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Godfather politics is here

All budgets are defined by expenditures and revenues. A balanced budget requires that these two are equal. That hasn’t been the norm for federal budgets since the Eisenhower years. Tax cuts, like the Iraq war, were supposed to pay for themselves. Is there anybody who actually believes this now?

Federal spending and taxes include many things that people don’t like. However, citizens generally accept these because they believe in the overall process of representative government.

Angry citizens can withhold their tax payments if they strongly oppose government actions. However, few actually do this. A refusal to consider any tax policies that add revenue shackle budget negotiations. Kathleen Parker resorts to “Godfather” analogies to characterize politicians. These fictional characters were all ruthless criminals. Sadly, this is the logical extension of American political debate. The next step must surely be Marvel comics characters.

David Webb

Spokane

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