Dear Senator McCain:
You seem to feel you can cut taxes for everyone.
This, in a time of war, when a huge amount of our yearly federal budget goes to pay the interest--just the interest, sir--on our national debt, and when the financial and regulatory incompetence of the Bush Adminstration has just saddled us with a monstrous new "rescue" debt.
It would be wonderful, Senator, if we could cut taxes significantly for everyone. I'll leave it to you. With all your disdain for the workings of the Federal government--which you have been a part of for the last 26 years--what would you like to eliminate? What do you propose we cut? Because, Senator, just cutting earmarks--less than 2% of the budget--won't be nearly enough.
More below....
So that Joe the Plumber, who's now Joe the Boss, doesn't have to pay an extra few dollars per year...so that people in your tax bracket don't have to give up their sixth vacation home...so that hedge managers, derivative traders and excecutives who earn millions even when their companies are going under can continue to enjoy $440,000 stays at luxury spas, what do you propose we do, since you don't want any of their money "spread" to the unwashed masses?
Shall we...
-Stop sending Social Security checks to 25% of our seniors?
Quit paying for Medicarecovered medical expenses over $1000?
-Shut down the interstate highway system west of Kansas?
-Tell half our nation's air traffic controllers to go home?
-Shut down Coast Guard operations in the Gulf of Mexico?
-Close the Department of Homeland Security?
-Tell our troops in Iraq and Aghanistan that they'll have to "make do" for the next six months with the ammo and equipment they now have on hand?
-Close what few VA hospitals we have left?
-Drydock our aircraft carriers?
Close half the military bases south of the MaxonDixon line?
-Tell the Army Corp of Engineers to make any new levees in New Orleans only half as high?
-Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development?
-Get rid of all the USDA's meat inspectors?
-Tell China and Japan that we're not going to pay interest on what we owe them and if they don't like it they can take their businesss elsewhere?
-Close half our embassies around the world?
-Pull our troops, who have indeed been there for 50 years, out of North Korea?
-Cut retirement pay for the military in half?
If we did these things and a few more, sir, then we might be able to give 95% of our citizens more than a token tax cut AND give the richest 5% of Americans the large tax cuts so dear to your heart.
So....what do you wish to eliminate, sir? Might I suggest that, since you are a multi-millionaire, you start by giving up the monthly Social Security check you now receive? Or is that too great a sacrifice?
You're right about one thing, sir. We do have class warfare in this country. And it's your class that's waging it.