Cut spending ? Fix tax code ?

No can agree on what common sense is, therefore every 'fix' is a fight. Common sense is mythical, politics is about choices that don't have any absolute standards.

To a liberal, redistribution to unproductive people is common sense, to me it isn't. etc. Take just one item in the tax code, loopholes for wind energy. Common sense to a liberal, but not so to a conservative economist, or now environmentalists who hate how the turbine blades kill birds.

 

Remove all loopholes. All. Even if they support something I believe in, I don't care. Remove all loopholes and have a tax rate everyone can understand.

 

THAT'S what I'm talking about!

 

Seriously. Loopholes, by the very definition of the word, imply someone can get something for free that someone else cannot. It reeks of biased treatment. It is not based on equality. It is government involvement and government picking of winners. It is lobbying. It is corruption. It is abusive behavior and special treatment. Both Liberal and Conservative alike should be unanimous and of one voice on getting rid of them.

 

There are loopholes, and there are incentives. Incentives steer, which is a proper role for government. No argument on loopholes from me, they are a tool of power, which is a product of money, which is a product of power.

 

Sounds good, now if we could only get congress to think like this.

 

Sure, right after they pass term limits on themselves and abolish the lobbyists. Then they will get right on this.

 

This is scary, people on the right, left and in the middle are in agreement on something, politicans suck !

 

I'm sure many of us would like to try "philosopher kings" running government.

 

I am not taking a side, just asking, what is a loophole?

EIC? child tax credit? charity deduction?

I agree that the code is insanely complex, and it happens whenver a do-gooder says 'their ought to be a law' or 'why can't the government make sure of (fill in the blank)' more rarely is a narrow wealthy special interest getting their way.

Lobbyists are simply organized voting blocs. The AARP is the most powerful one. I don't understand what is wrong with a group of voters organizing their point of view. I do hate it when foreigeners have lobbyists however. If we get rid of lobbyists then I also want the black congressional caucus to be banned. It is nothing more than a titsucking special interest group.