Taxes
Corporations are roaring. Wall Street is rolling in cash. C.E.O. bonuses are going gangbusters. It’s a really good time to be rich!So begins a NY Times op ed by Charles Blow, The Pirates of Capitol Hill. He points out things are not so good for the poor, with the Census bureau reporting the poverty rate in 2009 reached 14.3%, higher than since 1994, with Agriculture reporting increasing food security and unemployment remaining unacceptably high, then Blow asks
So in a civil society, which of these groups should be expected to sacrifice a bit for the benefit of the other and the overall health and prosperity of the nation at a time of great uncertainty? The poor, of course. At least that seems to be the Republican answer.
Except it is not just the poor, it is also the middle class that is the heart of this nation, upon whose well being the economic health of this country depends.
I want to talk about taxes. I will look at Blow, I will look at a Washington Post op ed by Walter Mondale titled As in 1984, we need the courage to raise taxes. Mondale reminds us of the truth of the famous lines from his 1984 acceptance speech:
Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did.
But I want to start with reality of the middle class, using myself and my wife as an example.