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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

The President Will Offer Unicorns

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  April 13th, 2011 at 05:01 AM  | 

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Today at 1:00 p.m., President Barack Obama will address the nation to talk about balancing the budget.

Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told the White House Press Corp that Paul Ryan’s budget plan is a non-starter because the budget is not balanced. Carney failed to mention that Barack Obama’s budget does not balance either.

In fact, it is Paul Ryan who is necessitating Barack Obama’s speech. Obama set up his deficit commission and then, upon getting its recommendations, treated it as the red headed step child of the administration. It was neither seen nor heard. When Obama gave his State of the Union address he ignored the commission in its entirety.

Only after Paul Ryan came up with a detailed plan did Barack Obama have to respond. More the follower of the free world than leader of the free world, Obama will yet again follow someone else’s idea and explain how his is better.

What we know from the plan is that it will not be better. It will be more of the same backfilled with wishes, dreams, and unicorns. It will also include massive tax hikes and finally embrace the deficit commission while, no doubt, Obama works furiously behind the scenes to undermine it.

The top one percent of income earners in the nation earn only 19.6% of income in the nation, but pay 41% of the taxes in this country. The top 5% of income earners in the country pay 60% of all taxes in the country. How asking them to pay more is in any way fair or equal treatment is beyond me. But Obama will ask them. To Obama, all men should be treated equal except the successful.

Only a few weeks ago, Barack Obama praised the tax deal Republicans and Democrats entered into in December. Remember that deal? It extended the Bush tax cuts. Obama was perfectly happy to attribute that tax deal to job growth in this country.

But now Obama wants to demagogue the rich and demand scrapping the Bush tax cuts. What he is doing is not offering up a real plan — a plan that can be agreed to on Capitol Hill. He’s offering instead more class warfare.

In Barack Obama’s zeal to punish the successful, he will ignore that Americans of all incomes have less and less disposable income. He will ignore high gas prices. He will ignore inflation in food and basic commodities. He will instead demagogue.

And he will embrace plans made under compromise in Washington that leave Washington in charge. In fact, the compromises Obama will embrace are the same types of compromises that have gotten us to the verge of bankruptcy.

We can only hope the GOP fights. But given how their deal went last Friday, it is better to hope for the unicorns.

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  • redpenny

    debt to the South,debt to the East,debt to the West.The American public asks “OBOZZO”—–what are WE going to do about all of this debt? “OBOZZO” responds—what you mean we—–you got a mouse in your pocket?

  • radicalrighty

    so Obama can tell as many lies as he wants to today, and won’t get called out on it.

    Conservative freshmen lawmakers, as well as presidential hopefuls, will “take issue” with him but can’t go so far as call him a liar, for fear of the racist label.

    Like him or not, if Trump hears a lie told Wednesday, he will call him on it. There’s something quite attractive about a candidate who is not so worried about his political career, he doesn’t “play nice.”

  • kywrite

    We’re a military family with four kids at home. The EIC and other tax credits mean that instead of paying taxes, we will be getting over 7K back this year. This is a normal tax return for us. I see this as a form of welfare that could be phased out right now without harming those who receive it – most of the time, it’s treated as a spending-spree, about like winning the lottery, instead of used to pay down debt or as a down payment on a home or something similarly useful. How far would it go to eliminating the deficit and debt if all tax credits that reduced your owed tax to less than zero were counted as zero, instead of a balance owed to the filer?

  • http://undo4me.com WmCraig

    It isn’t about what more taxes will do to the country, but what Washington will do with more taxes. No one can trust them.

    Washington can not be trusted with the money they get from us now. The Washington politicians from both parties squander the money without concern for the intended purpose or even for the commitments they made regarding the use of that money. Not even liberals can trust them with more money. First we fix this spending problem. Then we can begin a dialogue on the fairest way to distribute the burden of taxes, provide for the needs of the citizens, and pay for our way out of the whole Washington government policies and irresponsible spending have put us in.

    It isn’t a question of taxes, it is a question of trust.

  • tojoma

    This is one of the best ideas I’ve heard yet. Of course, it doesn’t resolve the tax code issue, but the idea, if offered on the political stage, would smoke out the crazy libs for sure.

  • http://www.soundclick.com/reedwilliams independencemp3

    Thank you Paul Ryan. We must stop feeding the Government. It will never get enough. That is the fairytale. But the beast now believes in itself. We can stop it. Our tax system is a mole hill of loop holes that allow our elected officials to attract donations. Flatten It! I hope our new congressmen & women will sacrifice their positions for the Good of America.

  • bcb1

    We paid $29,000 in federal tax last year and got back just over $1,000. Our biggest deduction (mortgage interest) keeps getting smaller every year.

    Still, I don’t mind paying our fair share. We are fortunate in that we make a good bit of money and I’ve never minded paying our share of taxes. The thing that bugs me is the fact that something like 40% of Americans pay zero tax. None at all. I think everyone needs to pay a little bit – even if it’s just a small amount. To have a society where 50 to 60% of the population pays 100% of the tax revenue just seems a bit unreasonable.

  • edintexas

    That is a truly commendable position, and you are correct that the “Tax Refund” for people who owe no Federal Income Tax was definitely intended by the Democrats to conceal yet another welfare program.

  • edintexas

    This morning it is being reported that the ideas Dear Leader will expound on will include cutting spending in Medicare and Medicaid, as well as tax increases.

    I’m not a betting man, but I’ll wager several hundred dollars that there will be nary a word about eliminating the current, and future, expenditures of Obamacare (I said I don’t gamble, didn’t I?).

  • eddiethegeek

    WmCraig is exactly correct. While we all would be willing, I’m sure, to pay a bit more in taxes (although I’m not in the 5% that pays 60% of the taxes), the problem is that Washington spends $3 for every extra $1 they bring in. The only answer is to starve the beast that is the federal government.

    The only road to fiscal sustainability is to end obamacare and reform the three big entitlements – medicaid, medicare and social security – particularly medicaid (since the others at least have a revenue source partially funding them). AND, we must find a way to exit the THREE wars we are fighting and reduce defense expenditures.

    We simply cannot afford to be the world’s policeman anymore. Our defense must be strictly limited to protecting the vital interests of the U.S. Libya doesn’t meet that test, and I’m not sure Afganistan does any more either.

  • YnotNOW

    The unicorn that the Dems offer is the false expectation that cuts can be made in “fraud & abuse”, “bridges to nowhere” or “other people’s pet project” and that “someone else will pay for it.”

    Sorry, everyone’s government teat must be reduced. It will hurt, yes. Expect it. Grow up and deal with it. Painful cuts are ESSENTIAL to saving our economy.

    Until the public understands the dire nature of the budget situation, and is willing to take pain THEMSELVES, we will be only nibbling around the edges of the problem.

  • YnotNOW

    The unicorn that the Dems offer is the false expectation that cuts can be made in “fraud & abuse”, “bridges to nowhere” or “other people’s pet project” and that “someone else will pay for it.”

    Sorry, everyone’s government teat must be reduced. It will hurt, yes. Expect it. Grow up and deal with it. Painful cuts are ESSENTIAL to saving our economy.

    Until the public understands the dire nature of the budget situation, and is willing to take pain THEMSELVES, we will be only nibbling around the edges of the problem.

  • hendrig

    One big cut in spending would be to stop giving those billions to countries that hate us. I keep hearing that we do it for the children in those countries. All we are doing is keeping the dictators in power and lining their pockets while very little, if any, makes it to those it is intend. If the situation were reversed, do you think any of them would give a damn about our children? Not on this planet. It’s time to stop being the “World Chumps”.

  • 4suramcan

    to Americas’ problems as long as we have one party and a huge percent of the other party selling us out, which is what they are doing and have been doing decades now. Get rid of them, one way or the other, and start over, with people who really care about our country. Our entire congress is corrupt and cares nothing about the citizenry. If you pay more taxes, they will only use that money for the further demise of America, which in my opinion, is their agenda. Will we stand by and watch them do it?

  • adair

    We give so much foreign aid to the countries that hate us, and it does, indeed go to their dictators and not to their children.

    Look at Haiti: How many billions of dollars were sent there by our government, by individuals and by charitable and religious organizations? The place still looks like the quake was last week; people are still homeless and starving; and except for the work done by the established charities and the church groups, nobody can show where the money has gone.

    Other nations who pledged aid never came through, and some of the aid we pledged is still being held back … just as well, since it likely won’t help any of the people in need.

  • taylerdog23

    That is indeed a brave position to take and one that I wish would get enacted into policy.

    I pay about 35K in taxes and I’m fine with paying my share. However, I would go further than others and nix the home interest deduction. As far as I see it, those who do not qualify for it are simply indirectly subsidizing those who do.

  • taylerdog23

    foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the Federal budget, right?

    I’m all for reducing aid, but having a conversation about foreign aid in the context of a discussion about reducing the deficit is kinda silly.

  • goodforall

    Obummer is in full campaign mode-he will try his best to sell we conservatives while not totally alienating his base. We all know he is not capable of telling the truth anyway. Raising taxes at this time would not be the way to go-controlling the out of control spending, especially to his “interest” groups and the welfare entitlements should be a top priority. Will this happen? I think not!

  • jaykali

    He will try to tow the line where he kind of embraces the approach w/out explicitly supporting specifics. He can’t, the debt commission was basically a Heritage-approved conservative plan. I thought it was a great compromise. End the tax loopholes in favor of a lower tax rate – brilliant! That is real tax reform.

    There is no way Obama can embrace that whole sale. If forced to they will release some kind of vague smoke and mirrors type of plan that can buy some time until maybe something else comes up that they can move onto and thus kick the can down the road. And yet Paul Ryan + republicans really have the Dems on the ropes. I think they’re in a corner bc public opinion is on the side of conservatives – I think the Democrats are losing the argument in the public arena.

    I don’t know how the Democrats get out of this. They will try to demagogue, I just dont think that works anymore. So when that doesnt work Obama goes to plan B which is ‘fake’ bi-partisanship. I am loving all of these deadlines and budgets and whatnot, this is definitely being played on conservatives turf.

    Aren’t you glad that we’re not having to hear these idiots drone on about CAP-AND-TRADE and 30 billion dollar mini-stimulus and other bullcrap plans that they had prior to getting the butts handed to them last november? Good times!

  • romeg

    I urge every visitor to this site and anyone with whom I come into contact to see this epic film and to heed Ayn Rand’s prophetic message.

    If Congress thinks it is unanswerable to the Will of the People then We, The People, should send THEM a message: “We’re MAD as HELL and we AREN’T going to take it ANY MORE!”

    Yes, I know that is a line by Howard Beale from Network News but it is fully applicable here as well.

    I HAVE HAD ENOUGH of lying Democrats, Spineless Republicans and foolish citizens who vote these scoundrels and morons into office.

  • kywrite

    Read this post. It’ll open your eyes to how the EIC can be cheated on just like any other form of welfare.

    http://www.congress.org/soapbox/alert/35148511

    Lay free money out there, and the frauds will find a way to get it.

  • ragstoriches

    he’s saying under his plan we will pay more, period.

    Phrasing it as “giving back” (giving back to whom? Who is the beneficent benefactor with infinitely deep pockets who keeps handing us money like it’s candy?) or “asking us to pay more” is little more than an attempt to sugar-coat the harsh reality that it’s compulsory and make those who keep demanding taxes be raised feel justified in doing so because they aren’t punishing us, we’re just helping a brother out.

    Bah. Luckily the mere act of speaking doesn’t cause the President’s desires to become law.

  • Old lady

    Where are our tea partys

  • cbartlett

    Yeah – I used to have a problem with the 40% who paid zero tax – that is until I found out that there is a huge group who get some of MY tax back. There are several tax credits that will actually earn people refunds when not only did they not PAY any tax – they show a ZERO tax liability and STILL get money back. The absolute most insidious, back-door, re-distribution of wealth and no one is talking about it!!!! If I didn’t do bookkeeping and accounting for several businesses and volunteer organizations, as well as help friends and relatives with tax returns, I wouldn’t know this. I seriously doubt that the general population knows anything. The ones that get the money back aren’t talking (even the conservative ones) – they are just spending the money. The rest of us have no clue this is going on. I don’t know how they snuck this one in. I could have sworn that when I was making a pittance income in college in the 80′s, that the tax liability couldn’t go below zero. It’s basically going negative now – hence the refund (from MY tax payment money!). When did this happen? Why didn’t we scream when they did this?

    I agree, bcb1 – everyone needs to pay something. Bottom line – people who pay NO tax have no skin in the game. They have no reason or incentive to pay attention to how lawmakers are ruining our country. But they still get the same one vote that I do. As long as there are more people voting to protect their entitlements than there are that are paying the taxes, the country loses. We become a communist/socialist society by default.

  • kestrel

    I, too, have wondered how and when this practice came into being. Michigan has apparently been doing something similar on yet another level — giving “refundable tax credits” to businesses for locating or investing in the state — basically handing them a chunk of cash. All I can figure is that the implementation (by stealth?) of these things must be more news that the MSM deliberately refrained from reporting, out of complicity with the left.

    I also agree with you and bcb1 that everyone needs to pay a share of basic taxes, which is part of why I don’t have a settled view yet on how tax reform should be done. I prefer a flat tax, but the Fair Tax — a national sales tax replacing the income tax — has the advantage of giving everyone a stake in whether the tax is high or low.

  • kestrel

    and your salary raised instead. Then it wouldn’t be treated as a lump-sum jackpot by so many. Thank you for your service.

  • http://dreamsfrommyforefathers.com RoguePolitics