Tax cuts losing force as rallying cry on the Hill

The Boston Globe ^ | July 5, 2006 | Susan Milligan

[A. Pole]

Lawmakers say constituents wary of deficit, help for rich

WASHINGTON -- Support for tax cuts -- a signature campaign issue for congressional Republicans -- is waning on Capitol Hill, with the GOP-led Congress reaching its Independence Day recess with no tax-trimming victories to tout in home districts.

Senate majority leader Bill Frist last week was forced to withdraw a measure to cut the estate tax, which foes derisively call the ``death tax," because there was not enough support for it.

Income tax cuts and credits -- including an expansion of the very popular child tax credit -- are still due to expire at the end of the decade, but Congress has not been able to agree on a proposal to make them permanent. Congress also has failed to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was meant to target wealthy people but which is increasingly encroaching on middle-class Americans.

Some lawmakers said their constituents, who once clamored for tax cuts, have recently begun quizzing them about the deficit and questioning whether the tax cuts were doing more for wealthier Americans than the middle class.

[...]

Instead, the conservative lawmakers complain, they have watched as their colleagues created an entirely new federal agency, expanded Medicare significantly to include government subsidies of prescription drugs, and run up the national debt to unprecedented levels.

[...]

Unable to make headway on the defining issue of taxes, Republicans have been pushing a series of measures on such hot-button issues as gay marriage, flag burning and gun control. House Republicans have dubbed their package the ``American Values Agenda," and plan to take it up when lawmakers return July 10.

[...]

[A. Pole]

Some lawmakers said their constituents, who once clamored for tax cuts, have recently begun quizzing them about the deficit and questioning whether the tax cuts were doing more for wealthier Americans than the middle class.

Bump

[samadams2000]

Oh yes, why,,we want our taxes raised! Oh please raise my taxes mr. democrat!

[hubbubhubbub]

We get what we deserve for supporting these RINOS

[thepatriot1]

I'd have to agree. Most people I know support giving more money to the government and having less to themselves. The author is right on. < /sarcasm on>

[technomage]

Let's see: Boston Globe, Susan Mulligan, yup the facts must be true as presented.....NOT..

Tax cuts may be waning in Congress, but they sure are NOT waning in the real world.

[pissant]

Yep, the Boston Globe is tired of Tax cuts, no doubt.

[mysterio]

I'd like to see them cut quite a bit more taxes. The death tax is an abomination.

[MikeA]

I love these congresspeople. They think because a bunch of loud mouths show up at their town hall meetings or write them letters about nothing more than Iraq and gas prices that Americans have no interest in keeping taxes low and keeping the economy moving. Because most of us believe the tax cuts need to be extended (hell, we're not even asking for new tax cuts) but aren't showing up at townhalls to make our voices heard like the loud mouths, these people assume we want to keep taxes high?? Why don't you tell your people what tax cutting has done to produce a strongly moving economy? Why not show them how much tax revenues has been produced by cutting taxes? Why not show them that tax revenues have grown but spending has outpaced that revenue growth, thus the reason we have deficits? Why not TEACH and LEAD instead of being lead around by the nose by a braindead rabble?

[sheana]

Well I have always thought the government knows how to spend my money better than I do....NOT!

[DJ MacWoW]

Susan Milligan. Another lib just back from a trip to "Alternate Reality".

[OldFriend]

Yup, we're all longing for tax increases. Can't hardly wait!

[LasVegasMac]

Let's see: Boston Globe, Susan Mulligan, yup the facts must be true as presented.....

...facts....excuse me while I have a giggle fit.

What we need is a web site to knock the he!! out of the non-stop crap stories from the MSM.

Like a rating system...1) Fact 2) Dan Rather's version of Fact, 3) They really wish this was Fact, 4) Cannot spell the word Fact.

Something along the lines of the blog (DUfunnies ?) that posts DUmmy posts and just rips them apart, only on a scale of 1 - 10 for fact or fiction (myth or reality).

Oh, never mind. They would all be in the myth column.

[Man50D]

Income tax cuts and credits -- including an expansion of the very popular child tax credit -- are still due to expire at the end of the decade, but Congress has not been able to agree on a proposal to make them permanent. Congress also has failed to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was meant to target wealthy people but which is increasingly encroaching on middle-class Americans.

All this tinkering with the existing tax code will not fix the problem. The tax code needs to be replaced with The Fair Tax!.

[A. Pole]

The tax code needs to be replaced with The Fair Tax!.

He, he.