You’d think that Congress would have kept the fiscal cliff negotiations as simple and tight as possible. The size of the deficit, the threat of automatic spending cuts, and the need for a last-minute tax deal deserved everyone’s full attention. And yet, the Congressional Budget Office breakdown of the bill shows that there were all sorts of goodies buried in the fine print, benefiting everyone from filmmakers to rum distillers. The problem is so-called “tax expenditures,” which are basically ways to subsidize various kinds of activities through tax breaks (as opposed to direct payments). The fiscal cliff deal consists of three parts – personal taxes, business taxes and energy taxes – and each includes its own giveaways. Many of these were simply increases or extensions of tax expenditures that already existed. And some of them may be perfectly reasonable public policy. Perhaps it’s worthwhile to spend an additional $9.7 billion over the next 10 years on additional subsidies for student loans or $5.6 billion for adoptions, although both those figures seem like a lot considering that employer-provided childcare is getting only $209 million. More money is at stake in subsidies for various businesses, $46 billion, and for alternative energy, $18 billion. But even when those tax expenditures are justifiable, they merit separate and thorough discussion, rather than being mixed into what is supposed to be a debate over personal income tax rates. Moreover, there are plenty of lesser tax expenditures that seem to deserve some skepticism. Indeed, Senator McCain criticized such tax benefits last week, saying that “special-interest giveaways,” including a $15 million subsidy for asparagus growers, would feed cynicism at a time when tough choices have to be made about the deficit. Here’s a quick look at where some of the other small bequests are going: Railroad tracks. A special 50% tax credit for maintaining tracks is projected to cost $331 million over the next two years. Racetracks. Tax benefits for certain motorsport racing track facilities will cost more than $100 million over the next seven years. Native Americans. Business property on Indian reservations will receive
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