I stole this idea from an opinion piece in the NY Times several weeks ago. I was on ‘vacation’ at the time and didn’t book mark it or I’d link it here. But here is my take away from the piece:
Want a bi-partisan solution to reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion?
Split the super committee into its partisan groups and:
Have the six Democrats find $600 billion in cuts that they can live with and that they know the Republicans will pass…
Have the six Republicans find $600 billion in new revenue that they can live with and that they know the Democrats will pass…
Done…
Only 1 minor problem with that, Ed:
Democrats have been more than willing to make cuts, while Republicans collapse on their fainting couch anytime the word revenue is even mentioned.
Hence, this (from the Times) is more of that Washington bubble, sentimental, bi-partisan, “pox on both their houses” utter hogwash.
Not to mention the best ways to “solve” the deficit: end the wars and put people to work.
There’s a novel idea….let’s not waste trillions of dollars on wars without end while our nation’s schools and infrastructure crumble around us.
If we got back to revenues = 18% of GDP, as it was 4-5 years ago (still below the 20% it was in 2000), the deficit gets cut in half. Proves that without jobs, any deficit reduction talk is pointless.