The Wall Street Journal editorial page has implied yet again that the Bush tax cuts increased revenue:
Predictably, the Bush tax cuts are under attack for denying revenue to the government and because they don't require "sacrifice" in wartime. But the truth is that federal revenues are rising by an estimated $262 billion--or roughly 14%--this year thanks to the growth that followed the 2003 tax cuts. Republicans have been far too defensive on tax cuts, and Katrina is an opening to explain their necessity and to push for making them permanent
After presenting the criticism that is being offered -- "the Bush tax cuts are under attack for denying revenue to the government" -- the Journal sets it up as a false claim, writing that "the truth is that federal revenues are rising by an estimated $262 billion--or roughly 14%--this year thanks to the growth that followed the 2003 tax cuts." This falsely implies that the tax cuts have not denied funds to the federal government, when they've actually decreased revenue significantly. A small one-year increase in revenue after multiple years of declines does not make the overall impact of the tax cuts positive.
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