I apologize if this has been diaried already, but it's an idea worth repeating.
Nicholas von Hoffman has a novel idea on how Congress can end the war. http://www.thenation.com/...
The Democrats can tax our way out of the war. This would be a Victory Over Terror tax to be levied on incomes of $5 million a year or more. It should be a surcharge of 20 percent over and above what people in that rarified income bracket are already paying. It should be levied on all income, regardless of what form it takes, so it would include stock options, jet plane rides, company-paid-for health and life insurance, retirement programs, golden parachutes, the use of apartments in Paris, cars and drivers.
He continues,
Needless to say, those paying this tax do not represent the Democrats' voter base. As these things go, this is politically pain-free. The tax is aimed at war profiteers, overpaid CEOs and grossly fat cats in general, most of whom carry a lot of weight at the White House. If there is any group of people in the world whom George Bush listens to, it is this bunch of billionaires. Call this a backdoor use of the power of the purse. And since the surcharge expires when the war on terror is won or declared over, those taxed will have a powerful incentive to tell the President it is time to get a move on.
Some of the reasons that the Victory Over Terror Tax is such a good idea:
- It ensures the troops will be funded.
- It avoids the problem of Bush bypassing blocks on the funding of troop augmentation.
- It shows fiscal responsibility.
- It gives those who have benefited from the war a chance to share in the sacrifice.
- It's a backdoor power of the purse to stop the backdoor draft.
- It might actually work.