Hillary's press release:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=6152tax credit city
"providing a $3,500 tax credit for college
A New $3,000 Caregiving Tax Credit
A New Long-Term Care Insurance Tax Credit:
American Retirement Accounts - Hillary will ensure all middle class Americans can open a new American Retirement Account. These accounts will allow individuals to contribute up to $5,000 per year on a tax-deferred basis. She will also provide a 50% match on the first $1000 of savings for every couple making between $60,000 and $100,000, which will be phased out after that."
It is typical for politicians to promise programs which will benefit the voters, but it is not typical in my memory, for a Democrat to be so Reaganesque about it. Bill Scher, of Liberal Oasis, writes in "Wait, Don't move to Canada"
"Nevertheless, Republicans have been quite successful at promoting their anti-government stance by denigrating taxes as inherently bad." His advice is to: "Reject the Republican Frame"
"How do Republicans dictate the terms of the tax debate? They frame it as a simple choice between cutting taxes and raising taxes. That puts Democrats in a seemingly lose-lose position. Either they take the raising taxes position, which gives Republicans the easier target, or they can embrace tax cuts AND COMPROMISE THE PARTY'S LONG-TERM GOALS for the hope of a short term gain." emphasis mine
Another problem I have with the tax credit Republican frame is that it is Republican, even when Democrats do it. Hillary admits as much when she says her "America Retirement Accounts" are for couples making "between $60,000 and $100,000". If your household makes $55,000, most of these credits do nothing for you.
TWO FACTS:
1. median household income in Ohio - $45,776 (half of Ohio households make less than that)
2. under current tax law a family of four making less than $42,850 pays zero income taxes.
Hillary's proposals here do not benefit the bottom 50%. The people who perhaps struggle more than the top 50%. Her "heartfelt" closing statement claimed her campaign was all about helping ordinary Americans who are struggling, but her proposals are about helping ordinary Americans who are prospering.
Finally, with her supposed commitment to fiscal responsibility, these seem to be promises that she can't keep.
edit: I guess the title was interfering with the message