I’m not really that bothered with the Democrats leaning towards higher income taxes for the rich as the easy out for health care financing instead of any number of far superior funding options. As injustices go, adding a couple percent to the income taxes of the top one percent ranks pretty low. Besides, historically, these marginal rates remain extremely modest.
But being a minor injustice is not the same thing as being just. Perhaps the Democrats are being politically savvy, picking the popular target and avoiding political pain. Perhaps if they charged through with a good revenue source (capping or eliminating tax deductions for employer contributions to health care with the current health reform proposals or a VAT for an ideal health reform proposal) it would be political suicide and the outcome would be far worse. That would certainly be the argument, but I’m not sure it is true.
Democrats as a breed seem to underestimate the value of leadership while Republicans underestimate the value of good policy. Republicans will lead the public off a cliff while Democrats will follow the public off a cliff. What we seem to lack are those leading the public away from the cliff. Those willing to lay out why they will benefit from a just system that taxes everyone on a fairly equal percentage basis and provides everyone equal benefits. It is fact that this will benefit most people, but Democrats are not capable of communicating this because people will lie about them and say it isn’t true.
I have sold more than one staunch Republican on a health reform proposal that is also many a liberal health wonk’s dream (it is very similar to a plan proposed by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Rahm’s brother). I feel like I could sell populists on this plan too because it has an intuitive comfort and simplicity about it. Hell, the closest plan to it in Congress is Wyden-Bennett, a bill with a number of co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle. And I don’t even have President Obama’s rhetorical gifts. I think if the Democrats stopped putzing around and started to actually sell what they see as good policy, they might get things done.
