Were you for or against letting the Bush taxcuts expire?

[kentuck]

I know many said they had to extend them so some people could continue getting their unemployment benefits. We could not just throw these people under the bus.

Which side were you on? In hindsight, do you think your decision was correct?

I say this because there are stands that we take today that we make look at differently tomorrow?

[dkf]

1. It depends...if we can get them to expire in a couple of years

It would be okay to extend them. But if we extend and extend and extend then it's a bad idea.

[sharp_stick]

2. At the time

I was happy to see that they were extended. I still think it was correct, but the next time they come up, I'd like to see them all expire. We need the revenue and cuts alone ain't gonna cut it.

I say that as someone that will be hurt by the expiration. I don't make more than $250,000 but I do a lot better than most and honestly I think I should pay a larger share than I do.

[w8liftinglady]

3. Letting them expire for the top 2% is ok by me.

we need to bring high-income earners' tax rates up to pre-1980 levels.

[OhioChick]

4. I'm with you

:)

[RKP5637]

11. +1000 +++, n/t

[MH1]

5. unemployment compensation should not have been held hostage to tax cuts for the rich

it's insane that such a position would have any support in this country. But that's what we've got.

[sabrina 1]

27. Exactly. They do think we are stupid. Why did Democrats

keep those two issues OFF THE TABLE until AFTER the election? Republicans would have lost big if they had had to expose their support for the wealty, not a popular bunch these days, while demanding that unemployment not be extended. And Dems could held the majority.

Instead, Democrats went along with saving Republicans from having to deal with the issue. Why?? I wish I knew the answer to that.

[tularetom]

6. There will always be some reason to extend the tax cuts

Some reasons may have a degree of validity others will be straw man arguments.

I was against extensions of these tax cuts and continue to be. Any damage from letting the extensions expire will be short term but the damage to the US economy and the middle class from letting them continue could be fatal.

[DailyGrind51]

7. Let them ALL expire!

I make so little now that my own tax cut didn't really mean that much and I would gladly sacrifice it, if it meant that the rich would pay more to reduce the deficit.

[The Magistrate]

8. Let them Expire, Sir

All down the line, if it must be done by dead-lock, for only the upper crust if that can be arranged.

Revenues must be raised.

[Jackpine Radical]

23. Yes indeed.

In fact, expiration of all the cuts would be less harmful to the working poor than the present situation. The fact is, people on the bottom don't pay much income tax. Instead, they get clobbered by things like sales tax, property tax (that increases the cost of rental units), gasoline tax, and--wildly disproportionately--cigarette taxes.

[csziggy]

9. For letting them expire - and blame the suffering on the GOP

Since there were proposals to continue tax cuts for all but the upper levels and to extend unemployment benefits. Some may have suffered for a short while but it would have been fewer for a shorter time than will suffer with the crap the GOP is trying to ram through now.

[provis99]

10. run a poll.

[Terra Alta]

12. let them all expire.

I don't make much, but I would be willing to pay a little more in taxes if it meant the poor and sick were well taken care of.. I think the super wealthy in this country need to start paying their fair share.

[kentuck]

13. But wouldn't that put pressure on employees to ask for a raise?

Employers could no longer depend on the government to give their employees raises via taxcuts?

[robinlynne]

22. Employees got shit. And our wages continue to move downward.

[Gman]

14. Definitely for extending the middle class tax cuts

because I'm middle class for one thing and it has made a huge difference. But also because the middle class spends it which maintains and creates jobs.

[midnight]

15. Let them expire. Why do we think our President couldn't use the signing statement to prevent

unemployed from starving. Why do we have to continue to be held hostage by this thinking...

[kentuck]

18. It means the conservative taxcut philosophy has won.

No! Don't you dare touch my taxcut!

No true democrat would say that.

[northoftheborder]

16. Generally against, but it was a tough call, due to the bills traded.

[quiller4]

17. I favor letting ALL the Bush tax cuts expire n/t

[Denninmi]

19. Strongly in favor of letting them expire. Never should have passed in the first place.

And, here in Michigan, the unemployed got thrown under the bus anyway, as they cut basic unemployment from 26 weeks to 20.

As far as I'm concerned, they should dramatically increases taxes on the wealthy, with more modest increases on the middle class. The only ones that should see cuts are the poorest of us.

The entire debt/deficit/budget crisis is a completely artificial, intentionally manufactured crisis designed to allow the right to gut government. They did the same with Social Security - cut withholding this year, so they can holler next year about how big the gap between benefits paid and social security taxes taken in for 2011.

[me b zola]

20. Against. Whole heartedly

Nothing has changed in my opinion. There has been a massive shift to the right in policies, and extending those freaking tax cuts is just one of them. The re-allocation of wealth to the wealthiest needs to be stopped at every juncture. We need to shift back to giving a damn about the people who actually create wealth (hint: its not the wealthy) and put the resources back where it is needed.

[robinlynne]

21. They needed to expire! of course. they are right at the core of the economic policy

which causes unemployment and misery in our country.

[OhioBlue]

24. I was in favor of letting them expire but for the compromise

The Repugs held the middle tax cuts hostage along with unemployment.

Obama could not raise taxes on the middle class - it would have been too big of a political weapon - he said many times on the campaign trail.. "Look, if you make less than $200k a year, your taxes won't change under my plan". He had to stick to that one.

Also with DADT, unemployment and the START Treaty the compromise was beautifully played.

[Historic NY]

25. Tax cuts don't pay the governments bill even if they stop all spending.

there still the interest on the debt which has been eating into the scheme of things.

[sabrina 1]

28. The Bush tax cuts over the past ten years cost this country

two trillion dollars. That would have made a dent in the debt. And they will cost another 700,000 dollars over the next two years. That could have been used to NOT cut such programs as HEAP eg.

Then end the wars and shut down that bloated and useless big government institution Homeland Securty, brought to us by the 'small government' Party. That would save billions also.

[sabrina 1]

26. For! And so was this president, once upon a time.

[Zorra]

29. Totally for letting them expire. Yes, my decision was correct.

I don't buy that unemployment excuse.

[HopeHoops]

30. Let them all expire. Then pass Obama's tax cut for the middle class as a clean bill.