Why I Love the West Wing and Articles on the Bush Tax Cuts
Of any series on TV, the one that gets me the most juiced for life is the West Wing. I don't know if it's the witty banter, the political topics or the great conversations, but every time I watch it I'm more psyched about life afterwards. It sort of reminds me of the possibilities. Now I know (from experience) that real life in politics is very different from what is shown there, but the show sort of takes all of the great parts about being involved and condenses it into a one hour feast for the political mind. Besides, with good 'ol GW in the White House, it's really all I have until 2004 (or sometimes I think more likely, 2008).
Now, we all know most of the problems with the Bush Tax Cut. Only goes to the richest who either aren't going to spend it or will to buy their fourth Lexus, which might be of a lesser concern to someone of lower income wanting to buy food. Puts the federal budget into a deficit situation when we already owe about $22,000 per capita in debt (that's $88,000 for a family of four). But there was a recent article in Slate and one in the Washington Post that made even better points. The first talks about the falsely reported economic benefits of the tax cuts, the other about how the municipal bonds (you know, the ones that spurn grassroot investment and build schools) are going to be crowded out because of the rush to equities caused by the reduction of the dividend tax. Both are good reading.