Deficit - The Strib

Deficit - The Strib notes something the DFL can't seem to - this is as big an opportunity for the GOP as it is a risk.

"If a $3 billion deficit was an opportunity to reform, a $4.5 billion deficit creates a real urgency for change," said David Strom, the league's legislative director. The league, financed largely by Republican business leaders, promoted the no-tax pledge in the recent election campaign that Pawlenty adopted.

Last night, Jason Lewis pointed out that

• the 4.5 billion dollar estimate is most likely pessimistic (while granting that the deficit is serious)
• The deficit is about the same amount as that by which the budget is supposed to rise in the next biennium - and freezing the budget would go a long way toward solving the problem, and
• an improving economy will most likely take care of the rest

I'm not sure that freezing the budget will solve the entire problem, any more than keeping alcohol out of reach of an alcoholic will cure alcoholism. It's for sure that raising taxes will only make the long-term problem worse.

Posted by Mitch at December 5, 2002 08:26 AM