During a cursory examination of the “Fiscal Cliff” Bill, we were disturbed to find that Congress and even the President did surprisingly well avoiding significant increases in their tax liabilities going forward. Despite constant promises and passionate proclamations of attacking America’s fiscal juggernaut by demanding the wealthy pay more in order to reduce spending with a modicum of mercy, the bottom line reveals Congress negotiated a deal that believe it or not benefitted the 535 members of Congress.
The fact that taxes didn’t rise for the so-called “middle class”,(well as we once knew them) was simply a byproduct of the last minute, slipshod, cocktail napkin legislating. Literally, well past the witching hour on New Years Eve, bleary-eyed lawmakers stumbled out into the night’s chill to present an image of hardworking public servants slaving tirelessly to do right by the American people.
The Senate passed their bipartisan version and sent it on to the House for a rubber stamp. The public wrangling at being disappointed over how little the Bill actually did to address the crisis quickly dissipated when it was understood how each individual Congressional member would make out under the terms of the final agreement.
By raising the tax rate on individuals/households at the 400-450K income levels, this actually places President Obama in the middle class and he too will escape a significant tax increase. Coincidence, perhaps but considering the 250K threshold was the mantra of his reelection campaign, President Obama’s negotiating results could appear a tad self serving. Although, in the future when he’s fighting for the middle class, he’ll be fighting for himself and most of congress as well. Go figure!
After winning the message war and garnering a plurality of American support over how to equitably approach the long festering economic crisis, there appeared to be no sustainable defense against President Obama achieving the much needed $1.2 trillion in revenue he’d established as his opening and final bargaining position. Yet, for some inexplicable reason the administration squandered a golden opportunity to level the playing field and virtually punted on second down.
But now that we know what they did (Screw You) and why (for personal gain) we need to understand how they did it. Washington kept it simple. After firmly establishing an atmosphere of sheer hysteria by waiting to the last possible second to act, they employed a classic sales technique: set up conditions whereas the prospect is placed in a position of unmitigated urgency. It is now or never. The consequences of inaction are calamitous and the pressure monts as the clock ticks ever so close to the infamous deadline.
Hence, the Headline Read: Just 10 hours before the New York stock exchange opened on Wednesday, the GOP-controlled House passed the Senate’s “fiscal cliff” bill, 257-167, marking the first time that Republicans have, effectively, voted to raise income taxes in 20 years. And, just by happenstance, that is precisely what President Obama stated in his press conference to get the public comfortable with the idea of the new tax threshold for defining the middle class.
When panic inevitably sets in, the mainstream media plays its role by fanning the flames of fear. Ripping and running from one uninformed Congressional Representative to another, reporters jammed microphones in the mouths of politicians eager to offer miniscule tidbits of noncommittal speculation. At this point, any deal seems better than no deal and Washington’s collective of dirty rat bastards can now pat themselves on the back for handling America’s business. Amazing but true!
We presume its little wonder no cameras were present to capture the President awkwardly wrapping his scrawny hand around a bunch of ceremonial keepsake “Bill” signing pens to commemorate this scandalous finish to a throughly underproductive underachieving and ultimately underhanded 112th Congressional body.
The moral to this assessment is, when its all said and done, nobody can accuse Barack Obama as being another Francios Hollande of France
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