|
|
News Center
Articles
The Coming Democrat Tax Hike
By Martin Green, Deputy Chief of Staff
November 5, 2007
This column was first published by the KPC Media Group in the News-Sun (Noble & LaGrange Counties), the Evening Star (DeKalb County), and the Herald-Republican (Steuben County).
Tax policy.
Few things instill such boredom in us. And yet few other things have such an effect on every part of our lives.
From cradle to grave—from when we awake in the morning to when we go to sleep at night—we pay taxes.
Income taxes. Property taxes. Fuel taxes. Sales taxes. Use taxes. Social Security and Medicare taxes. Death taxes. And that’s just the beginning. Stubbornly withstanding the test of time is Benjamin Franklin’s famous maxim: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
American families struggle to shoulder a tremendous tax burden, one created by local, state and federal governments.
And, right now, the Democrat-controlled Congress is ever closer to increasing that burden.
Last month, the chairman of the tax-writing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives announced his broad tax overhaul legislation. It was a plan supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress.
Right off the bat, their proposal would hike the taxes of 10 million American taxpayers. By allowing previous tax relief to expire, it would raise the top federal income tax rate by 26 percent (from 35 percent to 44 percent), including as its victims small business owners and farmers who report business income. It would propel the U.S. top marginal tax rate higher than what’s paid in Germany!
In addition, the tax hike (which Democrats euphemistically call “a surtax”) would be applied to adjusted gross income, not taxable income. While this sounds like a mere technicality, it makes a big difference. It means that numerous, popular tax deductions—such as those for mortgage interest, state and local taxes, the standard deduction, medical expenses, and charitable giving—would be devalued.
Moreover, by applying a different standard to individuals than it does to married couples, it would bring back the marriage penalty tax with a vengeance.
This is just the beginning of what awaits us.
But should we be surprised?
In a word, no.
Back in January, when they took control of Congress, the Democrats changed the rules of the House of Representatives to make such a tax hike possible. At the time, Congressman Mark Souder said: “As a result of today’s Democrat action in the House, Hoosiers shouldn’t be surprised to see their tax bills rise in the future.”
In May, despite Congressman Souder’s opposition, the Democrat Congress passed a budget that called for at least $217 billion in tax hikes.
Their current proposal, therefore, is true to form. On the issue of raising taxes, the Democrats have been entirely consistent.
If you wait, you may not begin to realize the extent of the tax increase until it’s too late.
While Republicans such as Mark Souder have fought over the years to relieve the tax burden on American families, that’s not the issue anymore. The question being considered in Congress right now is: By how much should we raise your taxes?
If you oppose a tax hike, your elected leaders need to hear from you. Now is the time to speak out. Before it’s too late.
Martin Green is Congressman Souder’s deputy chief of staff, based in Washington, D.C.
|
