Ah, the benefits of incumbency. Gotta love the status quo.
I would prefer, ideally, to tax consumption instead of income.
I do not think the current "FairTax" proposal is ideal, however, for reasons I document on my Web site.
Given the confluence of forces affecting our economy, I'd prefer a Carbon Tax. But I'm still too early in my research and discussions to get behind a comprehensive proposal. Someone once said, "Tax what you burn, not what you earn." Actually, I think it was Al Gore.
You're right, though, we can't talk about tax reform without addressing spending. We absolutely need to reduce the size of government. I'd prefer a federal government that is small enough to fit inside the Constitution. But not everyone agrees -- there are some who prefer our quasi-fascist police state and carte blanche support for empire building and the military industrial complex. Neither of those are prerequisites for national defense.
Finally, you can't begin to talk about budget deficits and the national debt unless you understand the consequences of fractional reserve banking and debt-based money.
Really, though, there are very few people who are laughing right now. I'm glad to have brightened your day.
William (B.J.) Lawson
Congressional Candidate, North Carolina's 4th District
New DSCC Ad: Dole Ranks 93
NCDem Amy on YouTube
Very good anti-McCrory ad.
I just saw a really good ad blasting McCrory for opposing minimum wage increases, but supporting pay raises for politicians - including himself. Great, great, great argument.