Why Obama Should Let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire

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Just in case Ms. Stiehm hasn't tried it yet, the government is taking all donations. If she is one of the very few who simply and honestly reports all income on her 1040 and takes absolutely no deductions than she can point a finger. But each and every friend of mine goes to great lengths and pays good money to make sure they don't pay one red cent more than absolutely necessary. Only an idiot would do anything else. If "BUSH" caused all of this grief, voluntarily supporting him in time of war by wanting to pay more taxes would only support his actions. So, apparently the rich people she knows are all conservatives.
Once again, the liberals need to be reminded that the Dems controlled the congress through much of the Bush years. They controlled the purse strings. But of course the gullible idiots were lied to which exonerates them from any responsibility. And of course, the Afghanistan we know today was all Bush’s doing. Obama just inherited the war. Right!
And Clinton? What I remember is stained dresses, impeachment, condoms on the white house Christmas tree, (at least they had a tree) and a job performance so bad the Democrats suffered their worst defeat in history. Real class act. His impeachment wasn’t a question of sex, it was a question of a lying President who couldn’t be trusted. Not much has changed it that party. I wouldn’t care to shake Clinton’s hand either. God knows who’s DNA you would come away with.
And again, Ms. Stiehm , the Treasury can afford what citizens are willing to give for services they need and desire. IT IS NOT THERE MONEY! It is ours! Money is earned through work. It does not come from the government. Our government has long ago lost track of the idea that it should not spend money it doesn’t have. Any tax cut is a good idea. Our dysfunctional government is living proof of that.
As for the great depression? I was born close enough to experience the results of it. If you think we are experiencing anything close to the great depression you are totally delusional. Setting at home unemployed in your $500,000 house with an endless supply of $500 per week unemployment checks, food stamps, short sales, mortgage modification programs etc, is not hard times. Today’s poor are much better off than what was considered middle income in the 40’s. These unemployment checks should come with the requirement that each recipient displace one illegal aliens job to receive the payment. Two problems solved at once.

jetjoe of FL 1:18PM August 03, 2010

There is nothing stopping Ms. Stiehm and her rich friends from donating to the US Treasury. If you think you are getting tax breaks you don't need, give the money back to Uncle Sam. My middle class family with income around $55,000 needs those tax cuts.

Dar of FL 11:36AM August 03, 2010

todays republicans when it comes to tax cuts are like the doctors in the time of george washington. when someone got sick they took to bleeding them as the cure all,today the g.o.p. wants to employ the same tatics when it comes to taxes.alan greenspan is right,you don:t cut taxes with borrowed money.

bruce b of NV 10:42AM August 03, 2010

If the government raises my taxes, it has more money to spend and I have less. All tax hikes accomplish is redistributing where the money is spent. The lady who cleans my house may get government sponsored health care, and I may fire her because I now have less money to spend. There are always unintended and unforseen consequences to changes in tax laws.
I would be OK with eliminating the Bush tax cuts for everyone. This would get us back to tax levels in the Clinton years that my Democratic friends say were so wonderful. I am not Ok with eliminating the tax cuts for only some. We are concentrating the tax burden on fewer and fewer individuals. Everyone should pay something. Note that I have an income of much less than $250,000.

Bob of TX 10:17AM August 03, 2010

Unlike most of the previous commenters, I was born during and lived during the Great Depression. It was sufficiently traumatic to change my life from the relatively naive "newcomers" to this earth. I learned not to borrow (even bought two houses during my lifetime -for mostly cash - small mortgage) and pay off my credit card purchases without borrowing and paying outrageous interest rates which only make the borrower's problems greater. When the Bush tax cuts came to pass, I argued against my own interests as I receive most of my income today in dividends and certainly benefited from them. I still benefit from them. Although I am going to been impacted adversely from the expiration of the tax cuts, I still believe that they are wrong to exist, ESPECIALLY with the souring budget needs, needs that ARE and HAVE BEEN NECESSARY for the greater good of this country. Those that argue against them have either no feelings for those who are hurting in this economy, the same economy caused in large part by the administration that created the expiring tax cuts. What does that say about that administration and their efforts today to place blame on the current Obama administration? Think clearly America. You will ultimately pay the price long after I've gone away.

Michael Wein of TX 10:12AM August 03, 2010

to answer bill h.for him to equate good goverment with newt gingrich is,at best delusional.one of the times he shut down the goverment was over the fact that he had to ride in the back on air force one.this was his "revenge",pouting like a spoiled child.to have this ego maniac considering a presidential run is almost laughable.

bruce b of NV 10:10AM August 03, 2010

Ms. Stiehm a journalist? Give me a break, you are nothing more than a kool-aide drinking political hack. It's no wonder the American public has stopped buying newspapers and watching the major broadcast news channels.
I for one have benefited from the Bush Tax cuts and my family is far from rich. As far as YOUR other issues with President Bush, I think it's time for you to move on and focus on what can be changed, say like the Congress and this current administration.

Larry of CA 9:31AM August 03, 2010

Tax cuts for companies and the wealthy enjoying the benefits of our stable (so far) political system, our defense, our freedom of speech etc. are not providing jobs for Americans . . . they are shipping then out more than ever before (note Corning's recent announcement).
They enjoy those benefits on the backs of the vanishing middle class. And their profits are huge; they are sitting on piles of cash. Time to make them pay their share!

Fran of OH 9:24AM August 03, 2010

Did Clinton just get credit for the economy in the 1990s? This is unbelieveable! Clinton..right place at the right time on the economy...the credit needs to go to the American people, specifically the technology sector. It doesn't matter how many rich people you can find who want to be taxed more, the simple fact is this: the federal government sucks at spending tax money, but the American people (those in the middle of the supply and demand flow) know how best to spend their own money. JFK cut taxes on the wealth just before Vietnam ramped up, but the big killer was The Great Society under LBJ. Entitlements kill, not tax cuts.

USMCret of WI 9:15AM August 03, 2010

Ms. Stiehm appears to be on the payroll of the DNC. She should take the money she receives and use it to pay tuition for classes in economics, about which she obviously knows nothing. How embarrassing for US News to print this drivel.

Lew Flagg of MA 9:11AM August 03, 2010