Columns
Column, Washington Times: Imagine a family that earns $50,000 a year but is spending more than $88,000 with a credit card balance of $330,000. The discussions around the kitchen table are likely to be a little tense.
Proportionally, that’s where Washington’s finances are today, and that’s why the national discussion is a little tense, too.
By Congressman Tom McClintock
More than a year ago, Pollster Frank Luntz stood before a group of about 40 House Republicans in a cramped conference room. “I need to tell you something,” he said. “I’ve been looking at polling data from Congressional districts across America for the last three months. I’m convinced that you are going to be in the majority next year.” After a long pause, he added, “This time, please don’t screw it up again.”
I don’t think we will.
By Sen. David Vitter and Rep. Tom McClintock Imagine working at a company that treats every employee exactly the same, irrespective of their individual effort. No matter how hard you work or how much your co-workers slack off, you get exactly the same pay. For millions of people, America's outdated labor laws and one-size-fits-all collective-bargaining agreements make this a reality.
By Tom McClintock Winston Churchill once said, “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…after they have exhausted all other possibilities.” California’s leaders are now putting that maxim to the ultimate test.
A generation ago, California government spent about half what it does today after adjusting for both inflation and population growth. Yet it boasted the finest public services in the nation, including a free university education for every Californian who wanted one.
By Tom McClintock A generation ago, California exemplified its nickname, “The Golden State.” State spending was less than half per capita, inflation adjusted, what it is today. Its debt-service ration was less than a third. Yet Californians enjoyed one of the finest highway systems in the world and one of the finest public educations systems in the country. Water and electricity were so cheap that many communities didn’t bother to meter consumption.
By Tom McClintock On June 28, 1991, the California Assembly began debate on what was then the biggest tax increase in California’s history: a $7 billion tax hike pushed by Gov. Pete Wilson that included increases in sales, income and car taxes.
By Tom McClintock When President Obama introduced his new budget, it was quite a relief to hear that its $1.9 trillion in new taxes would only fall on businesses and the “very wealthy.” If they were to fall on the rest of us, they would take nearly $2,500 per year out of the paycheck of an average family of four.