Pam Gulleson Can’t Think Of Any Federal Spending She’d Like To Cut, Unless You Think Tax Cuts Are Spending

Tweet

Written By:
Rob Port

Dec 21, 2011
12:13am

For some reason, the folks at Valley News Live consider hard-hitting journalism to be putting a Democrat candidate for the House, Pam Gulleson, on the “hot box” to get questions from…a liberal talk radio host and former Democrat legislator. What we get is almost eight minutes of soft balls and platitudes.

Conspicuously absent from the questioning is anything to do with Obamacare, perhaps the biggest issue of the midterm election cycle and (with the Supreme Court set to rule on it in the middle of 2012) perhaps the biggest issue of the coming cycle as well. Gulleson would have to either side with her party, and Barack Obama who will be at the top of her ticket in November, or with the North Dakota electorate which hates the law.

But there was one good question: When it comes to balancing the budget, who should the federal government say no to? Gulleson’s answer? It turns out she can’t think of any actual spending to say no to, but she can sure think of some tax cuts she’d like to get rid of. Like the Bush tax cuts, for instance:

It never ceases to amaze me to watch as liberals talk about tax cuts as though they were government spending. As though all the wealth belonged to the government, and leaving portions of our income or property untaxed were a government expenditure. This is an insulting way to look at wealth, and I find it hard to believe that in a state like North Dakota where citizens make a living from the land and are extremely protective of their property that sort of thing is going to resonate.

To be fair, I do agree with Gulleson in so far as certain tax loopholes and deductions in the federal tax code ought to be ended. I’m for a simpler, flatter tax. That being said, I’m only for ending loopholes and deductions when they’re coupled with reductions in overall tax rates. Taxes should be flat, simple and low.

Somehow, I don’t think that’s what Gulleson wants. I think what Gulleson wants is more money out of our pockets so that the spending sprees in Washington can continue.

No wonder there’s almost a half dozen Republican candidates lined up to take on Pam Gulleson.