LAT: Kerry Doing the Math and Scaling Back the Plans

[DeepModem Mom]

April 4, 2004

THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Kerry Doing the Math and Scaling Back Some Plans

By James Rainey, Times Staff Writer


On his way to the top of the Democratic presidential field, Sen. John F. Kerry talked a lot about his plans for helping average Americans — with programs like universal preschool and college tuition subsidies.

The presumptive Democratic nominee pledged to deliver the new services while also taking just four years to halve a federal deficit projected at $477 billion for the current fiscal year.

Now, his advisors are working on a comprehensive federal budget to make sure proposals announced last summer still add up. And Kerry has said some of his plans will have to be scaled back.

The candidate said he remained committed to early-childhood education for all and paying tuition for college students who provided day care and other social services, but on a slower schedule....


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-kerrybudget4apr04,1,459088.story?coll=la-home-politics

[dsc]

1. Dean was absolutely right on this

Those precious middle class tax cuts are what the problem is. He could have paid for these, which appear to go largely to the poor, with a total repeal of the tax cut. Instead he won't and now the poor will get screwed in favor of the upper middle class.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. Dean was wrong. And that's why he's a former candidate.

He didn't even advocate these plans, :wtf: are you talking about?

[dsc]

3. He advocated a total repeal of the tax cut

and paying for all of his plans out of it. He had a college plan, as you well know, where a student could pay a set percentage of income for no more than 10 years and the loan was paid off. He also did have an early childhood education plan. He also said Kerry's figures didn't add up, which they don't.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. I can't believe you are still advocating for Dean. WAKE UP. HE LOST

[RogueTrooper]

5. Dean did not lose

Kerry won, there is a difference.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. Next time I'm in a competition and my opponent wins

I'll have to see if I can convince myself that I didn't lose. :eyes:

[dsc]

6. I am advocating for his positions

and correcting your false statements. But fine. I am out of here. You win. Kerry is perfect and nothing is to be said against him.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. What a lame attempt to put words in my mouth.

If you think Kerry is perfect -- fine. I don't.

[dsc]

10. actions speak louder than words

You never accept any criticism of Kerry. Thus you think Kerry is perfect and no criticism of him is valid.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. In case you didn't notice there are no actions on DU, only words.

I won't presume to tell you what you think, but I will suggest that you might try thinking before you post, if you want to avoid making such nonsensical comments.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. Repeating nonsense doesn't make it more sensible

:crazy:


BTW, I didn't do what you accuse me of.

[bread_and_roses]

7. I do not think Dean was “right”

for two reasons. One sees different #s but I just took the first article that a search produced at “Dollars and Sense:”

http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2001/0301miller.html

begin quote: At least one group is happy to swallow the Bush tax cut medicine - "the haves and the haves-more," as Bush referred to his supporters during a fundraiser last year. After all, it is their taxes he will cut. Together, lower income tax rates (with the biggest drop at the top) and the repeal of the estate tax account for nearly three-quarters of the Bush tax cut. Nearly three-fifths of the total benefits of the tax cut package will go to the richest 10% of all taxpayers, and some 43% will go just to the top 1%, those who make more than $319,000 a year and showed average income of $915,000 in 1999. end quote

If you combined that with a fair share for Corporations and maybe even – goddess forfend – higher taxes on the richest 5% I have little doubt that the ‘middle-class” tax cuts could be left in place.

Second, it wouldn’t matter if Dean were right or not if he couldn’t get elected…or if Kerry is right or wrong, or me, or you. A tax “hike” (yes, I know, some will argue that a rollback of cuts is not a raise – tell it to the guy next to you at the bar) – anyway, I really think a tax “hike” for “middle-income" earners would cost the election.

edit for punctuation
2nd edit - that "haves and have-mores" sounds to me like a great line for Kerry to use against Bush. I would love to find it quoted with attribution - I mean where and when he said it.
and edit again...: this is the third time I have tried to put in some indicator (quotes, [] ) that indicate a quote...what am I doing wrong?

[drfemoe]

12. You may be right

but I still wanted the guy who had actually DONE IT -- balanced the budget and provided excellent services (VTers think so).

Some Democratic voters are going to have higher standards and expectations for their public servants in the future, even in the WH. We might as well start adapting to that. Someday, I predict, a man who tells the truth will be able to get elected.

[balanced]

15. Deficit reduction a sure thing?

As I understand it, on-budget deficit reduction is a sure thing if Kerry decides to let a government agency or surrogate negotiate medicare prescription drug prices with the drug companies. Then Kerry can develop a new tax rate schedule which favors the middle class. Also, Kerry can raise revenues by putting the capital gains tax back to 20% in 2006 and re-installing the inheritance tax with larger exceptions. Corporate loopholes should also be plugged. With all of these actions, there should be enough revenues to begin deficit reduction.