Day: December 3, 2012

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Politics taxes

Republicans Released Their “Balanced” Plan – No Taxes On The Rich, Middle Class Pays More

Republicans have decided to release their list of demands.

After the president’s plan at a balanced approach to avoid the fiscal cliff was laughed at by Republican House Leader John Boehner, Americans waited with baited breath in anticipation of what Republicans would propose. Well the wait is over and to no one’s surprise, Republicans are still protecting the rich and asking the poor and middle class to pay more.

Here are the basics of the “balanced” plan proposed by Republicans today:

1. No new taxes on the rich.

2. Spending cuts on services benefiting the middle class to the tune of $600 billion

3. More spending cuts on what is being called “Health Services” to the tune of another $600 billion

4. Revenues from “tax reform” equaling $800 billion over 10 years.

In total, Republicans are looking to bring in $2.2 trillion dollars by cutting services that benefit the needy, while at the same time, protecting the greedy. After releasing their offer, House Speaker Boehner told the press that the plan was “credible.” He said,“what we are putting forward is a credible plan that deserves serious consideration by the White House.” He also requested that the White House respond as soon as possible.

The president’s plan in comparison looked to raise $1.6 trillion in new taxes, while letting the tax rate for those making more than $250,000 go back to what it was under the Clinton administration. It called for tax reforms and closing loopholes and cuts $400 billion in services.

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Domestic Policies Nancy Pelosi tax cuts vote

Nancy Pelosi Warns Republicans – Protect The Middle Class Or Democrats Will

Warning that “the clock is ticking,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Sunday threatened to bring about a House vote on a bill that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for families making $250,000, but would allow the tax breaks to expire for those above the threshold.

The Democratic-controlled Senate already passed its version of the bill in July, with strong support from President Barack Obama.

“If Speaker Boehner refuses to schedule this widely supported bill for a vote, Democrats will introduce a discharge petition to automatically bring to the floor the Senate-passed middle class tax cuts,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Under a “discharge petition,” a bill can be brought to the floor without going through a committee or without approval of House leadership. The bill would need an absolute majority — 218 votes — to pass.

h/ CNN

Categories
Politics

It’s Almost Official – Hillary Clinton Is Running For President in 2016

At a recent event in Washington featuring a speech by Hillary Clinton, the performance of the Secretary of State and the reception she received from those in attendance were analyzed by David Remnick of The New Yorker, and the conclusion to him was convincing – that Hillary Clinton was running for President of the United States in 2016.

Hillary Clinton was the main speaker. In a packed ballroom of the Willard Hotel, she was greeted with a standing ovation and then a short, adoring film, a video Festschrift testifying to her years as First Lady, senator, and, above all, secretary of state. The film, an expensive-looking production, went to the trouble of collecting interviews with Israeli politicians—Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni—and American colleagues, like John Kerry. Tony Blair, striking the moony futuristic note that was general in the hall, said, “I just have an instinct that the best is yet to come.”

The film was like an international endorsement four years in advance of the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. The tone was so reverential that it resembled the sort of film that the Central Committee of the Communist Party might have produced for Leonid Brezhnev’s retirement party if Leonid Brezhnev would only have retired and the Soviets had been in possession of advanced video technology. After it was over there was a separate video from the President. Looking straight into the camera, Obama kvelled at length: “You’ve been at my side at some of the most important moments of my Administration.”

When the videos were over (and as the evening moved on), there was much chatter about what Clinton would do after she steps down from the Cabinet next month—get a haircut; take a few weeks sleeping off jet lag at Canyon Ranch; read the polls and the political landscape; do good works; do good works for the good people of, say, Iowa—and so on. Everyone had a theory of which they were one hundred percent certain. There wasn’t much doubt about the ultimate direction. 2007-8 was but a memory and 2016 was within sight. She’s running.

“I am somewhat overwhelmed, but I’m obviously thinking I should sit down,” Clinton said as the videos concluded. “I prepared some remarks for tonight, but then I thought maybe we could just watch that video a few more times. And then the next time, I could count the hairstyles, which is one of my favorite pastimes.” An old joke with Hillary, but the crowd, tickled to be there, rosy with wine, roared.

 

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