Glad To See Supercommittee Near Failure—The Debate Is Shifting Away From Tax Cuts And Austerity

The so-called Supercommittee on debt reduction and even more austerity seems set to fail.

The issue, as always, is Republican resistance to asking the most wealthy in our nation to pay a fair share of the taxes.

The Republican pledge made to ultra-right wing lobbyist Grover Norquist to never raise taxes no matter what is more important than striking any kind of deal or engaging in any type of compromise.

This pledge is also more important that preserving basic safety net programs for people having a hard time in this recession.

Of course the thing is we are better off with the Supercommittee not reaching a deal.

Here is a comment from a New York Times comment board that says it well—

In truth, “Failure” is the preferred option. “Failure” preserves social insurance and health care for the poor, disabled, and elderly, and preserves the prospect that the Bush tax cuts will expire. Those elements alone will reduce the deficit far more than any deal they would have cut. And, we have the additional prospect of at least minimal cuts to the bloated DoD budget.

What’s not to like?

In good part due to Occupy Wall Street, the national discussion is somewhat different from what it was a few months ago.

There is plenty of talk now about income inequality and options other than austerity.

As the debate shifts in our nation, there is no reason to give in to folks who have no plan other than help for the most wealthy, and a shifting of burdens to everyday working people, young people, and retired people.

Let’s keep working hard to move the debate even more so towards hope for the future and jobs that pay fair wages.