Naomi from St. Clair shores wrote:
If I was a wealthy American, which I am not, I would be outraged by those who are upset at my inclusion in renewal of the Bush tax cuts. If I was lucky enough to have earned enough to live well, or inherited wealth from family success, then as an American I am entitled to share in the same benefits as other citizens and legal residents.
Her letter brought some criticisms from on-line readers. One writer, marytee, wrote:
Naomi's .. hypothetical statement professing outrage ... shows a significant amount of ignorance regarding how the rich actually feel about the cuts. Several dozen millionaires, including Warren Buffett, the third richest person in the world, recently urged that the cuts be allowed to expire for the good of the country.
It's far more likely that Ms. Solomons' outrage is selfishly political--she'd rather see the deficit increase--which what happens with these cuts--than see a Democratic president succeed.I believe Naomi's comments are no more "politically selfish" than maryteee's. maryteee seems to measure a budget's value by the revenue it collects (and from whom it's collected from in particular) than how much it spends.
Unfortunately for maryteee, being wealthy doesn't make Mr. Buffet's opinions correct--it just means Mr. Buffet is wealthy. Even as the third wealthiest person in America, Mr. Buffet doesn't speak for all America's wealthy.
On a related note, the national budget isn't broken because it doesn't tax “the rich,” it's broken because it overspends.
James Madison wrote, "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one subject to particular exceptions."
In the last several congresses, our government has become less limited by its constitution than by foreign governments' willingness to buy our debt.
We should be ashamed of our complicity with federal spending and our greed at accepting federal grants and ear-marks.
Complicity and greed are not the franchise of "the rich." Gifts from the treasury have corrupted us all.
Could you tell me what the context is of you Madison quote?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'm not exactly sure what you mean, byt the context of the quote. Are you wondering why it's there?
ReplyDeleteIf that's what you're wondering, then it's there because of what our government is spending its money on. Entitlements, unneeded federal agencies, redundant agencies, unneeded regulations, etc. etc. Align our spending with the constitution's enumerated powers, and the budget problem is solved.