Executive orders - Tom Clancy [327]
As long as I can do my work, I can live with almost anything, but I do worry about the kids. After this is over, they have to go back to being normal children, and we didn't raise them for all this hoopla. Then everyone was quiet for the rest of the commercial time.
We're back on the Oval Office with the President and First Lady. Mr. President, Donner asked, what about the changes you are making?
Mainly my job isn't to 'change,' Tom, it's to 'restore.' Along the way we will try to do a few things. I've tried to select my new Cabinet members with an eye toward making the government function more efficiently. As you know, I've been in government service for quite a while, and along the way I've seen numerous examples of inefficiency. The citizens out there pay a lot of money in taxes, and we owe it to them to see that the money is spent wisely-and efficiently. So I've told my Cabinet officers to examine all of the executive departments with an eye to doing the same work for less cost.
A lot of presidents have said that.
This one means it, Ryan said seriously.
But your first major policy act has been to attack the tax system, Donner observed.
Not 'attack,' Tom. 'Change.' George Winston has my full support. The tax code we have now is totally unfair-and I mean unfair in many ways. People can't understand it, for one. That means that they have to hire people to explain the tax system to them, and it's hard to see how it makes sense for people to pay good money for people to explain how the law takes more of their money away-especially when the government writes the laws. Why make laws that the people can't understand? Why make laws that are so complicated? Ryan asked.
But along the way, your administration's goal is to make the tax system regressive, not progressive.
We've been over that, the President replied, and Donner knew he had him then. It was one of Ryan's more obvious weaknesses that he didn't like repeating himself. He really was not a politician. They loved to repeat themselves. Charging everyone the same amount is just as fair as anything can be. Doing so in a way that everyone can understand will actually save money for people. Our proposed tax changes will be revenue-neutral. Nobody's getting any special breaks.
But the tax rates for the rich will fall dramatically.
That's true, but we'll also eliminate all the breaks that their lobbyists have written into the system. They'll actually end up paying the same, or more probably, a little more than they already do. Secretary Winston has studied that very carefully, and I concur in his judgment.
Sir, it's hard to see how a thirty percent rate reduction will make them pay more. That's fourth-grade arithmetic.
Ask your accountant. Ryan smiled. Or for that matter, look at your own tax returns, if you can figure them out. You know, Tom, I used to be an accountant-I passed the exam before I went into the Marine Corps-and I can't even figure the darned things out. The government does not serve the public interest by doing things that the people can't understand. There's been too much of that. I'm going to try to dial it back a bit.
Bingo. To Donner's left, John Plumber grimaced. The director with his selection of camera feeds made sure that one didn't go out. Instead he picked Donner's winning anchorman smile.
I'm glad you feel that way, Mr. President, because there are many things that the American people would like to know about government operations. Nearly all of your government service has been in the Central Intelligence Agency.
That's true but, Tom, as I told you this morning, no President has ever spoken about intelligence operations. There's a good reason for that. Ryan was still cool, not knowing what door had just opened.
But, Mr. President, you have personally been involved in numerous intelligence operations which had important effects on bringing that end to the Cold War. For example,