Tax Reform And The Debt

Kevin Drum feels that a deficit commission should "focus solely on cutting spending and increasing revenue, not on remaking the tax system." Ryan Avent rebuts:

[T]he principle that tax reform is a healthy part of deficit reduction is a sound one. And not really an ideological one. On the contrary, a government with a more efficient tax system will find it easier to support a more progressive social safety net. Improvements in the tax code are low-hanging fruit, and it's good that reforms have been placed on the table.