How do you like living in subsidized housing?

There's a new big stink arising in Washington, D.C., about the preliminary suggestions from the co-chairs of the "Deficit Commission." First, I want to point out that unlike most press reports, this is not the report or recommendation of the commission itself. It's just some ideas from the co-chairs, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson.

Specifically, this new stink I'm talking about is about the mortgage interest tax deduction.

So, I ask again, how do you like living in government subsidized housing? Don't think you do? You do if you, like me, have a mortgage on your home and take the tax deduction. My mortgage/housing costs are subsidized to the extent that I save money on taxes.

Not only is it a subsidy to me, but to the extent that it promotes or makes home ownership more affordable, it's corporate welfare to home builders (large and small), realtors (large and small), property owners and real estate developers.

All of that costs somewhere North of $100,000,000 (100 million dollars). In ten years, that's $1trillion. In other words, real money.

Now, I'm not saying that I want to pay a lot more tax. But, getting rid of this and many other deductions is a way to make the tax code a lot more equable. Manifest fairness is the best way for taxes to become a less divisive issue in politics and society. That should be a goal both liberals and Tea Party Conservatives can agree on.