Democrats Propose Surtax to Cover War Costs

[babylonsister]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=cqmidday-000003252935

Democrats Propose Surtax to Cover War Costs


Senior House Democrats have introduced legislation that would impose a surtax beginning in 2011 to cover the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill was unveiled late Thursday by David R. Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and has the backing of John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and John B. Larson of Connecticut, chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

“For the last year, as we’ve struggled to pass health care reform, we’ve been told that we have to pay for the bill — and the cost over the next decade will be about a trillion dollars,” the three lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Now the president is being asked to consider an enlarged counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan, which proponents tell us will take at least a decade and would also cost about a trillion dollars. But unlike the health care bill, that would not be paid for. We believe that’s wrong.”

Discussing the idea earlier this month, Murtha said he knew the bill would not be enacted and that advocates of a surtax were simply trying to send a message about the moral obligation to pay for the wars.

“The only people who’ve paid any price for our military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan are our military families,” Murtha, Obey and Larson said in a joint statement. “We believe that if this war is to be fought, it’s only fair that everyone share the burden.”

The bill would require the president to set the surtax so that it fully pays for the previous year’s war cost. But it would allow for a one-year delay in the implementation of the tax if the president determines that the economy is too weak to sustain that kind of tax change. It also would exempt military members who have served in combat since Sept. 11, 2001, along with their families, and the families of soldiers killed in combat.

[democracy1st]

1. K & R pay to play nothing is free

[HopeHoops]

2. Tax the TEABAGGERS!

It fits, doesn't it?

[Selatius]

3. It's a way to drive a wedge into Wall Street.

If you raised taxes on the rich under the guise of fighting terrorism, rightists will split along pro-war and anti-tax lines. For once, they would be forced to choose one or the other, not both. It's probably about as close as a wedge issue the left has right now.

[BadgerKid]

9. Interesting -- no free lunch.

Until I read your comment, the plan sounded like a committment (why, again?) to a permanent money drain on this country.

No free lunch is a step in the right direction.

[mmonk]

4. Interesting. I support an additional Surtax on present and past members

of congress that went along with these wars. I'd call it a shithead tax.

[leveymg]

5. Tax those who made money off the wars - the defense contractors, execs, and big stockholders

[corpseratemedia]

6. +1

[Orsino]

11. Yacht tax. n/t

[leveymg]

13. Battleship tax. eom

[Uncle Joe]

7. Set to music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPoFI7m-cjI

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.:thumbsup:

[grytpype]

8. Tax the states that voted for Bush.

Draft their children too.

[doc03]

10. Sounds like a great idea, that will put the Republicans in

one hell of a bind. If they don't vote for it nail them with the old not supporting the troops line. GWB got everything he wanted using the troops.

[gratuitous]

12. Murtha said "he knew the bill would not be enacted"

Well, it's not like Congress is contemplating meddling in the private affairs of one hapless Florida family, like with the Schiavos. So this bill doesn't have a chance of going anywhere. Besides, we don't need to pay for wars, we'll just get it from the oil revenues! Or it'll only cost about $1.5 billion, tops. Be done in, well, maybe not six days or six weeks, but it'll be surprising if we're in Iraq for more than six months.

Geez, you start re-threading the GOP selling points, and it's hard to know where to stop. So many lies, so much bullshit. But it's comforting to know that the major media outlets don't hold their stultifying mendacity against any of the Bush administration and congressional GOP architects responsible for any of their lies. 'Cause it's okay if they lie; far better than having to hear the truth from some smug dirty fuckin' hippie. They think they're so big just because they were right.

[jpak]

Support the troops you dumbshit Bush War supporters - Freedom Isn't Free

Put your fucking wallet where your stupid teabagging mouths are.

War costs more than a price of yellow ribbon magnet.

[jpak]

14. Support the troops you dumbshit Bush War supporters - Freedom Isn't Free

Put your fucking wallet where your stupid teabagging mouths are.

War costs more than a price of a yellow ribbon magnet.

[stray cat]

15. Health care isn't free nor are wars - put up or shut up