Timothy Geithner claims cutting the deficit with spending cuts alone is irresponsible
Calling for “tax reforms” as a crucial part of balancing the budget Timothy Geithner went on to say that passing a budget deal on spending cuts alone was “irresponsible.” We all know that when the federal government talks about “tax reforms” what they are referring to are tax increases, and he admits as much in this statement:
If you try to do this, the magnitude of deficit reduction we need–and we need about $4 to 5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years–to try to do that only on spending cuts in parts of the budget would be irresponsible and really not achievable politically,” said Geithner. “You can’t pass the budget without that.
“So, you need a balanced plan that has modest revenue increases through tax reform as well as some near-term spending savings and long-term entitlement reforms
Revenue increases through tax reform; that statement says it all right there, he wants to increase taxes because the government cannot quit its spending addiction. So to sum up this statement; it is irresponsible for the federal government to cut their irresponsible spending without asking the American people to pay more taxes to accommodate their irresponsible spending.
The federal government is out of control, and while this problem has been exacerbated in the last two years, it has been a problem for many, many years. From TARP to the stimulus, to the auto bailouts and on, the federal government has increased its spending exponentially in the last several years and now that they can no longer pay their bills they are looking at the American people as an ATM machine and will ask us to “sacrifice” yet again for their shortfalls by making another withdrawal, and in my opinion that is what is irresponsible.
Of course the hypocrisy here is astounding when you take into account that Timothy Geithner is a tax cheat himself; as if Charlie Rangel (who writes tax law), John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Nancy Killefer, Bill Richardson, Hilda Solis, Ron Kirk, as well as other Obama would be cabinet appointees who were forced to withdraw under tax clouds. Considering that Joe Biden claimed paying taxes was the patriotic thing to do (he must have missed that whole revolution thingy) it is interesting that these people actively tried to shun their patriotic duty.
No wonder Timothy Giethner is for higher taxes, he doesn’t bother to pay them so it won’t effect him in the least. When he speaks of being irresponsible I suppose he knows of which he speaks, for that is exactly what he is.
America's Watchtower 
This is interesting to me because we agree on 95% of policy. But you seem to feel the need to dig your heels in, much the way progressive Joe, over at “Hope and Change”. America needs motivated citizens(lie yourselves) to look for solutions together. Consider — a path to long term national health (and all that entails) is not found in ideology. Neither the far right or far left are a majority; in fact, they are minorities. Neither minority can have their way, no matter how loud. If the two camps were EMTs who arrived on the scene of an accident to save a victim the patient would bleed out before they decided to work together to save him/her.
Unfortunately, 50-60% of all marriages end in divorce. In many of those cases it ends in a bitter struggle for the man and woman to have their way or “win” while the family suffers mightily. I hope that ideologues will begin to act in ways that search out the common good. I hope that our politicians will suck it up and understand that ideology can be hurtful to our nation. I urge the far left and far right to intellectually understand that their intractability may not be helpful.
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It isn’t about us … it’s about our kids. We don’t enter into parenthood — or the political arena — to exclusively have things our way. We enter the arenas knowing we can exert influence and shape direction, maybe even inspire. But when confronted with great trouble we cannot afford to stamp a foot down and demand our way or the highway. It takes time and thoughtful action. Brute force doesn’t win. Obama spent all his political capital on an awful health care bill. Conservatives cannot afford to make the same mistake. I take a long term view. I think beyond 2012 or 2016. Much longer.
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I agree, it is going to take many years to dig our way out of this hole because it has taken us years to dig it. We must start with serious spending cuts befer we look at “tax reform” the worse thing that we could do right now would be to raise taxes in this recession.
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To be clear, I am not in favor of new taxes. However, the worst thing we could do right now is nothing. Nothing is what will happen if both sides say it’s my way or the highway.
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I understand what you are saying, but it is so frustrating because it seems as if it is our side which keeps on compromising, I think we have the Democrats in a position where they will have to give in on some of these issue and I would hate to see it go to waste.
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Timmy needs more tax dollars for his pals at the banks. It’s hard to privatize profits and socialize losses if the trough isn’t full enough.
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I was around in the 60s when the far left was saying equally emotional things about the right and burning banks. They burned our local Bank of America in Santa Barbara (Isla Vista). Some of their criticism was accurate and some of it was wrong. What is your point? What solution do you espouse?
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Obama to Geitner- “Get anything you can, whatever it takes up there…. WHAT? No, of course it doesn’t have to be true, you idiot!!!”
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Timothy Geithner is an IDIOT! Perhaps the biggest Idiot in a full cast of Idiots. This clod is a Tax-N-Spend, BIG G Progressive.
This Idiot in charge is as you say a ‘Tax Cheat’ who couldn’t figure out TurboTax(?) DUH.
But that said….He’s only taking marching orders from his Boss, ‘The Anointed One’.
Aloha!
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It is simply amazing that Geithner and Rangel are allowed to hold the positions they do with the history they have with the IRS.
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Tiny Tim is the last one standing of his Economic team. My hunch is it is because he knows how to speak Mandarin.
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That’s as good a guess as any.
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All that from a tax cheat, one that thought *TurbTax* was a good system…
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Turbo Tax has always worked for me!
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But you’re not a tax cheat named Timmy…
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You got that right!
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I think the calls to move past ideology are a means to cloud some rather important questions, like, what is the relationship between the citizen and state? Or, how about, should we restrict the federal government to it’s enumerated powers? How does one man make a claim on another’s wealth? Does the government exist to protect the rights of the citizens, that are granted by God, or is government the “great redistributor,” that can create and restrict rights by fiat?
We always have to ask those question, and many more. And the answers will guide my decisions. Some might call it ideology. For me, I call it truth.
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Matt – I agree with your questions. I even agree with your answers to those questions.
We agree on nearly everything.
Here is where strongly I disagree:
You said: “I think the calls to move past ideology are a means to cloud some rather important questions”.
Why would you say that? I am not attempting to cloud anything. Just the opposite; I am hoping to lift a cloud. Remove a blind spot. Why can’t the call to move beyond _political_ ideology at a time of national crisis be a call to survival of our nation? Ideological differences within a household will melt away when the house is on fire. Our house is on fire.
We should all hold onto the truth as we see it but that shouldn’t preclude problem solving. You don’t betray or lose your personal values by compromising politically to save the nation you believe in. Our kids cannot afford for us to “take our ball and go home”. Compromise in politics does mean you compromise personal integrity or God’s wishes for us. It is freaking politics. You are far too valuable to retreat if you don’t get your way in the next two years. Think long term.
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That should read “Compromise in politics does _not_ mean you compromise personal integrity or God’s wishes for us.”
A rather important one word 🙂
Peace
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Steve, you said “I understand what you are saying, but it is so frustrating because it seems as if it is our side which keeps on compromising”. I know it feels that way, but the far left is saying the same thing! I go back to the analogy of a bad marriage where both believe they are being screwed so they screw each other exponetionally more in an effort to have things their way. If they had come to an earlier decision to reach agreement (even if the agreement leaves them less than happy) it might favor furure peronal quality of life as well as their children.
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The GAO has already identified $100-200 billion in absolutely painless cuts. What are we debating here? Obama is talking about a ten year budget reduction plan. There’s 1-2 trillion off the table permanently. Why is nobody discussing these verified painless cuts?
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I wish I could answer that question, but I can’t. The waste was found and yet nobody is willing to talk about it, it makes you wonder what the money is really being used fot if they are unwilling to cut it.
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