Wednesday, February 05, 2003
BLOGGING HIATUS
Okay, okay. Just relax. This one is only until Monday.
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Tuesday, February 04, 2003
PLAYING HARDBALL?
This article in the Des Moines Register reports that the Bush Administration budget makes substantial cuts in farm programs favored by Senator Charles Grassley. Given that Grassley is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, a position crucial to the passage of the Bush tax cut, why would Bush risk alienating Grassley?
Actually, I think it is the other way around. The Administration is less than pleased with Grassley’s recent criticism of the Bush tax cut, particularly his dislike of the cut in dividend taxation. By threatening to cut programs Grassley favors, Bush is exerting some leverage.
Give it about a month. By that time Grassley will claim that the Administration has assuaged his “doubts” about the dividend cut, and he’ll be urging his Senate colleagues to support the Bush plan in full.
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Monday, February 03, 2003
RADIO INTERVIEWS
Joe has asked if my debate on WSUI can be found online. Yes it can, right here (scroll down). You'll need Real Player to hear it.
Also, I will be interviewed (about the state budget, again) today at 5pm on KXEL. The name of the show is "On the Air With Mike Bunge," and it is on 1540 AM on the radio dial.
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PLEASE DON’T DWELL ON IT, OR THE GAME MAY BE UP!
The title of this editorial in the Des Moines Register urges us not to “dwell on double taxation.” The editorial asks rhetorically “Why is one the form of double taxation bad, but others aren't?” I don’t think anyone is arguing that other forms of double taxation are okay. It’s just one reason why the government should eliminate the tax on dividends. For the Register to set up the debate this way is a bit of a straw man.
But here is what I think is really eating at the Register:
[Double taxation of dividends] is hardly the only instance where the same money is taxed twice. If you hire a plumber, you pay for the service with money on which you have already paid income taxes. But the plumber must also pay income taxes on what you pay him. The same money is taxed twice. The fact is, money is taxed at many points as it ripples through the economy.
No wonder the Register doesn’t want us to dwell on double taxation. If we do, we might focus on the fact that the government gets numerous—and too many—bites at the apple. We might demand that the government do even more to reduce the tax burden. So, could you please pay attention to something else?
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GOD BLESS THEM
God bless the Columbia astronauts and their families.
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HAPPY HYSTERIA
Rekha Basu is really sounding desperate. The U.S. is heading toward a war that she can’t stand, and President Bush still has high approval ratings. So she can’t help but be giddy over seeing Governor Vilsack criticize Bush’s State of the Union Speech. She particularly liked this:
Calling Bush's speech unfocused, he did a parody: "God, I've gotta talk about hydrogen-powered cars, and I've gotta talk about Saddam."
Oh yeah, that’s a real side-splitter!
Basu is so upset she can’t even get some of the facts right:
The economy is in shambles, the commander in chief is leading us unilaterally into a war we can't afford, which he can't justify with proof of imminent danger, and which a majority of the public doesn't support on those terms.
The economy is growing slowly, but it is hardly in “a shambles.” As for unilateral, perhaps Ms. Basu hasn’t realized that countries like Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Australia support military action against Iraq. Or perhaps it depends on what the meaning of “unilateral” is.
As for a majority of the public not supporting the war on Bush’s terms, she ought to take a look at this recent Washington Post poll. 61% approve of Bush's handling of Iraq, 75% approve his handling of the War on Terrorism, 66% favor military action against Iraq, and 51% favor action even if the United Nations is opposed. I’ll cut her some slack on this as the poll was released after she finished her column.
Yes, not good news for those who loathe our current President. But don’t worry Ms. Basu. You can always call that witty governor of ours to cheer you up.
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