IMF calls for new taxes in US

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund called on the US government to take more ambitious steps to remedy its deficit-ridden finances, including by introducing new taxes.

In an annual review, the IMF reiterated its stance that the administration of President George W. Bush is not doing enough to get its swollen budget deficit back in balance.

Bush has placed multi-billion-dollar tax cuts front and centre of his economic policy, arguing that without them, the US economy would not be as robust as it is today.

The administration says it is on track to beat its target of halving the budget deficit by 2009, but insists that spending cuts alone are the right route to achieve this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/imfuseconomy

[C_U_L8R]

1. Bush will pass the buck

to the Democrats to do what's necessary to save the country (from Bush's obscene malfeasance)

[Mythsaje]

2. I've got some spending cuts to make...

How 'bout we eliminate Bush and Cheney's salaries, for starters. It's not as though they NEED the money.

And we can sweep through Congress too, for that matter. Anyone who's already worth more than 10 million dollars can perform their job as a public service. In the interest of saving tax-payer money.

[AmandaRuth]

3. its the republican wet dream

get rid of the public schools and social security.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. WHAT!?

RAISE TAXES!? THE IMF MUST BE A COMMUNIST FRONT GROUP! (SARCASM)

[struggle4progress]

8. Yep. Usual IMF line: "Scrap those social programs."

[Warren Stupidity]

5. halving the budget deficit by 2009

What a convenient goal post that is. So the next administration will have to explain the failure. Nice. Note also that this would be the annual deficit, not the total public debt. Note finally that this is a bloody joke as each year more and more boomers start cashing in their SS/Medicare benefits, with the direct consequence that the SS surplus becomes increasingly less able to hide the real federal budget inbalance.

The IMF is gently warning us that we are headed into disaster and taking that spiffy new world odor global economy with it.

[Odin2005]

6. The Pukes WANT big deficits, it helps then attack the Dems.

Then when the Dems get back in we are forced to raise taxes to pay off the defict, allowing the pukes to scream "TAX AND SPEND LIBRULS!!!" :puke:

[Odin2005]

7. Oh, and the IMF is a Corporatist too so they won't crack down...

...on us until the Dems are in control.