For perspective, here is a good look at the last big spending cut/tax increase deficit battle and how it came out. The Republicans would be stupid to agree to to trade tax increases for imaginary spending cuts because A. they will get screwed on the deal and B. the country doesn’t want tax increases and will hand over the government to the Republicans lock stock and barrell come 2012 on the current trajectory.
Behind the GOP opposition to tax hikes is the party’s word given to the country that elected it in 2010, its political principles, its traditional view of what not to do when the nation is in a slump, and party history.
Fully 235 Republican House members signed a 2010 pledge not to raise taxes. And by giving their word they were rewarded with victory.
Should they now dishonor that pledge, what would differentiate them from George H.W. Bush, who famously promised in 1988: “Read my lips! No new taxes!” then went back on his word and took the party down to defeat with him?
Second, the GOP is the party of small government and low taxes.
Why would it agree to raise taxes on the private productive sector when federal spending, now at a peacetime record of 25 percent of GDP, is the problem?
Third, America is in a slump, with 9 percent of the workforce unemployed, another 7 percent underemployed and the economy growing at a tepid 1.8 percent.
What school of economic thought — Keynesian, supply-side or monetarist — says raising taxes in a slumping economy is the recipe for a return to prosperity? There is no such school.
Why, when the whole country is talking about the need to create jobs, would Congress raise taxes on a private productive sector that employs six in seven Americans and is the creator of real jobs?
In 1982, President Reagan agreed to the same deal being offered the party today: three dollars in spending cuts for every dollar in tax increases to which he assented. As he ruefully told this writer more than once, he was lied to. He got one dollar in spending cuts for every three in tax increases.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/07/08/an_establishment_in_panic_110501.html
“An Establishment in Panic”
by Pat Buchanan
If the Dems don’t want this to happen, the solution isn’t to whine about the R’s not playing fair. The solution is to play better.
kbusch says
Either they were lying about their concern about the deficit’s importance or they were lying about taxes. They can’t have it both ways.
One must particularly enjoy their campaigning against cuts to social security in the 2010 election. Perhaps in 2012 they can promise all our roads will go downhill.
Christopher says
A quick Google search brought up several polls indicating that Americans believe tax increases have to be part of the solution to our deficit, especially if those taxes primarily affect the wealthy.
Mark L. Bail says
if slightly evil, slightly crazy, conservative. The Dems do need to play better. But the GOP has to stop bringing the country to the brink of catastrophe just to please its lunatic base.
mannygoldstein says
We’ve had a decade of tax cuts. We’ve lost jobs.
The last time we had real unemployment of over 15%, in the early 1930s, the government hiked taxes and started spending massively (but not only on trickle-down nonsense – much went directly to those in need). Unemployment halved and GDP grew at 8% per year.
Then the government decided to tighten its belt quickly in 1937. Unemployment went up again.
Since 1981, government has served to shift money from the 99% to the 1%. The only way to stop us from sliding into bad, bad, bad stuff is to get money back to the 99%. Otherwise the economy will remain a catastrophe, and soon we’ll have serious social unrest: the 99% will not put up with this assault forever.