Dan Cogley – 6/8/11

This page was last updated on June 9, 2011.

Try trickle-up effect; Dan Cogley; Beaver County Times; June 8, 2011.

Previous letters from Mr. Cogley I critiqued were “Elderly will be hit under GOP policies,” “Let politicians try unemployment,” and “Cuban missile déjà vu.” Letters from Mr. Cogley I didn’t critique include “Question in need of an answer” (4/7/11) and “Suggested cuts they won’t make” (3/14/11).

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I thought that when the GOP took over the House that jobs were to follow.

“Where are they?

“Instead, it’s no jobs, more money for the rich, get rid of Medicare, be done with Social Security, more taxes for the poor and middle class, and now reports the rich are not spending their money.

“Again, the trickle-down effect is not and has not worked.”

[RWC] Mr. Cogley doesn’t seem to realize he’s complaining Democrat policies/programs (“trickle-up effect”) aren’t working and here’s why. The last I checked, the House, Senate, and President (ignoring veto overrides) must approve all legislation, and Democrats remain the majority in the Senate and our president remains a Democrat. For a short time, Democrats even held a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. As a result, we are operating under the same policies in effect during the previous four years Democrats were the majority party in both the House and Senate and the previous two years when, in addition to Democrat majorities in Congress, the President was also a Democrat.

Finally, note the hypocrisy. Even if House Republicans could have acted unilaterally without Senate and presidential approval, they have been the majority for only five months. On the other hand, Democrats had pretty much complete control for two years (including a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate for a short time) and I didn’t find any letters from Mr. Cogley complaining Democrat policies/programs didn’t work.

“It’s time to be done with the Bush tax cuts and to go back to the 63 percent tax on all millionaires as in the Great Depression, and within a year, you will see the turnaround because that is the trickle-up effect.”

[RWC] Mr. Cogley appears to forget Democrats finally conceded “the Bush tax cuts” actually cut tax rates for everyone. That’s why Democrats knew they couldn’t let the tax rates expire and voted to extend then-current tax rates through 2012. Congress passed the extension of then-current tax rates during mid-December 2010 when Democrats were still the majority in the House. As for “the turnaround” Mr. Cogley claims we “will see” if we “go back to the 63 percent tax on all millionaires as in the Great Depression,” that’s baseless wishful thinking as you’ll read later in the critique. If a “63 percent tax on all millionaires” were the silver bullet Mr. Cogley claims, why didn’t Democrats implement it when Republicans could do nothing to stop it, as Democrats did with Obamacare?

Even if what he claims about raising tax rates for “all millionaires” were true, why does Mr. Cogley want to pick on “all millionaires” to have their taxes raised? Does he believe “millionaires” deserve what they earn less than the rest of us? I know nothing of his financial status, but could Mr. Cogley be jealous of “millionaires” and believes increasing their tax rates is a good way to get even?

“It worked back then and it will work now.”

[RWC] No it didn’t and no it won’t. Mr. Cogley appears to be a believer in the myth FDR/Democrat/Progressive policies/programs brought us out of the Great Depression. I’ll let the words of Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s Treasury Secretary during the Great Depression, address this. Testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee in May 1939, Sec. Morgenthau said, “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and if I am wrong … somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises … I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started … And an enormous debt to boot.” Unemployment never got below 9.9% before the U.S. entered World War II.

“One last thing: If you own home, have kids, or nearing retirement, if you vote for any GOPer you need your head examined. I will leave it at that.”

[RWC] Blah, blah, blah.