Obama's Budget

I have not read through the budget. (God, can you imagine?) But I've read quite a bit about it. And it's not surprising that so many people are upset with it. To that, I say, Good.

From the NY Times editorial:

The Obama budget — a bold, even radical departure from recent history, wrapped in bureaucratic formality and statistical tables — would sharply raise taxes on the rich, beyond where Bill Clinton had raised them. It would reduce taxes for everyone else, to a lower point than they were under either Mr. Clinton or George W. Bush. And it would lay the groundwork for sweeping changes in health care and education, among other areas.

More than anything else, the proposals seek to reverse the rapid increase in economic inequality over the last 30 years.

Not fair, you say? The wealthy pay most of the taxes, you say? So? That's because they have most of the money.

Over the last three decades, the pretax incomes of the wealthiest households have risen far more than they have for other households, while the tax rates for top earners have fallen more than they have for others, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The fact is that many people will be unhappy--irate and furious, actually--about Obama's budget. To them I'd say, Sorry. And then, Tough sh*t. The disparity between the haves and have-nots in this country is out of control, and it's about time someone took bold steps to change that. Obama's taken those steps. I hope it works. And if it does, I imagine those who are upset at this budget will not change their tune. I think most of us can live with that.