# Translate "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" for me?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal-for-me/982084>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 3, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal-for-me/982084 "2023-04-03T13:01:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal-for-me/982084/61 "2023-04-05T00:49:29Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> but I have no control over the tax rate or the creation of new taxes.

We vote on taxes all the time in CA. For example:

> **[California Proposition 30, Tax on Income Above $2 Million for Zero-Emissions...](https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_30,_Tax_on_Income_Above_$2_Million_for_Zero-Emissions_Vehicles_and_Wildfire_Prevention_Initiative_(2022))**
>
> Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal-for-me/982084/62 "2023-04-05T01:50:54Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> I’m fiscally conservative for these reasons. The Keynesians who thought they could spend their way into prosperity were wrong. The long run is here, and all we got for it was a mountain of debt, looming bank failures, inflation, and high interest rates. And as a fiscal conservative, I would be okay right now paying more in tax if that money was used to pay down the debt, because right now debts and deficit spending are more dangerous to the economy than higher taxes.

Ahem, it is the supply side economists that claim cutting taxes will raise the economy and revenue. Trump continued the trend and gave big ol’ tax cuts to corporations and rich people, pretending it would stimulate the economy. Don’t be trying to put the shine on Keynesians.

Fiscal conservative is a dog whistle. Sounds like it means “fiscally responsible”. It doesn’t. It means giveaways to the rich and corporations, cutting “government waste”, eliminating social security because it is bankrupt, making welfare queens get jobs, workfare not welfare, ad nauseum.

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