Shift-8

Wednesday January 28 2009 4:14pm

Please don't lower my taxes!

To: Congress

Regarding: The Economic Stimulus Package

Republicans, you don't get it. I just listened to a few of you interviewed about the stimulus package. What I heard were complaints about how the bill is filled with liberal pet projects. You complain about how the bill is filled with Big Government Spending, and how we need tax cuts to stimulate the economy.

You don't get it, this is an emergency. Big Government Spending is the only thing that can have a positive immediate effect on the current economy. You are right that the tax cuts currently in the bill, in the form of rebates, are not going to accomplish anything. You are right to say that a $500 check is not going help the working family out much right now. Overall, it is a waste of money. However, your suggestion of more significant tax cuts for working families and even bigger corporate tax cuts... those are no better. A percentage decrease in the amount someone is paying in taxes is not going to help someone without a job. Corporate tax decreases may add jobs to the economy, but not nearly quick enough, nor in the amount that we need. This is an emergency; we need large projects where people are put to work building stuff. These people that get jobs building stuff — like roads, and utility infrastructure — these people will now have money; money they can spend buying TVs, refrigerators, and computers. That purchasing power puts retail and the tech industry back to work. These people may even begin to afford paying their mortgages again.

Whether or not corporate tax cuts are a good strategy for long term economic growth, or perhaps that money would be better spent on a free public health care system taking a huge burden of corporations so they can be more competitive; that sirs, that is a debate for another day. This is an emergency. Take all the tax cuts out of the bill. Use all of the money for Big Government Spending, putting people to work, building Stuff. Stuff we can use. If you cut my taxes I am not going to spend the money, I am going to save it. Tax cuts do not work, especially in an emergency. We need to build from the ground up, no more trickle down.