Conservative Anti-Tax Policy Hurts America
By Steve McGourty
1 June 03
Sadly as a result of the conservatives’ irrational hatred of taxes our nation’s infrastructure is slowly degenerating. Our roads can no longer carry the traffic load. Why? Roads are falling apart because the taxes that would have paid for their improvements have been killed by conservative ideolog's and their clueless followers. Every time there is a plan to improve our highways or to create mass transit there is a predictable cry from the conservatives, “No new taxes!” They have this wrong-headed idea that government is hiding tons of money somewhere and the money will suddenly appear if our legislators are pushed into a corner. The “elimination of waste in government can pay for everything” theory is a wacko idea, and an extremely harmful attitude for our country.
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t read a story in the news about how our public schools are struggling to be able to provide a quality education, while the school buildings are crumbling around our future leaders. Why are our schools crumbling? Because of all the tax cuts that have not allowed school needs to be funded. Yet hypocritically it’s the conservatives that cry the loudest that our schools are failing. The solution to our schools is simple to those of us who care about our fellow citizens; if you want good schools you will have to pay for them.
What reason does the conservative movement give for constantly cutting taxes? They fervently claim that having one’s own money in one’s own pocket is better than if the government has it. Wrong again. This argument shows a complete distain for community responsibility. If you do care about humanity, if you do care about your county, it is reasonable, and it is your duty to pay your fair portion of taxes. Conservatives would prefer to shirk this responsibility. They would selfishly hold on to a few extra dollars rather than help our children get a proper education. The biggest irony of all is that many conservatives consider themselves super patriots, as they cut the government they claim to love so much, to shreds.
The borrow and spend conservatives have generated a six point five trillion dollar national debt, that is rapidly growing. Conservatives have already run up a $100,000 debt for every American. These massive loans require the government to pay eighteen cents out of every federal tax dollar to interest (they are paying nothing on the principal); this is known as the debt tax. Mr. Bush and his conservative co-conspirators are determined to greatly increase the debt tax, while telling you they are lowering taxes. It looks like they are lying to about taxes, too.
It is not fair or rational to ask the next generation of tax-paying Americans to pay for our current security, especially while we are under-funding their education.