The Issue: The battle in Washington over taxes and spending, and their impending economic impact.
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It’s interesting that many people continue to think that President Obama wants a settlement to avoid the fiscal cliff. He doesn’t (“Growth Is All That Matters,” Editorial, Dec. 1).
He wants to go over it and then use the resulting complaints to reduce taxes on those making less than $250,000 and restore social spending cuts. Then, presto, he becomes the tax-cutter-in-chief and defender of the poor and middle class.
Obama couldn’t care less about economic growth. He cares about wealth redistribution and equality of outcome.
Republicans need to take this to heart and deal with him accordingly. Sean McDowell
Atlanta
Obama wants to raise taxes on the wealthy.
He speaks out of one side of his mouth of millionaires and billionaires. Out of the other side, he cites families making $250,000 as rich. Something is very wrong with this picture.
Melanie Coronetz
Manhattan
Republicans should make a pledge to see if liberalism works. It could bring great benefits to the country for years to come.
If four years of taxation on job creators and spending on unions bring this country to its knees, as it most certainly will, it will be worth it to gain a clear answer on liberal policies once and for all.
Let Obama and the liberals have their way, so they’ll own the results of their policies.
Steve Gidumal
Orlando, Fla.
Republicans should agree to raise income taxes on individuals making $1 million and couples making $1.5 million — the real rich — combined with an agreement by the Obama administration to use zero-based budgeting for 2014 and the rest of the term.
Zero-based budgeting would provide a true cost of government that could establish a baseline for how much entitlements would need to be adjusted.
At the same time, Republicans should explain on television why raising taxes during an economic downturn is a bad idea because it reduces consumer demand and that America’s debt problem comes from overspending, not low tax rates.
Max Rugemer
Oakton, Va.
The “party of no,” “obstructionist” Republicans should handle the current budget deal the Democrats put forth exactly the same way they did with Obama’s health-care deal — zero involvement — if they want to galvanize the base and make big gains in the 2014 midterms.
Alan Alberts
Thornton
Surely, the fiscal cliff is meaningless to Obama and the Democrats. They extended the Bush tax cuts, rather than making them permanent, and then went on a $6 trillion borrowing, spending and regulation spree with impunity.
They intend to raise taxes beyond merely letting the tax cuts expire on Jan. 1, which, coupled with the coming costs of ObamaCare, will decimate businesses, jobs and the middle class.
America has already been deceived, betrayed and pushed off the fiscal cliff. A hard landing and a deeper recession are dead ahead.Daniel Jeffs
Apple Valley, Calif.
I suggest a referendum on whether tax rates should be raised for those with high levels of income and that eligibility to vote on this referendum be restricted to those who actually paid income tax the preceding year.Don Murray
Manhattan
Now that Obama has laid out his opening bid for negotiations, here’s an idea for House Speaker John Boehner: On the revenue side, he can call for the elimination of state and local income-tax deduction.
That’s about $50 billion per year and hits the blue states the hardest. It should be no problem, since they voted for higher taxes anyway.
On spending cuts, how about $6 trillion over 10 years? Start with cutting Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Education, and the balance can go to entitlements. Based on the balance of Obama’s bid, this is equally balanced.
Brian Daniel
Manhattan
Spreading the wealth — and choking US growth
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Spreading the wealth — and choking US growth
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Spreading the wealth — and choking US growth
