Misleading Claims on Health Reform and Deficits
"Double-Counting" Canard Quacks Again
Former Bush Administration official Charles Blahous has garnered some media attention by gussying up old, discredited arguments about the budgetary effects of health reform. But his paper adds nothing new to the debate.
Blahous claims the Congressional Budget Office's cost estimate for the health reform law "double-counts" a considerable portion of the law's Medicare savings. By subtracting these savings, Blahous asserts that — contrary to CBO — health reform increases the deficit.
But there's no double-counting involved in recognizing that Medicare savings improve the status of both the federal budget and the Medicare trust funds. Read more
Related: Health Reform Will Reduce the Deficit: Charges of Budgetary Gimmickry Are Unfounded
Where Do Our Federal and State Tax Dollars Go?
Where Do Our Federal and State Tax
Dollars Go?
Read more about how federal and state governments provide services with the revenues they collect.
Many States Still Tax Working-Poor Families Deeper Into Poverty
The successful bipartisan effort over the last two decades to reduce state income taxes on working-poor families has stalled and is in danger of reversing. No new states exempted working-poor families of four from income taxes in 2011, and in almost all of the 15 states where such families still pay income taxes, they saw their income taxes increase.
Taxing the incomes of working-poor families runs counter to decades of efforts by policymakers across the political spectrum to help families work their way toward the middle class. Read more
Related:
New From the Center
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Off the Charts Blog Post: Thinking About Tax Policy, Part 1: The Most Important Tax Reform Chart
Updated April 10, 2012
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Chartbook: SNAP Helps Struggling Families Put Food On The Table
April 9, 2012
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Statement: Chad Stone, Chief Economist, on the March Employment Report
April 6, 2012
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New Tax Cuts in Ryan Budget Would Give Millionaires $265,000 on Top of Bush Tax Cuts
March 27, 2012
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Blog Post: Ryan Roundup: Everything You Need to Know About Chairman Ryan's Budget
March 23, 2012
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