Interesting points, but it's all irrelevant (your word) to virtually everyone but you. Reagan's economic policies worked. Since the House was controlled by Democrats the whole time he was in office, he had to compromise in order for his overall economic plan to be passed. As I recall, there were supposed to be real cuts in spending as well, but, due to the Democrats, they never happened. I daresay that tax increases were not Reagan's ideas, but were put forth by the Democrats. It's a credit to Reagan that he was successful at all. Now, what is your point? That some people's taxes were raised? Yes they were, but I suggest you're blaming the wrong person.
I am not talking about Reagan's economic policies. The point is that he did not reduce taxes, regardless of what his acolytes think. The point is that he did actually raise taxes. Not just some people's taxes, but he increased the overall, absolute tax take from the country. Perhaps he did it reluctantly, perhaps he was fooled or stymied by congress, perhaps he knew exactly what he was doing. Regardless of all that, he did raise taxes, by any objective measure, including as a percentage of GDP. Even as GDP increased during the Reagan years, tax "revenues" increased even faster, due to Reagan's restructuring of the tax code. That is the point. He did not reduce taxes over his term in office as so many of you claim. He raised taxes.
(David) Stockman, in his memoir, “The Triumph of Politics,” blames the late Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.) — later Dole’s vice presidential running mate — for convincing Reagan that he had been “hornswoggled” by Congress. By Stockman’s accounting, Congress did reasonably well in meeting the terms of the deal, but the administration failed to live up to its end of the bargain. “Reagan did get tricked — mainly by Weinberger and his own Cabinet,” Stockman said this week.
Dole felt compelled to send Reagan a letter on Jan. 16, 1984, clarifying what had actually happened:
The most frequently voiced objections to packaging new spending cuts and revenue increases together is that Congress would enact the new taxes but renege on the spending cuts. These critics cite as evidence the alleged failure of Congress in 1982 to deliver any of the promised three dollars in spending cuts for each dollar of tax increase. I respectfully submit, Mr. President, that you were not “taken in” by this budget plan.
In fact, historical budget data show that Congress did reduce spending. From 1982 to 1983, nondefense discretionary spending fell from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent of the overall economy (gross domestic product) — and then kept falling until it reached 3.4 percent of GDP in 1989. Defense spending kept going up until 1986.
Stockman is one of Reagan's boys. Weinberger is one of Reagan's boys. How much evidence do you need?
