For Republican candidates looking to cash in on the dissatisfaction of the American public with the Obama administration and its disastrous policies on November 2nd, 2010, they should know that their work is cut out for them once they are sworn in next January, and that they should put off measuring the windows for new drapes; they have urgent business to attend to immediately.
Not only do these newly elected Republican majorities in both the House and Senate need to jump immediately on getting Obamacare repealed, they also need to attend to rolling back many of Obama's disastrous decisions:
1. The 112th Congress needs to immediately reinstall the Bush tax cuts to their 2010 levels. Without doing so as their first order of business, the economy will most certainly tank in 2011. And this would not be just another run of the mill downturn, the term 'collapse' would more likely be the case. This is not speculation by general curmudgeons and malcontents, but by Arthur Laffer (you know him, he's the guy that invented that curve of his) in an op ed piece in the Wall Street journal last week. And when Arthur speaks, people listen.
2. Capital gains taxes, dividend taxes, death taxes, all going up enormously. The newly elected conservative majority needs to nip that in the bud right away. Unless these new guys get on the stick and halt these increases, doing nothing will cause an immediate economic collapse like long term (12 months or more in which an asset is held) capital gains rate going from its current 15% to 20%, and an estate tax rate going from 0% to 55%.
3. End this idiocy of that moratorium on off shore drilling. We need that oil, and we need it bad. 'Drill baby, drill' should be brought back to the forefront. Just hang this spill on Obama, whether he deserves it or not (hey, politics ain't beanbag, as Tip O'Neill once noted), and get back to finding that Texas Tea and getting it to market.
4. Decertify all national, state and local public unions. Do this immediately on Constitutional grounds that public employees unions do not have the right to hold the public hostage by threats of strikes, and these unions do not have a constitutional right to bankrupt the U.S. with their unfunded public pension obligations. Once decertified, eliminate all these onerous public pension obligations as unconstitutional as well. These organizations are bankrupting America and everyone knows it. Decertify them immediately, and deal with the fall out later. Yes, this one will be tough, much like #5 below.
5. Privatize social security immediately. This Ponzi scheme has gone on long enough. Everyone knows it's broke, and its time to fix it, Third Rail be damned.
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Yes, this new bunch on Capitol Hill has its work cut out for them. If they don't get it done, they will get all of the blame for the depression that hits in 2011.
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16 comments:
Nip it In the Bud !
You're absolutely right Fredd.
I heard about that Art Laffer article on the radio last week. Very scary.
Fredd, I might add;
6. Once and for all eliminate the Department of Education forthwith not only as a cabinet post but the entire Federal department. This will also be based on the Constitution as this is a states rights issue.
LOL, great picture....
You have my vote, Fredd!
Great post :)
Lady: I heard that Laffer story from Mark Belling, and it was exceptionally chilling.
Christopher:
We've been threatening to get rid of the Dept of Ed for decades, and never seem to get it done. That, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Two programs that nobody would miss, and we could throw their billions back into the treasury (to be immediately spent by the drunken sailor congress).
Here is one more: push for the passage of the Federalism Amendment. The problem with Congress is not that it does this or that, but that it can. Cut the bastards off at their knees. No more IRS, only a VAT. Those who love high income taxes can try them out in their own bloody state, and stop imposing them on the whole country.
El:
Sure, abolish the IRS would be good. While we're getting so greedy here, why not go for the whole chimichanga, eh El?
I spent two tours of duty in the Army in the European country formerly known as West Germany, where there was at the time a 15% VAT on everything except bratwurst and beer (accordingly, I only bought bratwurst and beer while stationed there, go figgur). I'm not very impressed with a VAT, too wiggly in the long run and subject to political skullduggery. That VAT was on top of all other kinds of fees and taxes, so many that I couldn't keep track of them all.
I'm more of a Steve Forbes flat tax guy, pick a rate, slap it on everything, no exceptions and loopholes or exemptions. 15% oughtta do it. That of course assumes all other taxes are dumped in lieu of the flat tax on everything. Then a constitutional ammendment that would forbid any tinkering with the rate.
Then there's the Balanced Budget ammendment that needs implementation, one with teeth.
Let's get real greedy here, right El?
Fredd, yes I know we have tried thats why I say 'Once and for all'.
As to throwing their millions back to the treasury, not a good plan as you point out. But rather back to the states from which they came.
And I very much agree on the NEA, baiscally that is a liberal/socialist think-tank and is actually redundant considering all the campuses of "higher" education across the land.
Let's get real greedy here, right El?
Dang straight. Shoot the moon!
As for a VAT, something like the GST we have in Canada is pretty good - and there's not much tinkering that anyone can do with it without getting caught. And by that, I mean the politicians.
Or the USA could adopt the Fair Tax proposed by Neil Boortz and John Linder. Anything to toast the IRS!!
Seriously, it is time to shoot the moon on these issues. First, it's the only chance the right will get before things are totally bollixed by the left, and second, the political appetite for this sort of change is building and building, and there may never be another opportunity as good as 2010 / 2012. As Rahm would say, never let a good crisis go to waste.
Excellent list! You need to add undoing the health care debacle.
Good post, Fredd! I have spent many sleepless nights thinking about what could be done, and your list is exactly what goes through my mind. I agree with Christopher that the Dept. of Education needs to go, and education reform has to happen ASAP. If we don't do something about government monopoly on education, we are doomed to repeat another Obama?Pelosi?Reid regime in subsequent years. In addition to Silverfiddle's comment about repealing the so-called healthcare bill, I would love to see the EPA become a footnote in history books, when describing evil.
Will:
By any chance, do you hail from Lincoln City, Oregon?
Since it's a small world, just thought I would ask.
Fredd
All that!!
And while we're shooting for the moon, I'm going for a House/Senate takeover w/ enough votes for an OVERIDE when BHO vetos the repeal of Obamacare.
Yeah, that's my Christmas list!!
Susannah:
Boy howdy! Or, as Sarah Palin would say, 'you betcha!'
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