Senate Democrats Finally Take a Stand.

[elleng]

It’s been four years since the Democrats who control the Senate produced a budget. That has meant four missed opportunities to demonstrate what they stand for, in hard numbers and clear spending priorities. On Wednesday, the chamber’s leaders stiffened their spines and issued a 2014 budget. If the result isn’t quite a courageous resistance to political winds, it at least makes most of the right choices and is a solid rebuttal to the heartless collection of obsolete dogmas that is the House budget.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/opinion/senate-democrats-finally-take-a-stand.html?hp

[BlueCaliDem]

1. Excellent piece, elleng! Thanks for sharing! eom

[demwing]

2. Here are links to the summary, and the actual budget:

Summary Plan:
http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=ee2613d9-cf20-402c-8a65-e1b670b21fa0

Budget:
http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=c951a802-7600-4111-97c9-20bccc9c69d8

[Martin Eden]

3. Good, but not great

From the article:

The proposal could have gone further. Under pressure from the false Washington “consensus” that the deficit is an immediate problem, the plan fails to spend enough on education or even on President Obama’s proposal for universal preschool. Unlike the budget from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, it does not call for higher tax rates on the rich, or for a bigger estate tax, or for taxing capital gains as ordinary income.

This budget looks their starting point was already an attempt at compromise; why not start out with someting much closer to the Progressive budget, then compromise by moving a little towards the middle rather than starting out near the middle and moving towards the right?

[Scuba]

5. If this is accurate, then the budget is a total capitulation to the right. I expect ....

... a reasonable compromise would END, not start, well to the left of what is described above.

Capital gains should be taxed just like payroll

The Estate tax should be increasingly progressive for higher amounts

Income over $1,000,000 should be taxed progressively higher. When someone NETS $5 Billion a year like the Kochs BOTH did a year ago, then I think a 75% tax sounds about right.


I'll support the Progressive Caucus Budget, thanks.

[n2doc]

8. Probably because the senate dems have a lot of conservatives

aka "would have been moderate/liberal republicans 30 years ago" So the compromising had to start from within. Unfortunately, the Senate doesn't have a lot of traditional liberals.

[demosocialist]

4. K&R nt

[msongs]

6. did they adopt the Progressive caucus budget or another piece of republican lite trash? nt

[AnotherMcIntosh]

10. They selected option b

[OFFTHEWALL]

7. This should be called the democracy graveyard and not underground

We are in the greatest danger since the revolutionary war. Are corporate owned media misinform the average voter as to what is actually happening. America is being deliberately weakened by the now international corporate government. Education, etc. is being cut back because of all the war spending has made America too powerful for the international corporations.

He(Obama) only talks a good progressive talk but almost always ends up siding with the republicans. A true viper in our nest. The only liberal thing about him is that he happens to appear black so he must be a true Democrat. There is not that much difference left between the two almost identical parties. They are but the pawns of the global corporate government that no longer needs a strong America and weakens it with "austerity". The same is true with the European, British, Asian governments, etc. Welcome to becoming a new world government slave.

Some of these sites are very long but suffer through them as they do really reveal as to what is happening and is never discussed in the corporate media.

#!

Obama and Noam Chomsky (a famous semanticist) and a good academic. Take the time to view them.

Chomsky's explanation of all politics (very good and very long video)

These videos really explain politics since WWII. I.m surprised that they still are available. You will never see them on mass T-V or in the corporate owned media. Some of the other videos on the given pages are also good. There is very little hope left for the continuation of the human race. These are some of the most important videos I have ever found. Do bookmark them and save them.

I found this documentary movie:

[cheapdate]

9. It sounds like a very rational budget plan, with cuts and sensible investments. eom