GOP may OK tax increase that Obama hopes to block – Yahoo! News
August 22, 2011 2 Comments
GOP may OK tax increase that Obama hopes to block – Yahoo! News.
You won’t hear from me very often around here, but there are some stories that simply cry out for commentary. This is especially true when Max Brantley over at Arkansas Times get it completely wrong (which does not happen very often).
Here is the beginning of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — News flash: Congressional Republicans want to raise your taxes.
Impossible, right? GOP lawmakers are so virulently anti-tax, surely they will fight to prevent a payroll tax increase on virtually every wage-earner starting Jan. 1, right?
Apparently not.
Republicans are opposing Obama, so they must be wrong, right? Well, not so fast.
This particular tax is the payroll tax. It funds Social Security. It is IMPORTANT that this “temporary” tax cut be reversed and the full amount collected. Let me note that Social Security Disability is apparently in trouble and one method of funding that obligation is to “borrow” from Social Security.
One way or the other, if Social Security should run out of dough, which is more possible if it is permanently starved of essential revenue, Max will be the first to wail loud and long. This is an essential program and funding it is imparat9ive. I am personally grateful that Republicans (even people like Eric Cantor) see the importance of Social Security.
In other words, Obama is VERY wrong and Republicans are (at least on this one) correct.
Lynch at Large 
The problem is how the issue is framed. You are right that we need those revenues but Obama is right that we can’t let the GOP get away with blocking taxes on billionaires while raising taxes on the working poor and middle class. If Republicans want to “restore” higher payroll tax rates then let them also agree to “restore” the income tax rates. Obama agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts in a deal together with the payroll tax cut. That was a mistake in the first place but now to restore the payroll tax without restoring the income tax would make the mistake worse.
The following post about the tax system is closely related to these issues:
Senator Boozman insults half his constituents
Unfortunately I had to add this post:
Senator Pryor insults half his constituents
Is that what Obama wanted when he called for bipartisanship? Bipartisan incompetence? Bipartisan disdain for the working poor? Bipartisan dishonesty? Bipartisan greed and recklessness? Americans are in for a rough time.