Congressional Republicans have proposed to increase tax revenue by nearly $300 billion over 10 years through an overhaul of the tax code. It represents a significant concession and is designed to break the log-jam in the supercommittee.
The offer would lower tax rates for everyone while raising overall tax collections $250 billion, mainly by limiting the itemized deductions such as home mortgage deductions, interest, state and local taxes and other deductions.
I have no problem with that as long as spending is substantially reduced and the spending cuts come first. That's because, as I say in our USA Today column this Thursday, that when Republicans have tried tax and spending deals with Democrats in the past they got tax hikes but no spending cuts.
Maybe this time Republicans will get it and we taxpayers will benefit for a change.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: November 14, 2011
