Politics
Out of context: Reply #6080
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- tommyo0
Deficit Deception
Ed Carson | May 1997 Print Edition
It's an article of faith among Democrats that President Reagan was responsible for the doubling of the national debt during the 1980s. Not so, say Stephen Moore, director of fiscal policy studies at the Cato Institute, and investment analyst Michael A. Byrd in a new Institute for Policy Innovation report, "Whose Free Lunch?: The Truth About the 'Reagan Deficits.'" Like so many others before them, Moore and Byrd rebut claims that tax cuts drained the federal Treasury. They point out that tax revenues increased 24.1 percent between 1982 and 1989, virtually identical to the 24.4 percent rise from 1974 to 1981, and higher than the 19.3 percent growth projected for 1990-1997, after the Bush and Clinton tax hikes.
But former Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd maintains that if Congress had approved Reagan's appropriations requests, the deficit would have been even higher. True and false, say the report's authors. Reagan did request about $90 billion more for defense appropriations. But Byrd's claim leaves out entitlement programs, which make up over half the federal budget. If all of Reagan's requests had been approved, spending would have been $209 billion lower.
And when Democrats controlled both houses in 1987-1988, congressional spending exceeded the president's requests by an average of $51 billion, far above the $20 billion average when Republicans controlled the Senate from 1981 to 1986.
Moore and Byrd don't absolve Reagan for the deficits during the 1980s, noting that he exercised his veto power sparingly and never submitted a balanced budget. They simply state that Congress, particularly Democrat members, deserves more of the responsibility.
http://www.reason.com/news/show/…
He doesn't deserve all of the blame. You Demmys get some too. :)
- so you are a republican, tommy...DrBombay
- or are you still false flagging that independent shit?DrBombay
- I'm a libertarian. I just like watching you two party cocksuckers argue about how each others parties are worse.tommyo
- It's fun to watch from this position. I just toss logs on the fire and sit back all devils advocate like. Bowl of popcorn,tommyo
- stroking my beard and adhering to whomevers ideology I agree with most whenever it suits me. It's not for everyone, but I dig it.tommyo
- You should try to actually elect some people instead maybe be a better use of your time.DrBombay
- funny thing is all you ever do is bag on democrats.DrBombay
- the way I see it, fence sitters call themselves libertarians.DrBombay
- because they never actually elect any "libertarians" they just bitch like archie bunker.DrBombay
- It's just that your people have convinced the sheep that 'voting 3rd party is a waste of a vote.' So we get to throw stones.tommyo
- the repubs run as though they are libertarians, that is the problem.DrBombay
- So you need to associate yourself with an electable party to have an opinion? Seems phoney.tommyo
- you never see any libertarians voting democrat, maybe presidential elections if the republican candidates is a mccain.DrBombay
- I don't believe in god or the two party system. May I fast track myself to hell please.tommyo
- I dont agree with everything, but to do it your way nothing ever would get done.DrBombay
- Well Dobbers, Libertarians would never really vote Dem. You guys unabashedly love big gov...see the issue?tommyo
- To do it my way nothing would ever get done? Ohhh I forgot, your delusion that we're actually penning policy here eh? Right. :Ptommyo
- dont you know how untrue it is that repubs shrink the gov though?DrBombay
- you missed the point.DrBombay
- You ate the point fatass.tommyo
- hahahahaha :Dtommyo
- Of course I know Reps are only vocally in favor of large gov. Look at what Bush did. But you guys, you guys aren't afraid totommyo
- yell from the tallest mountain how gov should fix this and fix that and take care of everyone. Makes me sick to my stomach.tommyo
- Rick have I ever told you how much I cherish our long winded, obviously private comment conversations?tommyo
- dude I aint that fat, just a beer gut, like yer girlfriend.DrBombay
- I like it too. we're totally gay for each other.DrBombay
- I don't have a girlfriend. I have five. But I think I know which one you're talking about. She could stand to lose a few.tommyo
- I think we'd probably end up sweaty and naked if we ever just innocently and honestly intended to 'grab a drink.'tommyo
- stop being so gay and stuff.DrBombay