Graham, Grassley, Kolbe Mull Tax Increases for Social Security

[skooooo]

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a7WoY6vjVgGU&refer=home

Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Republican lawmakers hoping to lure Democratic support for President George W. Bush's Social Security plans are looking in an unexpected direction: tax increases.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa and Representative Jim Kolbe of Arizona are among Republicans who say higher taxes may be needed to win votes for the private Social Security accounts Bush wants.

``Democrats are going to have to swim upstream to embrace the personal-account solution,'' said Graham, who proposes raising taxes on wealthy Americans and closing corporate tax loopholes to help fund the proposal. In return, he said, ``we're going to have to come up with a financing plan that's realistic'' to allay Democrats' fears that the plan could explode the U.S. budget deficit.

[elehhhhna]

1. What a spin! Dems have to "swim upstream" and approve

tax increases on the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes?

[Inland]

2. Don't do it. It is a trick.

They already screwed us on the LAST tax hike on wages for Social Security. Reagan and Dole joined democrats to build huge surpluses for the social security system, which Republicans used to disguisetheir deficit spending spree(s)--and set us up for the big robbery that Bush intends now as "reform".

Why get blamed for raising taxes in order for Bush or some Grandson of Bush steal it all ten years from now in a "reform"?

In fact, I will make a prediction: Bush will agree to any raise in social security taxes as long as it is on wages only. Rock beats scissors beats paper, and wealth income (dividends, interest, cap gains, inheritance) is the rock for the Bushites.

Don't do it.

[SoCalDem]

3. Umm. Lindsay, baby.. all ya gotta do Iis

PAY BACK ALL MY MONEY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS STOLEN FOR THE LAST UMPTEEN YEARS !!!


The "fis" during St. Ronnie's reign was MORE than enough to cover all the goodies of people who retired starting THEN...AND to provide all we would need for the Boomers.. but then we all know they could not keep their grubby mitts off MY MONEY !!!!


Maybe the boomers need to organize like the Grey Panthers did, and make that our mantra....


PUT MY MONEY BACK !!!!

[Skidmore]

4. Payroll tax increases for the middle class and

tax cuts for the wealthy. Fair and balanced. Grassley's office is hearing from me.

[CBHagman]

5. Share the love (or the venom!) with Lindsey

The last time I checked, Lindsey Graham's DC office number was 202-224-5972. The address is 290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.

Talk about framing -- we "have to" go with their plan. We don't have to do anything except eventually die. He's asking us to take on even more debt and cut the flow of benefits to current retirees. I'm not going to do it.

I think it's time for me to send a little article to my friends in South Carolina and maybe let them know that the rhetoric about tax cuts was hooey. Why should we trust them on personal retirement accounts?

[elsiesummers]

6. Graham doesn't raise taxes on earnings over 160K - ain't that sweet!

Anyone who earns between 90K and 160K and voted Republican because they love tax cuts - well they voted themselves a tax increase - $4200 increase on individual income of 160K. No tax increase on earnings over 160K though - wouldn't want to overtax those poor suffering CEOs. This will epecially hurt blue state high earners in high cost of living areas.