As a questioner, along with George Stephanopoulos, of Republican presidential candidates at the Sunday debate in Iowa carried on ABC's This Week, veteran Des Moines Register political reporter and current columnist David Yepsen pressed the candidates to raise taxes. For the last question in the first hour of the 90 minute session from Drake University, Yepsen urged Mike Huckabee: “Is it time we raise the federal gas tax to start fixing up our nation's bridges and roads?” After Huckabee answered it was a matter of budget priorities, Yepsen turned to Rudy Giuliani: “In Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty, who vetoed an increase in his state gas tax, said now he may consider one. Is this Republican dogma against taxes now precluding the ability of you and your party to come up with the revenues that the country needs to fix its bridges?” Giuliani suggested Yepsen's formulation presumed a “Democratic liberal assumption: I need money, I raise taxes.”
In two weeks, ABC's This Week will gather Democrats for a debate. Will their “dogma against cutting spending” be cited as an impediment to prioritizing money to fix bridges?
Part of the August 5 exchange between Yepsen and Giuliani:
YEPSEN: In Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty, who vetoed an increase in his state gas tax, said now he may consider one. Is this Republican dogma against taxes now precluding the ability of you and your party to come up with the revenues that the country needs to fix its bridges?
GIULIANI: David, there's an assumption in your question that is not necessarily correct, sort of the Democratic liberal assumption: I need money, I raise taxes.
YEPSEN: Then what are you going to cut, sir? What do you cut?
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Democrats
August 6, 2007 - 06:32 ET by allanfLiberal Democrats will never miss an excuse to raise taxes. If our infrastructure is such a mess, where were the liberals and David Yepsen two weeks ago? Perhaps then, some caterwauling would have saved lives.
Besides which, roads and
August 6, 2007 - 11:50 ET by motherbeltBesides which, roads and bridges would not be a mess if they were using the gasoline taxes for the purpose they were created: namely the upkeep and repair of roads and bridges. Instead, they got dumped into the general fund, spent on things like entitlements and everything else; then they say there's no money to fix roads and bridges. Yes there WAS, morons, only you spent it on giveaways that would get you votes in the short term! Now you want us to cough up more money, with no guarantee that it will EVER be spent on roads and bridges!
they got dumped into the
August 6, 2007 - 22:37 ET by dahliatraversthey got dumped into the general fund, spent on things like entitlements and everything else; then they say there's no money to fix roads and bridges
Exactly.
This is a redux of what happened to New Orleans' levies. The federal government sent the money to upgrade the levies to the state, who chose instead to squander the funds on local (vote buying) pork. A whole lot of people paid dearly for this gross malfeasance.
1. Pity there's been no
August 6, 2007 - 06:33 ET by sarcasmo1. Pity there's been no dogma against the real problem, which has been too much spending, and
2. It figures "unbiased" George would not let the one MD on stage talk about the health care question...
JMR
Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.
How did I miss this debate?
August 6, 2007 - 07:18 ET by Six String SpiffI have been asking when the heck this debate was going to take place for weeks. I guess I live under a rock. It also looks like nothing important was asked either... surprise.
Why is it that democrats are always a day late and a dollar short?
They are the reactionary party. Oh woops. I forgot there is the nu-speak I must follow. reAXinary party. The point is they are the masters of asinine policies.
If somebody got clubbed to death with a copy of the Websters Dictionary, the next day some dullard lobby group would be pushing for registering of dictionaries.
It is a SHAME the Dems are using the bridge tradgedy as a polical issue. Hey lame brains, ever heard of misappropriated funds? I'm sure you have. Of course, they have to make it fit their "BUSH SUCKS!" template. It's too bad that bridge wasn't full of those very politicains that USE the victims politically. Not even a DAY went by and the Dems were already blaming the Bush administration. DESPICABLE.
What the MSSM doesn't report can kill you.
The government has wasted
August 6, 2007 - 07:30 ET by dscottThe government has wasted $50 billion dollars of tax payer money on AGW hoax research over 20 years, money that should have been spent on the roads, bridges and dams or curing a KNOWN disease. That's $4,756 a minute folks. They had no right to divert money from known problems.
The question is not why Repubs refuse to raise taxes as an answer to life's problems, the real question is what accountability do Dems have for misappropriating tax payer funds for pet agenda projects. Our new motto needs to be: Gore LIED and people DIED.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius
$$$
August 6, 2007 - 07:32 ET by AgnosticIf money, more precisely "tax money", would fix all the ills of infrastructure would someone please explain the 'Big Dig' and exactly how all those billions have worked to fix the infrastructure of that haven of liberals.
I totally agree.
August 6, 2007 - 09:15 ET by ff_emt1According to the Chinese calendar, 2007 is the Year of the Pig. There is still
enough pork to cause concern for taxpayers, as 2,658 projects were
stuffed into the Defense and Homeland Security Appropriations Acts, at
a cost of $13.2 billion.
Here are some
"pork" earmarks in current legislation:
$350,000 for the Museum of Aviation Foundation in Warner
Robins, in the district of Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.);
$150,000 for Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary Association for birds, requested by Rep. Charles Dent
(R-Pa.);
$700,000 by Senate THUD
Appropriations Subcommittee member Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) for College Park
for blight removal along the Route 1 Corridor;
$400,000 by Sen. Max
Baucus (D-Mont.) for the Daly Preservation Trust to preserve and interpret the
Daly Mansion, its buildings and grounds;
$200,000 by Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid for (D-Nev.) for the Post Office Museum in Las
Vegas, Nevada, to complete transformation of the old Post Office in downtown
Las Vegas into a museum on local history;
$200,000 by Sen. Orrin
Hatch (R-Utah) for a Provo City downtown parking structure;
$250,000 for
construction of the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, WA, in
the district of Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.);
$100,000
for signage and streetscape improvements for the Los Angeles Fashion District;
More pork at
http://www.cagw.org/...
A Democrat is someone who wants to put YOUR money
where HIS mouth is.
this Republican dogma
August 6, 2007 - 07:35 ET by rimskythis Republican dogma against taxes
Excuse me? So there's no "dogma" in the liberal nanny-state approach to EVERYthing? Tax, Tax, Tax....
BTW, I'm getting really sick of Charles Schumer the professional photo-opster! His little walk across the Brooklyn Bridge was pure politico BS. He HAS to spend most of his time just trolling for photo-ops. What a phony!!
Photo Schumer
August 6, 2007 - 08:02 ET by Six String SpiffI agree. It's bad enough that most people think all politicians are phonies. We don't need these morons blatently playing the PR game. Chucky is right up there with Edwards on spectrum of Phoney. Actually, let me rephrase that. DEMOCRAT I believe is the top of the phony spectrum. Right above 'journalist'. Which is just above 'silicone'.
What the MSSM doesn't report can kill you.
Earmarks
August 6, 2007 - 07:41 ET by PerduretWe can start by cutting the billions in earmarks attached to each Bill that Congress approves.
It was nice to see Rudy,
August 6, 2007 - 08:02 ET by NortonalecIt was nice to see Rudy, Tommy and Tancredo fire back at Stephy and Yepsen. I was impressed by Tancredo. He is someone I am going to be following more closely.
Nortonalec
I thought all those
August 6, 2007 - 08:15 ET by kathleenirishI thought all those billions in gas taxes WERE for infrastructure repair? I guess that money went the way of the tobacco settlement money~not where the so-called compassionate and holy liberal democrats said it would. I really resent these freakin' media whores running around blaming conservatives for everything bad that ever happens. I guess following their logic, if we gave every cent to the government, we'd achieve nirvana, perfection, total happiness and immortality! Those damn dogmatic conservatives!!!
Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar.
Actually, that's not
August 6, 2007 - 08:55 ET by dscottActually, that's not correct to my knowledge, Federal money is only for building roads not maintaining them. Maintenance is the total responsibility of the States. Congress has to specifically change by legislation for Highway Trust Funds to be spent on maintenance. This is the same idea as the local authorities being first responders to a natural disaster, it's their responsibility to ask for help when necessary. Did we hear the MN governor pleading for Federal help prior to the bridge collapse??? NOT!
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. Marcus Aurelius
Interstates ?
August 6, 2007 - 10:55 ET by general companyThe Feds are responsible for the Interstates and other (if their are any) Federal roads aren't they?
gc,
August 6, 2007 - 11:02 ET by Dave ROn the federal interstate system, the roads and appurtances (bridges, signs, etc.) are built to federal highway standards, but the bridges themselves are actually owned by the states, who are responsible for their upkeep.
The states can, however, ask for financial assistance from the federal government in certain cases.
Help Fred defeat everybody.
Very good, Thanks
August 6, 2007 - 11:14 ET by general companyVery good, Thanks
I think the response to
August 6, 2007 - 08:20 ET by BruzillaI think the response to that question would be "Minnesota state and local governments have approved $318 million dollars for the construction of a new stadium for the University of Minnesota, $350 million for the construction of a new stadium for the Twins, and close to one billion dollars for a new stadium for the Vikings. Maybe before we start raising taxes, we should take a look at our finances the way most families do, and start buying what we need rather than what we want."
if government worked like a
August 6, 2007 - 09:17 ET by mbuelif government worked like a family they'd have to declare bankruptcy years ago.
Lets not forget the
August 6, 2007 - 10:59 ET by general companyLets not forget the footbaths. When I originally saw this, I thought that maybe they had not been delivered quite fast enough. I am sorry, I will immediately enroll in therapy.
Republican dogma against taxes
August 6, 2007 - 08:36 ET by KC MulvilleWhat this shows is that liberals think taxes are linear. To liberals, tax equals revenue. But that's wrong: if anything, tax-base equals revenue, and overtaxation kills the tax base. You can't treat public services as single transactions where we buy individual public projects. Taxes are dynamic, not static.
The investigation into the bridge collapse has barely begun, and already liberals are spending money, thinking they're 'fixing' the problem. They're perfectly happy to screw the long term for the sake of short term photo ops.
you are 100% right.
August 6, 2007 - 09:59 ET by mbuelyou are 100% right. Overtaxation absolutely destroys economies. which in turn will take out the republic.
What I would like to have seen as a reply is this;
"Why assume government can fix this problem? Why not offer ownership of the bridge to a private organization? In fact why not offer all transportation services and roads to private organizations that will have to compete to offer the consumer the best transportation service?"
Right or not, this
August 6, 2007 - 11:09 ET by general companyRight or not, this suggestion would have went over as well as "privatizing SS" the libs claimed Bush was doing. Not only that but privatizing the roadways is not a very sound solution, I personally don't think the owners would had done anything different/better? I just got back from driving what seemed to be every toll road in New England, I am not impressed. Bridges collapsing is not good, but I do not expect an epidemic of them
social security needs to be
August 10, 2007 - 16:18 ET by mbuelsocial security needs to be done away with completely. Let ME invest that money into my company's 401K.
The roads are a travesty because they are run by the government. A private company would have to compete for your toll dollars (gas taxes would be non-existent and gas would be at least 60 cents to 1.50 cheaper.) They would also have to keep pumping money into the infrastructure with that money to ensure you didn't use other private alternatives.
The government created a monopoly with the roads, and then had to bail out the railroads that used to transport people.
My point is, when the government takes money for a project and that project finishes, they don't care about maintaining or updating that project and use the money for other pets. and then when it comes time to replace the aging infrastructure the only answer is to get MORE money, and repeat the cycle, and the load on the economy.
This Yespin wag was
August 6, 2007 - 08:56 ET by stratmanThis Yespin wag was palpably angry in this exchange. He was practically seething in his retort. No dogma from him.
Stephanopoulos was aggressive with his questions and style of moderating, something that has been essentially missing in all the Democrat debates. While I would have loved to see one of the candidates poke Stephie back with his own stick, asking tough questions is a big part of what makes for a good debate. It's time to get tough with all the candidates on both sides and let the American people see whose got the cojones to run America.
Killing them with kindness isn't working. Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.
Rudy
August 6, 2007 - 10:06 ET by PShannonI didn't watch the debate, but I was channel-surfing and saw this exchange -- Giuliani hit that idiot right between the eyes.
It was wonderful to watch a Republican attack these liberals in the press.
Democrats
August 6, 2007 - 10:48 ET by iveseenitallThe Democrats' answer to everything--raise a white flag and raise your taxes!
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal