It’s not the deficit, it’s the defunding

Note: The following is my latest letter to the editor of the Red Oak Express. It's a response to an opinion column in which he proposed lowering the debt ceiling.

If you want to crash our economy, refuse to raise the debt ceiling. The deficit’s a red herring; government budget is not like your household budget. Do you control interest rates and print money?

Without tax revenues, government can’t operate. America’s problem is an eroding tax system, cowardly politicians and an apathetic citizenry.

For 40 years, conservative and corporate interests have worked to poke holes in our tax code. Loopholes allow them to pay less and less, while lower and middle class citizens take up the slack. Income tax rates are lower than ever, especially for the top income earners. Did you know the income tax rate for the top bracket was 91% under Eisenhower? Corporations have poked so many holes in the tax code, some pay no taxes even while their tax rate appears prohibitive.

You want a military, schools, emergency services, Medicare, Social Security, good roads, clean water, safe food and other things? You have to pay for it with taxes. And then you have to hold elected representatives accountable by voting, monitoring them and advocating for these things. What’s your record on that?

But first you have to inform yourself beyond what you hear on radio, TV or e-mail. ‘Cause this stuff isn’t simple, and it isn’t like your household budget. Again, see: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=692 from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities for some history of taxes and deficits.