Md. Dems back Obama's debt plan
Maryland Democrats on Monday praised President Barack Obama’s plan to trim the nation’s debt by more than $3 trillion but Republican leaders just as aggressively opposed the proposal, which calls for as much as $1.5 trillion in new taxes.
Arguing that Washington cannot rely solely on cuts to address the nation’s growing budget deficit, Obama called for ending income tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, a new minimum tax rate on millionaires and curbing certain loopholes for those earning more than $250,000.
“It is wrong that in the United States of America, a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker who earns $50,000 should pay higher tax rates than somebody pulling in $50 million,” Obama said during a Rose Garden address Monday. “Anybody who says we can’t change the tax code to correct that, anyone who has signed some pledge to protect every single tax loophole so long as they live, they should be called out.”
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who is serving on a bipartisan panel charged with making recommendations to reduce budget deficits by $1.5 trillion, said Obama’s plan represents a “common sense” approach that deserves “serious consideration” by the committee.
“He laid out the case for putting our fiscal house in order by making difficult cuts and also asking millionaires and billionaires to pay at least the same effective tax rate as many of those who work for them,” the Maryland Democrat said in a statement.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley called it a “balanced and responsible” proposal.
“And unlike the proposals put forth by congressional Republicans, President Obama's plan asks Americans of all income levels to contribute their fair share to reducing the deficit,” O’Malley said in a statement.
Republicans have cast many of the provisions, especially the proposed tax increases on the wealthy, as class warfare. House Speaker John Boehner said the GOP-led House and the White House appeared to be no closer to an agreement on the deficit than they were during protracted negotiations over the summer on the nation’s debt limit.
“Pitting one group of Americans against another is not leadership,” Boehner said in a statement. “This administration’s insistence on raising taxes on job creators and its reluctance to take the steps necessary to strengthen our entitlement programs are the reasons the president and I were not able to reach an agreement previously, and it is evident today that these barriers remain.”
Other Maryland reaction:
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer: "The plan put forward by the president today is a balanced approach to create jobs in the short-term and bring down the deficit over the long-term. It asks everyone to pay their fair share, strengthens Medicare and Medicaid for future generations while protecting beneficiaries, and emphasizes the need for immediate job creation."
John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees: "Asking federal employees to accept additional cuts to their take-home pay is unfair, especially at a time when citizens are demanding more services from their government...This is a double whammy for federal employees, who are facing the same economic hardships as most other Americans. Enough is enough.”
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin: “I agree with the president that every American – including millionaires and billionaires – needs to pay their fair share to solve our fiscal problems. He has put forward a solid, balanced plan that stimulates private-sector growth and legitimate profit-making, but not in such a way that squeezes the middle class out of existence or puts seniors and other vulnerable Americans at greater risk."
Comments
I guess so. I've never know a lib who didn't like a tax increase. Bring on the class warfare
Posted by: Constitutionalist | September 19, 2011 3:03 PM
How can anyone say they are for or against it since the bill HAS NOT YET BEEN WRITTEN?
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 3:11 PM
Well duh MD is prob the 3rd or 4th most liberal state they'll go along with anything this white house has to offer. Why can't each class get taxed equally? Poor 9% Middle (if theres still a middle after all this change) 9% Rich (now the middle after the change) 9%. Seems too easy to me but that means everyone would pay their "fair" share.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 3:23 PM
is this even news?
the bill isn't even written yet and yet these guys are for it.
gotta love politicians.
Posted by: brandon | September 19, 2011 3:41 PM
Wow, what a shock - I never would have guessed that this state's ultra liberal statehouse would back an ultra liberal President's economic and jobs plan. Wow, never saw that coming!
Can anyone think for themselves anymore??
Leadership - a concept of the past.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 3:44 PM
Know I remember, again, why I dropped the Sun years ago. As for the Socialist in The White House, He's done after November 2012. As for the Libs in Maryland, I have pitty that they are laffing for this stunt.
Posted by: Mark | September 19, 2011 3:54 PM
Let me see....the state and the city of Baltimore have been run by the liberals for decades...what do we have to show for it?
- outrageously high tax state
- city with an embarrasingly high crime rate with no hope for a real turnaround anytime soon
- a city public school system that is pathetically bad and getting worse (which is hard to imagine)
Could it be that that a change is in order? Could it be that those in power are deliberately seeking to sustain the status quo, in order to sustain their political power??
Does anyone care??
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 4:12 PM
Wow I should sign up for the Sun's breaking news text alerts so I can get this kind of news sooner.
A real news story here would be MD Dems NOT supporting Owe'Bama's debt plan.
In other breaking news today is Monday, and tomorrow is forecasted to be Tuesday.
Posted by: Notoriouspaz | September 19, 2011 4:21 PM
Why are the millionaires paying less tax than the middle class? the loopholes! stop all the tax breaks and loopholes and get flat or fair tax and millionaires will pay more than others every time.
Posted by: Bonnie | September 19, 2011 4:29 PM
Bonnie says "Why are the millionaires paying less tax than the middle class? the loopholes!"
They ARE NOT loopholes Bonnie. They are the TAX CODE! Your child deduction or your mortgage deduction is not a loophole is it?
A consumption tax or National Sales tax is the fairest way to go. Look at Herman Cains 9-9-9 plan. Sounds like a good starting point from which to revamp the entire tax code that favors anyone who can pay the lobbyists.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 4:35 PM
WOW!! SOUNDS TO ME LIKE ALL OF THE COMMENTS SO FAR ARE FROM THE G O P, MUST BE THINKING THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY TAXES.!!!!!!!
Posted by: JOHN | September 19, 2011 4:38 PM
When did the upper middle class become the rich? Obama is attacking dual income families by raising their taxes not once but three times through elimination of the Bush tax cuts, elimination of itemized deductions and raising taxes again. You are talking about tens of thousands of dollars in tax increases.
Posted by: CT Raven | September 19, 2011 5:13 PM
John - what makes you beleive I don't already pay taxes? In fact, I am paying around 35% - not counting the sales tax, gas tax, usgae taxes, etc.
In fact, its people like me who are paying the vast majority of the taxes in this country. The problem is we have enabled generations after generations to live off the state and federal government?
Now why would the liberal politicians want to keep poor people poor and dependent on the government? Votes - period and end of story.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 19, 2011 5:23 PM
Well thank you very much Dumbocrats, doesn't it figure. The entire dumbocratic party including the clown prince in the white house is doing everything they can to ruin this country. I hope I'm alive to see the day another revolution comes about in this country because that is all these idiots will understand. It looks like Great Britian of the 1700's is going to rear their ugly head again.
Posted by: chuck | September 19, 2011 6:02 PM
If you are paying 35% tax then you are an idiot. Go hire an accountant.
Posted by: I am rich | September 19, 2011 6:11 PM
what is funny is that people will talk about this "plan" like it is an actual serious plan. it has no chance of passing. it was just another campaign speech designed to make one job. and that's the re-election of The One.
Posted by: brandon | September 19, 2011 6:59 PM
Very Strange the Paper didnt mention the other Democratic States that are against the bill. which is not really a bill yet just political Bs. to try and get relected. does the paper ever do fact checks prior to writting?
Posted by: Joe-Ball | September 19, 2011 7:34 PM
Stop the presses.....Democrats favor raising taxes! So it ain't so. And it's always sweet to raise taxes on the majority of folks who aren't fellow Democrats. If you're a Democrat who pays no federal income tax, please tell the rich how unfair they are that they don't pay their fair share. That's always good for a laugh.
Posted by: mersey | September 19, 2011 7:35 PM
Our president says we can't cut our way out of this? That's the only way out. We certainly can't tax our way out of this. Not when spending is projected to reach 50% of GDP in our lifetime. That's over two and a half times the current tax revenue, and I can guarantee you that we can't raise a fraction of a fraction of that increase by bumping the marginal rate on the rich. Heck, we wouldn't even make a dent if we made the tax rate 100% for the rich.
Okay, so he calls for a "balanced" approach, and promises $2 in cuts for every $1 of tax increase...and then we see his proposal, which is really $1 in cuts, $3+ in tax increases. What a farce! And he has the gall to say "it's not class warfare. It's math." If this is how he sees math, I think it's time we sent him back to elementary school.
Posted by: Joe | September 20, 2011 9:10 AM
via Byron York's twitter:
"Serious question for Dems: If group is 0.2% of all taxpayers, earns 9.5% of nation's AGI, and pays 20.5 percent of all income taxes, what level of taxation would constitute a 'fair share'?"
Really. Just come out and tell us, how much *should* they be paying?
Posted by: Joe | September 20, 2011 9:17 AM
If President Obama gets away with taxing the rich to pay "their fair share," the middleclass will be the next target for tax increases, as that's where the money is.
It is class warfare at its worst, listen to Obama's speeches to various groups. The president blames anybody or anything for his failure to get socialist programs through Congress.
He is constantly in campaign mode trying to get reelected in 2012.
Posted by: Joe | September 20, 2011 4:31 PM