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Show Emery County Progress Castle Dale, Utah Tuesday January 23, 2001 5A OPINION .Lets ack The National Deficit By SHELDON RICHMAN Should we cut taxes or should we pay off the national debt? ' Whats missing from this picture? Aside from the fact that paying off the debt need not be a priority (there is no connection between the debt and bureaucrats, and their dependents to forgo even a buck out of 2 trillion. Fbrgo? Heck, dont even suggest they make do on what they had last year! Please dont insult peoples intelligence by 6aying that everyone is for tax cuts, but responsible ones would be targeted to those who need them. Those arent tax cuts; thats social engineering economic growth), the question is a classic case of the Fallacy of the False Alternative. If we accept for arguments sake that the debt should be paid off right away, theres a way to do it and cut taxes! And it doesnt involve magic. Its really quite simple, The way to do it is to (house-lighout, drum roll, spotlights W'ash the stage): Cut government spending. ; i ment has to spend? can go without relief indefinitely. But do not ask the politicians, economy can do just fine with them. Interest rates are higher now than when we had deficits in 1993. But not all deficits are equal. It would be a mistake to create one by raising spending. Lets by spending other peoples money. Surpluses have the opposite effect. Clearly, we taxpayers cannot afford surpluses. So I say bring back deficits and protect the debt. The cut spending, but create deficits by cutting taxes big time. To that end, I proclaim the founding of the Committee to Restore the Deficit (CRDT, through Tax-cutti- pronounced credit). All who value freedom, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. (Rickman is senior fellow The Future of Freedom Foundation in Fairfax, Va.) through the IRS. Theres always a reason for not cutting taxes. A few months ago the reason was that it would overstimulate the booming economy. Now that the economy isnt booming quite so much, its that the tax cut will do nothing to stimulate the economy. This is Keynesian claptrap. The main reason to cut (or repeal) taxes isnt economic its moral. The money belongs to its producers. Period. Any conceivclaim is able second-part-y derivative of the primary claim. The taxpayer should get first not nth consideration. That is true in good times or bad. The types who suddenly care about the debt are the biggest phonies around. They dont really care about it. It has value to them in only one respect: it can be used to stop tax cuts. Let me amend that. They have another reason to hate the debt. They drool at the social engineering they could be doing with the money, that now goes to paying inter- ts Duh. long-debunk- ed Aside from a congressman or two, apparently none of your brilliant, highly educated, d extravagantly paid, and representatives in Washington Republican or Democrat thought of this. Kind of makes you wonder what youre paying them to do, doesnt it? The federal budget is closing in on $2 trillion a year nearly 20 percent of GDP. (Tax revenues are at a record 20.4 percent.) The government is so big, no one can possibly know all that it is doing. In the nations capital every nook and cranny has an office with federal bureaucrats ladling out money to some favored constituency. And yet: every penny is being so wisely spent that we cannot even consider whether the budget can be reduced, even for something allegedly so important as paying off the debt. Not only that, the 106th Congress, controlled by Republicans, thought too little was being spent. So they increased Spending by even more than' President Clinton asked! 1 find all this a bit too conveRenient. The taxpayers member them? The people who produce whatever the govern ten-lire- est. And that means theres a darned good reason to keep the debt. During the Reagan years, when the government was running up record deficits by outspendingthe revenue gusher, no one could seriously projios ig new spending programs without being dismissed as out of touch with 1 -- r .a a is- S?v. . W''s. I am honored to be representing the people of the Third District in the Peoples House. Im excited and optimistic about what this year will bring the American people. With todays cut in interest rates, and more cuts promised by the Federal Reserve, were going to continue this stretch of productivity growth and growth of the economy. In turn, and with the help of the Bush Administration, Congress is going to carefully and thoughtfully cut taxes, pay down the debt, ensure the solvency of Social Security, solve the Medicare crisis, and pursue real education reforms. This is going to be a great year. - V sj reality. Deficits had a blessed chilling effect on those who live QUOTABLE . .4 - You relax. ites; V f Congressman Chris Cannon Opening statement for 107th Congress As soon as you trust yourself you will know how to live. Goethe -- It is one of the great troubles of life that we cannot have any unmixed emotions. There is always something in our enemy that we like, and something in our sweetheart that we dislike. - Williani Butler Yeats Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you. - Aldous Huxley Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it is the only idea we have." Alain If it be knowledge or wisdom one is seeking, then one had better go direct to the source. And the source is not the scholar jr philosopher, not the master, saint, or teacher, but life itself t irect experience of life. No Equipment To Buy. Maintenance. Installation Included. Worry-Fre- e Henry Miller As a rule, what is out of sight disturbs mens minds more seriously than what they see. Julius Caesar it couldnt be easier to enjoy all the excitement of DIRECTV from Pegasus, because well install the entire system for you. Theres no equipment to buy, no work to be done. All it takes is one simple phone call. For about the same cost as cable, youll have access to a lot more. Just call Then sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Or should we say, hundreds of shows. Now, NOTICE TO EMERY COUNTY CITIZENS There are presently some vacancies on the Emery County Public Lands Council due to expired terms of present board toll free Call for details on our month of FREE PROGRAMMING members. - Any resident, residing in the county, interested in serving on this board may obtain a form at the ClerkAuditors office during regular business hours. The form will need to be returned by February 1, 2001 to the Emery County ClerkAuditors Office. M4iinamn4apdap'iaiM Citizen involvement is the basis of good county fed aatawkdfcto Santo Nfbftrd Niimet W DICCft to. PEGASUS' 1 SATELLITE TELEVISION offer DJ DIRECTV. www.pegsattv.com tkfaVteiMaohpraVRinpadaaMiMMMrbapitiradkOTd4 a ta ( ap to $ZSS ba Impowd programnwig 1, 4nraM. w la s a N wm mimri nop npan ato b afabwftnd fofta (arportoo hgowi Santa Carp. mi b towari by Amnta Ionian Inutanu Draft b a h I unto mart ri ftfows ComnwOnttom Corporation" All Itighfi ftmmi mard by VAC Stfaftfla Mtvkio In L. h L. 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