On the Deficit, the Rich, and the Tea Party

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by Dr. Paul Kengor, taken from Town Hall Daily, September 17, 2011

I’ve only recently come to realize the nature of the hurdle this country faces in trying to turn around a stalled economy and horrendous deficit. Here it is: liberal Democrat politicians have fully convinced huge numbers of people that our economic/fiscal mess is the result of two principal demons: 1) “the rich” and 2) the Tea Party. The former, of course, has been a longtime liberal scapegoat; the latter is a new one.

I’ve realized this painfully in the last few weeks as a result of several commentaries I’ve done (USA Today, FoxNews, among others), viewed by a large portion of Americans from across the political spectrum. In these commentaries, I tried to stick to statistics and facts. I naively thought my approach would be convincing. It was not, as evidenced by the many people I continue to argue with in emails.

Here today, I’ll reiterate the one fact that I thought was irrefutable:

As I noted in an article titled, " It's the spending, stupid," the federal government, from 1965-2009, never cut spending one single year. That’s right, not one time—nope, nada, nothing. To repeat: from 1965-2009, the federal government never decreased annual spending. To see the figures on a chart is eye-opening. The annual rise in spending has been a steady, non-stop, unbroken, upward climb for over 40 years. To the contrary, revenues to the federal government have gone up and down, the result—not of tax rates on “the rich,” but—of the status of the economy from year-to-year, especially during recessions. It’s both amazing and depressing to see that the federal government, unlike you and your family and your household and your business and your anything and everything else, is apparently incapable of adjusting (i.e., decreasing) its spending based on available revenues. It used to do so, under both Democrat and Republican presidents, but that changed in 1965, when the federal government, starting with the Great Society, began an outright spending addiction.

As I noted in the article, seeing this for yourself is as easy as Googling “historical tables deficit,” where one can view two sources: CBO & OMB historical tables (located at Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget). These are the official sources for data on federal budgets. At OMB, look at Table 1.1, titled, “Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits: 1789-2016.”

In my articles and emails, I even included hyperlinks to these tables, imploring people to look for themselves rather than accept my word. And yet, I can’t begin to recount the angry emails I got from people insisting that the reasons for our deficits/debt is not over-spending by the federal government but greed by wealthy people who don’t pay “their fair share” of income taxes and by dastardly “racist” “terrorists” in the Tea Party. And, yes, I actually got emails (many of them) from people insisting that Teas Party members are "terrorist." To observe an American public, only a decade removed from September 11, somehow equating Tea Party members with “terrorists” leaves me almost speechless and hopeless.

Thoughtsfromoffcenter comments: So that's why TSA has always shaken down the little ol' ladies and ol' men at the airports - sheesh, I didn't know! AARP get out of here!

I will not bother responding to that particular smear, but I would like to address the charge that the rich are not paying “their fair share.” Again, I will stick to data.

If you Google the words “Who pays income tax?” you will find a chart from the National Taxpayers Union. It includes these telling statistics:

The top 1 percent of income earners pay 38 percent of all federal tax revenue. The top 5 percent pay 59 percent. The top 10 percent pay 70 percent. The top 25 percent pay 86 percent. The top 50 percent pay 97.3 percent. Conversely, the bottom 50 percent pay merely 2.7 percent of all federal tax revenue.

As the data shows, the rich are certainly paying their fair share. In fact, they pay the vast share. The poorest Americans, conversely, pay literally nothing in income taxes.

If anything, the system is disproportionately titled against the wealthy. Our “rich” are paying for the reckless behavior of politicians addicted to spending; they are subsidizing spending addicts. And to watch those addicts blame their mess on the rich for not paying enough? It’s downright obscene.

But the folks who have emailed me have the complete opposite opinion. It is an incorrect opinion.

Let me repeat: America’s deficit/debt problem is a spending problem. It is not the fault of rich people who pay too little income tax or Tea Party members guilty of “terrorism.” Don’t take my word for it. Look at the data.

My fear, however, is that the data just doesn’t matter to a huge number of followers of the party line. And that’s a very serious problem for this country, a giant propaganda hurdle that may be insurmountable.

Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College and executive director of The Center for Vision & Values. His books include the newly released "Dupes: How America's Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century."

Muslims Ruling America?

Dear Patriot,

A couple of days ago someone told me that he would rather have Muslims ruling America over the Tea Party. It took a few seconds for the comment to sink in but once it did it made me feel sick. I knew the man was a devout Liberal but Islamic law would be better than the Constitution?

I asked him about what he knew of Sharia Law; specifically how it is acceptable for a man to beat and even kill his wife and children if they do not submit to his rule. I asked about their treatment of homosexuals which is a crime punishable by death. I then asked how he felt about the teachings that ALL non-believers must be either converted or killed. His response again shook me. He said that only a few extremists practiced such things and that Islam was a religion of peace. At this point, my blood was boiling to the point that all I could do was to tell him that he needs to educate himself on how Islam is practiced around the world and pull his head out of the dark place it is residing.

The tea party movement has been painted by the Liberal media and now by several Democrat politicians as an extremist group of racist hate filled people. Somehow standing up for the Constitution, reduced government spending and the ideals that founded America have become extremist views! We have been to hundreds of tea party rallies around the country since the movement began and those in attendance were nothing other than patriotic individuals who love their country and do not want to see America's greatness lost.

I do not believe that all Muslims are hateful extremists but careful examination of how Islamic law is practiced in countries where it has taken over is certainly not something we or the Liberals would want whether they know it or not. Where practiced, it would be an understatement to say that Islamic law is oppressive and violent to anyone and everyone who dares to violate their rule.

This comment underscored the divide the Liberal media has created in our nation. Tune into MSNBC or CNN for a few minutes and it is easy to see where the hateful propaganda is originated against the tea party. Hearing comments like this scares the hell out of me knowing that people are  brainwashed so completely by the Main Stream Media that they actually believe that the greatest danger to America are the mothers, fathers, grandmothers, great-grandfathers, brothers, sisters, etc of the tea party movement peacefully standing up for traditional American values.

There is little hope to convince people like this that everything they enjoy by being an American is at risk. They will only understand long after it is too late to fight. It remains up to you and I to do everything we can to educate all who will listen and fight with everything we have for the values that made our Nation great. May God guide us and bless us in our efforts.

Sincerely,

Roger Stockton
Co- Founder, Western Representation PAC

Thoughts just of Center comment: Whomever Mr. Stockton was talking to - is a complete idiot. He would be one of the first to be screaming and crying if this ever happened. And this country would be divided in half, because the war that would take place after the takeover and after the Muslims asked for a truce. If it was even agreed to. This wwould not be a good thing for anyone.

Viciously Attacking the Tea Party

It makes me sick to listen to the liberals on the left viciously attacking Tea Party. Especially the words of attack spoken against the Tea Party by members of the National Democratic Party and their caucuses. Those individuals should get an education by truly opening their minds and studying the various actions of the Democratic Party – throughout Americas history. Just maybe, with a little truthful knowledge, they will change their thought processes. At least I would hope so.

The Republication Party has its issues too, yet they do not viciously attack members of the opposition which such anti-radical statements and demagoguery.

No one within the Tea Party wants to see harm come to anyone. There may be some fluff written or spoken by a few idiots, yet I’m sure that the members take them aside and have a few sharp words with them on not acting decently towards others.

The political nastiness and pettiness that is happening within our political system is making me physically sick. The day-to-day nastiness of people is becoming just as bad, as an individual will flip you off as they cut you off in traffic.

This all makes me want to take my broken body back to the gym, get in shape, start practicing martial arts again, and just wait to blow my top. As of, at least 30-years ago, I think we at least had a healthy respect of trying to not get out butts kicked by watching what we said and how we reacted around people we didn’t know. There was a fear of consequences that many don’t have any more – and – 

That fear and respect for other should be brought back.

Lastly, a historical note for you Democrats: The Republican Party is the political party that stood for, and voted for, the civil rights and the freedoms for the minorities that didn't have them. Do you homework please! 

Right and Left

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome becomes bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." - - Cicero, 55 BC (Thanks to Cowboys and Tea Parties blog)

I believe the majority of our national leadership and citizenship has forgotten what they learned in school. As I pause and think about the House of Representatives and the Tea Party emphasis on a Balanced Budget Agreement/adding an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, I’ve given thought to both sides of the issue. Here are the reasons –

-     The Constitution of the United States of America, Article. I., Section 8.  The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence (Defense) and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;…

-     This is probably the first time in U.S. history that we have had a congress (both Democratic and Republican Parties) that has gotten totally out of control with spending on every darn thing they could possibly think of – and then some more. And President’s (Bush II and Obama) that went along with them. (BTW – A lot of these individuals are the end of the “Greatest Generation” and the beginning of the “Baby Boomer” generation – 1945 to 1952. Take a look at their ages – They’re the twits from the 60’s that never grew up. And Obama is from the free love and everything of the 70's.)

-    I think they are starting to come to their senses, THANKS very much to the Tea Party movement.

I hope they have realized that going way left (towards Marxism and Socialism) is the wrong way to go, just as is going way right (with anarchaist movement).

I firmly believe that there are many good ideas from both sides of the issue. Yet I have one true belief for this issue. Just as I keep my debt limit under control, the U.S. Congress is responsible for doing the same for our nation. There will be times, in extreme instances, where the U.S. must carry a debt. The only extreme instance that I believe in is for the (our) common defense. Other than for that, we should not be carrying any debt as a nation.

Now, we need to vote out those individuals that believe in Socialism, Marxism, and anarchaists’.

We need to come together and give each other a “kick in the pants”, a “pat on the back”, or a “hand up.” After that, if there is no known reason for an individual to need assistance, then they won’t receive it, at least not from the government. It’s called, “Tough Love.” Something the left and the right both believe in.

So let’s get to it and make our Representative and Senators to the right things and give America the “tough love” she so desperately needs.