Wow! You do care
Not that I doubted it
The two-way communication through this platform is one of the reasons why I find this so worthy of the commitment that goes into it. I have never received so many comments since I started writing this column as I did last week when I questioned whether anyone cares about our country’s $34 trillion debt.
Fortunately, you do care! If we could only get our politicians to care, too.
Here is that post from last week: “A request from the audience.” (This was one of the most read columns that we’ve had since we started. Thank you to so many of you who shared the column with others who didn’t yet subscribe.)
You left so many thoughtful comments with so many suggestions (another reason why I like this platform as opposed to that one that starts with an “X.”)
One of you suggested that I post a poll on this, so we could measure what our community here thinks are the best ways to guide our D.C. decision makers into being more responsible with our money.
I love this idea. Let’s do it this week. (By the way, no one can see how you vote in these polls, other than the aggregate total. So please weigh in, so we can see how our community here feels about these important decisions that our politicians are too often not making).
Let’s start with taxes. Ronald Reagan started what has largely been 40 years of focusing on federal income tax cuts. (Although, this 2017 National Public Radio interview focuses on how Reagan’s historic tax cuts were followed by numerous tax increases later in the decade to make up for some of the revenue shortfall.)
From what I have read over the years, tax cuts don’t pay for themselves. If you have found something to the contrary, please send it to me.
Tax cuts can spur economic activity, but they need spending cuts to make up for the overall revenue loss. That’s what Republicans failed to do when they cut taxes during former president Donald Trump’s term in office.
That’s a big reason why Trump’s four years added $8.4 trillion to the national debt, according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget (a non-partisan organization that includes former Iowa Congressman Tom Tauke on its board).
The federal debt jump another $1.8 trillion during the past year of President Joe Biden’s time in office, according to The Committee for a Responsible Budget.
O.K., so what are you going to do about this mess?
Tax rates are just one part of this overall conversation. I’m curious what these poll results will show. Please weigh in on this.
ETC.
—Iowa House Democrats want to freeze tuition for the next four years while Republicans are looking at a plan to cap annual increases at three percent? (This could make a good future poll question). Here’s my TV story on this.
—I talked with a fascinating man named Dr. George Annor. His smile is contagious. His commitment to the world is remarkable. He grew up in Ghana and now leads a research team at the University of Minnesota. His goal is to help others feed the world with healthy, plentiful, sustainable food.
I could have talked with him for hours! Here’s our conversation for American Farmland Owner this week.
Thank you for reading and supporting what we do here.
I write this column as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, a group of independent journalists with a variety of viewpoints, experiences and backgrounds. I encourage you to check out some of their work.
Why did you leave out the option on the first question that would just raise taxes? It was the tax rates from the '50s-'70s that built the interstate highway system, sent men to the moon, etc. We don't need to go back to the 70-90% top rates, but some higher level for corporations and high income/wealth earners (or just closing and enforcing loopholes!) Would allow us to support programs we've neglected
Tax cuts usually go to the corporate and largest among us who pay the least over all in taxes if they pay a dime. For one of the richest countries in the world, we have the worst system of taking care of people anywhere! The first order of business would simply be to start with Social Security, and make it secure! Take the cap off and every dollar you earn is subject to Social Security. That fixes that right quick! Eisenhower as president had a top rate for taxation of 90% and he payed out heavily for a Marshall Plan to bring those who had been bombed out of existance back and still created an interstate road system and had one of teh biggest post war booms in history. Follow that lead and things will truly change for the working stiff!