Well stated Op-Ed on Buffet Rule! USA Today Letter to the Editor April 23 2012: Savings Must Start Somewhere; et. al.
Hurray! One Mississippi opinion writer gets it about Congress defeating the Buffett Rule! Would they scoff at $5 billion if it meant funding popular public programs?
Unfortunately, this particular letter is not on-line; although the preceding letter about Mr. Romney's tax filing extension is:
Letter to the editor April 23, 2012 USA Today should have a url link, but it doesn't.
Title: Savings Must Start Somewhere
It has become the reflexive fashion of Republicans to deride the Buffett rule as Democratic grandstanding that would generate "at best" $5 billion per year. Other estimates range from $37 billion to $50 billion. But, let's go, for argument's sake, with the GOP low-ball estimate of $5 billion. ("Buffett Rule" fails in Senate, News Tuesday)
I wonder (writes John) whether these Republicans who could consider this particular $5 billion a trifle would similarly scoff at savings $5 billion per year if it concerned some tax expenditure or policy that they opposed such as funding for public television and radio or some subsidy for Planned Parenthood. Would they be saying it's a pittance compared with our national debt, so just ignore it? I doubt it.
Certainly, $5 billion per year will not approach fixing our grave economic problems. But to dismiss even that considerable sum as irrelevant while railing against immensely smaller expenditures concerning their own pet peeves, is hypocrisy plain and simple.
Such hypocrisy suggests that the GOP- the party that claims the mantle of fiscal conservatism - is concerned with financial responsibility and living within our means only up to the point at which the wealthiest Americans might actually lose a tax break or have to pay their fair share. John Rachal, Hattiesburg, Miss.
Preceding letter: Rachal's letter follows a defensive opinion in support of Mitt Romney asking for a tax filing extension (a letter which is available on-line), written by Jack Bennett from Stevenson Ranch, California. This particular letter claims the Democrats are covering up "out of control" spending by creating an issue about Mr. Romney filing for an extension on his taxes. All I know about tax filing extensions is that they are usually done so because the person who can't make the April 15th or 16th deadline has "issues" to deal with or simply can't manage their fiscal house adequately. Mr. Bennett knows full well it is expected that all Americans and corporations make their tax filing deadlines. I don't know of a president or a presidential candidate who has been unable to make this deadline. By requesting an extension, Mr. Romney is in the minority among his colleagues. Moreover, it further speaks to his inability to articulate his wealth to the American people. All the while, Mr. Romney makes false accusations to President Obama about the administration's truthfulness and transparency. Mr. Romney is definitely irresponsible for not filing his taxes on time. Although many people ask for and receive tax filing extensions, it's poor administrative procedure for a president or presidential candidate to do so, in my opinion (especially when the others seem to get it done!
But, Dear Mr. Bennett, to shift the discussion from Mitt Romney's request for a tax filing extension to Democrats spending is absolutely ridiculous!
I'll post this blog on the USA Today twitter feed.
Unfortunately, this particular letter is not on-line; although the preceding letter about Mr. Romney's tax filing extension is:
Letter to the editor April 23, 2012 USA Today should have a url link, but it doesn't.
Title: Savings Must Start Somewhere
It has become the reflexive fashion of Republicans to deride the Buffett rule as Democratic grandstanding that would generate "at best" $5 billion per year. Other estimates range from $37 billion to $50 billion. But, let's go, for argument's sake, with the GOP low-ball estimate of $5 billion. ("Buffett Rule" fails in Senate, News Tuesday)
I wonder (writes John) whether these Republicans who could consider this particular $5 billion a trifle would similarly scoff at savings $5 billion per year if it concerned some tax expenditure or policy that they opposed such as funding for public television and radio or some subsidy for Planned Parenthood. Would they be saying it's a pittance compared with our national debt, so just ignore it? I doubt it.
Certainly, $5 billion per year will not approach fixing our grave economic problems. But to dismiss even that considerable sum as irrelevant while railing against immensely smaller expenditures concerning their own pet peeves, is hypocrisy plain and simple.
Such hypocrisy suggests that the GOP- the party that claims the mantle of fiscal conservatism - is concerned with financial responsibility and living within our means only up to the point at which the wealthiest Americans might actually lose a tax break or have to pay their fair share. John Rachal, Hattiesburg, Miss.
Preceding letter: Rachal's letter follows a defensive opinion in support of Mitt Romney asking for a tax filing extension (a letter which is available on-line), written by Jack Bennett from Stevenson Ranch, California. This particular letter claims the Democrats are covering up "out of control" spending by creating an issue about Mr. Romney filing for an extension on his taxes. All I know about tax filing extensions is that they are usually done so because the person who can't make the April 15th or 16th deadline has "issues" to deal with or simply can't manage their fiscal house adequately. Mr. Bennett knows full well it is expected that all Americans and corporations make their tax filing deadlines. I don't know of a president or a presidential candidate who has been unable to make this deadline. By requesting an extension, Mr. Romney is in the minority among his colleagues. Moreover, it further speaks to his inability to articulate his wealth to the American people. All the while, Mr. Romney makes false accusations to President Obama about the administration's truthfulness and transparency. Mr. Romney is definitely irresponsible for not filing his taxes on time. Although many people ask for and receive tax filing extensions, it's poor administrative procedure for a president or presidential candidate to do so, in my opinion (especially when the others seem to get it done!
But, Dear Mr. Bennett, to shift the discussion from Mitt Romney's request for a tax filing extension to Democrats spending is absolutely ridiculous!
I'll post this blog on the USA Today twitter feed.
Labels: Buffett Rule, Mitt Romney tax filing extension, USA Today
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 11:28 AM
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