Let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire

I'm not for raising income tax rates.  I'm almost never for raising any taxes.  If a government entity really doesn't have enough money, and they can't raise enough money with bake sales to build their bombs, roads, sewers, or schools, then maybe, but that instance is so rare that it's not really worth discussing. 

Besides that, letting the Bush tax cuts expire is counterproductive.  Raising taxes on just the rich from 35% to 39.6% would increase revenue little, if any.  The wealthy have the most elastic wages of all income groups.  If you raise taxes on someone living paycheck-to-paycheck, you can get more revenue, because not only will they have to pay the taxes, they will have to work more to make up the lost income.  The wealthy are much more likely to be in a position to choose whether or to absorb the hit, increase their income (through working more or whatever) to make up for it, or reduce their income due to the reduced incentive.  A 4.6% tax increase wouldn't reduce incentives for very many wealthy people, but the marginal ones might make a difference in this recession.

All that being said, the Republicans in Congress should let Bush tax cuts expire.  Basically, the agreement has been to extend the Bush tax cuts by two years, spend a lot of Federal dollars on stimulus measures that the President has wanted for some time, and add enough pork to buy off enough Democratic Congresscritters to get it passed.  This isn't a good deal.  Republican voters should demand more.  Sure, taxes will go up January 1, but if the newly-elected Republican House gets on it and passes a better tax bill immediately, workers might only see the taxes for one paycheck.  If only there were a ready-made tax plan that reduced rates for almost everyone, would have a stimulative effect on the economy, and reduced the deficit...

... Oh yeah, the plan from the President's Debt Commission.  In a rare fit of sanity, the White House appointed a debt commission that ended up recommending a flatter income tax system with tax brackets of 9%, 15%, and 24%, and a corporate income tax rate reduced from an insane 35% to a still uncompetitive, but less onerous 24%.  It'll increase revenue by including capital gains as income, and significantly reducing the number of deductions, but almost every taxpayer will end up taking home more.  Also, it would greatly simplify tax returns.  What's not to like?  It has the backing of a bipartisan group from Tom Coburn to Dick Durbin, and the President even supports it.  (My guess is only because he commissioned it, but I don't know.)  House Republicans should be able to pass it as a package with an up-or-down vote, with no pork, and while the Senate may need to buy off some votes with pork, it won't be the crapfest that the Bush tax cut extension has become.  Let's see if Republicans have learned their lesson.

Would Chris Bell Please Go Away?

I'm tired of seeing Chris Bell's face. I was tired of him during his no-hope run for governor. (Yes, I know he came in second, but he lost despite the Republican vote being split 3 ways.) Now he's in a run-off for Texas Senate District 17 with Republican Joan Huffman. Even though I'm not in SD-17 and don't get to vote, I'm watching the race closely because the district starts 2 miles from my front door. Today, they had a short debate on Gary Polland's show on Houston PBS-8. An independent analysis would probably say that he won the debate with smooth talk, but what he said was ridiculous. When they talked about taxes, Bell suggested that we needed to raise property taxes, expand the franchise tax to get the few small business owners that are able to avoid it right now, and add a state income tax. It angered me most when he was asked about income tax. He said that he doesn't support it right now because of political realities, but "eventually, we have to start having mature conversations about funding government". All of this despite the fact that Texas has created the best business climate in the country by holding taxes down, and has funded the government just fine without an income tax. Apparently, in Chris Bell's little mind, ignoring reality and promoting oppressive Progressive policies is a sign of maturity.

I hope he does two things next month. I hope he loses, and he's good at that. Then, I hope he goes away and stays away, which he hasn't been very good at so far. I'd be happy if I never had to see Chris Bell's face after December. If we have to have Democrats representing Texas, they should be good, honest representatives like Al Green, instead of slick-talking partisan hacks like Chris Bell.

Edit: After reading what I wrote last night, I realized how petty it sounds. Although Chris Bell annoys me, and I would like for him to go away, he shouldn't feel like it's necessary. Conservatives can always win the battle of ideas with Progressive ideologues. As long as he can keep accepting defeat, let him keep running.