Message #215

[kentay]

We are a center right country that is failing ever since the 1980 until present. Clinton turn over 5.6 trillion as far as the eye could see along with 4 years of paying down the deficits. Then the right took power started two unpaid for wars, started a prescription  pill program and all of them place on the future Generations charge card  and still managed to spend the 5.6 trillion.   kentay

You are confused. During Reagan's two terms the house was controlled by Democrats and the Senate for two years. Government entitlements expanded every year. Bush I had both houses controlled by democrats. government entitlements expanded every year. Clinton had two years with a democrat controlled house and senate. It wasn't until the house and senate went republican that any deficit reduction occurred. You complain about the right taking over...then brag up Clinton for the things the right did. You are confused. Then, yeah, Bush was too liberal with spending and ran up "the future generations charge card." But since obama took over he has ran it up even worse and you praise him. You are confused.

Reagan Supported the "Socialist" Earned Income Tax Credit
Both during and after the 2008 presidential campaign, Republican candidates and commentators blasted Barack Obama's proposals to offer Americans expanded tax credits as "socialism", "welfare" and worse. If so, they should also be directing their ire at Ronald Reagan.

While virtually all working Americans pay the Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes (levies increased by President Reagan), many don't pay federal income tax thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted in 2005, the EITC was not only very successful in lowering poverty, the provision "has enjoyed substantial bipartisan support. President Reagan, President George H. W. Bush, and President Clinton all praised it and proposed expansions in it."

While many of his conservative heirs now express disdain for the working poor, Ronald Reagan championed the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit. As the American Prospect recalled in 2006:

Nixon sign into law the Income tax credit
Almost 20 years ago, as he signed into law the tax bill expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, President Ronald Reagan hailed it as "the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress."