This is what I think Obama's Tax Policy will end up being

I've been a CPA for almost 6 years know, and in the financial services industry on and off for the last 15. Based on those experiences, I can say I have a good understanding of both items. Well this article about Congressional changes on pension plans show that there is no limits to the obtuseness of both Democratic Congressmen and academics. A brief passage:

“With respect to the 401(k), it appears to be a plan that is not really well-devised for the changes in the market,” Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., said.

“We’ve invested $80 billion into subsidizing this activity,” he said, referring to tax breaks allowed for 401(k) contributions and savings.

With savings rates going down, “what do we have to start to think about in Congress of whether or not we want to continue and invest that $80 billion for a policy that is not generating what we … say it should?” Mr. Miller said.

Congress should let workers trade their 401(k) assets for guaranteed retirement accounts made up of government bonds, suggested Teresa Ghilarducci, an economics professor at The New School for Social Research in New York.

When workers collected Social Security, the guaranteed retirement account would pay an inflation-adjusted annuity under her plan.

“The way the government now encourages 401(k) plans is to spend $80 billion in tax breaks,” which goes to the highest-income earners, Ms. Ghilarducci said.

That simply results in transferring money from taxed savings accounts to untaxed accounts, she said.

Where do I start on this? Needless to say, this really got me riled up. How this is so wrong:

1. The idea of retirement accounts and the corresponding tax deductions was to encourage people to save. Savings means capital for economic growth. The U.S. has one of the worst savings rate in the industrialized world. This would encourage consumption and deter investment. We complain now how all these Sovereign Wealth Funds are buying up all the companies and real estate in the U.S. They will own a lot more once Americans are deterred from saving.
2. The other part of 401(k) plans is that the taxpayer gets a deduction now, all growth in the account is tax free, but the catch is that all withdrawals from the account are taxable as income. Phasing out or eliminating the deduction for 401(k) plans would result in double taxation for many taxpayers.
3. Does Representative Miller mean that only 401(k) plan deductions be taxable? What about contributions by employees to big fat unionized defined benefit plans? If we are talking about taxing contributions to retirement accounts as a subsidy, shouldn't we throw in defined benefit plans, SEPs, IRAs, SIMPLE, Keogh plans as well?
4. The individual 401(k) limit is $15,500 if under the age of 49 and $20,500 if over 50 for 2008. An individual in the top bracket would get a reduction of income tax to the amount of $5,425 - but they would have to make at least $357,700 filing joint for the maximum bang. If someone is in that bracket, they are paying roughly north of $100,000 in federal income tax. I don't think this is such a huge "loophole for the rich"
5. Teresa Ghilarducci is a retard. Period. "Congress should let workers trade their 401(k) assets for guaranteed retirement accounts made up of government bonds" Hmmm.. hasn't Ghilarducci heard of social security? In case she hasn't it is essentially a guaranteed retirement account made up of government bonds (in theory, but I bet congress would raid your retirement account like it does social security). It is going insolvent in the next couple of years.
   
6. Government bonds have underperformed the stock markets historically. This plan would impoverish savers by limiting their returns to fixed income securities, even if you include this recent meltdown. Even though investors "lost" $2 trillion in the past month due to the stock market turmoil - most investors are in for the long term. They are paper losses until one sells. To reiterate - over the long run, stocks outperform bonds.

This is just wrong wrong wrong on so many levels.... cradle to grave! We're on the road to serfdom and the pedal is to the metal. Someone has to straddle this road and scream "stop"!