The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[innerSpaceman]

The mortgage interest deduction is perfect for my point. Now that spreading the population out to the suburbs has proven to be bad for energy consumption, there's a growing trend toward more urbanization - and it might be considered a legitimate government interest to promote fleeing the suburbs, just as the mortgage deduction favored fleeing the cities. So because times and circumstances change, taxes cannot?

I understand the complaints of those whom the change doesn't favor, but I t think that's besides the point of behavioral tax policy.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

So because times and circumstances change, taxes cannot?

Again, I don't think anyone here is saying that ending these credits is vorboten on the surface, just that it's dishonest to argue that doing so is somehow substantively different than raising taxes just to make yourself feel more justified in calling for it. You are asking for a change in law that results in people paying more taxes. Whether you call it "ending a tax break" or "raising taxes" is entirely irrelevant.