Tax & Spend Conservatives

A funny thing on the way to state budget solvency in Texas and Mississippi, which are among the reddest of the red states. You can't get much more conservative than Texas' and Mississippi's governors, Rick Perry and Haley Barbour. The same goes for their budget solutions, which are firmly based in conservative budget orthodoxy: tax cuts and spending cuts will cure all budget ills.

So, why are Texas and Mississippi having serious budget problems? And why are their governors breaking promises about taxes and spending?

The Truth About Tax & Spend Conservatism, Pt. 2

By Terrance Heath

March 23, 2011

Like I said earlier, the truth about "Tax & Spend Conservatism" is that it isn't about raising or cutting taxes, but about whose taxes are raised and whose taxes are cut. It's about, as Robert Borsage put it, who gets hit with the tab for the great recession.

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The Truth About Tax & Spend Conservatism, Pt. 1

By Terrance Heath

March 22, 2011

Last week, I wrote of strange fiscal shenanigans in the reddest of the red states; like tax increases in Mississippi and increased government spending in Texas. "So," I asked, "why are Texas and Mississippi having serious budget problems? And why are their governors breaking promises about taxes and spending?" There are two answers to that question; one simple answer, and one that delves deep into the mysteries of tax and spend conservatism.