Trickle What ?

The commentary I'm critiquing is titled "Bush Proves Trickle Down Doesn't Work As Advertised". It was posted on the 28 of June in 2006. The Author is known only as Bonddad and has posted countless stories on the Daily KOS website. There is also a link to Bonddad's own blogroll on the Daily KOS website. I believe the audience that was intended to read this commentary is mostly politically left leaning and independent minded people, as well as any random web surfer who is interested in understanding why this economic theory doesn't work. In the commentary the writer explains that trickle down economics is the theory that high taxes will prevent a wealthy person from spending and investing there money. The Theory asserts that if we lower the taxes of the rich they will spend more of there money. There buy employing the poor people of the country who eventually benefit from the same tax cut that was given to the rich people.

The writer asserts that the Republican economic policies have demonstrated the fallacy of this theory. He goes on to point out the decline in average hourly wages for production level workers from 2001 to 2006. The lack of a statistically meaningfull rise in total domestic investment in the US. The lack of job growth and GDP Growth. He also lists many facts and figures supporting his claims.

Some of the references he uses are the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances for 1998 and 2001, the National Bureau of Economic Research. He assures us that no matter how you measure it the facts will tell you that the total GDP growth in a supply-side economic year is comparable to non supply side growth. I agree with his statements and appreciate his use of facts to support his claim. What I don't like about his commentary is his lack of clarity in explaining the issue. He doesn't mention the ever widening disparity between the very rich and everyone else.
He also forgot to inform us that the application of the theory is termed supply side economics. He didn't tell us anything about the history of the theory or how it came about. He didn't even try to explain why the theory is itself not practical.
For a more in depth look at the history, application and effect of the Supply Side economic model click here.