How Boehner's counteroffer raises taxes on the Middle Class

[Bill USA]

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/03/how_the_gop_plan_might_raise_taxes_on_the_middle_class/

Countering President Obama’s plan to avert the fiscal cliff released last week, House Republicans unveiled their own plan this afternoon that is presented as a major gesture of compromise as it finally puts tax revenues on paper and with House Republicans’ endorsement.

The big question, of course, on the fiscal cliff negotiations is what happens to tax rates for the wealthiest Americans — Democrats want them to go up, Republicans want them to stay the same. Realizing that they have to offer some kind of revenue increases, Republicans have been searching for a way to do that that doesn’t actually raise tax rates and thus violate Grover Norquist’s pledge. Boehner did that today in his proposal, which keeps revenues where they are today (by extending the Bush tax cuts on the top 2 percent of Americans), but calls for the elimination of tax deductions.

Boehner does this by leaning on the Simpson-Bowles plan, which, in case you haven’t been watching “Morning Joe” or reading David Brooks, was put forward in 2010 by a deficit-reduction commission convened by President Obama and co-chaired by former Clinton Chief of Staff Alan Simpson and former Republican Sen. Erskine Bowles.

Setting a target of $800 billion in new revenue, Boehner writes in his letter to Obama, “Notably, the new revenue in the Bowles plan would not be achieved through higher tax rates, which we continue to oppose and will not agree to in order to protect small businesses and our economy."
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[WCGreen]

1. Jesus Christ...

Alan Simpson was NOT chief of staff for President Clinton but he was a GOP Senator from Wyoming.

Good Salon.

[yodermon]

3. And Erskine Bowles is/was NOT a Republican, NOR a senator, and WAS Clinton's chief of staff.

actually looks like they just got the descriptions reversed. D'oh.

[John2]

2. Remember

Boehner's speech at the Republican National Convention about meeting some guy in a Bar. Well I have a response for Mr Boehner. Imagine you are sitting with a guy in some Bar who tells you legitimate rape is not rape. The same guy ask to you to loan him some money for an important cause, and it is a matter of Life and Death so you give it to him because he need it more than you.

The only problem is you find out later that this guy lied to you about the circumstances and he has the audacity to ask you for more, because he squandered all your life savings.

Well that is what happened when the Republican Party led us into two Wars, and gave the Bush tax cuts away with out even paying the Bill. At the same time, they mismanaged the economy. What is worse, now they are asking you for more, to clean up the mess they left, without spending one dime themselves. You know what you do. Make believe the Fiscal Cliff is the Bar, and throw them off!