"Among the proposals are: real security for America through stronger investments in U.S. armed forces and benchmarks for determining when to bring troops home from Iraq; affordable health insurance for all Americans; energy independence in 10 years; an economic package that includes an increase in the minimum wage and budget restrictions to end deficit spending; and universal college education through scholarships and grants as well as funding for the No Child Left Behind act. Democrats will also promise to return ethical standards to Washington through bipartisan ethics oversight and tighter lobbying restrictions, increase assistance to Katrina disaster victims through Medicaid and housing vouchers, save Social Security from privatization and tighten pension laws.” We’re told the agenda will also include a new national institute for science and technology as well as a healthcare plan for working Americans and a bipartisan summit on the budget.According to rumor this document is hung up while the Democrats wrangle out their final position on Iraq. That implies that the rest of this mess is acceptable to them.
The trouble is that it will nto be acceptable to the American people, at least not as a whole. Democrats might be able to push one or two of these items into a winning movement but I count at least 17 points here, some of them are mutually exclusive.
They are going to end deficit spending and have a sumit on the budget. That means tax increases and spending cuts. The size of the tax increases depends on the spending cuts.
Does that agenda mention anyplace in the budget that will be cut? Traditionally Democrats cut the military in order to pay for other spending but they promise to "stronger investments in U.S. Armed Forces" so that option is out.
Health care is expensive and they are calling for all sorts of new spending there. College costs are outrageous. Rebuilding from Katrina will account for a few more hundred billion.
So where will the money come from? A clue is the call for energy independance in ten years. With at least half of our oil coming from imports and with the Democrats being historically against opening new areas for drilling, the only option is to make energy so expensive that people have to cut back. The left has been longing for additional taxes on oils for some time. How does $4-5/gallon sound? Expect them to tax vehicles some way, also. An SUV tax seems like something that would appeal to the Democrat rank-and-file.
That's not much of a winning formula, though - "Vote for us and lose your SUV."
The agenda also ignores security. That's a pretty low point on people's radar right now but another bombing in London could put it back up at the top. Democrats have been saying for years that Bush was fighting the wrong war. Now they are going to stop fighting any wars and hope that the terrorists leave us alone.
There is nothing in there about the environment, one of the Democrats' normal strong points.
I can't see this agenda helping the Democrats next Novemeber but if they should regain control somehow here is what will actually happen:
- Health care will fail. It's big, it's costly, and it's been a disaster in Canada and England.
- Sending everyone to college will fail. It's big, it's costly, there aren't enough colleges to hold everyone, and college is a waste of time for at least half the population.
- The minimum wage will be raised and unemployment among teenagers will rise.
- There will be some programs passed to deal with Katrina. The money will be squandered.
- They will try to add a $2/gallon tax on gas and settle for $.50
- There will be a lot of talks about ethics but any new legislation will have large loopholes.
- The deficit will increase.
- There will be noises about Social Security but nothing will happen thus "saving it from privitization" and keeping it on the road to total collapse.
No comments:
Post a Comment