georgephillip
Diamond Member
While few of us doubt that government budgets are in deep trouble, there's a huge and growing divide over why.
Are these deficits the result of excessive spending by local, state and federal governments, or do they result from the plummeting revenues over the last two years of our Great Recession.
Robert Reich:
"Theyre (public budgets) also in trouble because of tax giveaways to the rich.
"Before Wisconsins budget went bust, Governor Walker signed $117 million in corporate tax breaks. Wisconsins immediate budge shortfall is $137 million.
"Thats his pretext for socking it to Wisconsins public unions.
"Nationally, you remember, Republicans demanded and received an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Theyve made it clear theyre intent on extending them for the next ten years, at a cost of $900 billion.
"Theyve also led the way on cutting the estate tax, and on protecting Wall Street private equity and hedge-fund managers whose earnings are taxed at the capital gains rate of 15 percent.
"And the last thing theyd tolerate is an increase in the top marginal tax rate on the super-rich."
Reich thinks electing Democrats changes the class war dynamic.
It doesn't.
Are these deficits the result of excessive spending by local, state and federal governments, or do they result from the plummeting revenues over the last two years of our Great Recession.
Robert Reich:
"Theyre (public budgets) also in trouble because of tax giveaways to the rich.
"Before Wisconsins budget went bust, Governor Walker signed $117 million in corporate tax breaks. Wisconsins immediate budge shortfall is $137 million.
"Thats his pretext for socking it to Wisconsins public unions.
"Nationally, you remember, Republicans demanded and received an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Theyve made it clear theyre intent on extending them for the next ten years, at a cost of $900 billion.
"Theyve also led the way on cutting the estate tax, and on protecting Wall Street private equity and hedge-fund managers whose earnings are taxed at the capital gains rate of 15 percent.
"And the last thing theyd tolerate is an increase in the top marginal tax rate on the super-rich."
Reich thinks electing Democrats changes the class war dynamic.
It doesn't.