Tag Archives: Tax cut

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The view from outside Washington

04/14/2011 Nativegrl77

The President’s speech today began a new conversation in Washington about how to reduce the deficit while protecting crucial investments in our country’s future.

But as we seek to build an organization based outside of Washington, President Obama’s speech also provides an unusually stark contrast — one all of us can use to start conversations with our friends and neighbors about what’s at stake in this election.

He spoke about things you don’t generally hear in Washington conversations too often dominated by special interests: He’ll cut waste and excess at the Pentagon — particularly spending that is requested not by our military, but by politicians and corporate interests.

He’ll eliminate tax cuts for Americans in the highest tax brackets who don’t need them, including himself — and he will reform the individual tax code so that it’s fair and simple and so that the amount of taxes you pay isn’t determined by what kind of accountant you can afford.

Some cuts he proposed are tough. But they’re also smart and surgical — helping us balance our books while still doing the right things to win the future. President Obama’s plan would protect the middle class, invest in our kids’ education, and make sure we don’t protect the wealthiest Americans from the costs of reform at the expense of the most vulnerable.

The other side has presented a very clear alternative: End Medicare as we know it, privatizing the program that millions of seniors rely on for health care. Make deep cuts to education. Slash investments in clean energy and infrastructure. All to pay for tax cuts for people making over $250,000 a year, and all while actually raising our national debt.

In short, their plan will please a special interest donor base and those who put ideology before results rather than reduce deficits over the long term. And let’s be clear: They think they can get away with it because, fundamentally, they don’t think you’ll do anything about it.

That’s where I know we can prove them wrong. Because we can respond right now by building an organization that will stop them — not just in this deficit battle, but in the next election so they never have the chance to enact these proposals.

Here’s the first step. Join our fight for a deficit reduction plan that will actually reduce the deficit — with a goal of shared prosperity through shared responsibility. Add your name to support President Obama’s plan — and then help bring more people into the conversation:

www.barackobama.com

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A massive game of chicken

12/15/2010 Nativegrl77

I am angry and frustrated that national Republicans, yet again, played political games and held the middle class hostage to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who need them the least. It is irresponsible, selfish, and wrong.

At the end of the day, I voted for this tax package to protect middle-class families from a tax hike while extending unemployment benefits for 13 months, continuing the sales tax deduction, cutting payroll taxes, and doing everything we can to create jobs.

But it came at tremendous cost.

So I want you to join me in telling Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader John Boehner, and their right-wing colleagues that we won’t forget how they put their wealthy special interest backers ahead of the national interest and ahead of hard-working families all across America -– and we’re going to hold them accountable.

Click here to sign my open letter to Senator McConnell, Representative Boehner, and the Republican Party now -– and join me in committing to repealing these wasteful tax cuts for the wealthy as soon as we can!

While Democrats offered plans to extend middle-class tax cuts for more than 98% of all Americans, Representative Boehner, Senator McConnell, and their right-wing colleagues refused.

Quite simply, they were willing to play a massive game of chicken with the American people and let all the tax cuts expire unless they got billions of dollars to funnel back to their wealthy corporate backers.

There’s no doubt about it: This package will help millions of hard-working Americans who are doing everything they can to get by in these tough times and keep more of their hard-earned money. And it will stop Republicans from cold-heartedly cutting off unemployment benefits to people who are fighting to find jobs, keep their homes, and feed their families during the holidays.

But, to overcome Republican obstruction and selfishness, helping these middle-class families required an unnecessary and irresponsible tax giveaway for the very wealthiest Americans who aren’t facing the same challenges.

It’s outrageous.

Click here to sign my open letter to Senator McConnell, Representative Boehner, and the Republican Party now — and tell them we’ll hold them accountable for their irresponsibility!

I’m so thankful that by extending middle-class tax cuts, continuing the sales tax deduction, and extending unemployment insurance that we’ll be helping middle-class families and getting our economy back on track.

But I won’t forget the price that national Republicans made us pay to do the right thing.

And, with your help, we’ll roll back these irresponsible Bush tax cuts for the wealthy at the earliest possible opportunity.

Thanks for standing with me and speaking out.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray
U.S. Senator

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toxic Tuesday & some News

12/14/2010 Nativegrl77

The rain combined with the wind has put the hammer down on the 206 – The thunder was rolling the lightening close and noisy so anyone out there having difficulty today and it is still Fall …you are not alone.

I am feeling less and less confident that legislation we need done before the New Congress gets into place after hearing comments from various Democratic members of the House on various cables and or radios. The House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says that they will do their best to get a vote and pass the Tax Deal but if I heard him correctly, he stated with some Amendments added this thing would pass. I have to say if any changes made to the tax agreement that would be great but the deal was a take it or leave it situation. Therefore, any comment by Hoyer just proves folks do not listen to each other or refuse to see that time is of the essence and there just is not a lot of it left. I feel given the fact that bills that pass in the Senate need to be sent to the House to be passed and vice versa so adding amendments will not only increase the time it will take for it to pass. I am worried that the process by which the House is willing to put the TAX Cut deal through sounds and makes it almost impossible to pass before January.

In other News that is upsetting and so, obviously unfair and unbalanced is that not only did A.G. Cuccinelli file a suit against HCR, who has said some awful things about President Obama on numerous occasions should make anyone uncomfortable and see how the outcome any decision might side with the Republican Tea Party. The fact that Judge Henry E Hudson who is a Bushy was the one who received this suit first of all and was not able to see the conflict on interest so obviously right in his face. Anyway, below you will find part of an AP story by Larry O’Dell, for the full story go to the AP site -“Judge Strikes down federal health care law”. It is obvious this guy should recuse himself from the case but hey, that is just me…

Hudson sided with Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who argued the mandate overstepped the bounds of the Constitution.

“The ruling is extremely positive for anyone who believes in the system of Federalism created by our founding fathers,” Cuccinelli said. “It underscores that the Constitution’s limitations on federal power really do mean something.”

Cuccinelli, a Republican, filed the lawsuit to defend a new state law passed in reaction to the federal overhaul that prohibits the government from forcing state residents to buy health insurance.

He argued that while the government can regulate economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce, the decision not to buy insurance amounts to economic inactivity that is beyond the government’s reach.

“This lawsuit is not about health insurance, not about health care, it’s about liberty,” he said.

Hudson, a Republican appointed by President George W. Bush, sounded sympathetic to the state’s case when he heard oral arguments in October, and the White House expected to lose this round.

Administration officials told reporters last week that a negative ruling would have virtually no impact on the law’s implementation, noting that its two major provisions — the coverage mandate and the creation of new insurance markets — don’t take effect until 2014.

Dear Cuccinelli and Judge Hudson:

definition of CONFLICT of INTEREST … The Free Dictionary -by farlex

A term used to describe the situation in which a public official or fiduciary who, contrary to the obligation and absolute duty to act for the benefit of the public or a designated individual, exploits the relationship for personal benefit, typically pecuniary.

In certain relationships, individuals or the general public place their trust and confidence in someone to act in their best interests. When an individual has the responsibility to represent another person—whether as administrator, attorney, executor, government official, or trustee—a clash between professional obligations and personal interests arises if the individual tries to perform that duty while at the same time trying to achieve personal gain. The appearance of a conflict of interest is present if there is a potential for the personal interests of an individual to clash with fiduciary duties, such as when a client has his or her attorney commence an action against a company in which the attorney is the majority stockholder.

Incompatibility of professional duties and personal interests has led Congress and many state legislatures to enact statutes defining conduct that constitutes a conflict of interest and specifying the sanctions for violations. A member of a profession who has been involved in a conflict of interest might be subject to disciplinary proceedings before the body that granted permission to practice that profession.

and if that wasn’t enough…

conflict of interest n. a situation in which a person has a duty to more than one person or organization, but cannot do justice to the actual or potentially adverse interests of both parties. This includes when an individual’s personal interests or concerns are inconsistent with the best for a customer, or when a public official’s personal interests are contrary to his/her loyalty to public business. An attorney, an accountant, a business adviser or realtor cannot represent two parties in a dispute and must avoid even the appearance of conflict. He/she may not join with a client in business without making full disclosure of his/her potential conflicts, he/she must avoid commingling funds with the client, and never, never take a position adverse to the customer.

Other News …

**M.Steele has decided to run again for the RNC chairman

**Army Lt. Col. Terrance L. Lakin, a Birther faces court martial for refusing deployment

** Black segregation in US drops to lowest in Century

**Holbrooke is remembered as a giant in US diplomacy

CSPAN …

Justice Kagan: “The learning curve is extremely steep”
Monday

White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Monday

AEI Discussion on Financial Regulatory Reform
Monday

Lawrence Summers Remarks on the Great Recession
Monday

Factcheck.org Discussion on Campaign Spending
Monday

Pres. Obama Signs Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Monday

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“I Now Hope This Deal Fails”: Conservatives Divide

12/12/2010 Nativegrl77

“I Now Hope This Deal Fails”: Conservatives Divided on Tax Compromise

http://mediamatters.org/research/201012120006

In the wake of last week’s announcement of a compromise between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans on the extension of the Bush tax cuts, the leaders of the right-wing media has fractured into a camp that supports the deal and a camp that fervently opposes it.

Gingrich, Kristol, Wall Street Journal Line Up In Favor Of Deal That Is “Good For The Economy”

Newt Gingrich: Tax Deal Is “A Great Victory For American People And GOP Leadership.” From former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Twitter feed on December 7:

Bill Kristol: “This Is A Very Good Deal From A Conservative Point Of View.”

CHRIS WALLACE: Is this deal good for the economy? And what about the question of adding basically another trillion dollars to our debt?

KRISTOL: Yes it’s good for the economy. Keeping– Some of us have been arguing for a year that keeping current tax rates where they are is much better than allowing them to rise. A cut in the payroll tax cut– the payroll tax has been something conservatives have always thought was one of the best taxes you could cut on labor, especially– It’s a tax cut on labor in a time of high unemployment. The estate tax is what Jon Kyl, a leading Senate conservative, has been for, that tax cut, the estate tax compromise is what he’s been arguing for for years. So, there are a few things in the deal that most of the conservatives won’t like, but this is a very good deal from a conservative point of view. Jim DeMint, who’s against the deal because he’s against sort of any deal, I think honestly, Jim DeMint said that Senator McConnell had gotten “the best deal we could get,” he said. I agree with that. [Fox News Sunday, 12/12/10]

Wall Street Journal: “This Deal Is Superior To Anything We Could Have Imagined Six Months Ago.” From an editorial in the December 8 edition of the Wall Street Journal:

Should Republicans have held out for more, since they would return in January with a stronger position? We wish they had won a longer extension, kicking the next possible tax hike further into the future. As it is, Mr. Obama made clear on Monday that he’ll try again to raise taxes in 2013, figuring he’ll be politically stronger if the economy improves. The growth policy victories here are partial and temporary.

Yet this deal is superior to anything we could have imagined six months ago. Much credit goes to Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans for holding together against the class war attacks of Chuck Schumer and other Democrats. By holding firm, they divided the opposition. This proves again that Republicans win the economic debate when they make the case for lower taxes for everyone in the name of faster growth and job creation. [Wall Street Journal, 12/8/10]

Limbaugh, Palin And Others Say “Tax Compromise Must Now Die”

Erickson: “The Tax Compromise Must Now Die.” In a December 10 post on RedState.com, blogger and CNN contributor Erick Erickson said that the tax deal reached by President Obama and the Republican Party was “loaded up with budget busing pork of ridiculously absurd levels” and urged readers to call their senators and tell them to oppose it. He wrote:

But the deal must now die. It must now be opposed by Republicans. Released now in print, the legislation is loaded up with budget busting pork of ridiculously absurd levels. The attachments to the compromise represent everything wrong with Washington. Many of them mirror the same porkulus spending in TARP.

The GOP must now say no. GO TO THE REDSTATE ACTION CENTER RIGHT NOW and call your Senator.

The legislation contains a huge amount of pork, some in the form of tax extenders that only the most coin-operated of conservatives can really defend. It even has ethanol subsidies. Put it to you this way — with the logic of those vocally calling for support of these earmarks, if the Democrats gave a tax credit for abortion, you’d have these same conservative groups defending them. No, that is not an exaggeration.

The tax compromise already busted the budget with the unemployment extension. Ultimately, all the Republicans were getting anyway was keeping current income tax rates.

They now need to walk away from the table. Call now. [Redstate.com, 12/10/10]

Limbaugh: “I Now Hope This Deal Fails.” From the December 10 edition of Premiere Radio Networks’ The Rush Limbaugh Show:

It’s hard to break old habits, folks. Especially in Washington. Even the Republican leaders have been part of this system for decades. False deadlines, foolish deals: they’ve become the rule, and it need not be. I now hope this deal fails. I say it, directly and officially.

If the deal fails, the Democrats are in control, so it is they who will be raising taxes. Let the tax rates go up on January 1. Let ’em go up. Wait for our cavalry to show up and deal with this the right way. They had two years to deal with this. They’ve had the two years of Obama’s presidency to deal with this. And they haven’t. On purpose. They want the tax rates to go up. And we’re buying– They’re selling, really, in any great shakes, we agree to two years of the tax rates not changing? How about permanently, the tax rates not changing? Then we’ll talk to you.

Two years? And we’ve got thirteen more months of unemployment? But that– The only way you can describe that thirteen months is, look at all the spending that is. That’s new spending. Three years. Now, of unemployment compensation benefits. In exchange for a 35% death tax, a 2% cut in the payroll tax, and two years of tax rates on income not changing.

They had two years to deal with this. The new Congress coming in will fix it. If the GOP leadership will allow it. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 12/10/10]

Krauthammer: Tax Cut Deal Is “The Swindle Of The Year.” In a December 10 Washington Post column, Krauthammer wrote “Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010.” He went on to write:

If Obama had asked for a second stimulus directly, he would have been laughed out of town. Stimulus I was so reviled that the Democrats banished the word from their lexicon throughout the 2010 campaign. And yet, despite a very weak post-election hand, Obama got the Republicans to offer to increase spending and cut taxes by $990 billion over two years. Two-thirds of that is above and beyond extension of the Bush tax cuts but includes such urgent national necessities as windmill subsidies.

No mean achievement. After all, these are the same Republicans who spent 2010 running on limited government and reducing debt. And this budget busting occurs less than a week after the president’s deficit commission had supposedly signaled a new national consensus of austerity and frugality.

Some Republicans are crowing that Stimulus II is the Republican way – mostly tax cuts – rather than the Democrats’ spending orgy of Stimulus I. That’s consolation? This just means that Republicans are two years too late. Stimulus II will still blow another near-$1 trillion hole in the budget.

At great cost that will have to be paid after this newest free lunch, the package will add as much as 1 percent to GDP and lower the unemployment rate by about 1.5 percentage points. That could easily be the difference between victory and defeat in 2012.

Obama is no fool. While getting Republicans to boost his own reelection chances, he gets them to make a mockery of their newfound, second-chance, post-Bush, Tea-Party, this-time-we’re-serious persona of debt-averse fiscal responsibility.

And he gets all this in return for what? For a mere two-year postponement of a mere 4.6-point increase in marginal tax rates for upper incomes. And an estate tax rate of 35 percent – it jumps insanely from zero to 55 percent on Jan. 1 – that is somewhat lower than what the Democrats wanted. [Washington Post, 12/10/10]

The Hill: Palin “Came Out Against The Tax-Cut Deal President Obama Brokered With Republicans.” From a December 8 blog post on TheHill.com:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Wednesday came out against the tax-cut deal President Obama brokered with Republicans.

The potential 2012 presidential candidate endorsed a Twitter post that applauded Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) criticism of the deal.

“Thank you, @JimDeMint – DeMint comes out against tax deal, says GOP must do ‘better than this,'” reads the message from conservative commentator Jedediah Bila. [TheHill.com, 12/08/10]

From Sarah Palin’s Twitter feed, December 8:

Contact

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News from PRLog.org …

12/10/2010 Nativegrl77

The American 99ers Union reminds Washington, people over politics

The proposed 13 month extension of unemployment insurance, does not include the majority of America’s Unemployed. As Washington debates tax cuts for the wealthy, the Nation’s longest termed unemployed suffer as the jobless recovery drags on.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Dec 10, 2010 – Advocacy groups from all across the Country have once again joined together for one specific initiative and one common cause, saving American lives while in turn rebuilding the American Economy. To this end, The American 99ers Union* is requesting that Washington Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike now follow suit. In order to save millions of unemployed and underemployed people, in order to protect the jobs of working Americans and in order to facilitate the recovery of our flailing economy more rapidly, The American 99ers Union* is now making the following appeal to Washington Officials:

VOTE NO ON ANY PROPOSED LEGISLATION that DOES NOT include an extension of unemployment insurance beyond the current 99 week maximum. Only legislation including the 99ers** will allow for ALL unemployed Americans to immediately take part in the recovery and get back to work ASAP. Should the Country make a short term investment that will result in finally getting Americans back to work, or a long term investment paying for food stamps, welfare and other Government Programs that will need to be created for the millions who will never find their way back to work unless the right thing finally is done?

President Obama said during his Press Conference on 12/08/10, “Unemployment insurance probably has the biggest impact in terms of making sure that the recovery we have continues and perhaps at a faster pace”. With Consumer spending accounting for approximately 70 percent of all national economic activity, Washington has two options: temporarily rescue only 2 million Americans from poverty, allowing them to play an active role in the economy. Or include the 99ers** and immediately rescue over 7 million Americans from poverty and allow all unemployed Americans to assist in the recovery.

The American 99ers Union* is suggesting that Washington immediately examine the facts and figures. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, the economy has lost a net 439,000 jobs***. The unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in June 2009 and on December 3rd; The Department of Labor announced the unemployment rate for November 2010 was 9.8 percent.

The American 99ers Union* proclaims, Extended unemployment insurance for ALL unemployed Americans, so that the economic recovery can truly begin.

*A coalition of 19 Long Term Unemployed Advocacy groups; see american99ersunion.com for list. http://www.american99ersunion.com
**Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and have been unable to find employment for over 99 weeks
*** Associated Press, 12/01/2010: Why the economy’s growth isn’t easing unemployment

— end —

Click to see PDF Version of this Press Release

Contact Email	:	***@verizon.net
Issued By	:	The American 99ers Union
Phone	:	202-579-9377
Categories	:	Politics, Unemployment, 99ers
Tags	:	ui extension, recession, taxes, unemployment, president obama, economy, lame duck, senate, congress
Last Updated	:	Dec 10, 2010
Shortcut	:	http://prlog.org/11140031

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