The Morning after, Start Now by Michael Tomasky - Essay Example

The article addresses each of these issues and what Pres. Barack Obama must do to achieve good results together with the people who might be able to help him. The fiscal cliff, Tomasky suggests, will most probably be responded to with the impending tax increase proposal and government cuts on spending. Climate change may no longer be ignored and new policy points to a carbon tax to deter carbon emissions. Immigration is another pressing issue where major reform may soon be in the works.

A fiscal policy that promotes revenue generation through taxes paves the way for the government to have an increased budget for government expenditure and avoid a budget deficit. Federal expenditures account for “(1) pension and income security, (2) national defense, (3) health and (4) interest on the public debt” (McConnell and Brue 85). The taxes that may be accumulated from the carbon tax will address the prevalent environmental issues and these funds will most likely be used to promote environmental measures in the avoidance of natural disasters. Allowing a lenient immigration policy is perceived to reduce employment opportunities for resident citizens.

However, this issue is more often a matter of social justice and existing illegal immigrants settle for unsatisfactory working conditions. An increase in population concurrently leads to a parallel increase in federal expenditures. The same assessment is true for engaging in a war that accounts for large budget deficits and public debt since it reallocates economic resources for war goods such as military spending for their personnel and armaments (ibid 237). Read More