As the first holiday hang-over begins to clear it’s nice to see evidence that some good old habits don’t die hard. Today, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, the state’s biggest corporate success, joined that other icon of Vermont exceptionalism, Bernie Sanders in calling for an end to the Bush-era tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. With development of a hugely successful corporation in his personal history, Ben Cohen has repeatedly demonstrated his ongoing commitment to social justice.
Senator Sanders had this to say:
…at a time when this country has a $13.7 trillion national debt it would be a huge mistake, over a ten year period, to add another $700 billion to that debt by providing more tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country.
Citing the growing income inequity in this country and the desperate need of many on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder, Sanders insists that we simply cannot afford to continue this largesse to the rich:
For people earning more than $1 million a year, the continuation of the Bush-era tax cuts would amount to an average tax break of about $100,000 a year. With the top one percent already earning, in 2007, 23.5 percent of all income in this country – more than the bottom 50 percent makes, that would be morally unfair and economically unwise. Lastly, if we provide these tax breaks to people who don’t need them and drive up the national debt, the demand to cut spending on programs of importance to the middle class and working families of our country would only accelerate. That means cuts in health care, education, nutrition, housing, LIHEAP, etc.
Senator Sanders is also proposing that in lieu of a cost of living adjustment (COLA), seniors and veterans be given, “at the very least,” a one-time emergency check of $250.
The issue of extending the Bush-era tax cuts is likely to come up in the next week or so, says Sanders. One can only hope that, with the Blue Dogs largely a memory in the upcoming Congress and Republican obstructionism looming as an even harsher reality, the Democrats will take this one last chance to address the ugly reality that we are slipping into the economic habits and profile of a third world country.
Bush’s tax cuts are like Vermont Yankee’s vote in the VT legislature:
If NO action is taken, then they come to an end.
The ONLY way to continue either is to schedule a vote.
I firmly believe that the best course of action is to do nothing! No vote, no tax breaks for the obscenely wealthy!
Good luck on this. The GOP wants these tax cuts first and foremost and will fight hard as hard as they can for their corporate employers. While I hope Bernie and Ben will prevail, I wish them luck.
The D’s just appointed Blue Dog extraordinaire Steve Israel to head up the DCCC — Rahm Emanuel’s old shop of corruption and inside-the-beltway shennanigans at the explicit expense of the voters that the D’s are supposed to represent. The D’s didn’t exactly use their massive majority and unprecedented momentum over the past two years to get anything done (their idea of offense seemed to be handing the ball to the other team and putting themselves on the penalty bench), so the odds of them doing it now when they’re on defense is slim.
No, I fear the Dems will take this “one last chance” to embarrass themselves as usual, standing firm like overcooked spaghetti and compromising and caving in drips and drabs until Sir Change-a-Lot can conveniently declare defeat and help push thru more tax cuts for the rich.
I can’t wait to be proven wrong, but I’m not holding my breath…
how soon we forget that good ol
ben made his millons off the blood and sweat of starving dairy farmers – they got a dime out of every $3 pint he sold and now most of them are gone
and saint bernie touting the benefits of rail transport was instrumental in the destruction of the stJ and lc railroad – they shipped the rails to china
pardon me but the scum has a way of rising
to the top and it needs skimming off – all of it
let me explain that the best way to make your case if you are citing ancient history, is to provide links to information that supports your observations.
No one who has been in public life for a very long time, has a perfect record of being on the right side all of the time. However, the prevailing impulses of Bernie in politics and Ben in corporate ethics have been demonstrably more progressive than almost anyone who even comes close to their level of influence in those fields. If we are ever going to make any progress, we’ve got to stop this inclination to pulverize the good in pursuit of the perfect. Yes, call ’em out in a timely manner when they do something we disagree with! But let’s not turn every conversation to ancient history unless it is directly relevant to the issue at hand. If it is, it is only fair to provide everyone with a factual resource so that they can draw their own conclusions.
By order of the Suede Denim Secret Police (SDS(P))