It's a GOP lie that "we can't 'raise' taxes on the middle class..."

[Rageneau]

by letting the Smirk tax cuts expire.

That "truism" is a concoction of the GOP and the RW media. Its purpose is to manipulate our side into allowing obscene tax cut extensions for the rich because the GOP won't approve anything else and, after all, "we can't raise taxes on the middle class."

We can TOO raise taxes on the middle class -- if all that really means is going back to Clinton-level rates, which for you and me were not so bad. If ALL the Bush tax cuts expire, then ALL Americans will be sharing in the burden of reducing our national debt -- which is a patriotic thing to do, right? Shared sacrifice and all.

So not only CAN we let the Bush tax cuts expire -- as patriotic Americans, we should WANT them to.

[aquart]

1. Sunset saves us all.

Sunset or a temporary war tax of 95% on income from all sources above $5 million.

[DrDan]

2. lets end this ridiculous $200M/day war - then we can discuss what "patriotic" Americans want

[spartan61]

3. It was the bush administration that set this tax cut to

sunset in ten years. Why should the Dems be held responsible for "raising taxes" and not the pukes? Let them be held accountable and let them explain that it isn't a tax increase but a temporary tax cut that they put in place in 2001 and 2003 and is now expiring.

[BzaDem]

4. Just because going to Clinton rates in the economy of the 90s was OK does NOT at all mean that going

to Clinton rates for the middle class in THIS economy is OK. It would be a 310 anti-stimulus bill in 2011 out of the pockets of the middle class, and a 310 anti-stimulus bill in 2012. It would be devastating for the economy.

When the economy recovers, it will be a different story. But right now it would be a disaster for consumer demand if we took out 620 billion out of the pockets of the poor and middle class over the next 2 years.

[Rageneau]

6. How could $310 out of a family income of $40,000 ruin us?

I get by on less than $25,000 a year and I would HAPPILY pay an extra $310 in taxes next year if it meant that those rich GOP bastards would start paying the 700 billion they OUGHT to still be paying.

If no extension means an extra 620 billion dollars in tax revenue from poor people (your number), so much the better. Especially when the rich will simultaneously be paying their extra 700 billion.

Added together, that's 13 billion dollars off the deficit by doing nothing but what we promised to do in the first place: letting the tax cuts expire. We keep our word and we make money. To me, that's a no-brainer.

As I said, this idea that we have to give the rich what they want because the poor can't afford a "tax hike" is bullshit. The amount of good that letting the tax cuts expire (as they were always SUPPOSED to) far outweighs the amount of ill that will be caused.

I'm willing to find $310 out of my next year's income in order to save my crippled country.

Isn't everyone?

[vi5]

8. Bingo....

If THE DEFICIT is the most important, urgent, and pressing issue facing this country and keeping it on the brink of destruction, which clearly all republicans and a chunk of Democrats (including and especially the president) seem to believe it is then what type of treasonous bastard would not be willing to pay $300-500 to save us from the edge of an economic apocalypse?

[Recursion]

5. I'd rather they all expire than that they all remain

If extending them all for 2 years is the cost of extending unemployment benefits, I'll grin and bear it.

[Rageneau]

7. We should not negotiate with terrorists (the GOP)

We shouldn't let them extort us. That's a slimy way to survive.

[OrwellwasRight]

9. Word. nt

:kick:

[savalez]

10. We should let them expire and blame the Pubs.

"See what happens when you vote Republican and give them control of the house - your taxes go up!"

Of course this would need to be backed up by a massive left wing propaganda machine. Er... Nevermind. I guess it won't work.