Bush's uncaring tax-cut math

[paineinthearse]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/09/20/bush146s_uncaring_tax_cut_math/

Bush's uncaring tax-cut math
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist | September 20, 2005

WE HAVE two wars abroad. Moreover, we must rebuild a Gulf Coast region so thoroughly devastated that had the destruction come from human hostilities, we would have declared a third war. Yet President Bush pretends in a critical way as if nothing happened at all. ‘‘You bet, it’s going to cost money,’’ Bush told reporters last Friday. ‘‘But I’m confident we can handle it, and I’m confident we can handle our other priorities. It’s going to mean that we’re going to have to make sure we cut unnecessary spending. It’s going to mean we don’t do — we’ve got to maintain economic growth, and therefore we should not raise taxes.’’ Bush then hid behind a familiar prop of politicians: the common person. ‘‘Working people have had to pay a tax, in essence, by higher gasoline prices,’’ Bush said. ‘‘And we don’t need to be taking more money out of their pocket.’’

What Bush really meant was better said by White House spokesman Scott McClellan. On Sept. 8, a day after White House requests for emergency aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina soared past $62 billion, McClellan was asked, ‘‘Why does the president believe it is morally justified, why is it the right thing, to give some of the richest people on the planet a huge tax cut right now?’’

McClellan said, ‘‘It’s not a fair description.’’
The questioner persisted, ‘‘Why at this point in our history is it justified, morally right, to do this?’’
McClellan answered, ‘‘First of all, I’d have to dispute your characterization, because all Americans have received tax cuts.... We’ve made tremendous progress to keep our economy growing.’’
The questioner said, ‘‘And there’s no way to ask the richest people in America to sacrifice.’’
McClellan said, ‘‘Keeping our economy growing stronger is important to helping with the rebuilding and recovery efforts on the ground. The last thing we want to do is take more money from lower-income Americans that have been affected by this and have received significant help from those — from those tax cuts."

This game continued last Friday at a press briefing where McClellan was accompanied by White House economic policy adviser Al Hubbard. A reporter asked whether the Katrina relief efforts would make the Bush administration put aside its push to extend the massive tax cuts of the first term. Hubbard answered: ‘‘The last thing in the world we need to be even thinking about is raising taxes. A strong economy is what is going to pay for rebuilding the affected areas.’’ In the Bush world, the math adds up very quickly. One More Warlike Cost + Permanent Tax Cuts + Spending Cuts = Working people who will have to pay more money out of their pocket for all the domestic services that will be cut.

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[DBoon]

1. In ancient times, the gods required human sacrifice

to ensure the crops would grow and the tribe would prosper.

"Civilized" Americans require tax cuts for their wealthiest for the same reason

[gademocrat7]

2. miserable failure

shrub continues to show his utter disregard for anyone who isn't in his tax bracket.