First, it is not clear that the public views taxes for all purposes as interchangeable.
Specifically, there is reason to believe that the public views taxes that pay for Social Security as being qualitatively different than other taxes.
Many Republican governors and legislators, following the lead of President Bush, are refusing to raise taxes, viewing tax hikes as a further drag on the economy.
Due to the complex franchise, joint-venture and subsidiary systems in the tourism sector, regulators view tax avoidance as a significant concern.
Today, most Republicans in Congress view tax cuts as the only thing needed to reduce the size of government and the connection between deficits and spending seems forgotten.
Newspaper publishers have argued against public subsidies, but would surely view tax breaks as a more acceptable below-the-line support.
In his view, tax cuts are a powerful way to improve the chance that the economy will continue to grow over the long term.
The showdown over UBS, which once centered on wealthy client gatherings in Miami and Geneva, has highlighted a cultural difference between the two countries: unlike the United States, Switzerland does not view tax evasion as a crime.
Any sense that some senior officials within Mr. Bush's own camp view tax cuts as less urgent than Mr. Bush seems likely to play into the hands of Democrats, many of whom favor smaller reductions in tax rates.
The boss of the UK's third-biggest supermarket also warned that companies with aggressive tax arrangements faced a boycott from consumers who view tax from an ethical standpoint.
"None of us view tax relief as a primary motive, although it may substantially increase our donations.
