Comments on: Pushing Back Against the Right’s Narrative on the Budget

By: Zjtins

Zjtins — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0000

We removed federal income via tax reduction of 35% to 15% for the very rich for unearned income. Also several tax changes were made which mainly enabled the very rich to again reduce there effective tax rate. Take that coupled with those that lost a job and regained one typically suffered a signinificant reductin in pay ie less tax from the middle class. The rest had almost no income gain.

By: Stephen Turner

Stephen Turner — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:55:00 +0000

And why did Federal revenue drop? Any connection with anyone’s policies? Or was this an act of God?

By: Ralba

Ralba — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Cynthia, This is an op-ed piece! In the contemporary format. Just keep spreading the piece and/or the information via the web. Thanks for recommending it to your Facebook friends! R

By: Cynthia Epstein

Cynthia Epstein — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:50:00 +0000

The question is how can we make this information hit the airwaves? Internal emails and facebook entries aong teh already persuaded won’t do it…Perhaps Richard or Jeffrey ought to do an op ed piece!

By: Michael Corey

Michael Corey — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:36:00 +0000

The construction of narratives about the United States’ financial problems is important to understand. Putting aside the blame issues, I don’t understand how we are going to address the unsustainable financial trajectory of the United States. I’m really concerned about it. The projections provided by the Government Accountability Office in its “A Citizen’s Guide to the 2010 Financial Report of the U. S. Government” raises a red flag about the lack of sustainability of our current policies (their conclusion). One of their most disturbing exhibits is “Chart 8: Historical and Current Policy Projections for Debt Held By the Public, 1940-2085” in which the GAO shows that this ratio (public debt as a percent of GDP) is on a trend to exceed 300% around 2080. Ultimately, this is the result of projected increasing imbalances between total receipts and total spending (http://www.gao.gov/financial/fy2010/10guide.pdf). While the slope of the trend line can be debated, the problematic direction is clear.

By: Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

Jeffrey C. Goldfarb — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:28:00 +0000

I think Alba graphically accounts for what many have been arguing, including Krugman. Alba clearly shows that the Republican – Wall Street Journal account of ballooning spending masks an attack on government, and in terms of previous Deliberately Considered discussions, fictoids are again at work.

By: Felipe Pait

Felipe Pait — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Correct. Let me add that Paul Krugman (among others) has been making the same point for quite a while….