Kerry Tells Tacoma Families There Is A Fundamental Choice on the Economy

[Feanorcurufinwe]

in This Election

Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry Saturday attended a rally in Tacoma, WA, where he continued to outline the fundamental choice facing voters in 2004: four more years of an administration that stands for the special interests and the few or the Kerry-Edwards plan to build an economy that strengthens and expands the middle class.

While President Bush has spent his term shifting the tax burden onto the middle class and his campaign floating failed ideas that would squeeze families even more, Kerry today pledged to stand up for middle-class families as president with a plan to create good- paying jobs and help families save and get ahead.

"Forty-one years ago, Martin Luther King gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech in Washington, D.C," Kerry said. "He told us his dream that one day, all Americans would have the chance to share in the promise of our great country. John Edwards and I have the same dream -- and together, we can make it a reality. Together, we can build an America that's stronger at home and respected in the world."

From supporting outsourcing of American jobs to turning surpluses into record deficits to putting the interests of drug companies over the interests of patients and families, President Bush has chosen to turn away from middle-class families.

No where is this more true than the economy. Thanks to a deliberate set of choices by this president, 1.8 million jobs have been lost, middle-class families are paying a higher share of taxes, skyrocketing costs for health care, education and energy are squeezing family budgets and 6 million workers now face life without overtime pay.

Census numbers released this week continue to show the results of Bush's failed policies. The typical family has seen its income decline $1,511 under George Bush -- declining for three straight years. 1.4 million more people lost health insurance in 2003, and 1.3 million people fell into poverty.

"The fundamental choice we face is this: do we want an economy that benefits the special interests or do we want an economy that works for middle-class families?" Kerry asked. "Do we want a health care system that puts the interests of HMOs and big drug companies ahead of the interests of patients or do we believe that health care should not be a privilege for the wealthy, the connected and the elected, but a right for every American? Because a strong America begins at home, as president, I will be a champion for the middle class and those struggling to join it."

Kerry and Edwards offer a very different choice than President Bush. While the president has stood with the special interests and the few, Kerry and Edwards have a plan, detailed in their book "Our Plan for America," to strengthen the economy for middle-class families.

Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, a stronger America begins at home. Their plan will create millions of new, good-paying jobs in America and put an end to tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. It will enforce our trade agreements so American workers and business are competing on a level playing field and invest in the jobs of the future for America's workers.

To help families squeezed by the Bush economy, Kerry and Edwards will take steps to make health care, child care and education more affordable, and unlike George Bush who has floated the idea of new taxes on the middle class, they will cut taxes for middle-class families.

"I don't believe that four years of lost jobs, lower wages, higher health care costs, higher tuitions and tax cuts for the few are the best we can do," Kerry said. "America can do better. And together, we will. This election, like all elections, is really about values. For four years, we've heard a lot of talk in Washington about values. But values are not just words -- they're what we live by. They're the choices we make."

Kerry has spent his life serving his country and fighting for families. As a prosecutor, he fought for victim's rights and to put criminals behind bars. In the Senate, he was a leader in the fight to put more cops on the street and broke with party lines to support the same common sense budget principles families live by every day. He has been a champion for our nation's veterans and for health care for America's children.


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The Kerry-Edwards Plan to Strengthen the Middle Class

In America, anyone who works hard, lives responsibly, and does right by their family and their country -- anyone who does the best with what they've got -- should be rewarded with the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families. That principle is what has made the American middle class the greatest engine of economic strength the world has ever known -- and it's the heart of John Kerry and John Edwards' vision for a stronger America.

Today, American families -- pinched by sagging wages and rising costs -- are feeling the middle class squeeze. Today, middle- class families are paying an increased share of the tax burden. The cost of raising a middle-class child until age 18 in America exceeds $200,000 -- and that doesn't include the cost of college. Families are especially hard hit by rising costs in everything from health insurance premiums, college tuition, and energy use. At the same time, median family income has dropped by nearly $1,500 since 2000.

John Kerry and John Edwards will work to expand and strengthen America's middle class like never before. They will (1) cut middle class taxes, (2) cuts costs in everything from health care to education to gas, (3) close the pay gap between men and women, (4) raise the minimum wage, and (5) help all Americans balance the competing demands of work and family.

I. Cut Middle-Class Taxes To Raise Middle-Class Incomes

John Kerry will cut taxes for 98 percent of American families and 99 percent of businesses. In addition, he will:

Propose At Least $250 Billion In Tax Cuts For Health Care, Child Care, and Education -- Without Increasing the Deficit By One Dime. As president, John Kerry will close corporate tax loopholes and use some of the money gained from repealing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- families making over $200,000 a year -- to pay for tax credits without increasing the deficit by one dime. The Kerry-Edwards tax cuts include:

-- A tax credit on up to $4,000 of college tuition

-- A tax credit to help small businesses and vulnerable workers pay for health care and buy into John Kerry's new Congressional Health Plan.

-- A tax credit on $5,000 of child care expenses

Create a New Jobs Tax Credit. Research has demonstrated that new jobs tax credits increase employment. The Kerry-Edwards New Jobs Tax Credit will cover an employer's share of payroll taxes for net new jobs created in manufacturing, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small business. The credit will be available in 2005 and 2006.

II. Cut Costs For Middle-Class Families

John Kerry and John Edwards will:

Cut Health Care Premiums By Up To $1,000. Under the Kerry- Edwards plan, employers will benefit from offering their employees quality care with choices. By helping out with certain high-cost cases, the Kerry-Edwards plan will cut premiums by up to $1,000 per year for America's families.

Lower Energy Prices. By investing in new energy sources and technologies, John Kerry and John Edwards will help America move toward energy independence while lowering costs, spurring job growth, and protecting our environment.

Cut Tuition Costs. Average tuition and fees at public four- year colleges increased by 35 percent over the last four years. Because of tuition increases, an estimated 220,000 young people could not afford to enroll in four-year public universities last year. As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax Credit on $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offer $10 billion in fiscal relief to states that restrain tuition growth. And he will launch a new National Service Plan that will allow young people to pay for college by serving their country.

Affordable Housing. John Kerry has a long history of working to make housing more affordable and increase homeownership for all Americans. As president, he will continue to fight for affordable housing.

III. Ensure Equal Pay For Men And Women

On average, women still earn only 76 cents for every dollar earned by men. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that we must make equal pay for equal work a reality, not a slogan. They will ensure greater transparency and fairness by improving enforcement and disclosure about companies' payment practices.

IV. Raise The Minimum Wage

Today, the minimum wage is currently worth only 33 percent of average American wages its lowest level since 1949. John Kerry and John Edwards understand that today's eroded wage no longer meet the needs of American families. As president, John Kerry will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.00 by 2007. That will give 7 million Americans a raise, and help millions of families pay for basic needs like education, food and health care. With this increase, parents working full-time will not have to raise their children in poverty.

V. Help All Americans Balance Work and Family

Today, more parents are working longer hours and fewer parents are at home full-time than ever before. Yet today, high-quality child care costs more than tuition at a public university. John Kerry and John Edwards will put the government on the side of families that work hard to get ahead. They will increase the child-care tax credit and make it partially refundable to moderate-income families for the first time ever, while also expanding after-school programs to serve 3.5 million children and keep schools open until 6 pm. As president, John Kerry will also expand the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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