A Sham

Times Union

Harry Rosenfeld’s Op-Ed of 5 June (Congress must undo tax-cut sham) was a little unclear. Must Congress undo it because it returns more than the promised $1.3 trillion? Must it be undone because it returns less than advertised? Or must it just be undone?

At one point Mr. Rosenfeld tells us the whole thing is a sham. Either the promised tax relief will be delayed, postponed, or of such short duration as to be meaningless. The more cynical among us will agree that the word "sham" is only to be expected from our political class. Some of us remember the big deal about the "balanced budget agreement" of ‘97. Not surprisingly, Congress has ignored this agreement – just another sham many of us are not aware of.

At another point Mr. Rosenfeld implies too much money goes back to those who earned it and the government will run a deficit. But some of us believe that the government habitually runs a deficit no matter how much tax is collected. There are some who will suggest there is no surplus to give back – the surplus is a sham. Older folks will remember the Social Security program as a retirement account – a trust fund - to which they and their employers sent vast sums. Unfortunately, the ‘trust’ fund can’t be trusted because it’s gone. It was replaced with IOUs which themselves are repaid with cheaper printed money, thus robbing all savings not just those of the old. Many of us remember the ‘War On Poverty’ that promised a "Great Society only to greatly increase crime and poverty instead. A few remember the vast sums paid into government health insurance programs in order to reduce the number with no health insurance only to see that number greatly increase instead. What about the HUD promise of better housing for the poor which many taxpayer gladly paid for only to now have expensive projects torn down as community failures? How about the expensive sham called ‘War On Drugs’? Or what about pouring ever more tax money into failing public schools only to have kids learn less?

Mr. Rosenfeld may not have been all that clear about his hopes for tax relief, but like him, we should all wonder how much of government is a sham.