Wiseacre
Retired USAF Chief
All this crap about the Repubs not willing to raise taxes, well neither are some democrats. First of all, they had 2 whole years of total control, didn't do squat. Seems to me no lib/dem has the right to squawk.
But even now the Senate dems could pass a bill to do it, a budget resolution only requires 51 votes. So why doesn't Harry Reid put it up for a vote? Simple - he ain't got the 51 votes. Some realize raising taxes now is a bad idea for the economy, many won't vote to raise tax rates even on the rich, unless they've got political cover. Some would be willing to cut tax expenditures like oil, gas, and ethanol subsidies among others, or other loopholes and tax breaks, but other senators won't go along if it's their constituents who have to pay the price. Landrieu of LA, Nelson of NE, and Begich of AK will not support stopping the oil subsidies, 13 dem senators voted to kill the ethanol subsidy, and Nelson of FL and Begich are even against a surtax on the millionaires.
Point is, it's not only the GOP that doesn't want to raise taxes. You can rant all you want about what most Americans want in one poll or another, but repubs aren't the only ones who aren't paying attention.
PS: got most of this info from an op-ed in the WSJ. No link, it's propriety.
But even now the Senate dems could pass a bill to do it, a budget resolution only requires 51 votes. So why doesn't Harry Reid put it up for a vote? Simple - he ain't got the 51 votes. Some realize raising taxes now is a bad idea for the economy, many won't vote to raise tax rates even on the rich, unless they've got political cover. Some would be willing to cut tax expenditures like oil, gas, and ethanol subsidies among others, or other loopholes and tax breaks, but other senators won't go along if it's their constituents who have to pay the price. Landrieu of LA, Nelson of NE, and Begich of AK will not support stopping the oil subsidies, 13 dem senators voted to kill the ethanol subsidy, and Nelson of FL and Begich are even against a surtax on the millionaires.
Point is, it's not only the GOP that doesn't want to raise taxes. You can rant all you want about what most Americans want in one poll or another, but repubs aren't the only ones who aren't paying attention.
PS: got most of this info from an op-ed in the WSJ. No link, it's propriety.
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