Another election season and we are flooded with all the political ads of politicians promising to cut our taxes. It’s always nice to get something at a reduced price. It is easy to forget all the services that government at all levels provides for us and that it is our taxes that pay for these services. Although no system of government service is perfect, there are many dedicated government employees who work on our behalf every day. I for one am glad that there are health inspections in the restaurants which I occasionally eat a meal.
Any politician promising to cut taxes should also tell us specifically what programs they plan to cut because of reduced tax revenues. Will the tax cut result in higher taxes at a lower level of government? They should also explain how we can cut taxes when so many of our governments at all levels are struggling with budget deficits. They should also be specific as to what taxes they are planning to cut and who will most benefit from those cuts. Many of these same candidates promising to cut our taxes have pledged to never raise taxes. A pledge which is a pledge of irresponsibility. When costs goes up for a business they raise the price of their products. I can’t seem to find the nickel candy bar I bought as a kid. When the cost of government services goes up, we should expect to pay the costs involved.
We don’t always agree on what our taxes should be spent. I wish we would spend less on the weapons of war and on military adventures like the Iraq War, a rat hole down which we have already sent a trillion dollars. That President Bush and the Republican Congress passed major tax cuts at a time of war is a definition of irresponsibility. There is no return to the economy when we pay for and then blow up a bomb. If the money spent on this war would have been spent on rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, we would have received a significant economic return. It is interesting to note that the current crop of Republican leaders speak in reverential tones about Ronald Reagan, but fail to recognize that as president he signed many tax increases.
We all can agree that our government should work to eliminate all waste in government programs. I want our programs that help those in need to help those who truly need help. Why should we being giving billions of dollars in welfare to the oil industry, some of the wealthiest corporations in the world? The political right wants to end welfare for people, but loves to give to wealthy corporations. Maybe welfare for rich corporations happens because the Republican Party is total owned subsidiary of the corporations and too many Democrats are available for rent.
The importance of properly funding government agencies is never more apparent with the outbreak of Ebola. While Republicans are busy trying to blame every problem we have on the President, they fail to acknowledge that over the years there have been $585 million cut from the CDC budget, $446 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and $13 million from the Infectious disease program. Should we elect those who want to cut important government programs so we can give the corporations and the wealthy more tax breaks?