Sixth District Candidates on Bush's Tax Cuts

[Gary Kleppe]

From a Daily Herald article by Eric Krol:

While campaigning, 6th Congressional District Democrat Tammy Duckworth rails against what she says are President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.

"With a record federal debt, cutting taxes that primarily benefit millionaires is bad fiscal policy," she states in her position paper on the economy.

But ask Duckworth which of the Bush tax cuts she'd repeal, and the answer isn't as cut-and-dried.

She doesn't favor rolling back the income tax rate cuts — even for the wealthy — saying she'd "leave (them) where they are at present." Duckworth also favors rolling back only half of the Bush administration's proposed tax cuts on dividends and capital gains, even though she argues they disproportionately help those with the most money.

Those moderate stances on taxes contrast with opponents Christine Cegelis and Lindy Scott, both of whom favor rolling back some of the income tax cuts and repealing the cuts on dividends and capital gains.

"Right now, we are taxing the working class. People who work for a living get a higher tax rate than people who live off of investments. That just doesn't seem right to me," said Cegelis, a technology consultant from Rolling Meadows.

To remedy that, Cegelis suggests repealing the income tax cut for the top 1 percent of wage earners, which she identifies as those making $300,000 or more per year.

[mopinko]

1. does it get any more plain?

my big objection is that tammy is not running as who and what she is. i embrace a fair fight. but this campaign is bullshit from top to bottom.

[dogman]

2. Read further and understand something.

A tax and spend Democrat is not going to win this District. The current tax cut is due to expire.
Another issue raised often in this forum-
Snip>The trio also agrees Congress must fix the alternative minimum tax, which was put into place in 1969 as a way to keep rich families from avoiding paying any income tax. IRS officials estimate that in coming years, it could nab nearly 35 million families making between $75,000 and $100,000 a year, raising their taxes. Duckworth has made the complex issue a centerpiece of her campaign.<snip
Reading further-
Snip>As far as balancing the federal budget, which has been strained by the war on terror and Hurricane Katrina rebuilding costs, Duckworth offered some criticism of both parties and also the most specifics of any of the three candidates.
“Democrats must be willing to end their defense of every spending program, and Republicans must be willing to forgo huge new tax cuts that we simply cannot afford,” she said.<snip

Snip>Beyond that, Duckworth said she’d push to end the congressional practice of “earmarking” funds for pork projects and allowing the federal government to negotiate bulk discounts for Medicare prescription drugs with the pharmaceutical companies.<snip

And lo and behold-
Snip>Cegelis didn’t offer many specifics, suggesting the federal government “bring in more revenue” and put in place stricter oversight on Katrina and Iraq war spending.<snip

Hasn't she had time to think of specifics?

[mopinko]

3. tax and spend democrat.

which side are you on?
sorry, missed the link.

[dogman]

7. Not my framing.

But you can bet Roskam will use it. It's a meme that has worked for the GOP with the MSM never telling the truth. It's time we got smarter and not feed the meme.

[Gary Kleppe]

12. Yes, he will use it.

He'll use it against anyone who runs, whether that be Cegelis, Scott, or Duckworth.

[dogman]

14. But will he have their own quotes to twist to support his charge?

It's about being smarter. The tax cuts will expire before they will be overturned in all likelyhood.

[Gary Kleppe]

15. Of course he will.

That's the thing about being on both sides of an issue. There's something for everyone to use against you.

[Gary Kleppe]

4. Every Democrat is a "tax and spend" Democrat.

Just ask the Republicans. After all, you've already accepted their framing.

[dogman]

8. I haven't accepted it.

I think it better not to feed it though, since the public has, to a large degree.

[LSK]

5. you underestimate this district, the schools are severely underfunded

Every year I read about how the school across the street from me has to cut more programs and fails to meet budgets. People in this district are not as stupid as you think.

[LSK]

6. in addition, what programs should Democrats cut???

The majority of our federal budget problems stem from tax cuts from the rich and BLOATED defense spending.

Stop parroting the Rush Limbaugh propoganda.

[dogman]

10. Did you read the article?

Snip>Duckworth suggested eliminating the federal tobacco subsidy and capping subsidies for other crops so that small farmers instead of large, corporate producers get the benefit. She said unnecessary weapons programs should be eliminated from the defense budget, citing the Comanche helicopter that cost $12 billion before it was canceled.<snip
That hardly sounds like Rush, but I'm not sure, since I don't listen to him. It sounds more like what you wrote to me.

[Radical Activist]

11. Sounds pretty progressive to me.

I'd love to have another member of Congress from Illinois fighting for those proposals.

[Gary Kleppe]

13. As we've said about a million times by now...

...Duckworth does indeed sound very progressive... sometimes. At other times she sounds middle-of-the-road on the same issues. It seems to depend on whom she's talking to.

[dogman]

9. Then why is it happening every year?

People vote against their interests often. Who was the largest vote recipient in the last election?

[mopinko]

16. i dunno

diebold tabulators?

[Gary Kleppe]

17. Yup.

Also people just not allowed to vote at all, given misinformation on where or when to vote, being intimidated into staying away from the polls, or having so many obstacles put in front of them that they had no choice but to give up and go home.

[mopinko]

18. "Hasn't she had time to think of specifics?"

easy to have carefully crafted bs when you have the full machinery of the powers-that-be at your disposal. like bush.

[dogman]

19. Yes W made a run for the House and failed.

Maybe Cegelis can get elected Governor down the road and then run for the Presidency.

[mopinko]

20. i wonder about that article.

it is not like her to not have some specifics about any and every topic. considering the amount of media love that tammy has gotten, i wonder what the set up of the interview was. not trying to be a crybaby, just saying, that does not reflect reality as i know it. maybe tammy had more advance knowledge, and came equipped with position papers, whereas the others had to give verbal answers that were not well transcribed. seriously, i don't know.