Now that we're fighting a class war, I decided to send readers of the Thomas Jefferson Street Blog an occasional dispatch from the front line.
If standing up against the bankers and billionaires who don't pay their fair share of federal taxes is class warfare; I'm proud to be a class warrior. If opposition to cuts in support for the poor, the infirm, and the elderly is class warfare, I'm ready to rumble.
[See a collection of political cartoons on the budget and deficit.]
This week, Speaker of the House John Boehner compared federal spending to using crack. If he's right, the speaker should do everything he can to support the president's plan to get big business to kick the habit. On Monday, President Obama asked Congress to cut the $41 billion dollars in tax giveaways that oil and coal companies will get over the next 10 years. Anybody who has filled their car with gas lately knows the oil companies don't need any federal tax breaks. The president also wants to get rid of the $3 billion dollar giveaway to corporate jet setters who fly the friendly skies with federal freebies.
While we're on the subject of federal freeloaders, let's turn to Texas Governor and happy hypocrite Rick Perry. As governor, Perry cut state funding for volunteer fire departments by 75 percent. The subsequent wildfires caused millions of dollars of damage in the Lone Star State. This is a classic example of being penny wise and pound foolish. By the way, to cover his butt, the governor turned around and asked the feds for $50 million in disaster aid. This is from the guy who wants to reduce federal spending and return federal functions to the states.
[Vote: Are Obama's Proposed Tax Hikes 'Class Warfare'?]
The Party of Tea presidential candidates formed a circular firing squad and took shots at each other in last night's debate. Mitt Romney and Rick Perry traded volleys on Social Security. Fortunately, the moderator did not ask the candidates if they would let people die if Social Security benefits are cut. I was afraid that if the question had come up, a Tea party supporter in the crowd would have yelled "die granny die."
That's all for now. The air raid siren is screaming and I have to grab my helmet and dive into my fox (news) hole. I'm sure that the army of lobbyists from Exxon/Mobil and Bank of America won't find me there.
- Robert Schlesinger: Most Americans Support Obama Deficit Plan to Tax Rich
- Check out political cartoons about the economy.
- Rick Newman: The Biggest Losers Under Obama's Debt-Cutting Plan
Reader Comments Read all comments (4)
Paul Yeager of NC 9:51AM October 11, 2011
kewaal of GA 9:35PM September 25, 2011
dom youngross of OH 4:52PM September 25, 2011