Simon Johnson is a professor at MIT and a former IMF official. With that kind of resume, you won’t be surprised to learn that he is much too sympathetic to big government.
For instance, we both testified to the Ways & Means Committee last year about the value-added tax, and he sided with all the other witnesses and favored adding a pernicious European-style national sales tax on top of the income tax.
He also wants the Bush tax cuts to expire. All of them.
That’s the topic we debated on Larry Kudlow’s program. I didn’t get much air time in this interview, but I’m glad that I got out the key point about the real problem being big government rather than red ink.
Prof. Johnson vaguely acknowledges that a huge tax increase might hinder the economy, but his proposed solution is a repeat of the Keynesian payroll tax holiday. I’ve previously explained that temporary tax gimmicks don’t generate long-term job creation, so I obviously don’t see why a policy which hasn’t worked the past two years will magically start working next year.
As with the debate I posted yesterday, I tried to sneak in a final comment (making up for all those years when I was married and never got the last word). In this case, I said Congressman Ryan’s entitlement reforms are the solution, though I’m not sure how many people heard.
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] In 2012, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] more air time (mostly because the host started challenging him, which also happens periodically when I’m on Kudlow’s show), but because he gave me a giant opening to completely destroy his arguments and I failed to seize […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] Earlier this year, MIT professor and former IMF official Simon Johnson argued that the middle class should pay more tax. […]
[…] weak job market is affected by things such as the threat of higher taxes in 2013 (when the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire), the costly impact of Obamacare, and the […]
[…] weak job market is affected by factors such as the threat of higher taxes in 2013 (when the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire), the costly impact of Obamacare, and the […]
[…] weak job market is affected by factors such as the threat of higher taxes in 2013 (when the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire), the costly impact of Obamacare, and the […]
[…] weak job market is affected by things such as the threat of higher taxes in 2013 (when the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire), the costly impact of Obamacare, and the […]
[…] more air time (mostly because the host started challenging him, which also happens periodically when I’m on Kudlow’s show), but because he gave me a giant opening to completely destroy his arguments and I failed to seize […]
[…] more air time (mostly because the host started challenging him, which also happens periodically when I’m on Kudlow’s show), but because he gave me a giant opening to completely destroy his arguments and I failed to seize […]
One of these times I’d love to hear you say, “What part of ‘there isn’t enough money being earned by millionaires to pay for all this government’ do you not understand?”