Posted on 12/04/2012 8:19:48 AM PST by IbJensen
When President Obama put forth his first offer on the fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said, “You can’t be serious.” We could say the same thing to the Speaker after his counteroffer yesterday.
In a letter signed by House Republican leadership, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Boehner offered to raise taxes by $800 billion and cut spending by $1.4 trillion, with no substantive reforms to the entitlement programs that are driving U.S. spending and debt.
Heritage’s Alison Fraser, director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, and J.D. Foster, the Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy, quickly responded that “the Republican counteroffer, to the extent it can be interpreted from the hazy details now available, is a dud. It is utterly unacceptable. It is bad policy, bad economics.”
Boehner’s letter to the President actually said that the Republicans were not going to make their more serious proposal, which has already passed the House.
If we were to take your Administration’s proposal at face value, then we would counter with the House-passed Budget Resolution. It assumes an overhaul of our tax code with revenue remaining at historically normal levels and proposes structural reforms to preserve and protect the Nation’s entitlement programs, ensuring they are sustainable for the long-term rather than continuing to grow out of control.
But, they said, “we recognize it would be counterproductive to publicly or privately propose entitlement reforms that you and the leaders of your party appear unwilling to support in the near-term.”
This is precisely the time for laying out bold reforms, showing the nation the principles, vision and policies conservatives share to dig out of this budget mess, today and for the long term. Instead, the leadership pointed to a plan they said was suggested by Erskine Bowles, the co-chair of President Obama’s debt commission and formerly Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff. It raises taxes, but not by raising tax rates—instead, by lowering the amount or number of tax deductions or exemptions available.
This misses the point of the tax reform America really needs, said Fraser and Foster:
While preferable in general to raising tax rates, this proposal largely dooms future efforts at tax reform based on the sound principle of broadening the tax base to lower the rates. Instead, this proposal would broaden the base, not to lower rates, but to raise revenues. So much for improved economic growth.
Essentially, it appears the Republican leadership caved on raising taxes and first steps toward fundamental entitlement reforms that are desperately needed to keep Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid going. To be sure, the Boehner letter is short on details. But, as Fraser and Foster put it, “Beyond disappointing, the House Republican counteroffer appears at best to suggest incremental tweaks to these programs. Without real entitlement reform—not just spending cuts—we will never fix the underlying problem.”
Not only would this be the right course to take, but Americans polled just after the election have these priorities more in order than the President and Congress.
Just a few days after the election, Gallup asked people to rank a list of 12 issues by importance for the President’s second term. Restoring “a strong economy and job market” was No. 1, with entitlement reform—“take major steps to ensure the long-term stability of Social Security and Medicare”—No. 2. “Make major cuts in federal spending” was No. 6 on the list, while raising taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year was way down the list at priority No. 10.
Now is the time for leaders to get serious. That means serious entitlement reforms that will deliver real savings and improve the programs. The President and House Republicans should both start over and work together toward solutions the nation truly needs.
Why do you think they are purging Conservatives?
Hitler’s Enablers.
None of the politicians are serious because Americans who elect them are no longer serious people. They care more about who will win “Dancing With the Stars” than the fate of their country.
If you mean purging within the Republicrat Party the lead dogs want it to be a mirror image of the Damnocrat Party!
As this next year rolls along the central socialist government will be purging true Conservatives in the same sense as Fidel Castro does. We’ll be imprisoned and our property siezed for use by the evil state.
Republicrats had better wise up. We’re dealing with an insane psychotic here who will do NOTHING that will benefit this poor, sick nation.
What if instead of carrying our multi-tasking cell phones, we’d carry our Holy Bibles?
Think it might catch on?
“...The DamnocRATs are like seriously sick....”
Liberalism is a severe, chronic, mental disease. Their brains have been rotted out to the point where they are not longer logical or rational. They are “The Walking Dead”.
Republicans are just plain stupid to try to even begin to negotiate with these sick azzholes. IF the Speaker had any nuts at all, he’d adjourn the House and go home for Christmas.
Chamberlains and Quislings...
Boner should start handing out helmets, lights and pick-axes. We’re gonna be caving soon.
Damn spelunkers.
to get them to kowtow, but it won’t work
Throw in Hollywood attractions, all kinds of ball sports, rock star concerts and casino gambling and you have USA societal structure fairly well covered.
“What if instead of carrying our multi-tasking cell phones, we’d carry our Holy Bibles?
Think it might catch on?”
In truth I do not. But it would be good for those who do. God preserves a remnant, always.
“Boner should start handing out helmets, lights and pick-axes.”
I don’t think his Democrat masters allow him that authority.
LOL
He's going to have to get a bill passed in the Senate asking permission to cave? It's gonna be a tough one. It'll make the fiscal cliff look like a sidewalk crack.
Again, we fail to understand our opponents. The Democrat voters DO want to reform social security. To them, “reform” means take more money from those making over $250,000 to make absolutely, positively sure that there will be money for the Democrat voters. “Reform” as in raising the age to begin drawing benefits or contributing more of their own money? What, are you high?
Whew! We avoided the dreaded fiscal cliff.
Now at least Boehner, Cantor, et al, can relax while at the DC brothels where they can spend their 30 pieces of silver. And they get to stay ‘friends’ with the Marxist elites for another month or two.
Obama rejected it out of hand anyway, which Bohner knew he would.
Bohners trying to look like he is trying to work together. He is trying to look reasonable to counter O. I dont see it working.
I still say pass the middle class tax cut extension,
and Send it to Reid,
Get on TV and declare crisis is over, announce a victory for the middle class by the House GOP.
Warn that HIS (Os) raising taxes on the small business owners is a big mistake (they go up by themselves and dont need the GOP approval).
Give O one last (make believe) dramatic plea on TV to not crush employers(fake some tears like Clinton would LOL). Talk about jobs, Americans jobs being lost because of Os proved failed tax policies.
Go home for Christmas just like Reid Senate did exactly a year ago leaving House Rs holding the FICA bag.
Let O and Reid hold it this time round.
Tell voters you did everything in your power to stop this.
Enjoy Christmas!
Quit trying to negotiate , that is hopeless.
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Oh, iow, the GOP leadership recognized reality.
Boner needs to be made aware that he is on shaky ground.
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