Letter to the Editor: Tea Time
Beau Wright |
Last Updated:4/22/09 Section: Opinion
Yes, folks, its time for a tea party! No, not the one with your little sister, but the Revolutionary kind, where American patriots board boats and throw British tea into the harbor to protest unfair taxes. Imagine my excitement when I heard that William and Mary was hosting its own Tea Party. On Saturday morning, I hurried down to the Crim Dell so I didn't miss out on any of the tea-heaving jollity. Alas, there was no tea in sight and no boats on the water, just a bunch of conservatives complaining about taxes. I'm sure many others experienced the same disappointment as hundreds of these Tea Parties sprung up across the United States. Saturday was the first round of these parties with the second wave held April 15th.
What were these good folks protesting? Mostly "no taxation without representation" - because the government is not just taxing those alive now but burdening future, unborn generations with crushing national debt. A noble idea, and I'm glad to see conservatives shake their post-election lethargy and get fired up about something that's not about gay rights or abortion. But let's talk about Saturday's complaints. Most of it had to do with the $700 billion bailout of America's struggling banks. Strangely, I don't recall seeing these Tea Parties when the Bush Administration authorized the bailout. But we'll forgive these hearty Americans for their belated expressions of anger.
Ok, so what else are they upset about? Government spending in general, really. Protesters believe that Obama will tax the bejesus out of middle class America. Spending will go through the roof, and for what? For an impractical, unworkable socialized health care system? For a liberal agenda that will do nothing to stimulate the economy while simultaneously "threatening the fabric of this country"? Point is, the government is taxing too much and spending too much.
Do these arguments hold water? Somewhat. I agree the government is spending too much. But the anger seems a little contrived. Where were these protests during the hard spending years of the Bush Administration? Sure, a lot of conservatives decry Bush now, but I can't recall a single conservative friend in 2006 complaining about Iraq War spending. To my Republican and conservative friends: y'all blew it. Complaining about Obama's spending now, after standing idly by during the past eight years, denies you any real credibility. And let's face it: most economists are saying that the government needs to spend big right now to help get us out of this slump. The last thing we want is a government spending freeze. I too wish taxes were lower; I don't enjoy paying them. And yes, the government could get rid of some programs and dramatically scale back others. But Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had a point when he remarked, "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." I urge my conservative friends to think about that and their obligation to this country. Plus, as columnist and Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman pointed out, Obama's planned tax increases on the highest earning would still be ten percentage points below those during the Reagan Administration.
Enough. You know, after Saturday's events, maybe I would have been better off at my little sister's tea party. She, at least, is still optimistic about America.
What were these good folks protesting? Mostly "no taxation without representation" - because the government is not just taxing those alive now but burdening future, unborn generations with crushing national debt. A noble idea, and I'm glad to see conservatives shake their post-election lethargy and get fired up about something that's not about gay rights or abortion. But let's talk about Saturday's complaints. Most of it had to do with the $700 billion bailout of America's struggling banks. Strangely, I don't recall seeing these Tea Parties when the Bush Administration authorized the bailout. But we'll forgive these hearty Americans for their belated expressions of anger.
Ok, so what else are they upset about? Government spending in general, really. Protesters believe that Obama will tax the bejesus out of middle class America. Spending will go through the roof, and for what? For an impractical, unworkable socialized health care system? For a liberal agenda that will do nothing to stimulate the economy while simultaneously "threatening the fabric of this country"? Point is, the government is taxing too much and spending too much.
Do these arguments hold water? Somewhat. I agree the government is spending too much. But the anger seems a little contrived. Where were these protests during the hard spending years of the Bush Administration? Sure, a lot of conservatives decry Bush now, but I can't recall a single conservative friend in 2006 complaining about Iraq War spending. To my Republican and conservative friends: y'all blew it. Complaining about Obama's spending now, after standing idly by during the past eight years, denies you any real credibility. And let's face it: most economists are saying that the government needs to spend big right now to help get us out of this slump. The last thing we want is a government spending freeze. I too wish taxes were lower; I don't enjoy paying them. And yes, the government could get rid of some programs and dramatically scale back others. But Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had a point when he remarked, "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." I urge my conservative friends to think about that and their obligation to this country. Plus, as columnist and Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman pointed out, Obama's planned tax increases on the highest earning would still be ten percentage points below those during the Reagan Administration.
Enough. You know, after Saturday's events, maybe I would have been better off at my little sister's tea party. She, at least, is still optimistic about America.
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