Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from February, 2020

Editorial: Spending, Not Tax Reduction, Fuels Deficits

A February 12th article in the  Wall Street Journal reports -- correctly -- that the U.S. budget deficit grew by 25% in the first four months of fiscal year 2020. The deficit, of course, is the differential between the amount the federal government collects and the amount that it spends. Every year that the U.S. accumulates a deficit, our national debt -- which currently exceeds $23 trillion -- becomes larger and larger. Many in the commentariat ascribe our runaway deficits to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced the corporate tax rate by 14 points and lowered individual tax rates. However, the article's fine print refutes that sentiment: "Federal outlays rose 10%, to $1.6 trillion, and federal tax receipts grew 6% , to $1.2 trillion—both record highs for the four-month period" (emphasis mine). Later on, the article notes that "corporate tax revenues, which have been rising since last summer, were up nearly 27%..." So much for the doomsday projectio...

Gallup: GOP in Best Position Since 2005

Gallup's poll of registered voters finds that 51% of Americans have a positive view of the Republican Party, the GOP's best performance since 2005. The Democrats are at 45%, a drop from their 48% favorability rating in Gallup's September poll. Image: History.com According to Gallup, the newfound support for the Republican Party is manifesting itself in tangible voter shifts: 48% of Americans identifying as Republicans or leaning toward that party, compared with 44% Democratic identification or leaning. Recent Gallup polls had shown a fairly even partisan distribution, after the Democratic Party held advantages for much of 2019. Republican President Donald Trump's approval rating is also enjoying a bump, with 49% of registered voters registering support and 50% declaring opposition. This is the president's best-ever performance in a Gallup poll. On the economy, 63% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance, the highest number for any presiden...