Cantor Dismisses Budget Fixing Proposal Because It Sounds Too European

[Lars77]

Source: TPM

There are many reasons why Republicans cannot talk about new taxes, even in the name of debt reduction. One is their tea party base, which will (rhetorically) tear limb from limb any politician who dares discuss increasing government revenues by raising the tax rate on anyone by even a smidge. Another, apparently, is because some revenue-neutral tax ideas to spur growth in the economy just sound too much like something a European might do.

Eric Cantor, incoming House Majority Leader, outlined this latter objection to a new in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Asked about a proposal to fix the nation's federal deficit co-authored by a Democratic budget expert and noted non-European retired Sen. Pete Domenici (R), which would actually lower taxes on income and corporations, Cantor dismissed it because, basically, parts of it look to him like something a European might consider.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/cantor-dismisses-budget-fixing-proposal-because-it-sounds-too-european.php

[Crowman1979]

1. I guess Cantor wants it more Israeli instead.

[Mass]

2. Surprisingly, I agree with Cantor that the sales tax is a bad thing.

Obviously, not on the same basis, but because replacing income and corporate taxes by a VAT is very regressive. Actually, it is a measure Cantor should support, based on what he believes in.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. What a total schmuck Cantor is....

[wilt the stilt]

6. the perfect yiddish word n/t

[jtuck004]

4. Isn't the name Eric English? Maybe HE should quit... n/t

[yellowcanine]

5. Trust Cantor to come up with a totally irrelevant reason for not considering something.

If it is a good idea it is a good idea. If it is a bad idea it is a bad idea. Who it sounds like or who else might think it is a good idea is totally irrelevant. Hitler thought trains should run on time. Should all our trains be late because we don't approve of Hitler? What a douchebag.

[DFW]

7. "Too European" is a bad thing?

Yeah, heaven forbid that we should ever have such comprehensive medical care and environmental consciousness
as such evil places as Germany and Scandinavia. After all, look what happened after they released the Schmoo.

(see Al Capp, 1948)

But a national sales tax, or VAT is a bad idea. Each State has the right to introduce a stats sales tax or not
as it sees fit. There is no reason to put another sales ON TOP of that. Besides, VAT is government heroin. Once
they start, they demand ever-increasing doses and they never decrease, and they are never enough to plug the holes
they were designed to plug, no matter how high they get. Plus, they hit people with lower incomes way harder than
they hit the higher-income people.

[ut oh]

8. Anytime the repubs come up with something, we should say...

it sounds like something an Taliban might consider... That should stick in the craw nicely....