The Democrats' Mantra: Tax, Spend, Regulate

Statement

The Democrats' Mantra: Tax, Spend, Regulate

Milton Friedman once said, "The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy." Unfortunately, Friedman's observation is applicable today as Congressional Democrats and the Administration have also mismanaged the government by increasing taxes, spending record amounts of taxpayer dollars, and proliferating government regulation, all of which have exacerbated the unemployment crisis.

Although small businesses have made America prosperous, Democrat policies continue to cause uncertainty in the marketplace, which has paralyzed economic growth. Instead of providing incentives to create jobs, Congressional Democrats and the Administration have decided to increase taxes through government-run health care, cap and tax, "responsibility fees" for financial firms, and small businesses as the tax cuts implemented under President Bush are set to expire at the end of this year. Such tax increases will further discourage businesses from hiring, as well as raise the costs of the products produced and services provided.

While levying additional taxes on the American people and small businesses, Democrats have been using these taxpayer dollars for an unprecedented spending spree on their pet projects and special interests. In the past year alone, Democrats have increased nonsecurity government spending by a staggering 12 percent. In fact, although the so-called stimulus was sold as a "jobs' bill, the massive $787 billion bill had little job-creating provisions.

For example, the bill contained $300 million for the federal government to buy plug-in cars; $1 billion for a new "Prevention and Wellness Fund", which would be available for education programs on sexually transmitted disease prevention; and $1.5 million for signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money. Good use of taxpayer dollars to create jobs? I don't think so.

On top of raising taxes and their shopping spree, Democrats have been increasing government regulation of the private sector and in the lives of all Americans. Their proposals, like the government takeover of health care, the plan to make permanent the policies to bailout politically connected Wall Street firms, empowering bureaucrats to determine the types and terms of credit products through the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, authorizing bureaucrats to determine private sector compensation, and the decision to unleash the EPA on small businesses in the name of "global warming" have paralyzed job creation.

As this month marks tax day, Americans and small businesses now more than ever need to see their tax burden reduced. To this end, I have cosponsored legislation to prevent tax increases and also to simplify the increasingly complex tax code. In addition, broad tax cuts must be combined with significant decreases in government spending and reduced regulatory burdens. As Democrats are fighting to increase the presence of government in your everyday life, I am fighting against it. Now more than ever, we must reign in wasteful government spending and end the bureaucratic invasion.

Source