Legal Commentary

The Benign Neglect Of Tax Policy

By Big Tent Democrat

I often remark on the utter lack of attention tax policy is given by the Beltway Dem wonks/pundits. Here is more fodder for that point - Chait, Yglesias and Klein. Yglesias is particularly striking:

Future public policy has to be about ways to maximize sustainable economic growth, and ways to maximize the efficiency with which services are delivered. [. . .] The future of American politics is really about how to square this circle. How to find the revenue in viable ways, and how to streamline these services to maximize value to citizens and minimize rent-seeking. Big government isn’t over, or going away. It’s utterly victorious and yet at its limits.

(Emphasis supplied.) I think this misunderstands the fundamental ideological struggle now ongoing. "Big government" is very much at risk, precisely because progressives have surrendered on the issue of tax policy. A government program is only as good as its funding. And in fact, determining whether a government program is good must take into account how it is funded. Currently, our tax structure is extremely anti-progressive. To me this is the biggest issue in politics. It is why I so condemn The Deal. For Beltway wonks, tax policy is not an issue. This attitude utterly amazes me.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on January 24, 2011 (boomark / email).