Democratic Leaders Call on President Bush to Address Tax Simplification Now

Yahoo ^ | Dec 15, 2004 | Nancy Pelosi...

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

December 15, 2004 President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

As we approach a new session of Congress, Democrats and Republicans agree that we must reform the tax code now. Recent statements by Administration officials indicate that you may postpone the appointment of a tax reform advisory panel and may delay sending Congress a proposal until 2006. We are writing to encourage you to act now so that tax reform can move us toward a system that is more fair, less complex, and that adequately funds the budget without perennial deficits.

Democrats are committed to the following principles:

• Fairness: Tax reform must not result in tax increases on middle-income families, and we must uphold our commitment to progressive taxation. Millions of middle-income Americans are paying more than their fair share as a result of an overly complicated, loophole-ridden tax code. This tax burden will only increase as more families are ensnared by the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). By 2010, the AMT is expected to hit 33 million taxpayers, up from just 1 million in 1999. We believe that tax reform must include a long-term solution to protect middle-income taxpayers from the AMT's unintended consequences.
• Simplification: We must make the tax code far less complex. The tax code and its regulations currently span more than 60,000 pages, thousands of which have been added since the mid-1990s. It takes the average family nearly 7 1/2 hours longer to complete their tax return than it did in 1994, and tax changes made since 2001 have only served to further complicate the tax code. The following example illustrates how the current tax code is unnecessarily complex. Parents with children in college must choose between two non- refundable tax credits and the higher education deduction, all of which are calculated differently with different income limits and phase-outs. Moreover, parents saving for their children to attend college have to decipher three different saving mechanisms. It is a taxpayer's nightmare.
• Fiscal Responsibility: We must not add to the deficit; indeed, we must steadily reduce it. Revenue neutrality is especially important given the historic level of debt. Democrats are committed to reforming the tax code without burying our future under a mountain of national debt.

We look forward to working with you on a bipartisan basis to simplify the tax code for all Americans. Together, we can create a tax system that reflects common values and creates a more vibrant economy.

Thank you for your attention to our concerns.

    Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader

Steny H. Hoyer
Democratic Whip

Robert Menendez
Democratic Caucus Chairman

Charles B. Rangel
Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means

John M. Spratt, Jr.
Ranking Member, House Budget Committee

George Miller
Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce

Rosa L. DeLauro
Co-Chair Steering and Policy

[Mikey_1962]

Their idea of simplification is us sending all our money to them.

[RetiredArmy]

Where is the barf alert!

[Jay777]

www.fairtax.org

[sandalwood]

We look forward to working with you on a bipartisan basis to simplify the tax code for all Americans. Together, we can create a tax system that reflects common values and creates a more vibrant economy.

WTF - they actually agree with a "Fair Tax"?

Where's my duct tape - quick - before my head explodes?

[Red Badger]

A democrat pol once joked that the perfect tax form would be the size of an index card. The only question on it would be:

How much money did you make? $_______

The second line would read:

SEND IT IN!

......

[johnny7]

Nancy doesn't mention cutting entitlement programs. Guess she just forgot.

[Red Badger]

Hold off the duck tape.......Those are weasel words in her message......totally meaningless.......

[cowboyway]

we must uphold our commitment to progressive taxation.

Euphemism for redistribution of wealth.

We must make the tax code far less complex. The tax code and its regulations currently span more than 60,000 pages

Most of which is the fault of the democrats trying to pay for their socialist programs.

We look forward to working with you on a bipartisan basis to simplify the tax code for all Americans

This is just a big fat lie. The Rats do not believe in bipartisan politics. This is just a feeble attempt to hijack a conservative issue.

[blackdog]

Amazing that as of this date in this and the last century, not one definition of "Middle Class Taxpayer" has been logged with an imperical number.........

How about starting there? Family of four with a gross income of say......$80,000? I know John Kerry said that it was only the rich who made over $200,000 per year. Let's just make it for sake of argument, $20K per head based on year 2000 wages. If so, then POOF! goes the demonrat base!

Pelosi should be forced to support her request every frickin day during the next four years. No more vote buying for the rats!

[sandalwood]

Thanks for the clarification...jeez, I almost ruined a perfectly good monitor with brainy bits flying everywhere.

[rudypoot]

To a liberal, Fiscal Responsibility is the new code word for Tax Increase. Liberals think that deficits are created by low taxes.

[richardtavor]

I hope the President files the letter in the proper file!

[concerned about politics]

The Democrats need an issue for the 2006 elections.
They want Bush to start something so they can attack it and claim they'll "fix it for the sake of the children and the poor" if they're elected to replace Republicans in 2006.

Make them wait. Don't give them anything to run with. Right now, they have nothing to attack Republicans with. Why feed the beasts?

[blackdog]

Not really.......Ever get exactly what you asked for and then have to chew on it for decades? That may be just what Pelosi did here.

[spinestein]

" Tax reform must not result in tax increases on middle-income families, and we must uphold our commitment to progressive taxation. "

Translation: Anyone who makes more than the median income is considered rich and we think your marginal tax rate of 37% is outrageous. It should be raised to 40%, 50%, or even 75% if we can possibly get away with it. (You greedy, uncaring tightwad).

[concerned about politics]

Hold off the duck tape.......Those are weasel words in her message......totally meaningless.......

It depends on the meaning of the word "fair." Most Democrats don't pay taxes. "Fair" means how much more of everyone else's money can go into their pockets.

[hushpad]

Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader

Steny H. Hoyer
Democratic Whip

Robert Menendez
Democratic Caucus Chairman

Charles B. Rangel
Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means

John M. Spratt, Jr.
Ranking Member, House Budget Committee

George Miller
Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce

Rosa L. DeLauro
Co-Chair Steering and Policy
>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<

So what are they trying to say. . .this was a democrat idea?

[hobbes1]

Yes. And most people today, are not overly concerned with the level of txation in this country.


What the Democrats want is to force the spotlight away from Social(ist in)Security reform, because Bush will be taking back a trillion dollars from Fed Gov and giving it to the taxpayers that earned it.

[animoveritas]

Another example of the left wing practice of verbicide to ameliorate vile and destructive ideas that increase their power and foster ignorant mainstream acceptance.