Up Next, Tax Reform

The President and the Republican controlled Congress agree (for now) that “tax reform” is the next target for action. Tax reform is a umbrella term, and like any good umbrella, tax reform could mean many different things. Soon Americans will know what Republicans have in mind.

There will be two parts to the reform, corporate and individual tax codes. For corporate taxes, there is a rich world of exceptions, exemptions, and deductions which could make anyone dizzy trying to figure out which ones apply to which businesses. Not surprisingly, President Trump has promised to lower corporate rates from 35% to 15% claiming the current US tax rate of 35% is the highest in the world and puts American businesses at a significant competitive disadvantage. Hmmm. (I wonder what the President will propose about the existing dog’s breakfast of loopholes, deductions, exemptions etc which contribute to the current average business tax rate of 14%, far below the starting point of 35%. Which buasinesses will be winners and which one will not?)

An important aspect of corporate tax deals with pass through taxes and carried interest taxes. Both of these options create tax favorable situations for certain wealthy business owners (lowering their overall tax liability). What will the GOP propose for these during tax reform considerations?

For the individual tax code, it is hard to imagine a more complicated set of rules. The individual tax code is used to generate tax revenue on earned income after certain exemptions and deductions are taken into account. When the adjusted income level is determined, individuals fall into tax brackets and the tax is calculated. For many tax payers (but still a minority over all), pass through and carried interest income plays a role in lower the overall bracket.

Some very wealthy Republicans want a straight “flat” tax of say 10% on all income, no exceptions, and no deductions of any kind. Others argue for less deductions and lower bracket rates but, of course, argue certain deductions are still important. Hmmm.

What is normally never discussed under the heading “tax reform” is what would be the consequences. On the plus side, tax reform is often argued as a route to stimulating the economy.  Some even say a tax cut (their idea of a reform) would pay for itself by growing the tax revenue even at lower tax rates.  Yes, believe it or not, a free lunch.

And unmistakably, there are those who plead for tax reform for various purposefully sounding reasons, in truth only seek a tax cut for themselves.

The more insidious consequence resides in what the government will not be able to afford on lower tax revenues.  Will a GOP controlled Congress lobby for healthcare and entitlements cuts too?

The current tax code has something for everyone to find wanting. The tax code seems to complex. There must be something wrong when an average person needs the help of tax experts to file ones income tax.  Corporate taxes are too high we are told yet American business, on average pay about the same tax rate as foreign businesses.  And, the tax code seems unfair to both the wealthy and the average person.  So “reform” seems a reasonable goal.

The mystery is what will the GOP think constitutes reform?

Heated Rhetoric

Following the baseball field shooting of Republican legislators, bi-partisan cries have gone out calling for an end to heated (often misguided and misinformed) rhetoric. “Enough”, cry some of the most practiced in the art of partisan politics. Does anyone really mean those words? Doubtful.

Why doubtful?

While those words calling for a return to civility were echoing through Congressional halls, Senate Republicans were huddling behind closed doors attempting to cobble together a healthcare plan which met the test of reducing healthcare coverage and still keeping a Republican majority to pass the bill. No public hearings, no open discussion, no Democrat input. Do you think that is bipartisan behavior?

Like climate change and the abdication of the Paris Agreement, or the pending “huge” tax cut for the wealthy, or the private sector infrastructure proposal designed to put money is special pockets, Republicans are stacking the deck with intentions favorable to a few, neutral to a few more, and dangerous to the many.

Criticism opposing legislation kept in secret is called heated rhetoric by some. One wonders why?

Special interests?

Our elected officials are called politicians for a reason. Congress members first must convince enough citizens in their districts to choose them over their opposition. Promises are usually part of the bargain and in that lies the seeds for the problems we see today.

Instead of advocating for rebuilding the infrastructure, it is preferred to call for tax cuts. Instead of warning about global warming and taken specific steps towards control, it is easier to question the science and play for time. Instead of calling for basic healthcare availability, it seems wiser to claim (falsely) that America is exceptional and has the world’s greatest healthcare system.

Heated rhetoric could be a “generation thing”. In other words, current public officials inherited a wealthy country have done little or nothing themselves to create national wealth. With no practical experience in what it takes to build a nation, it should not be a surprise that Congress members’ sphere of vision is simply themselves. The role of today is to survive and worry about the future tomorrow. Hmmm.

While there are plenty of examples to support this theory, there is also a more sinister hypothesis. Americans are people. People are by nature greedy. Politicians are people and therefore without adequate checks, are greedy too.

Share that realization with clever and also greedy wealthy citizens and in not too much time, politicians learn to promise one thing but do another (and what they do is what their financial backers want).

Heated rhetoric may simply be the natural end which occurs when politicians make one false claim after another, long enough. Explaining behavior which leads no where can only be done so long before citizens sense dishonesty or incompetence. Raising the tempo, going negative, and if necessary, using “dog whistles” of race, religious, or national origin helps mold the electorate into “we” and “them”. Hmmm.

IMO, Congress reflects middle and upper class American. Congress’ ineffectiveness and willingness to engage in “heated rhetoric” is what any of us would do if public life were our chosen field. Fortunately, most Americans do not seek public office and the power to change government lies in our hands.

Ask the simple question, “what is the problem awaiting a fix”?

The problem is not necessarily that the US is spending too much money as those who say “the Federal Government” is too large. Rather, if there is a problem, one must cite the problem first.

For example, Medicare is often cited as a major contributor to the growing federal debt. Why not collect more fees and taxes to eliminate the deficit? The problem, rather is not the spending amount, it is whether there a need for Medicare at all.

Once there is agreement on why some healthcare subsidy for those on fixed incomes is fair and warranted, then the discussion on how Medicare should be paid for should begin. The same applies to Medicaid, Social Security, and healthcare in general.

Each American can figure out whether the incumbent is interested in the problem or just some special interest outcome (like paying less in taxes). Term limits by voting the incumbent out of office is the fastest way to get Congress members’ attention and to begin to lessen this problem.

I bet, however, that “heated rhetoric” will rule the day until Americans use the ballot box to over come “dark money” and other special interests.

Tax Reform On The High Wire

With a one page, 200-ish word handout, President Trump presented his outline for revamping the Federal Tax code, and in one fell swoop, jump starting US economic growth. The Trump Administration announced the largest tax cuts “in history” and with a straight face assured listeners that these cuts would pay for themselves by boosting current 2% annual growth to 3+%. Hmmm.

The supply side argument is that lower taxes puts money in Americans pockets and with the extra cash, Americans will spend more. More spending, in turn, stimulates industry which adds more capacity, employing more Americans. The increased employment then ignites another round of investment and job hiring. If nothing else, it is an exciting story.

Regrettably, supply side economics (George H W Bush called it VooDoo economics) has been tried before and has been discredited by most economists. Arguably if most Americans received a big positive hit from a tax cut, one might feel President Trump’s outline was worth a shot.  Unfortunately most of President Trump’s tax savings proposal would flow to the already wealthy.  Hmmm.

Progressive economists (Keynesian followers) would prefer outright government spending if the desired policy is to stimulate growth. In practice tax cuts have tended to find their way into the already wealthy’s pockets and not into business investment. Surprised?

The proposed tax cut is a shameless attempt to steal from the average person and give to the wealthy. Hillary Clinton had proposed somewhat the opposite when she proposed new taxes on the wealthiest of Americans. While it is fair to question why the very wealthiest should pay more in taxes (as oppose to everyone paying more), the Trump proposal, as outlined, could increase the taxes of average Americans living in States with high State taxes (which are deductible now on Federal returns). But more than anything, the Trump proposal promised the lower income Americans nothing, question marks to middle income, and a bountiful gift to the wealthiest. For what?

First quarter GDP growth numbers were announced this morning.  The 0.7% growth underlines the problem America’s economy is facing.  Consumers aren’t spending nor are they choosing to save instead.  The average American does not feel flush with money and is choosing to wait on discretionary purchases.  A small increase in most consumer’s discretionary income (via a tax cut) will likely have only a small impact compared to an equal sized increase in direct Government spending.

There is another and important part to the tax cut announcement. Trump Administration is proposing to lower the “corporate” tax rate from 35% to 15%. This is worth listening too. Why? The stated objective is to make our corporation globally competitive and in the process encourage (and not discourage as in now the case) American corporations to repatriate their overseas earnings. (One report estimated that there may be over 2 trillion dollars in overseas banks.) Corporations claim that the 35% tax on repatriated earnings is too onerous compared to their alternatives.

The reasoning goes that repatriated overseas earnings could be used to invest and stimulate the economy, and once taxed, provides the Government a means to increase spending without increasing the debt.

As with many well intended objectives, lowering the corporate tax rate across the board could bring handsome savings to many who do not compete with foreign companies or have hoarded money in far away places. Lawyers, doctors, and hedge funds, to name a few, could spin this lower rate and change their tax paying status for income taxed at 35% to the new lower !5% corporate rate. And why would that be a wise use of the tax code?

There is precious little known about the exact tax code reform but what is implied in the one page press release, the rationale (stimulating growth) for implementing this reform is highly doubtful.

What seems not doubtful is that the very wealthiest Americans will take home a bundle. Hmmm.

The Republican Titanic?

In the wake of the Acela Primaries, news reports are coalescing around the inevitability of Donald Trump’s nomination. This outcome has been reinforced by the apparent rejection of Ted Cruz’ VP selection of Carli Fiorina, and the seemingly unexplainable coalition with John Kasich. With Trump’s opponents self destructing in real time, who is there to oppose Trump?

Politicians are many things but normally brave, predictable, and principled are heard less and less these days. Republican leaders are in a tough spot. They do not like Trump (and predict bad things in the general election with the Donald at the top of the ticket) but Kasich has not caught American’s interest and Cruz is held in lower esteem than even Trump. So, GOP big whigs don’t want to get caught without a chair when the music finally does stop. QED, hold our noses and get behind Trump.

There are certainly elements of the GOP leadership, including big money, who hold hope that Trump can be defeated in a contested convention. It simply unclear who the GOP could put forward to unite the Party and have a chance to do better in November.

A thoughtful Republican must conclude, one would think, that the Grand Old Party is about to disintegrate. This is probably an exaggeration. But disintegration into two or three large pieces is not only possible but long over due.

The Freedom Coalition (Cruz and Tea Partiers) present an evangelical/fundamentalist, no compromise approach to social values and an austere fiscal policy. Since the rise of the Tea Party, this group has been trying to hijack the Republican Party by claiming to be more Republican than any other Republicans. The views they hold and policies they endorse are backward looking and are not where US demographics are heading. The GOP would be wise to let them go.

Donald Trump followers are people who feel let down by Democrats and assign their economic worries to the “handouts” Democrats call entitlements. This group is largely uninterested in social issues and believes in “live and let live”. For this group the future is all about sensible policy which puts the American dream back in play. The GOP would be wise to build upon this base.

Third largest segment might be the old fashion “establishment” characterized by Jeb Bush, Haley Barbour, and the Koch Brothers. This group knows best what is in Americans best interest. They also know what’s best for themselves and see any path forward as featuring a tax cut for the wealthy (no matter how a tax cut is packaged). Benign neglect and civility are the hallmarks of this segment.

How might this all play out?

If the world was perfect, the GOP would realize two things. (1) The Cruz followers have no place to go. Their world view is held by an ever decreasing number of people and their no compromise stand will prevent others from joining. (2) The GOP needs to take a drubbing again in the general election in order for it get real on its core beliefs and policies. (For example, person center healthcare (Paul Ryan’s proposal) in place of Obamacare is the same as “the best healthcare money can buy” and that will not fly.)

In this perfect world, the GOP would return bravely to the center (slightly right of center is ok). Repairing and improving the infrastructure which is necessary for jobs and commerce doesn’t know what a Democrat or Republican is. Income inequality is real but the idea that cutting taxes on the wealthy is somehow going to bring about high paying jobs is a cruel pipe dream. And, saber rattling (how the US is going to get tough with other countries) has no place in the real world of globalization, the US is either militarily strong or it isn’t, and oh by the way, that country the US just shook its saber at is a key trading partner).

If the GOP doesn’t think the middle is for them, then the GOP may need to receive a thrashing more than once.

America needs the GOP to regain its senses. There are important issues facing the country which needs a more diverse set of eyes and minds thinking about them. The budget is unbalanced and without more tax revenues, the only path to a balanced budget is by decreasing government spending… which moves quickly to reductions in entitlements as well as defense spending. Cutting entitlements and not defense spending at a time of income inequality is a prescription for social unrest.

There is a chance that the GOP can escape the Titanic’s fate but only if they move away from the destructive policies of the Freedom Coalition/Cruz faction. If the GOP doesn’t move, the majority of current GOP members will.

The Tourniquet Syndrome

What policy positions do you associate with Republicans and with Democrats. The Republicans might be “tax cuts” and Democrats might be “entitlements”. For sure there are other policies each party pursues but taxes and entitlements separate the parties, one is for, and the other against.

The tax issue is socially complex. Most everyone, members of both parties, would prefer to pay no taxes at all if that were possible. Yet most people know that government services require a source of revenue to cover the expenditures. Hence, taxes are necessary. So when Republicans call for tax cuts, they are in fact seeking to shift the tax burden to be carried more and more by lower income individuals. Conversely, when Democrats seek tax increases, they are happiest when the “progressive” tax formula shifts the burden upstream to the very rich. Both parties agree the “other guy” should pay more, whether it is an increase or a cut.

Entitlements, however, represent a real conundrum.  The government is obligated to make entitlement payments even if it has to borrow money to over the costs.

Here is a list

• 529 or Coverdell
• Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
• Hope or Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
• Student Loans
• Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
• Earned Income Tax Credit
• Social Security–Retirement & Survivors
• Pell Grants
• Unemployment Insurance
• Veterans Benefits
• G.I. Bill
• Medicare
• Head Start
• Social Security Disability
• SSI–Supplemental Security Income
• Medicaid
• Welfare/Public Assistance
• Government Subsidized Housing
• Food Stamps

(Source – http://www.answers.com/Q/List_of_government_entitlement_programs)

Each of the entitlements was once justified as an emergency fix to a social problem, sort of like applying a tourniquet. Hmmm.

Looking at this list, one must first remove Social Security – Retirement and Survivors. The entitlement is designed to provide supplemental retirement income and is funded from wage taxes workers pay during their working lives. There is no reason that this form of Social Security should represent an on-going drain on the Federal Budget since revenues received can easily be adjusted to match future liabilities.

Medicare also should be removed. Medicare is healthcare insurance also supported by wage taxes and the rate of these taxes could be set to match payouts.

For the remainder, some social situation was deemed an emergency and a government payment (including tax credits, exemptions, or deferments) were thought necessary.

So, Republicans seek to cut entitlements are in effect seeking to remove the “tourniquet” and do nothing. In real life this almost always results in a serious deterioration in health and often death. Democrats seem just as content to leave the “tourniquet” in place and continue the status quo. Removing a “tourniquet” in real life must be accompanied with some other medical action of health deteriorates. Doing nothing, that is leaving the “tourniquet” in place does nothing to alleviate the underlying conditions which made the entitlement necessary in the first place, and maintains the long term “at risk” status of those receiving the benefit. Hmmm.

Candidates or political parties which advocate for tax cuts must be called out quickly and asked (1) who specifically would receive the cuts, and (2) how would the cuts be offset (especially now that there are already deficit budgets) The answer will reveal a naked attempt at lowering income taxes for the wealthy (even if it also lowers middle or low income tax rates), or the tax cut is advertised as a result of reducing entitlements (without any review of the underlying problems which lead to the entitlement in the first place).

Candidates who are content with the “entitlement status quo” or rise to fight the first hint of “entitlement reform” or “entitlement reduction” are guilty of a different but almost as cynical sin. Emergencies by definition cannot be allowed to go on forever, otherwise they wouldn’t be an emergency. Even more significant, the conditions which lead to an entitlement in the first place will almost certainly evolve over time. Sometimes the social situation can get even worse (like with Medicaid for those who cannot afford health insurance). Other times the need for an entitlement might be better served by an entirely different method of government assistance. One might suspect the “don’t touch entitlement” politician is someone more interested in a constituent’s vote than their wellbeing.

At first it probably seems discouraging that the all too familiar political rhetoric “I’m for cutting taxes” and “I’m against cutting entitlements” are words from someone only interested in attracting a voter’s preference. Political speeches are highly crafted, purposed to attract money and votes, that it often never occurs that there is more to taxes and entitlements than cutting or raising.

The candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have attracted a significant number of voters who for various reasons are rejecting the mainstream political message. These candidacies will have been successful if voters who once having rejected the “establishment” rhetoric, begin to ask questions of the “anti-establishment” about how and why their policies are wise and appropriate.

Will Americans find a way end the Tourniquet Syndrome?

Hillary’s Free College Flyer

Democrat Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has proposed that college education should be free, or at least no one should incur debt when pursuing the first four years. Hmmm.

When one examines the current state of higher education, there are some glaring short comings which smack you right away, For example,

• Many Americans are racking up $100,000+ personal debt to attain undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• On top of that, many of these debt loaded graduates are unable to land jobs and if successful, too often these jobs do not pay enough to live and make debt payments.
• And worst of all, many students run up huge amounts of debt only to drop out of school without a degree.

Not a pretty picture.

The Progressive answer seems to hinge upon the Government somehow shielding students from the debt burden. Advertised as “free” education, we are once again pursuing the preverbal free lunch. Nothing is going to happen with this proposal.

Free college education is certainly a government service which voters could decide was a good thing. Free public schools and universal health care (single payer) are two other government services voters have or could decide were essential. Reality, however, will demand that “government” deal with four associated issues,

• nothing is free
• tax revenues must be raised to cover the actual costs.
• there needs to be a control method to keep the costs of these services from skyrocketing. (Any business will seek to expand its offering and the selling price that goes with the offering. When the government is the “payor”, there is often little reason not to raise the price as much as possible.)
• It should not be overlooked that any such “free education” system also needs some method to ensure the product delivered is “as advertised”.

Hillary’s “campaign appealing” suggestion has the potential to (1) tax a minority of Americans to help educate many Americans, (2) unintentionally increase the cost of education for all Americans, and (3) still deliver a substandard product or one simply unsuited for gaining “good” paying jobs in real life. Is that a trifecta?

Hillary’s “free college education” pledge may have long term benefits but not without provisions that control the prices college charge and ensure the education product is both appropriate and of consistent quality necessary to obtain a “good” job.

Pragmatically, it seems funding must ultimately involve a broadly based tax base where each person using government funded education pays too (taxes or maybe community service) so they know they are covering the “free education” for the next person.

Sadly, a GOP proposal for “free college” education would be suspected as disingenuous (probably a proposal never meant for implementation or if sincere, meant only for certain groups).  On the other hand, a Democrat proposal would be (should be) suspected of being naively formulated (good in intent, poorly thought through for unintended consequences).  Hmmm.

That’s politics, I guess.

Zero Sum Tax Increase

Today I read an article in the Baltimore Sun on the subject of tax incentives.  Tax policy, especially how much citizens pay, is a controversial issue these days.  “Taxes are too high, I pay too much.”  So, it’s important to hear what your State or local government is proposing just in case they are quietly taking money from your pocket.

Here’s an example of finding out there is no free lunch.  It seems HBO’s show “VEEP” has qualified for California tax incentives if it elected to switch its production site from Maryland.  According to the article, the prize is $6 million dollars in business income taxes less “VEEP” would pay in California. Maryland has yet to respond to the challenge and the shows future shooting location remains in question.

So what?

In the past, newspapers have reported bidding wars between various cities and states over where automobile factories would be built. Cities have bid against each other for conventions or attracting new employers. Some cities, like Philadelphia, offer developers tax breaks (abatements) to encourage the building of new condos and apartments. Each taxing authority thinks they can garner the advantage and be immune to anyone trying to poach the new business from them. Hmmm.

The taxing authority’s incentives seem to be, in exchange for lower taxes, the new business (or convention etc) will bring new jobs and spending to the community, and these new jobs and spending will be produce other tax revenue in the long haul. In a world where everyone slept, this would be a fool proof strategy. Hmmm.

What often happens, however, is the original host community finds out about the lower tax offer and matches the incentive.  Consequently the business remains put, and the host community simply receives less tax revenue. Nice.

In a tax war between similar size States, the contest seems fair even if mutually destructive. Between huge States like California and much small States like Maryland, this tax fight seems unfair.

California might argue that the filming industry was originally based largely in California.  States like Maryland used incentives to first lure movies and TV programs away from California. Hmmm.

The free lunch theorem, however, predicts tax driven competitive action has only one real victim and that is the existing tax payer.

With a show like VEEP, there is just so much production costs regardless of whether the show is filmed in Maryland or California. The zero sum says that if Maryland host the show, California get zero, and vice versa.  If either State offers tax incentives and attracts the show’s production, it receives less business tax revenue than might be possible (it must forego the incentive value) and the other State receives no tax revenues. If the first State fails to attract because the original State matched the offer, then the first State gets no new tax revenue and the second State (host) gets less. Hmmm.

Competition between States on non-tax issues is healthy. Roads, schools, and work force quality are all characteristics which promote stronger State economies. Good roads, great schools, and a qualified work force require prior State investment and are useful for a wide range of applications.  In essence these States have used tax revenue to produce competitive advantages.

Using the tax code as a tool to “steal” business from some other State seems unfair because (1) richer States can spend more, and (2) unwise because in the end the average tax payers in one State or the other gets pays more.