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Politics

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Obama: Republicans Blocking Middle-class Tax Cuts

December 8th, 2012 11:07 am Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Saturday that Republicans in the House are blocking a bill that would prevent a tax increase on the first $250,000 of income earned by all Americans.

The Democratic-controlled Senate has approved the measure, but Obama said House Republicans have “put forward an unbalanced plan that actually lowers rates for the wealthiest Americans.” Obama supports a plan to raise taxes on families earning more than $250,000.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said “the math just doesn’t work” on the GOP plan.

Obama’s comments mark the fourth time since his re-election that he has used the radio address to push for middle-class tax cuts as part of a plan to avert a looming fiscal cliff — and his most sharply partisan tone.

Obama said his plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans should come as no surprise to Republicans or anyone else.

“After all, this was a central question in the election. A clear majority of Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents — agreed with a balanced approach that asks something from everyone, but a little more from those who can most afford it,” Obama said.

His plan is “the only way to put our economy on a sustainable path without asking even more from the middle class,” Obama said. It also is the only plan he is willing to sign, the president said.

Obama’s comments came as House Speaker John Boehner said Friday there has been no progress in negotiations to avert the “fiscal cliff,” a combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect in January.

Boehner said the White House has wasted another week and has failed to respond to a GOP offer to raise tax revenues and cut spending. Obama and Boehner spoke privately by phone on Wednesday. Boehner described the conversation as pleasant, “but just more of the same.”

Obama said in his address that he stands ready to work with Republicans on a plan that spurs economic growth, creates jobs and reduces the national deficit. He said he wants to find ways to bring down health care costs without hurting seniors and is willing to make more cuts in entitlement programs such as Medicare.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said in the Republican response Saturday that tax increases will not solve the nation’s $16 trillion debt. Only economic growth and reform of entitlement programs will help control the debt, Rubio said.

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Online:

Obama address:

GOP address:

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Reach Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC



  • Inthenameofliberty

    “the only way to put our economy on a sustainable path without asking even more from the middle class”.

    I have a much better idea. Stop the Government from spending our money in fiscally irresponsible ways. I really like that idea. Most of America has woken up to the TRUTH that taxing the wealthy won’t give us that much money. Don’t get me wrong – If I were that wealthy then I wouldn’t mind paying more taxes. It is just that taxing the rich won’t really do much for America because it won’t raise that much money. Republicans should just say ‘yes’ to the tax hike. Then when it is all said and done, the American people will finally realize just how SMALL it is – the amount of money that is generated. Then they will say to President Obama – NOW how does the government take more money so it can continue to spend outrageous amounts of money that it does not have?

    We need to wake up. This ‘taxing the rich scheme’ was a tactic to make people like him. It was a driving force behind launching the class warfare that helped to get him re-elected. It has no financial relevance for our country because it it but a drop of water, going into the bucket of water, that we need to put our country back on a path to fiscal responsibility.

    I encourage everyone to do their own research on this. Forget the main stream media – go on the net and READ what is actually occurring in our nation. It’s out there, if you have the time but to just take a look.

    Have a great day! I just can not wait to read the responses this simple truth I have put forth will generate……….

    • BDD1951

      We know it won’t raise that much money, butit’s a matter of fairness. Some of those billionaires are not paying any taxes. Corporations aren’t. GE paid no taxes in 2011 and somehow managed to get a refund of some sort.

      • nobsartist

        Any idea how many jobs GE created in India last year?

    • charleo1

      I think most Americans always agree, the government should stop spending in irresponsible ways. But, the problem begins when we start deciding what the government
      cuts on the real deficit drivers. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the military.
      We should also keep in mind, 1/3 of our deficit spending has been due to unemployment,
      caused by the recession. Secondly, high taxes are not the job killers today. Outsourcing, automation, and simply working fewer people harder, for longer hours, at lower wages are
      what is slowing the economy. More people working without health insurance has been
      exploding the Medicaid budgets, and bankrupting average Americans, for the last 15 years.
      I think a lot of Americans are fairly sure the wealthy have lawyers, and lobbyists, and
      accounts in the Caymans, where they stash their money. And wouldn’t mind if they all
      paid zero taxes, if our kids could get a solid education at an affordable price. If they
      were sure, with hard work, being frugal, keeping their nose clean, and a little luck,
      the system isn’t so skewed aganist them, that they could earn a little piece of the American
      Dream for themselves. I don’t know if people, especially young people still feel that way.
      And that’s a shame. Because, this is America. We believe in people carrying their own weight. Whether the slacker on the public dole, or the millionaire. Both enjoy the freedoms, comforts, and security here in this Country. And all of us need to pitch in, and do whatever is necessary to make sure that continues. And I don’t believe we hear a lot of that from the monied folks nowadays. And, I believe a lot of people feel, in these hard times, we should.

    • danceswithzombies

      Reality check — The federal tax burden of the average American taxpayer is at its lowest in the past 30+ years. In addition, many corporations do not pay their fair share of taxes due to gaping loopholes that their well-paid tax attorneys are only too happy to exploit.

      The net effect has been a dramatic decrease in federal revenue, which has made a significant contribution to the current federal deficit and rising national debt. And yet, Republicans insist that additional tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans will somehow help to improve the national economy reduce the federal deficit.

      This would be akin to a CFO standing before the company’s investors at a stockholders meeting, attempting to convince the crowd that the reason why the company has not turned a net profit during the current fiscal year has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that revenues are down 50%, and that the red ink is solely the result of too much overhead.
      Attempting to reduce the deficit (let alone balance the budget) without increasing federal revenues is banal, frequently regurgitated conservative talking point that virtually every established economist has denounced as pure ideological nonsense.

      The CFO would be pelted with moldy cabbages, so why aren’t the Republicans who make the same inane statements reeking of rotten vegetation?

      It’s not about whether or not to generate additional tax revenue. It’s all about which subset of Americans can provide the extra revenue with the least detrimental impact on their essential needs.

    • danceswithzombies

      Allowing the Bush tax breaks expire for income above $250,000 would raise $823 billion in revenue and save $127 billion on interest on the nation’s debt,

      • Inthenameofliberty

        That’s great. So how come there are only ~$400 billion dollars worth of government spending cuts to go along with that? It’s just not enough. We need to pay down our debt before we no longer have a country. Our government is too big with too much fraud and too much spending. It must stop. I have had family and friends that worked/work for the government. The corruption is obscene.
        Just look at how much it costs ‘we the taxpayers’ for the Obama family to go on their many vacations and decorate the White House for Christmas!
        I am not saying that other presidents weren’t at fault. I am saying that HE, Obama, was supposed to be different.
        Fifty-five plus Christmas trees in the White House. Give me a break! I am angry at his frivolous spending. I voted for him once. I would not make the same mistake.
        He lied to me and right now I am pissed off that so many people on this web sight [over the recent articles I have been following] are giving him a free pass when I KNOW they would be crucifying Bush.
        I am feeling nasty towards all the hypocrites out there.
        The same rules should apply for both political parties.
        Time magazine ran an article. The author wrote that the more educated a voter was, the more likely they were to FORGIVE their candidate for lying. Or making a mistake.
        Just great. Just. Great.

        I apologize, danceswithzombies, that you were the target of my ignorant ranting tonight. It appears that I have had enough of politics for the day.

        Obama is the ‘CFO’ of this country and his example of how to lead by being frugal SUCKS. I wonder exactly how much of ‘OUR’ money he and Michelle have spent on vacations in the last 4 years compared to the Bush family?

        Anybody have any answers? I would LOVE to know.

  • nobsartist

    President Obama-

    It is time to go on the attack. You have enough support to fix the game so that WE win.

    DO IT.

    Use “budget reconciliation” like bush did to by- pass the obstructionists and pass MEDICARE for all. Fuck the “for profit” insurance criminal cabal. Pass a “walmart tax” that taxes the shit out of anyone gaming the system like the waltons and kochs. Pass laws that severely penalizes energy companies that make more than 1 billion per year in profit.

    Hire 10,000 auditors and audit wall street, defense contractors and the energy companies.
    I will bet they are cheating the IRS out of at least 1 TRILLION per year.

    Tax any company that does not hire every American seeking employment like GM, Chrysler and Ford at 99% instead of giving them deals where they pay NO tax on profits for 12 years.

    If you can give them that tax break you better start figuring out a way to give the 98% something similar.

    AND STOP THE H1B visa program until we have 100% employment.

    The clock is ticking.