There's a big difference between raising rates and curbing deductions. Money once diverted to deductible items will be reallocated to more productive use. That's not a possibility with rate increases.
It's at times like this I'm ashamed to admit I live inside the Beltway.
Well, that's probably not specific enough since I'm usually ashamed to admit I live inside the Beltway.
Still, the second you try to explain the stupidity of this "fiscal cliff" fiasco to a normal person, it makes William F. Buckley's famous declaration that he'd rather be governed by the first few hundred people listed in the Boston phone book than by the faculty of Harvard seem all the more reasonable.
While there are some responsible politicians and policymakers in Washington, if you look at the whole place...
so encouraging the middle class to support charities via the charitable deduction is a less productive use of money than exactly what other items the government funds?
please tell me what the h you are talking about instead of throwing out some generalized assertion with no visible rationale, evidence or example!!!