Obama Condemns Tax Loopholes While Calling for More

In today's budget message, President Obama condemns "special interest loopholes" and complains that "for too long we have tolerated a tax system that's a complex, inefficient, and loophole-riddled mess." The solution? More loopholes, including "tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed workers," "tax cuts…for small businesses,"  "tax credits to help families make ends meet and afford to send their kids to college," "extension of the American Opportunity Tax Cut," "tax incentives" for electric vehicles, "100 percent expensing on the purchase of equipment" (including corporate jets?), and "an extension of the research and experimentation tax credit." 

For more on this contradiction, see my February 1 column.

Comments

[Sevo]

There must be a time this guy opens his mouth and doesn't lie, I've just yet to see it.

[annonymous commenter some guy]

When he yawns, coughs, or otherwise does not speak.

[mad libertarian guy]

It's not a lie.

It's actually doublethink.

[P Brooks]

President Obama condemns "special interest loopholes" and complains that "for too long we have tolerated a tax system that's a complex, inefficient, and loophole-riddled mess." The solution? More loopholes,

No

kidding.

[2012 Voter]

"for too long we have tolerated a tax system that's a complex, inefficient, and loophole-riddled mess." The solution?

Vote out every incumbent.

[annonymous commenter some guy]

Then the next congressional class will just pile their own loopholes on top of the one's that already exist. Unseating an incumbent is pointless if you just replace him with another Team Purple Player.

[sarcasmic]

Rush 2112!

[gaijin]

We've taken care of everything...

[Restoras]

The words you read...

[Paul]

Whe a liberal complains about the complexity of the tax code, they're lying. The complex tax code is a central tenet of liberal philosophy. With a straight, level tax playfield, you can't set policy through tax code. You can't reward electric cars, punish cigarettes, reward green energy companies, punish insurance companies.

Complexity in the tax code represents the victory of progressive thought on our body politic. Which means, yes, they won.

[Bradley]

With a straight, level tax playfield, you can't set policy through tax code. You can't reward electric cars, punish cigarettes, reward green energy companies, punish insurance companies.

Well, you can, but you have to do it directly via subsidies rather than indirectly via tax code manipulation. Most of the time, progressives are just fine with subsidies too. The tax code crap is basically a sop to conservatives, who are less likely to object to social engineering if it's styled as a tax cut. The complicated tax code is the end result of decades of this left/right haggling.

[adam]

When you have subsidies, you have to vote the appropriations each year. And it's easier to figure out who's getting the money since the government has to cut a check. Much less transparancy when the spending is run through the tax code.

[wylie]

Which means, yes, they won.

the victory becomes Pyrrhic when it eventually causes the collapse of civilization.

[Barack Obama]

"For too long we have tolerated a legal system that's a complex, inefficient, and loophole-riddled mess. Therefore, crimes against the Executive will now be punished by execution, without trial. That is all."

[wylie]

crimes against the Executive

Let Me Be Clear: that includes remarks about my wife's shitty figure.

[Chewbacca]

But Obama's wife would be a prime piece of ass back home on Kashyyk.

[romulus augustus]

Creating new loopholes doesn't cost him any votes but gains him many more.
I'm actually surprised there isn't even more pandering going on because those who would be upset probably aren't going to vote for him in any case. "A $10,000 certificate will be sent to every taxpayer making less than $200,000 in order to allow him to buy a GM or Chrsyler auto, putting more good folks in Michingan back to work, and ensuring a level playing field with those unAmerican rich who can afford to buy Benz, Lexus and Beemers."

[Bradley]

With a straight, level tax playfield, you can't set policy through tax code. You can't reward electric cars, punish cigarettes, reward green energy companies, punish insurance companies.

Well, you can, but you have to do it directly via subsidies rather than indirectly via tax code manipulation. Most of the time, progressives are just fine with subsidies too. The tax code crap is basically a sop to conservatives, who are less likely to object to social engineering if it's styled as a tax cut. The complicated tax code is the end result of decades of this left/right haggling.

[RoboCain]

We should scrap the entire tax code.

[wylie]

i'll see your scrapping-the-entire-tax-code and raise you a scrapping-the-entire-US-Code.

[Brandon]

Is...Is it possible that Obama is just stupid?

[wylie]

but he's so well spoken. he just speaks so well.

[Loki]

I find myself wondering that too sometimes. More specifically I wonder if his head is so far up his own ass that he doesn't even realize his own hypocrisy and doublethinking, or does he believe that people are too dumb to notice? Either way it's not good.

[Bryan]

Any time anyone uses the words "special interest" you can bet its either subterfuge or an uninformed person.

Congressmen have to know that all interests are "special" and therefore all of government is about meeting those interests.

People who condemn it usually haven't thought very deeply about the issue and thus are just parroting something they heard, or simply don't recognize their own interests as "special."