A Blaze of Bright Blue: Paul Ryan; Low Taxes "More Important Than Anything"

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Paul Ryan; Low Taxes "More Important Than Anything"

WALLACE: So how much would it cost?
RYAN: It’s revenue neutral…
WALLACE: No no, I’m just talking about cuts. We’ll get to the deductions, but the cut in tax rates.
RYAN: The cut in tax rates is lowering all Americans’ tax rates by 20 percent.
WALLACE: Right, how much does that cost?
RYAN: It’s revenue neutral.
[...]
WALLACE: But I have to point out, you haven’t given me the math.
Ryan: No, but you…well, I don’t have the time. It would take me too long to go through all of the math. But let me say it this way: you can lower tax rates by 20 percent across the board by closing loopholes and still have preferences for the middle class. For things like charitable deductions, for home purchases, for health care. So what we’re saying is, people are going to get lower tax rates.....

WALLACE:“Would he scale back and say, ‘OK, we’re going to have to raise taxes for the middle class?’”
“What’s most important to him in his tax reform plan?”

RYAN: “Keeping tax rates down, that’s more important than anything.”

Lowering taxes is more important than defense or caring for our veterans? Lowering taxes is more important than our nation's health care or more important than educating our children? Lowering taxes is more important than repairing our infrastructure or moving onto a green energy program? Paul Ryan has misplaced priorities and is hopelessly entangled in a low tax utopia that can exist only in his own mind.