Nutter's Washington

TSA and Airport Security: Outrageous and No Common Sense

 

Congress is gone, President Obama is still campaigning as opposed to leading, lobbyist and lawyers have fled, school is out, traffic is light-- so Washington is normal for August.

Last week I took a break for a few days. I flew from the Baltimore airport to a small airport in New England. The plane was about three times the size of my car. Of course, I had to endure the indignities of “airport security”. This meant waiting in line, taking off my shoes, emptying my pockets and removing my belt. I also had to show my photo ID (which I must do to board an airplane but do not have to produce to vote) and have someone root through my carryon bag.

I have to say, these procedures are annoying. They are demeaning and intrusive. As a society we have relinquished our privacy and freedom because madmen changed all the rules. So-be-it.

Buffett Rule or Buffett Tax: Quit Wasting Time

The U.S. Senate yesterday failed on a vote to proceed to the consideration of a provision submitted by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to impose a new tax on taxpayers with more than $1 million of income. The proposal is not that simply stated but it has taken on an isolated life of its own. Known as the Buffett tax or Buffett rule depending on your point of view, it has become the war chant for liberals and Mr. Obama and a rallying point for no-tax Republicans. 

The proposal was scored by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation to increase taxes by about $46 billion over a ten-year period, a sum representing about 12 days of current deficit spending. Let’s say that again. The solution by the Democrats to reduce the federal deficit running at over a trillion dollars a year will be filled over the next ten years by a provision covering 12 days of current deficit.