Let's take the tax issue away from the Republicans...

[Jeebo]

The Bushies are trying really hard to appeal to Americans' mercenary interests by repeatedly charging that the Democrats will "raise your taxes." That is total B.S., of course (unless you make more than two hundred grand a year), and we need to be taking that issue away from them by pointing out that the Republicans are RAISING taxes on the poor and middle class. Property taxes, sales taxes, payroll taxes ... and not just the many kinds of taxes, but cuts (or "service level adjustments," as they call them) in social services, the OBSCENE deficits and in lots of other different ways the Bushies are TAKING AWAY the various components of economic security from poor and middle class people. All right, I admit I got a SMALL, and I stress SMALL, reduction in the INCOME taxes that I have paid the past three years, but by the time you count everything else, my level of economic security is WORSE than it was three-plus years ago. Which adds up to an overall tax INCREASE on me and on every other poor and middle class American. We need to start getting REPUBLICANS associated in Americans' minds with high taxes. I make bumper stickers using Quark and Photoshop; I'm going to make one that says, "REPEAL THE BUSH TAX INCREASES on poor and middle income Americans." Let's make that our mantra during this election year. Are there any Kerry campaign people or MoveOn.org people reading this? Start including this in campaign ads: "REPEAL THE BUSH TAX INCREASES on poor and middle income Americans."

All right everybody, repeat after me:

"REPEAL THE BUSH TAX INCREASES on poor and middle income Americans."

"REPEAL THE BUSH TAX INCREASES on poor and middle income Americans."

"REPEAL THE BUSH TAX INCREASES on poor and middle income Americans."

Let's make this one of our election-year mantras. Let's start drumming and pounding it relentlessly into our own minds, as well as the collective consciousness of the American electorate at large.

Ron

[Narf]

1. How about we repeal ALL income taxes?

The IRS has no basis in the Constitution nor does the Federal Reserve. If we get rid of th 75% of government that shouldn't exist then we wouldn't need to tax the working man/woman and they could then use the money they earn for the things THEY choose, instead of the things the government chooses.

[many a good man]

2. Too Many Words...try TAX FAIRNESS

After reading David Cay Johnston's book Perfectly Legal, I think the winning issue is TAX FAIRNESS.

Over the past 30 years taxes have been LOWERED ON THE TOP 1 PERCENT while they have been RAISED FOR THE OTHER 99 PERCENT.

Ask people if they think that's fair. Tell them that when Bush says "Kerry wants to raise your taxes" the "you" he's talking about are the top 1% who received 43% of the Bush tax cuts.

Incomes have been stagnant over the past 30 years for the bottom 95%. They've gone up slightly for the top 5%. Incomes have SKYROCKETED for the top 1% over that time period.

Its "trickle down" taxation. This "jobless recovery" means all the fruits are going to the top 1%, who aren't paying their fair share of taxes on their extraordinary wealth. That's why we now have an astronomic government debt that you have to pay for.

State and local taxes are usually based on the federal income taxes. So Bush*s Robber Baron tax cuts wind up hitting you where you live. Local and state taxes HAVE TO be raised so your garbage gets picked up, fires are put out, and kids can be driven to school. Meanwhile, the top 1% gets its free ride.

Do you want me to continue? OK. Your payroll tax is sky high to keep Social Security and Medicare solvent. It would keep it solvent, except Bush* is spending that trust fund money to make up for the enormous shortfall created by his tax cuts to the super rich. By the time you retire SOMEBODY is gonna have to replace that money that he "borrowed." That "somebody" is gonna be YOU.

Its time to DEMAND TAX FAIRNESS. Demand Democrats in the White House and Congress now!!!

[TheFarseer]

3. good post

I hope I hear Kerry say that in the debates, and sack new programs. It's not realistic to propose new programs for at least, like 5 years with our deficit.