September 07, 2005

Cash injection for NOLA victims

Here's a bit of good news. A bit of good news that requires some inquiry. Every (almost) family will receive a $2000 debit card. Which is good. The tricky part is getting the cash. The Bush admin. is asking for $50 billion in relief funds for the NOLA victims. Question is where exactly are we going to get this cash from? Considering that there is a war that costs about 1 billion / month going on in Iraq and Bush is hell bent on repealing all the taxes that support such things as infrastructure and dams to hold back things like floods in the New Orleans area.

Let's do the political math here: Bush wants to repeal the estate tax, all the president's men are calling it the "death tax", because you see, death happens to all of us and it is scary. Estate happens to considerably less people than death and it has a Dallas, Southfork ranch feel to it. And if you want to get regular people to vote for it, appeal to their fear. Preferably fear of something that is guaranteed to have happen to them. Yes! Death is it! So, how is a president to repeal a tax that helps a lot of poor and middle class non voting people but helps a few rich and voting pals? Easy. By having them think that they are the beneficiary of this tax cut. But will he be able to sell it to the American people? Sure he will. Leave ot to Turd Blossom Karl Rove. He'll figure it out. And you can bet ot will leave the Democrats in the dirt holding their balls and weeping.