This truism is lost on most of Washington’s democrats when it comes to tax cuts. The democrats would rather turn tax relief into another form of welfare. They would rather create an economic divide that not only separates the rich from the poor in terms of the amount of money in their pockets, but also in attitude.

If the poor, those who paid little or nothing at all in personal income tax suddenly receive a check or break from the government that is out of proportion to their taxes, they will know it’s a gift. If there’s any truth to “back to work” ethics and integrity, they will probably feel insulted. Just because they’re poor, it does not follow that they are dumb or insensitive. Such may come as something of a shock to politicians accustomed to pandering to the poor and seeking handouts from everyone. The world’s greatest beggars.

And if the rich, who actually do pay much more in personal income taxes, are given less of a break, they will inevitably feel that they have been forced to donate part of their earnings to the poor. If they ever think of donating through their church or charity, this can become an incentive not to do so. Why should they be charitable on their own if the government is going to force it on them?

You’ve got to admit that the idea of carrying through on a campaign promise is somewhat unique for Washington’s political victors. Usually, it’s just a sales pitch where promising to reduce our taxes is automatically written off by most voters. Who believes politicians? We expect them to talk about tax breaks during an election, kiss babies and promise to make life better for the kids. But we don’t expect them to really come through with anything. In fact, we’re lucky if we don’t get just the opposite of what they promise.

We also think that debt is bad. God knows, we’ve all got our own share of it with mortgages, credit cards, energy bills and all that keeps rising without inflation. Ask anyone in the country if they think the government should get rid of its debt, and they’ll invariably say yes. It’s a given. But, at the same time, this doesn’t mean that we think the government should steal our retirement and health care payments to do it. The pollsters don’t ask about the latter.

It’s the same thing when you hear polls talking about how the people would rather the government reduce its debt than provide tax relief. As a general rule, polls don’t ask the right question or even know what they’re measuring, much less how to measure it objectively. Most polls are incredibly stupid, either in questions asked or samples taken. They can also be very devious.

The idea of taking a large lump of money, on hand or expected, and apportioning it out on a percentage basis of taxes paid seems missing in political minds. By comparison, returning money they shouldn’t have in the first place is not at all like the Firestone Tire Company returning or making up for their mistake. Every child in the country will tell you that if you own four Firestone tires, you should get four new ones or the equivalent in money. If you’ve got sixteen, you should get sixteen replacements. If you don’t have any, you shouldn’t get any. It’s simple. But when it comes to taxes, this way of thinking gets phenomenally screwed up inside the Beltway. I had fun writing an article called “Relocated” that addressed this subject.

What we really need is a government that plays things straight, and we haven’t got that by any means. And sometimes I don’t blame the politicians. If the people don’t straighten them out any more than they do their own kids, then perhaps the people deserve what they get in return, even if it’s upsetting and brutal.

Wasn’t it Thomas Hobbs who said: Life in a commonwealth is a war of all against all that’s nasty, brutish and short? And wasn’t it Alex de Tocqueville who said: The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money.