So far I have had several posts about how people want to take your things from you to give to others in a power grab masked as fairness. This weekend, the LA Times threw its hat into the ring as an enabler of this view.
How did they do it? The LA Times, in reporting on the possible recommendations of the [what I am sure we will soon see is the improperly named] National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, gives space to author Kenneth Harney to write the following about possible upcoming tax change recommendations:
“Likely targets: The mortgage interest deduction, which added about $100 billion to the deficit in fiscal 2010 and more than $400 billion during the last five years, according to congressional estimates; capital gains exclusions for home sale profits, which cost more than $128 billion between fiscal 2006 and 2010; and property tax write-offs, which cost $70 billion-plus during the same period.”
At a glance, the more smooth brained among Harney’s readers will most likely look at the idea that each of these programs are adding significantly to the deficit and [after working painstakingly with their Cipher Me Elmo calculators for several hours] ultimately add the numbers above to get a number that [while almost assuredly wrong] seems “pretty high.” As a result of this realization, these people will eventually succeed at wrapping their fragile little head meat around the idea that adding to the deficit is “bad” and so these programs must be "bad” as well.
The problem with this idea, as those people who’s minds have a few more wrinkles will see almost immediately, is that adding to the deficit is a result of spending rather than a result of not taking more of other people’s property.
Let’s think a moment about this if we could. If Congress looked at the money they have coming in and then spent only that amount, there would be no deficit. Further, if a part of what they planned to spend was applied to the National Debt, that too would one day disappear. This is how budgets should work. It is only the willful decision to spend MORE than you are taking in that will add to the deficit. It is only the willful decision to IGNORE the debt that allows it to grow to the levels it has now reached.
The belief that legal deductions are somehow adding to the deficit requires the believer to dismiss the roll of the government in the process at all. Further, this attempt to push the blame for deficits to property owners is yet another step towards seizing wealth in addition to taxing income as a method of redistribution.
The evidence is all around us. Whether we choose to see it will determine our future and the future of our children.
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