Cong. Frank Wolf wrong on tax policy

Subj: Cong. Frank Wolf wrong on tax policy

 

October 6, 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR:        Congressman Frank Wolf

SUBJECT:      Your 10/4/2011 floor speech and Congressional Record statement on tax policy

 While I have great respect for you personally, I disagree with your positions on tax policy.

Your October 4, 2011, speech and statement[1] failed to acknowledge forthrightly that current and former members of Congress are directly responsible for the huge deficits and debt now facing the nation.

You and other current and former members of Congress have had numerous opportunities to rein in spending, special interest tax breaks, entitlement programs, loans, loan guarantees, and other measures that have led to the deficits, debt, and unwieldy federal government now in place.

Much of the failure to act responsibly can be laid directly at the feet of members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for irresponsible spending, and the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees for hundreds of irresponsible special interest tax breaks and unsustainable entitlement commitments.

But, what have you and others who have VOTED FOR many or most of the irresponsible spending, tax, and entitlement expansion bills done to prevent the disastrous debt situation now facing the country?  You talk about the need for being responsible but you  and other members want someone else – such as a “Commission”-- to correct your past mistakes, rather than each of you exercising your individual responsibility as a member of Congress to vote NO.

I don't know Grover Nordquist or any more about his associations and activities than what you have reported (or which has appeared in the media from time to time).  You may be entirely justified in condemning those associations and activities.

However, I remain grateful to Mr. Nordquist for his efforts to prevent the Congress from continuing to use tax increases to enable you and other members of Congress to avoid your responsibility to cut spending, entitlement programs, and the size and reach of government.

I do wish that his anti-tax efforts would not rule out the elimination of the billions in special interest tax breaks that you and other members of Congress have written into the tax code.  Perhaps he is concerned – probably correctly -- that any revenue gained from elimination of those tax breaks would merely be used to pay for spending increases – rather than being used to reduce individual or corporate tax rates.

Respectfully,

Glenn R. Schleede

Round Hill, VA 20141-2574                         

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[1] http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&sectiontree=6,34&itemid=1805