Don't deny that. If you're apying attention, I suggest we cut spending and rasie taxes. A two pronged approach. It takes both. The trouble with both sides is the tendency to focus too much on only one prong. Do you think I'm wrong about this?
Nope. I'm actually okay with a slight raise in taxes and said so here. However, not until the Government actually enacts and STICKS TO real CUTS...not simply agreeing to raise the amount they spend the following year a bit less than they would normally raise it. I mean actually leave it where it is and then begin to CUT it.
The government has shown as recently as the 90's it has no issues in raising taxes on us, and in more recent times raising taxes on other non-income related things. What it hasn't shown is any significant, honest ability to cut its spending and STICK to that cut in spending.
Additionally, tax increases hit
immedietely while spend plans like Obama has put forward cut a little spending now (and I use "cut" loosely) and primarily backload the cuts 5 to 10 years down the line making it questionable if the cuts will even see the light of day.
Show me the government can actually be serious about spending cuts, and then give me a tax increase. If you're going to spread that spending cut over multiple years and back load it, then that tax increase better start small and tier itself to a higher level as the increaes in spending cuts increase. And the tax increase should touch
EVERYONE. I'm fine with it being progressive and affecting the higher incomes more than the lower incomes, but
EVERYONE should at least feel some of the pressure when taxes are increased to make it a tangable thing and not seemingly "Free money" at someone elses expense.
I've advocated a while that I'd be fine, once the economy smooths itself out some, with implimenting a 2% national sales tax whose money revenue doesn't go into the general fund but rather goes directly to paying down our debt thus decreasing our interest payment over time and saving us money.
Unfortunately, time and again, our politicians have shown that increase in revenue is just an excuse for them to jusitfy increase in spending rather than something to offset and possibly provide a surplus over the amount they've managed to cut spending to.