Ignorance is bliss…

…But I don’t think it’s a great basis for forming sound government policy.

With the next budget crisis looming, the central economic debate in our county continues to be taxes and how they relate to the economy. You’d think we would have figured that out by now.

Democrats say the rich aren’t paying their fair share. Republicans say increasing taxes on the rich will hurt the economy because the rich create jobs.

Some members of Congress wanted guidance on the issue, so they asked the Congressional Research Service to look into it. They did, and came to a conclusion some members didn’t like, so those members suppressed the report. Of course, the members who did like the conclusion released it. I won’t tell you what the conclusion was.

What’s more important to me is the attempt by people who work for us to keep us ignorant. We need to come together and agree on workable solutions to tough problems, and we won’t get there blissfully stumbling around in the dark.

If you’re interested in the conclusion and are an economist (or at least better educated in these matters than I) you can read the full 22-page report here. If you are interested in the conclusion and want a perspective from the left, read this op-ed from Forbe’s Magazine. For perspective from the right, read this reaction from The Tax Foundation.

I hope you’ll read both, because while ignorance may be bliss, knowledge is power.