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Tag Archives: Fiscal Responsibility
Grow Up, Congress: Make a Deal on Debt – CNN.com
Confronted with record-low approval ratings, Congress seems determined to drive them down even further by planning another game of chicken with the debt ceiling this fall. The last time they tried this game, the United States lost its Triple-A credit … Continue reading
Why Tax Reform Talk a Dead End – CNN.com
It turns out that Richard Nixon was a hippie. Here’s Tricky Dick’s wisdom on taxation, always worth dusting off this time of year: “We shall never make taxation popular, but we can make taxation fair.” See — he’s talking about … Continue reading
Mitt Romney’s Tax Idea Would Wallop High-Income Blue States – The Daily Beast
When candidates talk to high-level donors, they tell the truth. And so despite his campaign’s strenuous downplaying, Mitt Romney’s open-mike “gaffe” revealing some details of his tax plan at a closed-door fundraiser in Palm Beach is real news. Forget for … Continue reading
Why the Right Turned Its Back on the Individual Mandate – The Daily Beast
This is it, showdown at the Supreme Court corral—or Three Days That Could End America, as one conservative website put it. At the heart of the apocalyptic rhetoric is the individual mandate—that not long ago was considered a conservative idea. … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged Fiscal Responsibility, Republican Reformers, The Daily Beast
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Three Simple Ways to Make Congress Work – CNN.com
It’s not your imagination: Our dysfunctional divided Congress is the least productive and least popular in recent history. Some congressmen walk the halls like members of rival gangs. The simple job of reasoning together seems out of reach. A few … Continue reading
The Postal Service Is Fighting for Its Life and Should Be Saved – The Daily Beast
A crowded post office is part of the scenery of the season-–long lines, arms full of packaged presents, spare Christmas decorations hanging under the humming lights.
The GOP’s Supercommittee Backlash – The Daily Beast
Congressmen coming back from Thanksgiving break are hoping that a seasonal spirit of forgiveness—or the lingering effects of a food coma—will erase the supercommittee’s stain of failure. It won’t. There will be an enduring political price to pay for last … Continue reading
The Supercommittee Needs an Intervention – The Daily Beast
Cynicism passes for wisdom in Washington for a reason. With the hours counting down before a November 23 deadline, the so-called supercommittee seems either unable or unwilling to make a deal that would reduce our debt by $1.2 trillion over … Continue reading
George Washington to Debt Panel: Man Up – CNN.com
The clock is ticking in Washington on the bipartisan supercommittee, those 12 members of Congress tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by Thanksgiving. More than 140 of their colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, are encouraging them … Continue reading
We Need Deficit Deal Now – The Daily Beast
Nearly 100 members of the House of Representatives from both parties have signed a letter urging the so-called supercommittee to go big and tackle $4 trillion in deficit reduction instead of the $1.2 trillion it has been tasked. The letter … Continue reading
The Battle For Wall Street – The Daily Beast
A little after 6:30 a.m., a cheer went up from the protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park. A press release by New York City Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway announced that Brookfield Properties—the owner of the park—had decided to call off their … Continue reading
Congress Finally Gets Something Right – CNN.com
Our dysfunctional divided Congress finally was able to find some common ground Wednesday, passing long-delayed free-trade bills with South Korea, Panama and Colombia. Together, these treaties promise to increase U.S. exports by more than $12 billion a year while creating … Continue reading
Millionaire’s tax is on target – CNN.com
Here’s one idea that could unite Main Street voters with Occupy Wall Street protesters — raise taxes only on individuals making more than $1 million a year and use that revenue to pay for President Barack Obama?’s jobs bill, which … Continue reading
Occupy Wall Street’s Empty Protests – The Daily Beast
“Do what you’ve got to do, but don’t climb on the walls because you might fall off and get hurt.” This was the voice of “the man”—in this case, a police officer with a megaphone—on the opening night of the … Continue reading
Could Obama’s new tax plan really incite class warfare? – CNN
President Obama will unveil a plan today to cut the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade. A large part of the proposal is expected to be based on raising taxes on Americans making more than $1 million a … Continue reading
Obama’s Debt-Reduction Dare – The Daily Beast
“This is not class warfare—it’s math.” President Obama was playing the happy warrior while presenting his $3 trillion debt-reduction plan in a Rose Garden address, welcoming a fight over raising taxes on the wealthy while a tough re-election looms.
A Tax Reform Slam Dunk – The Daily Beast
Tax Day is nobody’s idea of a good time. But get ready for a year of heated tax debates ahead. In his deficit speech last week, President Obama made clear that he intends to continue his fight to raise the … Continue reading
Gang of 6’s Supercommittee Diss – The Daily Beast
The day before the S&P downgrading of the United States debt, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal lauded the virtues of stubbornness at the Republican National Committee summer meeting in Tampa, Florida. “It pays to be stubborn,” Jindal said. “The press is … Continue reading
Alan Simpson Is ‘Disgusted’ by the Debt Deal – The Daily Beast
Alan Simpson is ‘Disgusted’ by the debt deal. Hear him blast off about Washington’s incompetence. What do you think about the debt-ceiling deal? It’s a start, and that’s all you can charitably say. It really doesn’t get to the big numbers. … Continue reading
The Extreme Grouses as the Center Wins Debt Deal – CNN.com
The center can hold. That’s at least part of the big-picture takeaway after the House passed a lopsided if 11th-hour debt ceiling and deficit reduction bill by a refreshingly bipartisan margin of 269 to 161. The extremes were united in … Continue reading