Voices for Children had an opinion piece in today’s Albuquerque Journal echoing Obama’s claims that the “rich” don’t pay enough taxes. He also repeats the canard that the federal government is somehow “integral” to the success of private sector businesses.
First, let’s tackle the tax burden issue which is really all about payroll taxes. The federal government stops collecting payroll taxes after the 106,800th dollar of earned income. That seems unfair, right? Why would Congress do such a thing to hurt low income Americans? Well, according to the Congressional Research Service, “[H]aving different bases for contributions and benefits would weaken the traditional link between the taxes workers pay into the system and the benefits they receive.” In other words, if it is supposed to be “social insurance,” Social Security can’t be welfare at the same time.
Of course, Social Security and Medicare ARE welfare and have been for some time, but that doesn’t mean raising the cap on payroll tax collections so the wealthy pay even more taxes is a good idea. Rather, it is time to “means test” the programs so the wealthy receive less. After all, is it really fair that Mr. Buffett’s secretary is being taxed to provide his Social Security and Medicare?
Then there are all the “essentials” that Bradley and liberals love to bring up whenever federal spending cuts are on the table: roads, research, air traffic control, the weather service, and courts. As the chart below points out, all of these services combined represent a tiny fraction (less than 5% at most) of the federal budget. Many of these “services” could be done more effectively by the free market if the feds got out of the way, but if we are going to have a serious discussion about the budget, people need to understand that it is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and defense that eat up a bulk of the federal budget (and, yes, the chart has a separate category for “welfare,” but that does not obviate the reality that an overwhelming majority of Social Security and Medicare are welfare by different names.
“No matter what anyone may say about making the rich and the corporations pay taxes, in the end they come out of the people who toil.”
— Calvin Coolidge
(1873-1933), 30th US President
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Calvin.Coolidge.Quote.B6BA
I generally agree with Voices for Childrens policies but think that someone with some journalistic clout should monitor their website in order to observe what they claim they do, then check out their list of staff and the amount their staff are paid in order to evaluate whether NM kids are getting a big enough bang for their buck, or if it is more of a home for liberals, such as Kelly ODonnell, former heard of Licensing and Regulation under Bill Richardson,currently out of work in state government enabling them to continue to pull down a big paycheck in our poor litle state. I am a liberal but that doesnt mean some liberals arent scumballs. We all know they are.