Washington is at it again. As if the one-two tax punch a year ago wasn't enough, the White House's 2016 budget proposal would raise at least $1.5 trillion in new taxes over the next decade, mostly from the wealthy.

In order to feed the pork barrel, Washington proposes to increase capital gain taxes and limit the value of income-tax deductions. This budget also introduces a new wrinkle, limiting land conservation easements, a suggested loophole that produces extraordinary benefits to the nation by limiting development and creating valuable public lands. Alas, these new taxes are only the beginning.

State and local governments are scrambling to generate more revenue to feed local pork barrels. It's time for a tax overhaul. This writer is centrist. I am fine with paying my fair share of taxes, but the trend in Washington is to gouge the so called wealthy and feed entitlements and social welfare programs that we can ill afford. It's time for tax reform, ideally a flat tax that will level the playing field and a shift away from the policies of the current administration that are stifling investment.