Sunday, November 8, 2009
Politics / Woods Bredesen: 'I Feel Like I Have Dodged a Bullet'
Posted by Jeff Woods on Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 7:16 AM
Asked if he ever thinks about what might have happened if he'd been named HHS secretary, Bredesen replied, "I feel like I have dodged a bullet." That's funny. We feel the same way.
The governor went on to give his usual gloomy report on the state of state finances.
"It's going to be 2014 before we think we'll be back to the revenues we had in 2008. Then of course you've got lots of unmet needs. You won't have given raises to state employees for five years at that point. Our pension plans are in need of some replenishment. Our reserves are in need of some replenishment. We won't have done a bunch of new things. It's a problem, there's no question about it."
All of which raises a number of questions. Given this dire situation, why did Bredesen tell us all through his time in office that there was no need to raise taxes, much less fix our unfair and inadequate tax system? Did he think the boom economy was going to roll along forever?
As for the state sharing the costs of universal health care with the federal government, whatever happened to skin in the game? Bredesen's always saying it's necessary for the working poor to put a little skin in the game if they want health insurance. He has proposed that everyone should "pay a little something for everything" in order to reduce costs overall.
"It is simple economics that if you want someone to make efficient choices, they have to have a little skin in the game, some personal responsibility."
Well, isn't this the same principle at work? It's simple economics, governor.
Comments (11)
Showing 1-11 of 11
The point is that Tennessee is constitutionally required to balance its budget each year. Anyone that thinks there will be a major tax increase in this state in the foreseeable future is delusional.
That being the case, this $1.4 billion in new costs will have to come from somewhere else in the state budget? That's about 5% of the overall budget.
Any suggestions about what part of the budget takes the hit? Higher Ed? K-12? Roads?
Try all of the above.
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That Medicaid cost is over 10 years, first of all. Second, you've completely missed the point, OGB. The question is, how come Bredesen never tried to fix our tax system rather than pretending it's not a problem? What's your argument? That we can't afford good health care and schools for everyone? That a large segment of our population, oh say about one fourth, is just tough out of luck? Of course, we can afford it. We're just refusing to pay for it. Or rather the wealthy are refusing to pay their fair share.
Wrong again, Woods.
No one's "fair share" of taxes is one cent more than the value of those particular government services that have provided them personally with a demonstable, specific direct benefit calculated on a pro rata user fee basis.
How much income they make has nothing to do with it.
And you aren't the least bit capable of proving the case is otherwise.
"No one's 'fair share' of taxes is one cent more than the value of those particular government services that have provided them personally with a demonstable, specific direct benefit calculated on a pro rata user fee basis."
Wrong, Gilbert. One's fair share of taxes is paid according to one's income, done gladly out of appreciation for the society that allows such opportunities.
And you can't prove otherwise.
On the contrary, DG you are as wrong as Woods.
"Society" has nothing whatsoever to do with causing any person's income income to be higher than anyone else's.
And you aren' the least bit capable of proving the case is otherwise.
Oh and one more thing, DG.
I most certainly CAN prove that people don't "gladly" pay their taxes.
All I have to do is point out that the IRS exists.
"One's fair share of taxes is paid according to one's income, done gladly out of appreciation for the society that allows such opportunities."
That reminds me of a quote I heard once that has to do with "each" and "ability" and "needs", or something like that.
On July 17, 1909, Sen. William E. Borah (R-ID) wrote, “The income tax is the fairest and most equitable of the taxes. It is the one tax which approaches us in the hour of prosperity and departs in the hour of adversity. Certainly, it will be conceded by all that the great expense of government is in the protection of property and wealth. There is no possible argument founded in law or in morals why these protected interests should not bear their proportionate burden of government.”
Borah couldn't prove a single word of that in 1909 and no one can do it today either.
