DEATH TOLL MOUNTS FROM TAX CUTS

For some time now I've been on the Democratic Party's e-mail list, so I'm aware of whatever issues the left wants to depict as the world-ending-crisis-of-the-moment. The volume of their e-mail has recently risen dramatically, as has the shrillness of their tone. This seems to follow fairly closely on the heels of the Democrats' failure to stop the tax cut, and much of the focus seems to be on the vast evil that said tax cut has perpetrated on the world. They've not yet provided exact numbers on how many women, children, gays, elderly, and other downtrodden minorities have perished as a result of lower taxes, but I expect those figures to arrive in my inbox soon, as the 'alerts' they've sent thus far are of no real concern for the sane and thus aren't "getting the message out™" effectively enough.

The latest barrage arrived over the past weekend, and sadly, the clueless are once again trying vainly to depict themselves as champions of the downtrodden, in this case the U.S. military, who now must suffer because of the evil Republican Overlords' efforts to protect the rich.

GOP Votes to Keep Cuts to Military Housing

Republicans proved that they don't match their rhetoric about the military with action when they refused Democrats' proposal for a minor reduction in millionaires' tax breaks to restore $1 billion in critical military housing funds cut by President Bush.

Democrats, led by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-WI), proposed cutting the tax breaks Republicans awarded to people making more than $1 million a year by just 5 percent in order to restore the funds cut by Bush to military housing.

The Democratic proposal would reduce the average millionaire tax cut from $88,326 to $83,546 in order to restore the funds for military housing. The funds would go to restore cuts that affect military housing, barracks, child care centers, schools, hangars, and office buildings.

The Bush/GOP Military Construction Appropriations Bill cut $1.5 billion from military housing and families from last year's level, in direct contradiction of Bush and other Republicans' high praise of the military after the war in Iraq. Their refusal to restore $1 billion at the cost of a small reduction in millionaires' tax breaks demonstrates the depth of their professed respect for our men and women in the military.

Hopefully the double-speak is noted: there is no "cut" to spending on military housing construction; the amount will simply be less then last year. This will not likely cause undue hardship to military families. (Who, by the way, have the option to take a housing allowance and live off-base if they find the quarters inadequate or undesirable. This is one of the many ways a military installation boosts local economies.)

And of course, since the tax cut has been approved, "reducing" it is a ridiculous concept. A tax increase is what this would be, pure and simple. Applaud the responsible forces of moderation that opposed this action.

Please also note the disconnect between the headline and the text; (which the Dems must assume will never be read anyway) housing is only a part of the military construction.

The military, of course, has no union. There are, however, several groups that (among other efforts) lobby Congress on issues of concern to military members. A look at their web pages reveals what those issues are - educational and veterans benefits being at the top of the lists of priorities. The Democrats, if they have any real concern for the well being of the troops, would do well to educate themselves on those issues, rather then dictate what they think the priorities should be.

Of course, that's not what's going on here. This is just another early volley in a multi-pronged attack from the left. Expect that in the future the far left will attempt to foist a "tax hike on the rich" at every opportunity to fund any welfare/human services-related issue beyond levels that current fiscal responsibility will allow. This will come in the form of riders to or provisions within any bill moving through Congress they can possibly get their fingerprints on. As these reckless schemes are defeated by moderates and conservatives in Congress the same type of rhetoric will follow. And those who are denied access to the re-distributed earnings of "the rich" will be depicted as victims of the heartless Republican evil.

Reports on the numbers of dead will soon follow.

Military members are as willing as anyone to tighten their belts when circumstances dictate, demonstrably more so then most. In this case, however, they won't have to. In attempting to portray themselves as protectors of the weak, the extremists in Congress have once again fallen short.

Perhaps the numbers of people willing to be taken in by this irrational rhetoric will dwindle appropriately. One can only hope.