DOA and Important

Sometimes the most important budget proposals are DOA.  For whatever criticism I have had of Biden, (and it has been quite a lot) one has to admire him for sticking to his guns and “picking a fight,” as the New York Times recently put it, with house Republicans.  Sometimes the most important bills are the ones that aren’t going to pass.  More than anything else, they make a statement about principles.  As the Republicans gear up to disinvest in America’s future–it’s children, Biden is taking a stand in the face of some very senseless dislogic from the other side of the aisle.  It remains to be seen whether he will be able to protect America’s children from going hungry or slipping into poverty.  The Republicans are poised to create an economic crisis surrounding the debt ceiling in the name of not wanting the ultra-rich to pay their fair share.  It also remains to be seen if congress will be able to come together to pass some kind of sensible reform.  

The Republicans are right about one thing–we cannot go on as we are.  Change in the way America finances itself must come.  But even as they complain vociferously about deficits and the debt, the Republicans ignore the one thing that is absolutely essential for getting America out of the fiscal hole it has dug itself into–raising taxes on the rich.  We know trickle down doesn’t work.  We have proved that taxes on the very wealthy can be levied in such a way that it will not slow economic growth.  In reality, the rest of the developed world redistributes wealth in this way and provides for the basic needs of its people so that they have a much better quality of life overall.

It’s called investment.  If you think about it, what does it mean to pay less in taxes if it means you will be more likely to become a victim of violent crime when your government refuses to reduce poverty or invest in crime prevention initiatives.  How much are you willing to pay for safer streets?  Fighting climate change is expensive and necessitates raising taxes. But tell the people affected by catastrophic and repeated flooding in Northern California that it isn’t worth a few extra hundred dollars at the end of the year.  We pay for the things we don’t fund.  We pay for hungry children who turn their back on society.  We pay for floods caused by global warming.  Our children will pay if the debt keeps rising.  If Republicans really do want answers, they will have to face financial reality–there is no way to deal with the debt without raising taxes on the rich.  It simply cannot be done.  The math just doesn’t add up.  It is ridiculous to think that having more kids hungry and in poverty will save America money.  The consequences of this critical disinvestment will be felt for generations to come. It will create a financial ticking time bomb left for America’s future.