Dear Mukto-mona forum members:
Why am I posting this newsworthy item? First, Dr. Greenspan is a Republican and a respected macro-economist. Second, in this forum we have a few hardcore deshi Republicans who hardly understand how macro-economic forces work in a developed economy such as America. This folks have come to America from Third World countries with their Third World mentality in search of greener pasture. They however fail to see that McCain's economic prescription will lead the nation to a downward spiral into abyss from which it will be very difficult to return to normalcy.
In 2001, George Bush inherited a sound economy with a budget surplus. Thanks to Bill Clinton for this exceptional feat! But look what Bush did single-handedly to the economy with a help from Dick Cheney. Over the last 7 years, the government is taxing the rich less and instead writing "IOUs" to foreign nations such as China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oil rich Gulf nations, etc. The budget deficit thus far has ballooned to over $ 15 trillion (Twelve Zeroes after 15). When all the creditors would come to reclaim their money, this nation will have to declare it as a bankrupt nation. Dr. Greenspan realizes it; therefore, he gave the warning shot to McCain. In this respect, Obama's plan is a lot better. The Democrats want to cut the wastage (by ending Iraq War), taxing the rich and corporation. Senator McCain opposes this approach to fiscal management. Like other Republicans he wants to give tax break to rich hoping the tax money will trickledown to American economy. Reagan was the champion of this "Trickledown Theory," which was found not to work at all.
May I humbly request the staunch McCain supporters in this forum to rebut Dr. Greenspan or my short write-up? If they cannot, then join the Democratic ticket. For the sake of our next generation, please do not elect the Republican ticket because their economic prescription would surely kill the sick nation.
John McCain was a outstanding soldier, but his math is all wrong. The professorial Dr. Greenspan was correct in pointing out that McCain's approach to economy will lead to more budget deficit further down the road. Am I being wrong?
Sincerely,
A.H. Jaffor Ullah
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Greenspan Says McCain Tax Plan Needs Corresponding Budget Cuts
Scott Lanman
Fri Sep 12, 3:03 PM ET
Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the country can't afford $3.3 trillion of tax cuts proposed by Republican presidential nominee John McCain without corresponding spending reductions.
Greenspan, a lifelong Republican and longtime friend of McCain, said today on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital With Al Hunt'' that ``I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money.''
McCain has said he would balance the cost of most of his tax cuts with budget reductions, while providing few details beyond eliminating earmarks and other pork-barrel spending, which have totaled about $171 billion since 2001. Democratic nominee Barack Obama is proposing fewer tax cuts and more ambitious spending programs.
Greenspan said he has ``mixed feelings'' about a second government economic-stimulus bill after the U.S. provided a $168 billion package in February. While such an action may increase the budget deficit at a time when spending on retirees' medical benefits is about to cause ``big'' financial problems, it may also boost economic growth, he said.
Greenspan has said there's at least a 50 percent chance the U.S. economy will slide into a recession.
``There is no infinite piggy bank here,'' Greenspan said today. It's ``far more important'' to use federal resources, if necessary, to shore up the financial system and end the credit crisis, as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson did in taking over mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, averting a possible run on the system, Greenspan said.
Economic Stimulus
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats in Congress have called for an additional $50 billion in economic stimulus. A request by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and their suppliers for at least $25 billion in government loans to help them shift to more fuel-efficient auto models will likely be included, Democrats said this week.
Greenspan's memoir, ``The Age of Turbulence,'' was released in a paperback version this week, a year after the first hardcover edition. In a new epilogue, the former Fed chief, who retired in 2006, cited a ``critical need'' to create procedures for bank bailouts that ensure there is no impact on the Fed's balance sheet and interest-rate policy.
The Fed and the Treasury Department are helping Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. find a buyer after investor concerns about the firm's capital prompted more than a 75 percent decline in its market value this week. Paulson is adamant that no government funds will be used in a Lehman resolution, a person close to the matter said today.
`Most Critical Question'
In the interview, Greenspan, 82, said the ``most critical question'' is where to draw the line between companies that get government-led bailouts. It's impossible to rule out such actions completely, Greenspan said, citing crises such as the current one as a ``once-in-a-half century, once-in-a-century event'' that can't be avoided.
``If you want the system to stay together, there comes a time when you basically have to substitute sovereign credit for private credit to keep the system moving,'' Greenspan said. If a bailout is necessary, it's important that ``you do it in a way which essentially does not have major long-term consequences.''
McCain's proposal, outlined April 15, would extend President George W. Bush's tax cuts, reduce the top corporate rate, repeal the alternative minimum tax and double exemptions for dependents. That would be offset by eliminating pork-barrel spending, freezing a portion of the budget and saving from Medicare spending, McCain said at the time.
Politically Careless
``I always have tied tax cuts to spending,'' Greenspan said. In 2001 testimony before Congress, Greenspan was widely interpreted to have endorsed Bush's proposal to cut taxes by $1.6 trillion over 10 years. In the book, Greenspan characterized his testimony as politically careless and said his words were misinterpreted.
Paul Volcker, Greenspan's predecessor as Fed chairman, has endorsed Obama, a first-term U.S. senator from Illinois, in the presidential election, and is serving as an economic adviser to the candidate.
Greenspan said the widening income disparity among Americans is a ``very serious'' issue, and requires both raising the pay of lower-income workers and reducing higher incomes. ``The best way of doing that is to remove what is essentially protectionism for those skilled workers in the United States who are helped by keeping out their competition,'' he said, referring to the issue of ``skilled immigration.''
The U.S. education system is ``critical'' to help ``cutting-edge technologies'' replace older industries that will be phased out over time, Greenspan said.
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