To see someone struggling with Alzheimer’s is heartbreaking. For the person suffering the disease can make life a terror as they forget those who love them and familiar locations. Actions taken in the morning can be a total mystery by afternoon. What makes it saddest is the inability to control when it will hit, or what memories it will effect. This terrible disease is one of many nightmares that inspire fear about healthcare and bring on demands for reform. Unfortunately in American politics we see a form of political Alzheimer’s as office holders forget not only campaign promises, but also the arguments they once made as their position changes with the political winds.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is saying that we must take action to bring down the deficit if we want the economy to grow. In saying this, the call is on for higher taxes to pay for the misdirected stimulus spending. So deficit spending has gone from the answer to the problem in less than eight months. What about the harm that higher taxes would do to our economy. When you raise taxes you reduce the amount of money available for investment and business expansion. It was argued during the debate on stimulus that it would be paid for through an expanded tax base once we recover, but no new taxes would be needed. Of course anyone with half an understanding of economics knew this was half-baked at best and a blatant lie at worst. The opposition pointed out over and over that record spending matched with our current conditions would necessitate higher taxes.

It would be helpful if the Treasury Secretary would do some reading on economics and while he is at it perhaps a perusal of the Constitution.