Governor Carlson wins a Spotty ™
For his commentary in the July 4th Minnesota Star Tribune, Fmr. Governor Arne Carlson wins a Spotty™. The commentary is about radical Republicans and budget madness. Minnesota Republicans threw the popular two-term governor out of the party in recent years because of his penchant for saying uncomfortable things, but Governor Carlson has the deets.
From his commentary (but go read it all, please):
During my lifetime, there was no Democrat more vilified as a “reckless big spender” than President Lyndon Johnson, who was determined to fund an expanding war in Vietnam while launching his “Great Society” featuring Medicare, Medicaid and a host of antipoverty programs. Overall, his deficits averaged $12.4 billion, or 0.8% of our gross domestic product (GDP).
This grew to 2.2% of GDP when President Ronald Reagan assumed office in 1981 and nearly doubled during his term to 4%, largely as a result of massive tax cuts for the wealthy. Now, after further tax cuts for the wealthy by Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump (during his first term), that figure has risen to 6.7%. Overall, our national debt has increased from $908 billion when Reagan took office to more than $36 trillion today, an increase of 3,864%.
The governor also observes that the top marginal income tax rate was 91% when Eisenhower was president, and it’s been falling under Republican presidents ever since.
Remember, a Spotty™ is awarded to an op-ed piece, letter to the editor, or blog post or comment that I wish I had written myself.
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