Taxes are all the rage these days–again. What I’ve learned is that lots of people in positions of power avoid them in interesting ways. (Why lower a tax, therefore, if its value is empty. Logical flop, but fun nonetheless.) Who’d have thought that tax on driving would be worth over 100 Grand. I’m sure there’s a deeper story to Daschle’s tax issues , what he calls a “tax laps,” than has been made public, as would probably be the case with most in Congress.

Value is interesting question in whatever market. A service provided on the back of a tax is considered of less value by Republicans because more profit could be had by restructuring it in the market and it comes off as an “entitlement.” Public schools, for example, could be a neat business. But then a “market value” would be established, a windfall for some, an element of scarcity for others. Public learning as scarce commodity. Thrilling.

Shelby wants us to “attack the financial cancer” but has very few ideas beyond the 80’s cliche: cut taxes, the only idea Republicans have apparently. And Sununu’s in a state over some monster of a government policy too difficult to find in the dark. Do I disagree with Shelby and Sununu? Not really. But CT is heading toward a 4 Billion deficit in a few years and it’s not because of lower tax revenue. Causality? That’s a good one.

None of his is poetry or fiction. These are too honest.