Stop the Fiscal Cliff Deal – Call Congress on New Years Day

Posted by admin on Jan 1, 2013 in Taxes and Spending | 3 comments

TXLF doesn’t normally make nationwide appeals, but the unconstitutional attempt to pass a fiscally irresponsible budget deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” deserves some opposition. Trying to ram this measure through on New Years Day when virtually no one is paying attention or able to organize resistance deserves some response, so we’re asking people to call in and tell their representatives to vote against this proposal which is fiscally irresponsible and does not solve the problems which are known as the “fiscal cliff.”

Here are our three main concerns:

• While the bill does preserve income tax rates for those earning under $400,000 a year, it includes 5% increases in the inheritance tax and the capital gains tax which are two of the most regressive and anti-growth taxes. They ought to be reduced, not increased.
• The bill postpones the automatic cuts to defense and social spending built into sequestration, violating the intent of that agreement and producing no substantive cuts to spending at all. No compromise is acceptable which does not include substantial spending cuts to a level of at least 2 to 1 compared to revenue increases.
• The bill further extends unemployment benefits for yet another year, a huge addition financial commitment at a time when these benefits have already been extended to a completely irresponsible level.

Rather than taking a balanced approach and raising revenue while also cutting spending this bill takes the unacceptable route of raising revenue but then also raising spending to negate the benefits of increased revenue. It doesn’t solve the fiscal crisis, it makes it worse.

Congress doesn’t expect calls on New Years, so your call will count much more than usual. Use the tool at the top of this article to find your representative’s phone number. Pick up the phone, call your representative and tell him the fiscal cliff doesn’t scare you as much as more spending and higher taxes. The House needs to either fix this bill with real spending cuts and no regressive tax increases or additional spending, or vote it down today. Then call some other representatives from your state too!

Let’s start off the new year being fiscally responsible!