Montana: Gop

by jhwygirl
An ABC News-Washington Post poll released today shows that 57% of Americans support a public option.
Limit it to only those that can’t afford market insurance? Support soars to 76%.
And what if the GOP refuses to participate? Still a majority of Americans want reform.
What should those concerned about electing and re-electing either Democrats [...]

To kick things off, let's quote David Sirota on the GOP hypocricy against providing a public option for health insurance as part of health care reform:
In one breath, GOP Jekylls say government medical plans will be inefficient, inferior to private insurance and thus hated by Americans. In another breath, Republican Hydes effectively admit that government programs would be so efficient, superior to private insurance and loved by Americans that they will attract most consumers and dominate a health care competition.

Of the two assertions, of course, the latter is closer to the truth - and the GOP knows it.

Republican lawmakers received the new Commonwealth Fund report showing that a public system would save consumers $2 trillion through reduced premiums and lower administrative costs.

Schweitzer unveiled the details for his proposal on how to spend the state's stimulus money yesterday. Dennison's summary of the proposed expenditures seem pretty reasonable to me; most of it is one-time spending expenditures, some of it crucial maintenance projects that will return value for the investment, such as weatherization of low-income homes, energy conservation projects for  state buildings, and highway construction.

Again, don't forget about the website the Good Guv's office put up to track stimulus spending: Montana Reinvestment Act. I believe this pdf -- "ARRA allocation" -- is a detailed list of the proposed expenditure, and HB 645 (pdf) is the House bill that would enact the spending proposals.

Sigh. Another day, another ridiculous idea.

Mike Dennis reports via Twitter:

GOP proposes capital gains tax cut to attract new businesses to Montana
Yargh! Capital gains taxes don't depend on where the investment is made, but where the investor lives.

In other words, you cut capital gains taxes in Montana and Montanans invest...wherever the hell they want.

Second problem -- and I'm not entirely clear how this plays in Montana -- but federal income taxes generally make state taxes deductible, partially or wholly. So we cut capital gains taxes in Montana, Dennis Washington invests in New York, pays lower state taxes but higher federal taxes.

Third problem -- most investment is not driven by tax rates but by perceived success or failure of a business.