Once more, let us try to plumb the depths of Sen. Ben Nelson's brain -- a taxing sport given the man's incoherent policy views. Nelson has been one of the Democrats most reluctant to vote on extending unemployment benefits -- even as job openings continue to outnumber job-seekers -- and held up votes on key stimulus measures targeted at everything from small business to infrastructure. Why has he been so reluctant to vote with his party? “Are they from Nebraska? Then I don’t care,” Nelson told Roll Call.And indeed, Nebraska has weathered this recession better than other states, with only 5 percent unemployment right now -- that's 4.6 percent less than the national average -- so perhaps Nelson is by his rights to vote against additional economic stimulus, even if people who expect their senators to be statesmen might find his lack of concern for the national interest galling.
But as Jon Chait points out, there's some inconsistency here. As Congress debates whether to allow a slight increase in taxes on the wealthy while maintaining tax cuts for lower brackets, Nelson concerns are, as ever, with the super rich Nebraskans.
On Thursday, Nelson said in a statement that he wants to extend the cuts for all taxpayers, but did not specify a time frame for ending the cuts, saying only that they should last "until Nebraska's and the nation's economy is in better shape, and perhaps longer, because raising taxes in a weak economy could impair recovery."
Ah, OK, so he's worried about Nebraska's economy! But I thought the Cornhuskers are doing OK, so further stimulus isn't needed -- especially a really inefficient, expensive stimulus. I guess wealthy Nebraskans could use some help anyway. Thing is, Nebraska's median income is just above $49,000, so you'd need to be earning three times that to even be affected by the tax cuts. Even wealthy Nebraskans aren't all on board -- famous Omaha-based billionaire Warren Buffet thinks taxes on the wealthy should be higher. Maybe Nelson is worried about small business? But raising the upper-income tax wouldn't really affect small business.
So it's hard to say how cutting taxes for the wealthy would help Nebraskans. And even though Nelson says he doesn't care about people outside of Nebraska, I wonder what the folks from D.C. who gave his campaign $700,000 think of that. Or the folks in New York who gave him just under $300,000. Or Chicago, Denver or Los Angeles, where donors gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe they're the ones who are telling him that cutting taxes on the wealthy is what the economy needs.
Something isn't adding up. Maybe Nelson isn't just a folksy Nebraskan trying to do right by the families back home. Lucky for him, no one will notice, since a coherent rationale for decisions is not required to be a senator, and no one will question his credentials as a moderate deficit hawk even as he supports increasing our budget deficit to little clear gain for his constituents, or anyone other than the wealthy.
-- Tim Fernholz
