TheAgitator.com
Big Government Conservatism, Ct’d…
Sunday, January 11th, 2004Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney says the state is finally starting to see a surge in revenue, mostly because of a rebounding economy and reforms he initiated that disguise taxes as “user fees.” You’d think that the massive state deficits brought on by reckless government spending during the tech boom would have taught state policy makers a lesson. It’s easy to spend in a boom. But people become reliant on that spending. So when the economy turns down, you’re in heap big trouble. A better option: A surplus means government has overcharged the taxpayers for the services it provides them. So give it back. At the very least, bank it, so it’s there when things go south again.
Romney didn’t learn. He’s using the new revenues to, you guessed it, expand government services.
(Hat Tip: The Bitch Girls)
As much as I hate big government conservatism, you do some times have to look at existing political conditions. The standard I try to hold politicians to is not whether they resist as many expansions of government as I would like, but whether they have resisted as many expansions of government as was politically possible under the circumstances. By this standard, Bush fails but I would have to reluctantly conclude that Romney passes.
I was amazed he was able to hold the line on taxes to the degree he was. There was no backing off the income-tax rate cuts and no other major broad-based tax hike. I’d preferred not to have the so-called “user fees,” but let’s face it: He’s alone. The legislature is almost entirely Democratic. If they pass something and he vetoes it, he doesn’t have the votes to sustain the veto. Nobody in the legislature, except for the tiny number of Republicans who mostsly represent a few affluent suburbs, has any interest in seeing his plans work or getting him reelected. The political climate is about as inhospitable to him as it could be – what’s he going to do?
Weld at least had enough Republicans in the state senate in his first term where he could veto bills and have his vetoes sustained. That’s why he was able to initiate some serious cutting of government. But once the number of Republicans went back to normal, he became a big-government conservative too.
Having said all that, there is at least some constituency for small goverment in MA based on the number of votes come statewide Libertarian candidates have been able to get.
Vote No
Radley Balko finds yet another reason not to be a Republican….
I agree with Mr. Antle. Also, revenues are picking up because the economy is picking up. I don’t think it’s all user fees.
Radley, if I was under 30 I would stop filing a 1040 — or better yet, if I had never filed one before I wouldn’t start, since the first 1040 triggers the creation of an IMF (individual master file) in the IRS database. Next, I would start learning what my rights are under the law (not what the IRS website tells you) so as to protect yourself against future nastygrams from the feds asking why you haven’t filed yet. http://dougkenline.blogspot.com/ has a lot of good links to start arming yourself with information the government doesn’t want you to have. When enough people stop filing, the government will have to shrink. Until then we can keep voting for republicrats.
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