The Ryan Tax Plan

Matthew Yglesias:

Look. If congress does not enact new deficit-increasing legislation, then the medium-term deficit picture is fine. Paul Ryan’s draconian cuts to Medicare, though draconian, also aren’t even supposed to take effect until outside the ten year budget window. In the medium-term the deficit is all about the conventional wisdom that congress will enact new deficit-increasing legislation. There are many villains in this, but the main culprit is the determination of many members of congress, Ryan included, to keep extending tax cuts that are scheduled to expire. What needs to happen to get the medium-term deficit under control is not enact these tax cuts. But the whole essence of Ryan’s plans is to make tax cuts for the rich affordable. That’s fine. Ryan is a member of the modern American conservative movement, a movement that’s fanatically focused on lowering taxes for the rich and completely uninterested in the budget deficit. If you want to have an adult conversation about the cataclysmic impact of this tax cut agenda on public services, then the Ryan Ripoff is an excellent place to start. But if you want to have an adult conversation about the deficit, you start by not digging

Exactly.  Getting rid of all of the Bush Tax Cuts would have cut the deficit by $400 million.  Trying to lower taxes on the wealthy isn't going to solve any problems.