The Republicans like to pretend to be the ones who are fiscally responsible, even though while they were in power they spent like drunken sailors but refused to pay for their purchases, thus doubling the National Debt.
The only difference between Republican spending and Democratic spending, is that the Democrats spend on programs that help the people, invest in the future, and grow the economy.
Republicans spend on defense, which is the least stimulative, and produces fewer jobs than any other government spending. The Republicans answer to any problem, good times or bad, is to give tax cuts to the rich and the corporations who need them the least.
All but 13 Republicans have pledged never to raise any taxes for any reason. That is why even though they started two wars and doubled Military spending, they did not pay for it, preferring to just put it on the credit card. Their claim is that it is a spending problem not a revenue problem, even though our infrastructure has been crumbling, our schools going down the tubes and the nation unable to compete in any area but weapons manufacturing.
Their pledge not to raise taxes during this debt crisis drove the nation to the edge of calamity, threatening to destroy the economy again, rather than eliminate wasteful subsidies to the oil companies which are making record profits, or cut tax breaks for private jets. Most conservatives see this as an ideological Rampart against the rampant and irresponsible spending. This is their ideological fortress defending their very identity as conservatives.
Except it is all bullpucky!
Now the hypocrisy of the Republicans has become quite clear. They are willing to break their pledges, to breach the ideological ramparts, and tear down their fortress of responsibility. They are willing to raise taxes – as long as they raise taxes on the poor.
Obama wants to stop an automatic tax increase on the middle class but the Republicans are fighting him.
Why the big reversal? Why are the Republicans willing to break their oaths now, when they were willing to destroy the economy just a few weeks ago to protect tax breaks for the rich and corporations?
The reason is that the tax breaks the President wants to extend only helps the people who make less than $106,800. The president wants to give every family another $1000 on average.
http://www.abc12.com/story/15303782/gop-...The Republicans are only willing to destroy the nation defending tax breaks for those making more than $250,000.
The President wants to extend the payroll tax break which benefits 95% of the county even if they owe no income tax. This tax break should help families spend more to stimulate the economy. This will increase demand, which will cause factories to expand and hire more workers. Growing the economy will reduce the debt because more people pay taxes and less are dependent on government services.
A tax increase on those middle class workers will slow down the economy, increase the debt, and cost jobs.
Of course for the last 30 years the Republicans have been dedicated to shifting the tax burden from the rich to the middle class. They effectively raise taxes on the poor and the middle class by cutting government services people depend on. Their plan to eliminate Medicare would be an effective tax increase of $6,000/year on average for the old and infirm because it just shifts the burden of health care, from the government, to the old and sick who are least able to pay. All of the rest of the austerity plans of the Republicans are similar back door taxes on the poor and the middle class, because all of those cuts to programs people rely on would mean more spending by those least able to afford more spending now when they are suffering.
It is quite clear now that the Republicans are not fiscal conservatives. They are not opposed to the entire idea of taxes. They are just opposed to taxes on the rich. The Tea Party is not "Taxed Enough Already". The Tea Party thinks that 95% of the people are not taxed enough- only the rich and the 2/3rds of the corporations who don't pay any taxes are deserving of tax breaks.
This decision makes clear that for the last 30 years the Republican myth of fiscal responsibility is a total sham. This is just pure and simple class warfare.
The Republicans are only willing to defend the rich and the corporations who pay their campaign bills. They are willing to spend like crazy to help the corporations that fill their campaign coffers, they are just unwilling to pay for their purchases. They care little for the suffering of the other 95% of America.
The Republicans have no problem with raising taxes on the poor and middle class, they just don't want to raise taxes on their benefactors.
They care little about Democracy. They are willing to destroy the nation to oppose the 2/3rds of the people in the country that think that Social Security and Medicare should be protected, that military spending should be cut and that the rich should be taxed more.
They prefer the ostentatious affluent to the poverty-stricken Peons. They want to return to the time of royalty and the dark ages before our revolution.
You dance with the ones that bought you.