Dear Mr. President -- Your words are eloquent but your actions are lacking. Your party got trounced in the midterm elections for many reasons, but the economy was a major driver.
You claimed to be leader for the working people, someone who fights for those struggling to make ends meet in these difficult times. You stated that you didn't run for office "to help some fat cat bankers" yet you extended the Bush-era bailout policies that immensely helped bankers rake in billions yet did little for the working class.
Self-proclaimed "fiscal conservatives" are pushing for an extension of tax cuts for the wealthy with the voodoo economics argument that this will stimulate the economy. You can call out the lowering government revenue by extending tax cuts increases the deficit. You can call out that raising revenue is exactly what someone who is concerned about the government having a balanced budget should do. You can show some backbone. Yes You Can
You can call out that this discussion about extending tax rates for the wealthy is little more than the rich (and those who fantasize that they will soon be rich) not wanting to pay taxes. You can call out that extending these tax cuts simply pushes more of the tax burden to future working classes. You can show some backbone. Yes You Can.
You can call out to the working class who support extending the tax cut for the wealthiest that they are just being scammed. You can call out that allowing millionaires to pay less tax will not catapult working class into the millionaire bracket. You can call out that trickle down economics has never trickled down and that extending these tax cuts will not suddenly start seeding raindrops of wealth. You can show some backbone. Yes You Can.
You can call out that no successful entrepreneur says, "I will refuse to try earning an extra million dollars next year if my tax cuts aren't extended." You can call out that extending the tax cut for the wealthiest will not stimulate new businesses ventures. You can show some backbone. Yes You Can.
You can call out these lies, distortions and manipulations by taking a stand. You can state that you will not further enrich the wealthy at the expense of the future generations of working class. You can prove that you are a man for the people and not merely an eloquent puppet of the wealthy. You can show some backbone. Yes You Can.
Millions who voted for you have given up hope. They believed in change. They need you to prove that you support the working class. They need to see that you are more than just a good actor reading the flowery prose written by your speech writers. They need you to show some backbone or they won't support you in 2012.
Follow Howard Steven Friedman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/howardsfriedman
Also, no love for criticizing the Laffer curve?
I was willing to forego the renewal of my tax cut, but I'm starting to wonder why I ever gave a hoot about some of the people across our great land. I hate to admit it, but my heart has been somewhat hardened by the midterm elections. Let the Republicans cut Medicare, kill Social Security and all of the other "socialist" programs and we'll see how well "compassionate conservatives" are doing on Election Day 2012.
[IMHO $250k doesn't make you "rich" in many large metro areas. I've always thought the threshold should be raised to at least $450k or $500k. Just my $.02]
By that I mean, how much time has he got to make a difference? There is a big crisis in the offing. The folk in charge manage to defer it, but it's coming. Consumption in excess of production has to balance one day, somehow.
I want leadership that is willing to asset tax the wealthy across the West to pay off government debt. Just to give us a chance to start again. Without that, it's hello plutocratic oligarchy, good-bye democracy.
Stop trying to work with Republicans
Start going for your policies with NO COMPROMISE and if Republicans get in the way....so be it
Not looking good for the middle class and poor.
And, you can demand that Boehner get the pat-down at the airport like everyone else. Of course he could care less about the rest of us. Once again, their preferential treatment makes them totally insensitive to the common peoples' problems. I guarentee that a daily patdown at the airport of him and his wife in public every time they use an airplane will solve the problem in seconds.
I hope he proves me wrong, but I wouldn't bet a dime that he will.