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MAULE PAYS ATTENTION, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO

May 31, 2007

Like the seventeen-year cicadas, the politicians have returned to Iowa. I prefer the noise of the bugs to that of the candidates -- especially when it comes to taxes.

Each party has its own generic tax platform. The Democrats want to raise taxes "the rich" and "big corporations" while cutting taxes for "the middle class," getting rid of the alternative minimum tax, spending more money and burning corn ethanol. Republicans want to keep taxes where they are while getting rid of the alternative minimum tax, spending more money and burning corn ethanol.

Nobody seems interested in the two real problems facing the tax system. The first is the current horrendously high-rate, loophole-riddled system itself. Every year they pass more special-interest breaks and erode the tax base, so more and more of the income tax is paid by fewer taxpayers.

The second problem is the looming spending catastrophe in Medicare and Social Security. Unless these programs are scaled back - the right answer, but one nobody seems to care for - the tax system won't, and can't, pay the bills.

Still, if you can ignore those details for the moment, you can learn something about the candidates by studying their tax plans, if you have a strong stomach. Prof. Maule must have a gut of iron.

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