Obama’s “grand bargain”-ing leverage by Robert Reich
If the president wants to achieve a $4 trillion deficit reduction, he needs to aim high with the GOP
BY ROBERT REICH, ROBERTREICH.ORG
I hope the president starts negotiations over a grand bargain for deficit reduction by aiming high. After all, he won the election. And if the past four years has proven anything its that the White House should not begin with a compromise.
Assuming the goal is $4 trillion of deficit reduction over the next decade (thats the consensus of the Simpson-Bowles commission, the Congressional Budget Office, and most independent analysts), heres what the president should propose:
First, raise taxes on the rich and by more than the highest marginal rate under Bill Clinton or even a 30 percent (so-called Buffett Rule) minimum rate on millionaires. Remember: Americas top earners are now wealthier than theyve ever been, and theyre taking home a larger share of total income and wealth than top earners have received in over 80 years.
Why not go back 60 years when Americans earning over $1 million in todays dollars paid 55.2 percent of it in income taxes, after taking all deductions and credits? If they were taxed at that rate now, theyd pay at least $80 billion more annually which would reduce the budget deficit by about $1 trillion over the next decade. Thats a quarter of the $4 trillion in deficit reduction right there.
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read more:
http://www.salon.com/2012/11/13/obamas_grand_bargain_ing_leverage/