From Byron York (via Power Line):

“After all this discussion about health care and cap and trade and loss of jobs and the budget and the stimulus, this group [middle class voters] is suddenly beginning to feel particularly vulnerable to tax increases,” says one Republican pollster. “They don’t see how things are going to work out for them in a positive way, and they worry that instead of being in a position to bounce back from the present economic environment, in fact more money may be taken away from them.”

Their concerns are entirely rational. Economists left and right have long argued that there is no way Obama can pay for a national health care makeover and a host of other expensive initiatives without breaking his campaign pledge not to raise taxes for anyone making less than $250,000. The wealthy are already paying a grossly disproportionate percentage of federal income taxes, and increasing taxes on them won’t raise enough money to meet Obama’s needs.

This is the crux of the matter for me. Sure it would be nice for everyone to be healthy, well fed and living in peace. Seriously, who wouldn’t like that? Guess what though, we aren’t there yet. This isn’t Star Trek. There are limitations to the amount of money available. At this point, we need more people working and making money and fewer people with their hand out. We just can’t sustain our current level of expenditures.