"Tax Cut" Anyone??
It's that special time of the year. When we gather the paperwork, fill out the forms, and wait to see if we'll get a bit back... So, I really must ask; did anyone get a "tax cut"?? No, not the one you get when you buy a house, get married, or add onto your family. The "tax cut" that Mr. Bush is always touting. The "tax cut" that needs to be made "permanent", the one that was supposed to "help the middle class", people like you and I.. Did you get one??
If I did, I didn't notice it. I did, however, notice that my property taxes jumped. True, part of that was due to appreciation. But part of it was a tax increase that I voted in favor of. Local schools have been struggling to stay funded, and though I'm not directly affected by the state of the schools, I didn't want the kids in my community to have to pay the price. I live around the corner from a High School that basis it's curriculum in arts and music. I like knowing that it's there, and if I have to pay a bit more to keep it there, I will gladly do so..
A couple miles south of here, just across the state line, things aren't going so well. Last summer 6 Portland area schools were closed. This summer another 4-6 are in danger of closing. In one area they closed a Jr High and, instead, the kids attend class in the High School. How do they think that is beneficial to any of the kids? Ok, perhaps a freshman or two won't get picked on by the seniors, (why bully a freshman when there are 7th graders to harass??), but why should students be put into that situation? Why can't schools get the funding they need?? Oh, that's right. So we could get a "tax cut". The "tax cut" that made no difference in our taxes..
So where did that "tax cut" affect you? Are your kid's (grandkid's, niece's, or nephew's) schools being underfunded? Are the elderly people you love (i.e. G'ma C) having their medical benefits reduced? Is your favorite charity having to cut services?? The non-profit that runs the day center where I volunteer was just told their budget for next year was being cut by $15,000..
Thanks Mr. Bush... Thanks for our "tax cut"........
Funny how they continue to find billions to fund Bush's war.. Can't someone cut a bit of that funding?
(And, no, I'm not saying that we shouldn't fully support the individual members of the military, but can't we get them into a position where they're not in need of so much funding??... Can't our money be more wisely spent??..)
posted by Joxer's Human at
10:52 AM
2 Comments:
Tax cuts such as these stem from the fundamental conservative viewpoint that the individual is ultimately responsible for his/her lot in life and that everyone has the same opportunities to succeed, equal opportunity for all, equal chance to live in a million dollar home in Seattle or stand in the Department of Human services line in Las Cruces, NM. The problem with this theory is that we all don’t begin the race at the same place, some don’t have the nicest of running shoes, some don’t even have shoes, and some ran the first 100 laps of the race while riding on the backs of their slaves. Until all schools receive equal funding, everyone has quality health care, and higher education is free and open to all, the myth of equal opportunity remains a tool to keep the majority under the power of the few (the very, very, wealthy few).
Here are some links to videos showing the devastating cost of Tax Cuts and Taxation Limits put into place in Colorado (they hurt the state so bad that the voters voted it out in 2005):
http://www.myhomefront.tv/media/D0273/video/TABOR%20short%20400x300.wmv
http://www.cbpp.org/taborvideo.htm
(you probably have to cut and paste these into your browser)
4/01/2006 5:23 AM
Sadly, though most people refuse to see it, the chasm between the rich and poor continues to widen. And, unfortunately, the vast majority of us continue, however unwittingly, to step daily on the backs of the very poor; whether it's by buying goods manufactured in factories with near slave labor conditions, or going to the grocery store to buy a head of lettuce for $1.25 that was picked by the very same migrant worker that the many in the U.S believe shouldn't be in this country...
As for the videos, I preferred the second link. It was like a slightly more extended version of the first, but offered more examples of how tax cuts have hurt Colorado. True, this video is about the affects of cutting state taxes, but it's a scaled down version of what is happening nationwide. If the federal government cuts taxes (which overwhelmingly benefit the very, very rich), they reduce the funding they give to states for things like Medicare (cut in the 2007 federal budget by $36 billion), and Education (cut in the 2007 federal budget by 3.8%, as well as eliminating 42 programs -- including parent-resource centers, vocational programs and drug-free schools )...
Other devastating effects of tax cuts include: Housing for the low-income elderly (cut in the 2007 federal budget by 26%).... Commodity Supplemental Food Program: which provides nutritional food packages for less than $20 a month to more than 400,000 low-income elderly people, one-third of whom are over age 75 // Community Services Block Grant: which provides funding for a range of social services and other types of assistance to low-income families and elderly and disabled individuals. ( Both programs completely eliminated in the 2007 federal budget)...
It will only be when we, society as a whole, begin to really take care of those who need it most, instead of continuing to worry solely about ourselves, that we will all be better off...
4/01/2006 2:26 PM
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