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Many people in this Country, including the talking heads in the media tend to reduce all politics to partisan issues. The Democrats want to do this, the Republicans want to do that. One party wants to rescue low income Americans or make universal health care affordable, the other party wants to be obstructionist and not agree with any so called "progressive" ideas. However the truth is, there is an undercurrent of common sense that runs deep through the American people. It is rooted in the philosophy and writings of our Founding Fathers, and the polls are daily showing our citizens, regardless of political alignment have an understanding of what is important, prudent and sustainable in this Country.
President Obama was elected largely on the promise of "a chicken in every pot", but even the potential recipients of such government largess are expressing a bit of discomfort at the prospect of taxing some Americans and some American businesses out of this country. They seem to know intuitively that the wealthy among us won't stay around long if our Government reaches too deeply into their pockets. We know this to be true because of the "missing millionaires of Maryland" . In May of this year, the Wall Street Journal noted that Maryland's attempt to raise cash on the backs of the wealthy actually brought in less revenue than the previous year:
Maryland couldn't balance its budget last year, so the state tried to close the shortfall by fleecing the wealthy. Politicians in Annapolis created a millionaire tax bracket, raising the top marginal income-tax rate to 6.25%. And because cities such as Baltimore and Bethesda also impose income taxes, the state-local tax rate can go as high as 9.45%. Governor Martin O'Malley, a dedicated class warrior, declared that these richest 0.3% of filers were "willing and able to pay their fair share." The Baltimore Sun predicted the rich would "grin and bear it."
The article continued:
One year later, nobody's grinning. One-third of the millionaires have disappeared from Maryland tax rolls. In 2008 roughly 3,000 million-dollar income tax returns were filed by the end of April. This year there were 2,000, which the state comptroller's office concedes is a "substantial decline." On those missing returns, the government collects 6.25% of nothing. Instead of the state coffers gaining the extra $106 million the politicians predicted, millionaires paid $100 million less in taxes than they did last year -- even at
higher rates.
And concludes with this ominous portent for Washington DC:
All of this means that the burden of paying for bloated government in Annapolis will fall on the middle class. Thanks to the futility of soaking the rich, these working families will now pay Mr. O'Malley's "fair share."
Another government disaster in waiting is the health care proposal now making its way through Congress. One need go no farther than Massachusetts to see how this program will play out . Originally promoted by GOP Governor Mitt Romney (see, I said common sense has no partisan allegiance), this 2006 health insurance law is another example of legislators meaning to accomplish one thing, while not exhibiting enough common sense to realize citizens would do quite the opposite. In the words of the Wall Street Journal: "Their Rube Goldberg rules are meant to transfer the costs of health care away from individuals and onto someone else -- private companies...in the short term, and over time onto taxpayers."
And finally, there is "Cap and Trade". This unbelievable travesty of legislation passed by the House along largely partisan lines, although forty-four Democrats let common sense guide them instead of their Party and voted against the bill. This huge hidden tax on the American consumer under the guise of fighting "Global Warming" or creating jobs, is just a means of raising capital to forward the Liberal agenda in Washington. Clearly, according to a recent Rasmussen poll , the American people are not quite so easily convinced. Most respondents who had an opinion, felt the Cap and Trade restrictions would hurt our economy. Once again, common sense seems to be transcending Party lines. Hopefully that will translate to a defeat of this bill in the Senate.
The point of all this is that it doesn't take a genius to predict such outcomes. Political affiliation has little to do with the common sense surrounding these news stories. Forget your politics and engage your brain. Thankfully, it seems an increasing number of Americans are doing just that, and regardless of who they elected as President, are realizing that there is a huge difference between campaign rhetoric, and the reality of trying to finance those promises. I believe they are also coming to understand that our Government cares little about how they fulfill their insatiable need for more money. It is only common sense that when the Golden Goose no longer produces eggs, our Government will turn to you and me.
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