The GOP doesn't target other large spending programs, like defense, farm subsidies, oil industry tax breaks, etc. There's a distinct partisan bend to the areas where Dems vs. Repubs would cut. And of course neither party will propose how to rein in the growth of Medicare spending because ... it's an election year, and you can't piss off older voters and all their younger relatives.
As other writers have noted, for the GOP, deficits = spending that helps Dem constituencies. GOP-favored spending is exempt from that label, as are the tax cuts that the GOP Santa likes to give out.
Frankly, I don't have a fiscal conservative I can vote for in the presidential race. Anyone who thinks the GOP are the fiscal conservatives is operating on wishful thinking. Anyone who thinks the Democrats are the wise fiscal managers is smoking something.
Why, when there is so much need and space for sanity, is there no one filling that void?
Photo: blog.livingspark.net
Note to Paulistas: Yes, Ron Paul is a fiscal conservative. But he wants too small a government, whereas I'd like to keep the FDA, EPA, and other agencies that ensure safety and security, as long as they are efficient in terms of costs and benefits.
3 comments:
I have to argue that fiscal sanity starts with reversing the policies that primarily caused the deficits. This is an accounting principal called LIFO (last-in, first out). Get rid of the Bush-era tax give-aways FIRST. Since most of the give-away was to the wealthy, they give it back first. Then we'll talk about the rest of us.
You analysis of the GOP's selective "cuts" to harm Dem constituency -- while supporting deficit increases which help their constituencies -- smacks of cronism to the max, and they are practically unabashed about it.
I agree that the Dems record is hardly perfect in this regard, but the last time the Dems had a clean opportunity to do something about the country's fiscal mess -- under Bill Clinton in 1993 -- they raised taxes, turned a moderate deficit to a moderate surplus, and paid the political price. Then the GOP used those surpluses as an excuse to tax cuts by a huge amount -- and make huge, structural deficits. Once again, they hope to taught the Dems into politically disastrous tax increases. Can you blame the Dems for not being willing to fall into that trap? Why should they, when the GOP will just reverse it again -- gaining politial favor by cutting taxes -- when the get in control again?
What's your fiscal strategy that will survive political attack? Simpson-Bowles? Pahlease!! As Andrew Sullivan points out (again) today, sure, he'd like to see Obama push for more deficit reduction. But with the GOP 100% unwilling to raise any taxes any time, what's the point?
@Anon, First, please pick a screen name, though I can't enforce it and wouldn't sacrifice your comments for it.
I don't agree that fiscal sanity HAS to start with reversing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. That's ONE of the reasonable places for it to start. Another one is moderately deep cuts in the budget based on efficacy, not political ax-grinding.
What's my fiscal strategy that will survive political attack? Maybe if the Dems pushed Simpson-Bowles now, they could say they want and must do it as a bipartisan effort. They'd need bipartisan help to get it passed anyway, so that would give them some cover. So, they shouldn't do it without plenty of Repubs going on the record in support. But we both know that has <1% chance this year.
Yes, I wish they'd put a marker down on S-B, but I'm not pissed as them for not doing it, because it's true that the GOP has signaled non-cooperation loud and clear.
As I've said, there's no one who is a fiscal conservative I can believe in, so I'm in a lesser of two evils situation. Dems still look better given those circumstances.
There's another way in which Republicans too often aren't genuine fiscal conservatives: knowingly enacting tax breaks (especially for the well-to-do) that will result in curtailment of even essential governmental services, such as the courts. That's just happened where I live.
Post a Comment