My conversation with Rob Portman

On Tuesday (2011-08-30) I sent a short missive to Rob Portman (US Senator, OH, GOP) as one of his constituents to express my views on what directions the "Deficit Reduction Committee" (which he is a member) should take:

Tax the Rich.

Warren Buffet's August 14th Op Ed piece in the NY Times "Stop Coddling the Super-Rich" say it better than I can:

http://goo.gl/S9uAW

It is unconscionable that your "solution" to balance our budget is to "cut spending" when the tax rate for the richest 1% in our country is the lowest it has been in 80 years.

Our household income puts us in the top 10% and I would rather have MY taxes raised than to make spending cuts at a time when our people and economy needs every type of help possible.

Well, today (2011-08-31) I got a nice canned response:

Responding to your message

Dear Steve,

Thank you for contacting me and sharing your suggestions to reduce our nation's budget deficit. Your ideas will be considered as I work with the other members of the Deficit Reduction Committee to put our nation's fiscal course back on track. During my time in public service, I have always counted on advice from constituents, and your input is appreciated at a critical time for our country.

I felt compelled to answer the call to serve on this committee because of the urgency of the fiscal crisis on our doorstep. I will work hard to ensure that meaningful and credible spending reductions are made to rein in the soaring national debt, and encourage economic growth and job creation.  With record debt levels now approaching 100% of the size of the U.S. economy, Washington cannot continue to kick the can down the road.  Not only does this unprecedented borrowing have a long-term impact on America's economic stability, it also reduces our ability to generate jobs and economic opportunity today.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to engage on this issue.  Please stay in touch. We will continue to have updates on my website at www.portman.senate.gov where you can also sign up for my newsletter.

Sincerely,

Rob Portman

U.S. Senator

Well, surprise!, he doesn't agree with me. But "for fun" let us take a look at his included reasons:

I will work hard to ensure that meaningful and credible spending reductions

Why only work from this direction? Why not work on raising revenue? Which was the entire point of my original email!

...encourage economic growth and job creation...

Both things that lowering spending (any spending public or private) will hurt!

unprecedented borrowing

Actually it is not, our Debt to GDP ratio was higher during the Great Depression.

it also reduces our ability to generate jobs and economic opportunity today.

There is no theory or evidence of this. Our current level of Debt is showing no signs of affecting private sector hiring or expansion plans.

So his answer is to totally ignore the historical precedences of The Great Depression and of Japan's Lost Decade. If he keeps repeating the GOP line "Expansion through Shrinking" maybe the voters won't notice that it is not working in the EU and that it didn't work in 1937. The main thing that got the economy going again was the massive government spending involved in waging WWII...