The Democrats have been quite successful in spreading lies and hiding the truth about taxes and tax cuts. They typically use phrases like 'giveaways for the rich', 'the less fortunate', and 'tax cuts for those that need tax cuts' to create class envy, and legitimize their position. Dick F. Gebhardt even referred to people that have had financial success as those who have "won life's lottery."

Democrats have done just about everything they can to blame our current economic woes on the 2001 Bush Tax Cut. This means that anyone who received a $300 rebate check in 2001 is partly to blame for the 'Bush Recession', (as the Democrats were quick to label it).

However, in spite of the lies told by the liberal left, the facts are pretty clear. Among other things, the 2001 Tax Cut does the following:

- Replaces the current tax rates of 15, 28, 31, 36, and 39.6 percent with a simplified rate structure of 10, 15, 25, and 33 percent.
- Doubles the child tax credit to $1,000 per child and applies the credit to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
- Reduces the marriage penalty by reinstating the 10 percent deduction for two-earner couples.
- Eliminates the death tax.
- Expands the charitable deduction to non-itemizers.

The next time you hear Democrats bitching about tax cuts, I want you to think about the following facts:

- Congress continues to increase spending year after year.
- When the 2002 budget was planned to increase 8%, and ended up increasing only 4%, the democrats called that a 'cut'.
- Unplanned spending increases in the name of 'homeland security' have only worsened the budget problem, and Republicans stood by while Democrats pushed through pork laden spending initiatives like the 'farm bill'.
- At the same time, Democrats constantly praised the 'budget surplus' that Clinton had supposedly created, and assailed Bush for 'killing' it.
- Every year the federal government spends more money than it spent the previous year.
- The federal government spends over 20 percent of the GDP (up from 17% in 1992)

When Democrats start talking economic stimulus, and federal budget deficits, ask yourself some questions.

- Why should Washington be permitted to collect more money than it spends?
- Why should Congress be permitted to increase spending every year, regardless of how the economy is doing?
- Why do Congressmen get automatic raises every year? Do you get a raise every year unless you voluntarily turn it down?
- If you received 3.1% more pay this year than last year, would you tell people that it's 'not a raise' as Tom F. Daschle told Greta Van Susteren on 'On the Record'?
- Can Washington politicians spend your money to meet your needs more effectively than you can?

The Democrats are the tax and spend party. Lately, the Republicans have been too spineless to object, and have turned into the tax-cut and spend party. On the State level, balanced budget laws have forced some states to choose between cutting programs, raising taxes, or both. Meanwhile, since the fed can run budget deficits, they are under no obligation to shrink the size of the government. If the government was run like a corporation, and had to follow federal laws for corporate accounting, most congressmen would be in jail. That would include Slick Willy Clinton, who deliberately falsified 10 year budget surplus numbers prior to the election. Where are those surpluses now? When Worldcom restated it's numbers, Congress held investigations. When Washington restated it's numbers, the Democrats blamed lower taxes and President Bush.

Taxes are not a tax on wealth. People that are rich and have millions sitting in a bank account, don't pay a lot of taxes. People like you and me that are trying to earn those millions, however, are penalized progressively. Every extra dollar you earn, you pay more taxes on. The harder you work, the more you pay. Then when Congress discusses letting you keep more of your own money, they start talking about 'need' and 'afford' and 'deserve'. According to Congress, people that work less 'deserve' it more, and people that make less than you do work harder than you do. You can go to school for years, work your butt off, get a good job, and make a decent living. Along comes some congressional bum with guaranteed pay raises who tells you that he's taking your money at the point of a gun and is going to give it to someone who 'works' for a living. It makes me sick.