Tax versus subsidize

Their is an economic adage: want more of something, subsidize it; want less, tax it.

Our government subsidizes home ownership via tax deductions on mortgage interest and certain property taxes.  For decades, the government subsidized social welfare and corporate welfare.

The government taxes income, property, investment, savings, and many commodities.  Hence, look at our convoluted tax system that perpetuates both legal and illegal tax avoidance.  The politicians bemoan our nation's low personal savings rate yet taxes the interest on our savings accounts.  

Oddly, the politicians demagogue reduced capital gains, accelerated depreciation, and investment tax credits as favoring the wealthy and corporations despite how these measures have historically been a boon to the economy.

Several respected economists have recently lamented over the lack of business acumen and market understanding by those in Congress.  We have to ask ourselves as we approach the November elections:  should we continue to entrust our nation's economic future to those who have never owned a business, had to make a payroll, or even picked up an economics textbook?   Our collective lack of such scrutiny has given us this dysfunctional government and we have indeed subsidized it.