The NYT reports that the Republicans in the Senate are insisting on $8.3 billion in tax cuts as their price for allowing an increase in the minimum wage. The article commits the common sin of not telling readers the time period over which these cuts will take place or providing any context that would allow them to assess its importance. This projected cost is for a 10-year period. It's equal to about 0.03 percent of projected spending. It's not a huge deal in terms of the budget, but most of the tax cuts in this bill probably would not be approved by Congress if they were not attached to such a popular measure. In this way, they are like most earmarks.
--Dean Baker
