Guest Post Ladies & Gentlemen of the CRFB:

Ladies & Gentlemen of the CRFB:

 

Three points:

 

1.  With regard to the statement by the 80+ CEOs:

 

Clearly, the nation has a serious deficit and debt problem, but it’s hard to take these guys seriously.

Most any reasonably bright college students, particularly those who have mastered “Washington Speak” (i.e., tax, spend, entitlements, deficits, debt) could string together words that make themselves look like deficit-debt statesmen while they call upon someone else, particularly elected officials, to take courageous steps that may end their careers.

How many of these 80+ CEOs will tell now their lobbyists, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and company-financed NGOs to stop pressuring members of Congress and executive branch agencies to continue and expand the tax breaks and subsidies that they want for their companies?  Think for the moment about the campaign contributions and lobbying by the US Chamber of Commerce, NAM, dozens of other associations, and hundreds of lobbyists who worked to protect their employers’ and members’ special interests in the multi-billion dollar “Christmas Tree” tax break extender bill reported in September by the Senate Finance Committee.

How many of the companies represented by these 80+ CEOs operate on the basis that “mining” Washington DC for tax breaks and subsidies is more profitable with less risk than focusing entirely on entrepreneurial, productive, commercially viable private sector products and services?  How many of them like to have Washington “pick winners” by lavishing tax breaks and subsidies on their products, technologies, and services that cannot compete in the marketplace?  How many of them are producing products that will never be competitive without government dictates and/or tax breaks and subsidies that add to deficits and debt?

A cynic might even conclude that some of these 80+ CEOs are a bit hypocritical.

2.  With regard to the CRFB and its "Fix the Debt" campaign:

It's also hard to take the CRFB seriously.  It seems to be populated by individuals who helped mightily to CAUSE the problem through irresponsible actions during the past 10-20 years that expanded government, spending, credit programs, entitlements, regulations, and special interest tax breaks. 

Now they want someone else to correct THEIR mistakes.  Perhaps they are merely trying to "stay relevant" and protect their ability to profit from their past positions and/or current lobbying activities.  The last thing that the nation needs is more "solutions" from the Washington Establishment.

3.  With regard to a "comprehensive program":

When has a "comprehensive program" EVER succeeded in limiting the size, cost and reach of government or limited the expansion of spending, credit programs, entitlements, regulation and special interest tax breaks?  

The search for a "comprehensive program" appears to be just one more way for individual members of the Congress and the Executive Branch to AVOID taking the step by step actions needed; i.e., learning to tell the difference between facts and propaganda from lobbyists and other special interests, cutting programs, holding down appropriations, cutting entitlements, wiping out special interest tax breaks, reining in regulators, stop funneling tax dollars to their friends, and attempting to pick winners that can be picked successfully only by the marketplace.

It appears that promotion of a "comprehensive program" is just one more attempt by the Washington Establishment to save itself and it's influence.

Glenn Schleede

Ashburn, VA