February 19, 2013

Without Serious Spending Cuts, the Conservative Base Will Walk Away

By Jon N. Hall
The good news on taxes is that for the first time in twelve years Americans have permanent tax rates for the biggest source of revenue to the federal government, the Individual Income Tax. That not only gives Americans a measure of certainty, it also puts the issue to rest -- tax rates have been dealt with. Members of Congress who voted for the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the Fiscal Cliff deal, voted for tax cuts for 99 percent of income taxpayers. Remember, when Congress passed the deal January 1, the Bush tax rates had just expired and the Clinton tax rates had just gone into effect. So Congress was voting for tax cuts. How, then, has tax activist Grover Norquist's star in any way dimmed? It hasn't. Far from getting his comeuppance, Norquist could consider his mission accomplished and retire were he not having so much fun. What the Fiscal Cliff deal also illustrates is the utter mendacity of Democrats who for years droned on and on about the Bush tax rates as "tax cuts...(Read Full Article)