Bumper Sticker Thinking

I have a friend on The Right who asked me why we have

new taxes

coming in January if "Obamacare" (his word) was a cost-saving measure. I'd like to think this is symptomatic of just The Right, but in reality, it is symptomatic of non-thinkers in general. We have new taxes coming to pay for a new program, the reasoning goes. Like many things, our tax code is more complex. It reminds me of those bumper stickers that read, "It will be a great day when the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to pay for a bomber and schools have everything they need." Or... "Ted Nugent is my President." In reality, where I live, The new taxes being implemented have nothing whatsoever to do with The Affordable Care Act. Not only are the new taxes completely unrelated to the ACA, they aren't even new. The Bush-era tax cuts are ending come December 31, 2012. They were scheduled to end on December 31, 2010, but President Obama and the Republican leaders extended them as part of an overall package to stimulate economic growth. Clinton-era tax rates from 1993 will increase the top two income tax rates from 36% to 39.6%, with the top rate hitting joint returns with incomes exceeding a quarter of a million dollars. Those criticizing the Obama Administration for higher taxes should point their fingers elsewhere.