As expected, President Obama announced a budget reduction and revenue generation plan yesterday as a companion piece to the American Jobs Act he announced a week and a half ago. Even before his Rose Garden presentation on Monday, the heads of many in the GOP began to explode in rhetorical flames, as they cried out that President Obama's proposal to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires was class warfare.
The President was prepared for their false cries, and he threw their lie right back into their faces. “This is not class warfare,” Obama said. “It's math.”
President Obama's right. Since 1950, American businesses grow FASTER when the top level of taxes is HIGHER. It's not a direct causal relationship - meaning higher taxes don't automatically mean faster growth. It is, however, a fact that Republican claims that lower taxes always equal faster growth are complete lies.
That's not the only lie those on right are spewing as they desperately try to fight the facts of the President's math.
As the non-partisan CBO mentioned this summer, if Congress simply does nothing – something the current GOP-led House is incredibly good at doing – by sometime around 2018, the federal budget will balance. That inaction would absolutely cause massive problems for the Medicare and Medicaid programs, among other government services Americans expect - but the federal budget would be balanced.
Unlike the Tea Party Republicans at the last GOP debate, most Americans don't generally think letting people without health insurance die is a good idea. In fact, most Americans - by a three-to-one margin - have NO problem raising taxes on those in our society who can afford it the most.
It's obvious that President Obama has gotten that message from the American people loud and clear. His tax and budget plan would include a tax for millionaires and billionaires - a tax that would affect less than three tenths of one percent of Americans. In a country of over 310 million people, when you can help 309 million by slightly increasing the taxes of less than one million of the wealthiest individuals, it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that decision is a no-brainer.
Yet, the Republicans are claiming the President's entire plan is class warfare.
Let's make sure everyone understands the math. The President and 75% of the American people - including one of the richest Americans in the world, Warren Buffett - want the rich to pay a little more (which they can easily afford), while the middle and working classes get to keep many of their current tax breaks. Since the middle and working classes will spend more of their money sooner, that would boost our economy faster in the short term. This plan could also allow us to make sure doctors get more of their Medicare and Medicaid payments, and help pay down America's debt - which will help keep interest rates low when the next growth boom happens, which is a benefit to every American.
Meanwhile, Republicans and conservatives and the other 25% of Americans want MORE tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, which they CLAIM will bring jobs to America. If their claim had any weight behind it, the unemployment rate in America should be at a record low, since Americans are playing less taxes proportionately than they've paid in over sixty years.
Point blank, Republican math about the President's latest plan is wrong in virtually every way we can imagine. Maybe they need some time with a high school math teacher we used to know who hung meat hooks on her walls as motivation to get the answers right. Or as political reporter and McLaughlin Group regular Eleanor Clift once told right-wing politico Pat Buchannan, “Class warfare is when we burn down your houses, Pat."
Either way, if it's a war the richest Americans and the Republican Party want, they need to remember: the most important math is that there are millions and millions more Americans who agree with the President on his plan than there are those who stand with Republicans and the rich.
It may burn the GOP's hide - but both the odds and the facts are simply not in their favor.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday Detour: What If... Bachmann Had Been President In The '50s?
Today, we're fairly certain what the right-wing screamers on the radio and their bubble-headed bleach-blonde cohorts on the fake news channel will be bleating about. After all, the cries from the right that "Obama is a socialist" (this time, because he's proposing a tax on millionaires and billionaires) or that he's a bad, bad man (the rumors from the latest semi-fictional tell-all) are nothing that propagandists haven't already said a billion times already.
With that in mind we're going to take a detour today to talk about a hypothetical question that Paul came up with, after listening to NPR and having a discussion over the weekend with our good friend, theatre director and professional cartoonist, Bob Hall.
The question, begged by the comments at the most recent Republican debate, was this: If Michele Bachmann had been President in the 1950s, would she have fought against the government mandated polio vaccinations, and relegated thousands of children to being free from those awful polio shots, so that they could spend their lives in an iron lung or otherwise have been permanently disabled?
It's not entirely hyperbole, or a fantasy discussion.
In case you missed it last week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Bachmann had a royal fight in the GOP debate over Perry's 2007 executive order requiring that sixth-grade girls in Texas get vaccinated against HPV - the Human Papilloma Virus. All too conveniently, the manufacturer of the vaccine, Gardasil, happens to be Merck Pharmaceuticals, a substantial contributor to Perry's previous political campaigns.
Of all the candidates attacking Perry, Bachmann seemed the most livid about Perry's actions - but we're not quite sure why. In all the time Bachmann has been in politics, both at the state and federal level, she's never once made crusading AGAINST vaccinations a major part of her legislative resume (which is incredibly thin).
Furthermore, Ms. Bachmann's ridiculous claim - a claim that Bachmann says she was only passing on from one of her supporters - that vaccinations cause retardation, is an outright lie.
Perry's claims that he was trying to fight cancer and "protect life" ring hollow - which, coming from a Governor who has overseen more than 234 executions hardly seems sincere. The key question seems to be one of what right the government has to implement programs that improve public health.
While there are currently no federal laws mandating vaccination, all 50 states have them - and the constitutional right of the government to mandate vaccination has been upheld by the Supreme Court on multiple occasions, many years before the 1950s.
Even IF the world had been turned upside down, and Ms. Bachmann somehow had become the President of the United States during the era when Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, her protestations would have crashed and broken against reality: both vaccinations and health care mandates work, if created and implemented properly. Legally and ethically, the U.S. and state governments not only can mandate certain actions regarding public health, but they have a responsibility to do so.
We tend to think the millions of Americans who've received the polio vaccine in the last fifty years, along with the millions of young Americans who've recently gained or kept health insurance, thanks to the Affordable Care Act - Obamacare to its detractors - would also tend to agree that mandates and health care are pretty good policy at times.
With that in mind we're going to take a detour today to talk about a hypothetical question that Paul came up with, after listening to NPR and having a discussion over the weekend with our good friend, theatre director and professional cartoonist, Bob Hall.
The question, begged by the comments at the most recent Republican debate, was this: If Michele Bachmann had been President in the 1950s, would she have fought against the government mandated polio vaccinations, and relegated thousands of children to being free from those awful polio shots, so that they could spend their lives in an iron lung or otherwise have been permanently disabled?
It's not entirely hyperbole, or a fantasy discussion.
In case you missed it last week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Bachmann had a royal fight in the GOP debate over Perry's 2007 executive order requiring that sixth-grade girls in Texas get vaccinated against HPV - the Human Papilloma Virus. All too conveniently, the manufacturer of the vaccine, Gardasil, happens to be Merck Pharmaceuticals, a substantial contributor to Perry's previous political campaigns.
Of all the candidates attacking Perry, Bachmann seemed the most livid about Perry's actions - but we're not quite sure why. In all the time Bachmann has been in politics, both at the state and federal level, she's never once made crusading AGAINST vaccinations a major part of her legislative resume (which is incredibly thin).
Furthermore, Ms. Bachmann's ridiculous claim - a claim that Bachmann says she was only passing on from one of her supporters - that vaccinations cause retardation, is an outright lie.
Perry's claims that he was trying to fight cancer and "protect life" ring hollow - which, coming from a Governor who has overseen more than 234 executions hardly seems sincere. The key question seems to be one of what right the government has to implement programs that improve public health.
While there are currently no federal laws mandating vaccination, all 50 states have them - and the constitutional right of the government to mandate vaccination has been upheld by the Supreme Court on multiple occasions, many years before the 1950s.
Even IF the world had been turned upside down, and Ms. Bachmann somehow had become the President of the United States during the era when Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, her protestations would have crashed and broken against reality: both vaccinations and health care mandates work, if created and implemented properly. Legally and ethically, the U.S. and state governments not only can mandate certain actions regarding public health, but they have a responsibility to do so.
We tend to think the millions of Americans who've received the polio vaccine in the last fifty years, along with the millions of young Americans who've recently gained or kept health insurance, thanks to the Affordable Care Act - Obamacare to its detractors - would also tend to agree that mandates and health care are pretty good policy at times.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday Funday: It's Toonfest Time!
Once a year, for the last decade or so, one or more of us have trundled our belongings together, packed up, and headed for the place where every REAL Disney fan knows the magic really came from.
We're not talking about the Magic Kingdom. That's just up the road from our Florida offices, and we can go there, with a discount, any time we feel like it.
No, the REAL House of Mouse, where the world's most well-known cartoon mouse came to life in the mind of a young man, is in the small town of Marceline, Missouri, the boyhood home of cartooning legend Walt Disney - and Disney's Hometown Toonfest.
We're proud that Paul Fell Cartoons and the North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) have been such strong promoters of this event over the last 13 years - and if you're anywhere in near Missouri (or if you can catch a great discount flight to K.C. or St Louis) we highly recommend you join us this weekend.
Some fantastic cartoonists will be there this year, including Lee Judge, whose work you've probably seen in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Playboy, Washington Monthly or National Review. Bill Whitehead, a longtime humor writer for Hallmark Cards, and the weekly editorial cartoonist for the Kansas City Business Journal (for twenty years), will also be at Toonfest.
Jeff Keane - the inspiration for the legendary Jeffy from The Family Circus cartoons will be running around Marceline too - though we're not going to follow him around with a dotted line, like in the cartoon. The second- generation cartoonist and current creator of The Family Circus, is also a two-time former President of the NCS, and a long- time colleague of Paul's.
Finally, as far as the official guests go, Glenn McCoy, one of our own North Central Chapter members, one half of The Flying McCoys, and one of the most versatile cartoonists we know (and are proud to know), will also be in Marceline to help us celebrate the life of Walt Disney (and maybe pick up the bar tab this time).
We love autumn, and we love the Toonfest too. While it's mostly a festival for the town and the north central region of Missouri, there are people that come from all over the world to enjoy the Toonfest.
The festival focuses a great deal on exposing kids to the depth and history of Walt Disney, beyond the hyper-commercialized image most of us are used to seeing. It's a wonderful event, filled with cartoon artwork and fun.
For us, it's a way to celebrate the coming of autumn, a chance to catch up with old friends, and meet some new ones, as well as a chance for us to see the work of great cartoonists we're proud to share our broader media field with. If you ever get the chance to go, we highly recommend it.
We hope that, whatever you do this weekend, you get a chance to revel in the camaraderie, commiseration, companionship, and contentment that can only be found in the company of good friends.
If good food and fine beverages are a part of that? Even better.
Enjoy your weekend.
We're not talking about the Magic Kingdom. That's just up the road from our Florida offices, and we can go there, with a discount, any time we feel like it.
No, the REAL House of Mouse, where the world's most well-known cartoon mouse came to life in the mind of a young man, is in the small town of Marceline, Missouri, the boyhood home of cartooning legend Walt Disney - and Disney's Hometown Toonfest.
We're proud that Paul Fell Cartoons and the North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) have been such strong promoters of this event over the last 13 years - and if you're anywhere in near Missouri (or if you can catch a great discount flight to K.C. or St Louis) we highly recommend you join us this weekend.
Some fantastic cartoonists will be there this year, including Lee Judge, whose work you've probably seen in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Playboy, Washington Monthly or National Review. Bill Whitehead, a longtime humor writer for Hallmark Cards, and the weekly editorial cartoonist for the Kansas City Business Journal (for twenty years), will also be at Toonfest.
Jeff Keane - the inspiration for the legendary Jeffy from The Family Circus cartoons will be running around Marceline too - though we're not going to follow him around with a dotted line, like in the cartoon. The second- generation cartoonist and current creator of The Family Circus, is also a two-time former President of the NCS, and a long- time colleague of Paul's.
Finally, as far as the official guests go, Glenn McCoy, one of our own North Central Chapter members, one half of The Flying McCoys, and one of the most versatile cartoonists we know (and are proud to know), will also be in Marceline to help us celebrate the life of Walt Disney (and maybe pick up the bar tab this time).
We love autumn, and we love the Toonfest too. While it's mostly a festival for the town and the north central region of Missouri, there are people that come from all over the world to enjoy the Toonfest.
The festival focuses a great deal on exposing kids to the depth and history of Walt Disney, beyond the hyper-commercialized image most of us are used to seeing. It's a wonderful event, filled with cartoon artwork and fun.
For us, it's a way to celebrate the coming of autumn, a chance to catch up with old friends, and meet some new ones, as well as a chance for us to see the work of great cartoonists we're proud to share our broader media field with. If you ever get the chance to go, we highly recommend it.
We hope that, whatever you do this weekend, you get a chance to revel in the camaraderie, commiseration, companionship, and contentment that can only be found in the company of good friends.
If good food and fine beverages are a part of that? Even better.
Enjoy your weekend.
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