Posted on 11/28/2011 11:36:08 AM PST by 92nina
[Will post rest of the article in a comment, 300 word limit at it again.]
...1990 Budget Deal
In the 1990 budget deal (also known as the "Read My Lips" deal or the "Andrews Air Force Base deal"), President George H.W. Bush agreed to raise taxes by $137 billion from 1991-1995 in exchange for a reduction in projected CBO outlays of $274 billion (hence, a 2:1 ratio of spending cut promises to tax increases).
The tax increases all went through. Most notably, as stated above, the top marginal income tax rate was raised. But there were dozens of other tax hikes in that bill as well. We still are paying virtually all of them. What about spending? Prior to the deal, CBO projected that 1991-1995 spending would total $7.07 trillion. The deal should have resulted in historical spending in that period some $274 billion lower than that. Instead, spending was actually higher than the pre-deal baseline. Actual spending in that period was $7.09 trillion, an increase of about $20 billion (not a decrease of $274 billion).
This is despite the fact that there was another "spending cut" deal in 1993, right in the middle of this window. If anything, the 1990 deal should have delivered with flying colors. It not only promised spending cuts in its own right, but it had the 1993 deal to give it a turbo-shot. Instead, not a single penny of the promised spending reduction actually happened.
In other words, ATR is and always has been correct that the promised spending cuts never materialized.
But what about Kessler's point that domestic discretionary spending declined as a percentage of GDP? That's not in dispute. It's also not material. It's a completely different metric which has nothing to do with the promise made in 1990...
Read more: http://www.atr.org/washington-post-fact-checker-moves-goalposts-a6609#ixzz1f1sbsSnJ
(Excerpt) Read more at atr.org ...
Take this article and others I found to the fight to the Libs on their own turf; put the Left on the defensive at Digg and at Reddit and in Stumbleupon and Delicious
Simply ask, “When have the Dem’s ever followed through on an actual spending cut?”
Answer: NEVER!
They may reduce the rate of growth, but never actually “cut spending”!
So....When they attempt to make fun of GOP candidates for not falling for a “10 to 1” proposal for Spending Cuts to Tax Hikes”, simply respond by telling them “The Cuts NEVER happen!!!”, But, the tax hikes ALWAYS happen!”
There are resons for that 300 word limit. Do not try to bypass it.
The WaPo has a fact checker?
Who knew??
Sure they do ...
Any actual true facts found in a proposed Washington comPost article are immediately excised.
Can't be havin' those around, now can we?
Agreed, did not mean over-step bounds.
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