Inquirer Editorial: TV political ads should educate, not alienate

A damning analysis of the plan by the Tax Policy Center has been pooh-poohed by Romney supporters as being biased. But their criticism ignores that two of the three writers of the analysis - William Gale and Donald Marron - were on the Council of Economic Advisers for President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush, respectively.

The TPC report concluded Romney's plan would hurt the middle class, but the think tank admits its assessment is in part based on guesses about what the plan would do because Romney has left so much to conjecture.

Most important, Romney hasn't said how he would make up for the billions of dollars of lost revenue that would result from his giving an across-the-board 20 percent rate reduction to anyone who pays taxes.

He cryptically says he will cut spending and close tax loopholes. But while most people want a more efficient government, Americans are also seeing the impact on their local economies when reduced federal dollars mean fewer teachers, police officers, and sanitation workers.

And there is justifiable fear that Romney is being coy because he wants to change the tax code to eliminate mainstays of the middle class, such as education credits and the deductions for mortgage interest and charitable contributions.

Romney can easily put such fears to rest. He should make public his complete tax plan, run TV commercials explaining its details, and let voters decide whether he really is Romney Hood.