Oh boy! For a bunch of pseudo-scientists and wanna-be scientists, you sure are a tough crowd. I supply you with facts, you supply me with opinions and generalities.

Mike, it's obvious that you totally believe in income re-distribution -- take from the rich and give to the poor. I suppose you would like a return to the WWII and post-WWII days when the highest income tax bracket was 90%.

As for your your unsubstantiated statement that "no economist of any political persuasion would try to make that case," I give you Arthur Laffer and his concept of taxable income elasticity. But then, you probably pooh-pooh his ideas.

You sound like a real malcontent -- "I, for one, am tired of getting pissed on."

And, if any of you thinks, for a moment, that raising taxes will allow more money to be spent on your pet projects, i.e., USGS funding or doing something about global warming, then get real! The tax-and-spenders in Congress would just love to have more tax money to spend on social welfare programs -- they haven't met a social welfare program that they didn't like.

Do away with the tax cuts, raise taxes, more social welfare, like medical care for everyone (and while they're at it, how about a Cadillac in every garage --no, make that two Cadillacs in every garage). Total disincentives to those who create wealth!!!

I must go now -- I have to go to work -- in the long term, to earn more money for my retirement and to send the government more tax money -- in the short-term, to go spend it Christmas shopping and help out our economy, which BTW, is in great shape. The Democrats can't use that old Clintonian argument this time: it's the economy, stupid.

I leave you with the following Holiday greeting:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wish.

To all others of the "other political persuasion:"

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Barbara