Cuts and Tax Hikes

When the US spends so much money on everything and still doesn’t see results, the question should be: are we spending it right? Does government spend money as carefully as we would our own?
It doesn’t look like it. That being said, the super committee shouldn’t be hesitant to slash across the board, without worrying about the political implications for things like cuts in education and infrastructure. Don’t get me wrong – both are extraordinarily important. But when the country is spending so much on education and still doing worse than countries that spend much less, well, maybe we need to see where the money is going. Tighter budgets might equal more accountability.
It’s here where I’d call out the Democrats, because they keep appealing to people’s emotions when it comes to cuts. We need cuts, and a lot of them.
I’m not saying the Republicans are perfect either. Calling the rich “job creators” isn’t a good enough excuse to prevent increases in taxes. Revenue holes need to be filled in somehow. It makes more sense that American citizens fill them in than the Chinese, who have already been super nice to us.
So the super committee needs to be aware that cuts and tax hikes are necessary, without worrying about voter blocs. These are not politicians who should be concerned with 2012. (Which is why Patty Murray’s presence raises a giant red flag.) They’re supposed to be secret, bipartisan, and dedicated to doing something for America. Let’s hope they do.