New York Times Article Puts Local Face on Obama's Tax Cut Crisis

There's a great article published in today's New York Times (posted online last night) that proves that many people aren't very knowledgeable of the issues they're concerned about during these tough economic times and especially during this heated political season. "From Obama, the Tax Cut Nobody Heard Of," by reporter Michael Cooper, chronicles a tax cut the Obama administration implemented several months ago that reduced taxes by a total of $116 billion for the majority of Americans. But when polled, people are more likely to either not know their taxes had been cut or think that their taxes had been raised. But the people weren't just polled by the large New York Times/CBS News poll, for this story the Times reporter also visited some good old town's people in Huntersville.

Scene from Huntersville gathering. Photo by Travis Dove for The New York Times.

The setting for the article takes place at Pig Pickin’ and Politickin’, a barbecue-fed rally held in Huntersville last week by a Republican women’s club. Despite the partisan nature of the group, they represent typical Americans. And I feel the article was balanced while also maintaining its purpose of informing readers of what's been happening with their taxes.

Because of so much clutter and nonsense that's being projected in campaign ads, bias media reports, and rallies from disingenuous "grass-roots organizations," an alarming number of people have become overly worked up over topics that they haven't taken the time to become fully educated on. Far too common these days, people are becoming anti-something or denouncing something that in actuality benefits them. Regardless of whether you're a Democrat or Republican (or Tea Partier), you should be aware of the fact that the Obama administration cut your taxes or that about one-third of the much-hated and debated $787 billion stimulus bill was in the form of tax cuts. I learned this months ago and, lately, Bill Maher and Jon Stewart, among others, have been shouting it from the rooftops (sometimes it takes a little humor to get to the truth).

As I've done the past two years, for the 2008 and 2009 elections, I'll soon be posting links to a few local resources that aim to inform the public on policies and candidates they'll be voting on this November. I think it's a responsibility for those of us who disseminate information regularly into the blogosphere. Too many people go into the ballot boxes blindly, or support or oppose something they don't know much about. That's really inexcusable in this Internet age we live in. Some of you spend more time researching players for your fantasy football teams than you do the candidates whose policies can greatly affect you and your family's lives.