John Gulick wrote: > Why are the > Repubs so dead-set against it [increased government investment]?
One reason is because the market serves those with money to spend and the main interest group that the GOP serves has a lot of it. Cutting taxes directly allows these spenders to benefit more from the institutions that serve them the best. On the other hand, spending on infrastructure (etc.) is supposed to have external benefits, both pecuniary (raising incomes via a multiplier process) and technical (lowering transportation costs, etc.) Most of the benefits do not go directly to the rich (only to some of the rich who own construction-related businesses). In fact, the way public goods benefit the public is usually relatively egalitarian, so that the rich do not get the benefits to which they've become accustomed -- at the same time that the great unwashed get benefits to which they're clearly not entitled (from the rich perspective). The Democrats generally serve the same type of interest group but usually is more far-sighted and focused less on the immediate and particularistic interests. More Sorosian, one might say. They see benefits from the poor and working classes getting a share of the pie... -- Jim Devine / "Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business." -- Tom Robbins _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
