GOP Rep. Has No Answer For Why Republicans Won’t Vote For Middle-Class Tax Cuts

[88m3]

By Zack Beauchamp on Dec 5, 2012 at 9:20 am
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), the incoming chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, could not explain during an interview on Wednesday why House Republicans are holding middle- and low-income tax cuts hostage to the cuts for the wealthiest Americans in the fiscal cliff showdown. When pressed by CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Hensarling first cited complaints about spending, but when O’Brien asked why he couldn’t set spending levels aside and compromise on taxes first, he had nothing but unrelated talking points:
O’BRIEN: Why don’t Republicans and Democrats vote to keep the taxes lower for middle class and people at lower income and let the other ones expire? And you could do that now. And we wouldn’t go over the fiscal cliff.
HENSARLING: What the Speaker has done is exactly what the President claimed he he wanted. The Speaker has put on the table a balanced approach. …
O’BRIEN: You can’t be surprised that the president said no go to that, right? Within only a couple of hours — because it did not increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans, which he has consistently said.
HENSARLING: The President won 51-49. He has an electoral college victory. It’s good enough to get him re-elected but not enough to give him a mandate.
Watch it:

Hensarling’s invocation of Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) proposal is not only not an answer to O’Brien’s question — as it doesn’t explain what’s wrong with the simple solution O’Brien poses — but it’s also not anything close to balanced. While Boehner’s plan contains an array of draconian spending cuts, it doesn’t propose any actual increased revenue, relying instead on the same voodoo as the Romney tax plan.
Hensarling’s electoral analysis is equally irrelevant and misleading. Not only did he get the numbers wrong (Obama won the popular vote by roughly double the margin Hensarling suggests), but Democrats made big gains in the Senate and actually won the majority of votes cast for candidates in the House.

GOP Rep. Has No Answer For Why Republicans Won't Vote For Middle-Class Tax Cuts | ThinkProgress

 

[Rekkapryde]

and they wonder why......

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

I can think of one

We cant afford them....for anybody

 

[88m3]

I can think of one

We cant afford them....for anybody

So you're in favor of not raising taxes?


Are you in favor of cutting services?

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

So you're in favor of not raising taxes?


Are you in favor of cutting services?

I'm in favor of raising taxes in an equitable + logical manner... i.e. the "middle class" (aka the 99%), who has had far more tax cuts over the last 2-3 decades than "the rich", should have some stake in fixing our tax situation

Likewise I am in favor of cutting services in an equitable + logical manner... it would be stupid to nuke Medicare while keeping corporate tax breaks + subsidies for example

Everyone wants to fix the deficit but nobody wants to make any concessions to do so

 

[88m3]

I'm in favor of raising taxes in an equitable + logical manner... i.e. the "middle class" (aka the 99%), who has had far more tax cuts over the last 2-3 decades than "the rich", should have some stake in fixing our tax situation

Likewise I am in favor of cutting services in an equitable + logical manner... it would be stupid to nuke Medicare while keeping corporate tax breaks + subsidies for example

Everyone wants to fix the deficit but nobody wants to make any concessions to do so

The poor are the majority and they really aren't any concessions they can make.
Besides get rid of their safety net which really isn't that useful but will lead to more families and people on the street..
Then we'll have to go back ten years from now and deal with what we took away again.

 

[The_Sheff]

I'm in favor of raising taxes in an equitable + logical manner... i.e. the "middle class" (aka the 99%), who has had far more tax cuts over the last 2-3 decades than "the rich", should have some stake in fixing our tax situation

Likewise I am in favor of cutting services in an equitable + logical manner... it would be stupid to nuke Medicare while keeping corporate tax breaks + subsidies for example

Everyone wants to fix the deficit but nobody wants to make any concessions to do so

How about we speak on middle class incomes being stagnant for the last 2-3 decades while the rich saw their wealth rise exponentially before we speak on any "breaks" the middle class gets.

 

[Mook]

I'm in favor of raising taxes in an equitable + logical manner... i.e. the "middle class" (aka the 99%), who has had far more tax cuts over the last 2-3 decades than "the rich", should have some stake in fixing our tax situation

Likewise I am in favor of cutting services in an equitable + logical manner... it would be stupid to nuke Medicare while keeping corporate tax breaks + subsidies for example

Everyone wants to fix the deficit but nobody wants to make any concessions to do so

top 5% own 80% of the nation's wealth. fukk you fakkit, I hope they take every last dime you have.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

The poor are the majority and they really aren't any concessions they can make.
Besides get rid of their safety net which really isn't that useful but will lead to more families and people on the street..
Then we'll have to go back ten years from now and deal with what we took away again.

The poor are not the majority, if we are going by the govt definition of poor (people below the poverty line). And your personal subjective opinion of what is poor is irrelevant. There are people who think anyone who isn't a "job creator" is poor.

And nobody is talking about pulling safety nets or putting families on the street, stop with this emotional strawman bullshyt.

How about we speak on middle class incomes being stagnant for the last 2-3 decades while the rich saw their wealth rise exponentially before we speak on any "breaks" the middle class gets.

Im gonna respond to this with two questions

Can you explain the differences between wages/income and wealth

And can you explain how wealth works

Bonus question do you think it is easier to create wealth once you already have some, or when you're starting from scratch

Im glad to talk about the mechanisms behind what is going on but I need to know that the people I'm talking about them with understand the fundamentals

 

[alybaba]

Looking at this, you're going to still argue for "equitable" tax increases?

 

[88m3]

The poor are not the majority, if we are going by the govt definition of poor (people below the poverty line). And your personal subjective opinion of what is poor is irrelevant. There are people who think anyone who isn't a "job creator" is poor.

And nobody is talking about pulling safety nets or putting families on the street, stop with this emotional strawman bullshyt.

That's the reality of the situation. They want to cut medicare, they want to cut programs the directly benefit the old and poor that they rely on to make it each month. This is just the beginning if the Right has it their way. I don't want to see the wealth gap increase any further our society is already at odds with one another. Whats the end game two separate societies?
I'm not with it.


I don't want my taxes to go up anymore because at the end of the day I know the services provided to me and the infrastructure wont improve. I lived long enough to know and see it. My property taxes and school taxes go up every year. One of my jobs I lose 2k+ every paycheck I get to the city, state, and fed. All while getting nickel and dimed by Bureaucrats, the City, State and IRS. No Nationalized Health Care, No Free Public Transportation, No low cost Higher Education. What kind of legacy are we leaving to our children?

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

That's the reality of the situation. They want to cut medicare, they want to cut programs the directly benefit the old and poor that they rely on to make it each month. This is just the beginning if the Right has it their way. I don't want to see the wealth gap increase any further our society is already at odds with one another. Whats the end game two separate societies?
I'm not with it.


I don't want my taxes to go up anymore because at the end of the day I know the services provided to me and the infrastructure wont improve. I lived long enough to know and see it. My property taxes and school taxes go up every year. One of my jobs I lose 2k+ every paycheck I get to the city, state, and fed. All while getting nickel and dimed by Bureaucrats, the City, State and IRS. No Nationalized Health Care, No Free Public Transportation, No low cost Higher Education. What kind of legacy are we leaving to our children?

How do you think not addressing the deficit will aid in that legacy? Because by taking middle class entitlements & tax deductions/hikes off the table that is pretty much what you are doing

Theres a growing number of people who are convinced they "cant afford to pay taxes". Half the country doesn't pay federal income taxes and effective rates for everyone but the top 20% are steadily dropping, while expenditures grow and become more untouchable. How do you suggest we fix this problem?

 

[Strapped]

obeezy needs to raise that cap from 250k to 500k ,i'm to close to the cap

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Yea they gotta raise taxes and slash spending. Just so it doesnt affect me and mines

 

[alybaba]

obeezy needs to raise that cap from 250k to 500k ,i'm to close to the cap

I don't think you understand how marginal taxes work.

Only every dollar you earn above $250,000 is taxed at the higher tax rate. If you make $275,000, only $25,000 is taxed at the higher tax rate, the rest would still be taxed at old rate. So you'll only pay 3%x$25,000= $750 in higher taxes, which is peanuts.