Bob Casey’s Office: “the Wealthy Create Jobs, so they Deserve a Tax Cut.”
That is what Senator Casey’s office told me when he voted to extend tax cuts for rich in exchange for 13 months more unemployment for those already receiving it (but of course nothing for those who’ve exhausted their 99 weeks: Senator Casey’s office would presumably prefer that those people and their kids curl up and die somewhere, preferably where the Senator doesn’t have to see them).
I was taken aback by the statement given to me by a young woman named Maddy, who had no response when I asked her “why does Pennsylvania have 10% unemployment if tax cuts for the rich work so well? Why are we in an economic crisis that’s been described as the worst since the Great Depression? Bush’s job creation record, which was predicated on tax cuts stimulating the economy was the worst since the 1940s.”
Maddy told me that she didn’t want to argue about it. “You don’t want to argue?” I asked. “Then why do you work in politics?”
“What?” she replied. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Maddy,” I said patiently. “Politics is about nothing BUT arguing. It’s called “debate” for a reason. That’s why they have ‘cloture votes’, to end the debate.” it was very difficult to stifle a scornful “duuuuuh.”
“Well, I didn’t go into politics to debate.” I wanted to bang my head on the wall, her statement was so obtuse.
Maddy continued to insist that extending unemployment benefits for about a year would stimulate the economy, and didn’t seem to grasp that cutting social security payroll taxes will lead to ongoing “starve the beast” attacks in the years ahead.
But she was quite proud of herself for being wrong, and tried to head off the argument with comments like “You’re right Mr. Skwire. And you’re soooo smart. you’re right about EVERYTHING.”
“Well, if you want to go THAT route,” I retorted, “I’ve been right more than your boss has been. I predicted, accurately, that the insurance mandate in health reform was going to wind up judged unconstitutional. I’ve also been right on Afghanistan, and on no-strings attached bailouts for banks, both of which your boss supported. And I’m right on stem cell research, which your boss didn’t support. you wanna keep going?”
“Mr. Skwire—”
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t want to argue. You’d just rather people shut up.”
“No that’s–”
“See ya.”
And I hung up the phone. Later i wrote a letter to the Senator which I cc-ed to quite a few people. That goes up in a few minutes.
