Stop This Republican Lie In Its Tracks !

[kentuck]

They say, "The taxcuts have grown the economy and the deficits have shrunk by 15 percent this year." Say what!!

What are the present deficits? What were the deficits when the Republicans took the White House in 2000? Yes, they did let one taxcut sunset that brought in more revenues and people are paying a bit more in taxes but to suggest the taxcut is somehow something to brag about is beyond this world.

If their deficits go down from $425 billion to $350 billion per year, that is not a success! That is still a failure. At this rate, we go into debt more than a $trillion dollars every three years. That is disastrous. We cannot continue at this rate, no matter what the senile Greenspan might say.

If the Democrats had one ounce of courage in their bodies, they would call for the repeal of most of the Bush taxcuts. Just as predicted, because of the taxcuts and the deficits, when a disaster happened, we did not have the cushion to pay for it. That, in effect, is what has happened. We cut funding for the levees in New Orleans to help pay for a war in Iraq, much of which is off -budget already.

But we need to stop this Republican lie before it becomes set in the minds of the talk radio crowd and the majority of Americans. Somebody needs to call them on this now. Don't let them get away with this baloney.

[rodeodance]

1. people can use #'s/stats in a million ways.

...They say, "The taxcuts have grown the economy and the deficits have shrunk by 15 percent this year." Say what!!

[Poppyseedman]

2. Too late

But we need to stop this Republican lie before it becomes set in the minds of the talk radio crowd and the majority of Americans.

BTW, it's pretty hard sell to make the case that tax cuts don't grow the economy. Even JFK cut taxes to spur the economy

Deficits are a whole different story

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Didn't Clinton raise taxes and "grow the economy"?

[Poppyseedman]

14. I never said you can't do both

Raise taxes and "grow the economy"

Cut taxes and "grow the economy"

Depends on what economic cycle the county is going though and how you do it.

My point is the general public has already bought into the idea that cutting taxes will grow the economy commenting on the posters point of:

set in the minds of the talk radio crowd and the majority of American

[BlueEyedSon]

15. All I'm saying is we have a preponderance of evidence that

raising taxes grows the economy and virtually none that cutting taxed does. I guess the repubs/cons are faith-based when it comes to economics as well....

[kentuck]

16. But taxes were only raised to bring the deficits under control...

and bring down interest rates and restore confidence in the government. That is why the economy grew with the tax increases. Sometimes tax increases are necessary. But that is a point most Democrats are not willing to make.

[Cassandra]

9. JFK cut the top rate...

which was, what, 91% of a small fraction of top income at the time?

[zbdent]

18. JFK's tax cut also had the benefit of the post-WW2 baby boom coming

of age and their spending, which created the "me generation" which is soooo represented by the Republican "me-first" generation . . .

[slor]

3. I do not think people are really listening to them...

about the economy, but you are right, we need to be equipped with the facts to fight the lies. But honestly, I always put in a jab or 2 when I interact with the public, and people I would have sworn to be die-hard, kool-aid guzzling chimp lovers always chime in with the fun.

[xchrom]

4. lol -- like they've shrunk poverty the same way?

[populistdriven]

6. EASY: We pay for the cost of a Katrina every year - interest on debt

Katrina costs ~ 200 billion

Interest on debt costs FY 06 = 206 billion

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Continuing deficits mean increasing debt & debt payments: Birth Tax

Republicans are the Borrow and Spend party.

If Democrats are the tax and spend party, it is more honest. But Republicans don't care about honesty, they care about power. So borrow and spend puts the tax-levying burden onto any following Democratic administrations.

However, since Republicans control all branches of government, they have nobody else to blame for the corruption, mismanagement, and destruction.

[jimshoes]

7. Is that using

the Enron/Arthur Anderson accounting method?

[kentuck]

8. Listen for this to be major talking point of right-wing radio....

They want to plant this in people's minds... It's a Big Lie.

[zoeb]

10. Tax cuts???Try housing bubbles and home equity loans

That's the real money growing the economy...not the stinking tax cut we got. But the real problem remains with high energy prices. This economy cannot sustain these kind of prices. Oil companies have taken nearly $50 billion dollars out of the economy this year. So Wal-mart is missing earnings so are restaurants, movie theaters, electronic stores and many others. Consumer Sentiment index dropped 12 points in August. My guess all indices will be down in a big way after September. But Bushco will not blame the oil companies..it will be the hurricanes and everyone will forget that energy prices were well on the way up before hurricane season ever started.

"Deficit" means a lot of different things to different folks. Bushco is still running largest deficit ever. 15% reduction only works if you leave out the cost of the Iraq war. Leave out road costs and you probably reduce it by 20%. Leave out all costs and you have reduced it by a 100%. Accounting with smoke and mirrors 101.

Edit to make the point that the economy is no longer growing.

[creeksneakers2]

11. Some stats and facts

During the last quarter gross domestic product grew at 3.3%. The longterm average is 3.1%.

During the last three years of the 1990s, the gross domestic product grew at 4.4%. During 2004, the year following Bush's major tax cuts, the economy grew at 4.2%.

The Federal Reserve board cut the federal funds rates 12 times between January of 2001 and January of 2003. The economy should have skyrocketed.

We've experienced a sustained period of good growth since the tax cuts. It hasn't been unusual growth. Given the federal funds rates cuts going into this latest positive surge, we only have about the growth one would expect, tax cut or not.

[kentuck]

12. Some more stats and facts...

In 2001, Bush and the Republicans came into office with a $270 billion surplus and Bush reminded everyone that it was the "people's money" -not the government. But he failed to mention that the people are the government. The present deficits of $350 billion per year are higher than any other dieficits in our nations history. Even though they are low by the Bush/Republican standards. It is a fact that there has been a massive transfer of wealth.

[WePurrsevere]

13. IME what most Americans truly care about what THEIR bottom line is...

All the fiscal double talk in the world doesn't change what Americans see when they look at what their personal income is versus what their personal out put is. If they're having an increasingly more difficult time making ends meet and others they're talking to are having the same trouble or worse they don't care if someone else tells them that the economy is doing okay or better... all most know and all most care about it how THEIR personal "economy" is doing and most folks lately know that it pretty much sucks dirty cat litter.

IMO one of the simpliest ways to deal with this, when an "average" person repeats it, is: *"Are you, your friends and loved ones more financially secure and better off then you were 5 years ago?"

*FYI- This is a twist on an old question I heard many years ago about when deciding who to vote for you should ask youself, "Are you and/or this country better off now then you were before ______ was in office?" hmm - maybe we should bring dust that one off again eh?)

[hatrack]

19. With all Iraq War spending is off-budget, not hard to cook this book . . .

Be sure to remind your talking-point Bushbot acquaintances of this little fact.

[seabeyond]

20. if dems had ounce of courage,.....uh .. the dems have

been bitching about the tax cuts. why are you attacking the dems in your piece. habit?

[kentuck]

21. Yeah...

But one or two Democrats here or there attacking the taxcuts is not a Party position. Sorry if the nudging sounds like bitching... :)