Aknauta
01-22-2003, 02:17 PM
NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
Fighting for a Principle Energizes Bush Supporters
Opinion Editorial
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
by Bruce Bartlett
Last week, I had the opportunity to debate the estate tax with Bill Gates Sr., father of the Microsoft founder. He was in Washington to promote a new book he has co-authored on why the estate tax should be kept and not abolished in 2010 as current law dictates.
Gates has become the spokesman for a movement that believes the estate tax is not only an appropriate part of our tax system, but a highly desirable one. His argument, basically, is that the wealthy benefit a great deal from a stable government that keeps the peace, enforces contracts, trains the workers that business needs, and conducts much basic research in areas such as biotechnology that has given rise to many great fortunes.
Therefore, he says, the wealthy should give something back to society when they are gone. Anyway, giving a lot of money to your children often ruins their lives and the government needs the revenue from the estate tax.
Fighting for a principle energizes your own supporters in a way that asking for something more politically realistic does not. (http://www.ncpa.org/edo/bb/2003/bb012203.html)
Fighting for a Principle Energizes Bush Supporters
Opinion Editorial
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
by Bruce Bartlett
Last week, I had the opportunity to debate the estate tax with Bill Gates Sr., father of the Microsoft founder. He was in Washington to promote a new book he has co-authored on why the estate tax should be kept and not abolished in 2010 as current law dictates.
Gates has become the spokesman for a movement that believes the estate tax is not only an appropriate part of our tax system, but a highly desirable one. His argument, basically, is that the wealthy benefit a great deal from a stable government that keeps the peace, enforces contracts, trains the workers that business needs, and conducts much basic research in areas such as biotechnology that has given rise to many great fortunes.
Therefore, he says, the wealthy should give something back to society when they are gone. Anyway, giving a lot of money to your children often ruins their lives and the government needs the revenue from the estate tax.
Fighting for a principle energizes your own supporters in a way that asking for something more politically realistic does not. (http://www.ncpa.org/edo/bb/2003/bb012203.html)