Now that most of us have enjoyed a pleasant politics-free thanksgiving, it is time to return to the chaos and craziness of Congress …

Who the hell do these democrats, republicans, and independents think they are and how stupid do they think we might be?

These asshats are speaking of tax reform and the formulas for funding the tax reform. What tax reform? Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not tax reform, nor is it morally defensible.

Why do you need to fund any tax reform when the obvious answer is to curtail the profligate spending -- in reality, politicians purchasing the political support of the special interests in their district and state with public money.

Add in the waste, fraud, and abuse, and you have a healthy chunk of change that could be used to reduce taxes or the national debt.

Has anyone noticed that the blue states, governed mostly by progressives -- and their RINO (Republicans In Name Only) cohorts -- have caused their own problems with their progressive tax policies. The elimination of the deduction for local and state taxes will impact and burden these states resulting in a tax increase, not tax relief – and certainly not tax reform. 

The failure to means test the mortgage deduction or limit it to large-scale residential properties means that renters, both residential and commercial, will be paying more as the owner’s taxes increase. All of their long-term income, tax, and expense planning simply flies out the door with a stroke of the pen.

The Law of Unintended Consequences ...

Our legislators do not actually craft the language of the law; they issue broad guidelines that are interpreted by lobbyists and implemented by staff. Our legislators do not even read – nor understand – the legislation they ate voting on, and certainly, our Presidents do not read and understand what they are signing.

These political pontifications and social experiments that pass for legislation are always larded with special interest pork and unintended consequences.

Bottom line ...

Like all other post-Reagan political tax reform efforts, the politicians are acting in their self-interests and the interests that benefit their benefactors to ensure the continuing influx of campaign contributions, voter support, and media attention.

And, in this political two-step, both the Republicans – the so-called party of fiscal responsibility – and the Democrats – the so-called party of the working man – are both complicit. It political Truth-in-Advertising was an actual law, both parties would merge and be called the PIGS.

We are so screwed.

-- steve