President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address was far from a blockbuster. In many respects, it was that of a realist preparing for a senseless political war instead of an optimist pitching common solutions to real world problems that Democrats and Republicans can both support. In essence, it was a departure from what people would expect from a State of the Union Address, especially from an optimistic guy like President Obama. In many respects, however, the State of the Union Address did reflect the actual State of the Union. While there is hope for a brighter future and the country is strong enough to cope with the long rooted dysfunction in Washington that hope and resilience is being undermined by those in government. President Obama’s tax proposal, for example, demonstrates the overall problem with Legislative and Executive Branches. Where the distorting effects of a reduced capital gain tax, which is a subject this writer inserted into the debate years ago, needs to be addressed before the US economy can provide for the needs of everyone, much of President Obama’s tax proposal appears to be designed to use giveaways, to evoke political outrage among the voting public when Republicans inevitable reject the proposal instead of using the revenue to address the Republican priority of deficit and debt reduction. In other words, politics is driving policy to the detriment of Americans.
By using the tax code to subsidize the growing financial needs of Americans, President Obama’s proposal would foster increased reliance on government wealth redistribution by subsiding low wages to the benefit of business owners versus finding ways offer employees greater leverage to improve their own wages and prospects. Then again, President Obama could be playing to the dysfunction of Republicans by allowing room for the GOP to insist on budget cuts. In which case, it is clear he attempting to overcome personal and political vendettas that are harming the American People, which demonstrates the root issue behind Washington dysfunction.
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April 2020
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