Principles and the Fiscal Cliff
January 2, 2013 at 5:06 pm in News by Tea Party Patriots 27 Comments
Overspending has been the focus of the Tea Party from the beginning of the movement. Along the way we have refined our strategy and tactics, but principles of fiscal responsibility have always governed our positions.
The same cannot be said of some Washington-based activists. As Phil Klein of The Washington Examiner pointed out on New Year’s Day:
What has been shocking, however, is that I’m seeing a number of conservative critics blasting the deal for increasing deficits by $4 trillion when about 92 percent of that projected increase comes from tax cuts that they support.…For decades, conservatives have been complaining — for good reason — whenever liberals conflate tax cuts and spending. Now, in campaigning against this fiscal cliff deal, they are following the lead of liberals.
Let’s just take a moment to remember why this is so significant. By describing tax cuts as a “cost” and as “spending” as liberals typically do, it suggests that all income is effectively the federal government’s to keep. Anything less than 100 percent taxation is effectively a subsidy if this line of reasoning is followed to its logical conclusion. However, conservatives have always rightly argued that it’s the people who have the right to their own earnings. When Americans pay fewer taxes than they otherwise would, it doesn’t represent a cost — it represents savings.
This deal does increase deficits by nearly $4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office — but more than $3.6 trillion of that amount comes from forgone tax revenue.
Klein is right to call out those who say the legislation is a “cost” due to forgone tax revenue. The fact is that honestly-earned money belongs to those who earned it, not a government entity. The moment that changes the ability of the people to own property is dangerously reduced. This has never been a good thing for society.
The real cost in the bill is in the farm bill’s one-year extension. It’s in the unemployment benefits extension. It’s in unnecessary spending additions to the bill that, as The Washington Post notes, are “attached to this bill because somebody in power wanted badly for them to pass.”
In the midst of legislative battles, it’s easy to fall prey to talking points designed for political advantage. However, violating principles to score political points is part of the problem in Washington, it would be wise for those who are Tea Party-minded to focus on solutions, not short-term political scores that undermine our long-term efforts to return America to greatness.
Sadly, we must come to gripes that we are the minority. We live in a democracy and must accept the will of the majority. The majority of Republicans in the House will vote in Boehner.
We must try to change the minds and educate other Americans to the truth.
We have to try something new. Super Pac money and voter suppression laws are not winning us elections.
Hellfire,
We have always been in the minority. I thank God for that because otherwise it would make me a taker, not a maker. As we did in life, we will prevail in saving the nation. I think that politicians on both sides of the aisle are the problem, not our fellow citizens.
Will, I agree. Hopefully there are enough of us to save this nation. BTW – Do you live in Alaska? I went fishing in your beautiful state. Caught me some nice wild Salmon, however my guide was telling me this may be the last time because of the Pebble Mine. Supposedly, it will be the largest open pit copper mine in the northern hemisphere. Anyways. the guide made it sound like it will destroy all the salmon fisheries along with the other wildlife. Do you know anything about this? It would be a pity if this was true.
Hellfire,
Yes, I moved up to Alaska in 1978. Beacause I have fallen deeply in love with this slice of heaven on earth, I will be buried here. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip. As I understand the Pebble Mine project, there is a war going on between the proponents of the mine and a billionaire who owns a lodge near the proposed site. Both groups have been buying media advertisements for years and make good arguments for their respective sides. What I worry about is the two earthen dams they plan to contain hundreds of billions of tons of sulfur and other toxins that will be left from the milling process. Who would tend them after the operators of the mine leave?
Will, That’s too bad. I know all the fisherman and people who live in the area don’t want the mine, but the big money has too much power and influence. Maybe the EPA can do something?
Hopefully the wildlife in Alaska can be saved because it truly is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.
sure the EPA can enact regulations fines and force a fuel mixture to leach into the groundwater.The EPA and Dept of health through moth and mosquito spraying have seriously affected the water and level of non-threatening non-pest species such as but not limited to- Luna moth,cecroepia,promethia,tuliptree,polyphemous,royal walnut,Imperial moths(look up these brilliant creatures in picture) fireflys, bees,
All these are declining in my area most I know due from sprying for west nile and gypsy moth, bees may be a parasite but I bet its due ti weakness caused by modern chemicals and spraying that weakens the animals defences leaving it vulnerable.
All this is done through and overseen by our government the worst poluter and they only care to take your power through legislation to fine and confine a person into conformity. I suport mining contiously and I believe the company cares to find a way to responsibly do this.
It’s a sad day when the keynote speaker for the Republican National Convention, Gov. Christie turns on his own party. Even Paul Ryan voted for the deal. I always knew these guys were RINO’s.
The Republican party is too fragmented to do anything against the deadbeat moocher liberals.
The Democrats get stronger with the Hispanic and gay vote while we the Republicans raise taxes on the job creators. This is a sad sad day in America.
Hellfire,
Yes, we are the new minority. Most of the GOP voters are white and ageing. We need Whites to increase their birth rate or convince Whites in other countries to migrate here
Well that’s fucking racist.
Jerry,
While you may be factually correct, the GOP is not going to be the saviour of our nation. Well informed Americans of all colors and ages will. People like my wife, whose mother is Japanese and father who is caucasian. People like me a naturalized citizen born in Nicaragua.
Thanks for the laugh Jerry. You are my kind of guy.
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, your antiquated views aid the enemy and piss me off. Go find a cross to burn or wise up!
Jerry,
White people are slowly becoming a minority due to a lower birth rate than most races. When Reagan was president whites were 88% of the population. This last election, it was 72%.
Raising the birthrate will be difficult because most whites value a higher standard of living and acquiring an education over having numerous kids. As for bringing in other whites it will be difficult because most experience a higher standard of living in their home countries with national healthcare, 4 week paid vacations, less gun violence and a functional gov’t.
We just need to get rid of the illegals. I know Obama promised these people amnesty.
Hellfire,
Good point. If more companies had daycare centers at work perhaps people would want to have more kids. Of course that would effect everyone not just Whites.
Which view would that be? Mitt didn’t do well with non-whites.
It’s not such a bad deal. More than 99% of taxpayers got the Bush tax cuts made permanent. The battle will commence in 2 months over spending.
Todd, I guess 99% is better than nothing, but the raise in taxes for the job creators will result in lower job growth. Maybe it was better to raise taxes on the 99% and not the top 1%.
We’ll see in the next 2 months how serious these goons are about cutting spending…
Hellfire,
I agree with you about hitting the job creators with more expenses. Higher taxes, Obamacare and a myriad of government regulations caused me to sell my business and retire. My employees were well paid and had health insurance as part of their compensation package. I have no idea what our politicians are thinking. At some point the Fed printing more money won’t take care of the deficit spending and the debt. Then what? There’s just not enough wealthy people to pay for it all.
We’ll need a winning strategy for that.
If we don’t get rid of Boehner as Speaker, no strategy will work.
We need to force the House to replace Boehner with Bachman.
We need to get Gov. Christie out of the Republican party. Make him join the Democrats or become an Independent.
Christie is a Benedict Arnold traitor along with Chief Justice John G. Roberts.
I bet Obama and the Democrats are laughing at our demise.
Hellfire,
Christie is a New Jersey issue. See if you can get the NJ TPP local groups to start something.
The truth is, our government is hoodwinking us at every turn. We supposedly have a two-party system. Well, kindly explain the total capitulation of the Republicans that ushered in a “plan” that has a 100 percent certainty of eventually collapsing the government.
And, you are probably not aware of the national sales tax you will be paying. The next time you have a receipt from, oh, say, Walmart, look for the “Medical excise tax”. This is one of the Obama Taxes that was scheduled to begin after the election. Every Republican in Congress was aware of this tax.
Why did we find out about it only after the election when we have to begin paying it?
We need to jerk Boehner out of the Speaker’s chair. Anybody but Boehner. Bachman for Speaker. Make it happen.
I have a correction to make. I understand that Cabela’s erroneously listed an additional tax “Medical excise tax” and has corrected that error.
The republicans willtake the blame as usual but the best thing they can do is to redefine the blame into a more accurate word like resposibility. Keep useing the word responsible and irresponsible when getting blame to show what we tried to do with the penny plan, the Ryan budget plan and things that had a chance of reform that were put in print in an on the job setting, versus the no budget, porkulous ad ons, taxes, job killing regulations, job overseas sending regulations,redistributive bull@#$% payoff tarp, Stimulous and so on the liberals want. Lets take responsibility to stop the debt even if is in the form of blame at first for the hurt it will cause the irresponsible people voting for their subsidy,payoff,stimulous, ect. The RESPONSIBILITY will pay off in history when correct history books record those who were responsible saved this God Blessed Country from sure ruin.
Congress should also look at applying the laws to itself and the higher branches to get rid of things that are unanswerable Unconstitutionally to the the representitives the people sent such as the EPA and reign in the supremes and czars.
Seeding our sovereignty to the UN is not Contitutional.
Placating letters I get from my Maryland legislaters doesnt tell me what actions they are taking to address these problems we sent them there to fix on our behalf (I voted for conservatives and they answered specificaly when my area had them go Andy Harris)
Take responsibility not blame, Move the laguage back to our advantage!!!!
For example the hypnotic word forward should be accurately portrayed as down the drain as forward always means spending and debt spiraling out of controll.Imagin our congressmen responding “Dont you mean moving down the drain as that policy would do?”
What you are describing are commonly called “tax expenditures” and they are the reason that that the federal tax code is so complex and difficult to reform — you will always be in the position of favoring one group over another.
There is only one federal tax reform plan that eliminates 100% of those so-called tax expenditures — it’s called The Neutral Tax. It’s relatively new to the tax reform scene, but it is a game changer and it’s the type of out-of-the-box policy that the TPP should be promoting to help get us out of this mess. You can read more about The Neutral Tax at http://www.neutraltax.com.