Taxes and spending

Published 4:06 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2015

The May 1 political cartoon is not correct.

Under the Republican plan, current revenue from taxes will allow for an increased spending of 8 percent – which the Republican plan proposes. The Democrats want to raise taxes. I think the governor wanted 15 percent. The Democratic House was somewhere in between.

Compromise should not mean needing to raise taxes. The only way that would be a compromise would be if the Republicans proposed to reduce taxes (say to keep spending levels flat). Then there could be a compromise that started with a position of equality and integrity. Otherwise, the Democrats could just ask for way more than they wanted or needed and compromise down to an enormous increase – like what is being proposed.

How many of you are getting an 8-percent raise?

– Dean Hazelton