Interesting term worked its way into the political rhetoric in Indiana...

[salin]

Every Friday there is a half-hour round table discussion in Indiana with a couple of democrats and republicans. They talk about state issues. Due to the State Supreme Court ruling our property tax system unconstitutional back in 1999, and the state house trying to avoid dealing with it up until the time the system had to be changed... some big changes have gone into effect (moving to 'fair market' tax rates on homes).

The democratic house has been pushing for a change in an emergency session. The republican senate has been halting. The new Governor (and now front runner in the Gubenatorial race) has urged halting - to see what the full impact is, before changing it. (Note - there were problems all over the state with the new assessments - so the "halt" is to let the fixes that went in with solving the problems in implementing the assessments).

Here is the thing... all four talking heads - republican and democrat alike... were referring to the 'quick fix' as a .... TAX SHIFT.

Outside of DU - in the last tax cut round in DC - I have NEVER heard the term used - to shift "tax cut" to TAX SHIFT. With the meaning ... shifting the primary tax burden to other tax payers - as opposed to 'tax relief' or 'tax cuts'. Note - the term has been picked up... which means that it resonates with political types of both parties... which means that they have found it effective with likely voters.

Why do I raise this? Because in recent years we democrats have consistently lost the battle for "framing" the issues - using language that strikes a chord with the public ( think: Death Tax...)

TAX SHIFT... TAX SHIFT... TAX SHIFT.

Use it.

For example... in the proposed Energy Bill (that they will try to breathe more life into after January)... there are all sorts of new tax breaks/credits for energy companies. Since the government costs are not being trimmed - that means the same amount (actually greater amounts) of costs exist... hence there is NO tax cut.. it is just YET ANOTHER TAX SHIFT to the rest of the tax paying public and future tax payers (the children).

Any other recent examples...???

[last1standing]

1. Even bush's * tax cut of 2001 was really a tax shift.

Shifted right on to our children and grandchildren. Come to think of it, I think we were "tax shafted".

[salin]

2. I agree... but had never heard the term used elsewhere...

and by OTHER people (esp republicans). I take it as a sign that the term 'has legs'... as in resonates, even with fence sitters. We have been tax shifted, our kids have been flat out shafted.

[last1standing]

4. I just googled it.

The term is out there, but it's not used much. I agree that it has legs, though. I think it could definitely be used effectively. The question is whether it will be.

[salin]

5. lets be trend setters

:D

[Eric J in MN]

3. I'm not familiar with the phrase

I'm not familiar with the phrase "tax shift" as such, but there has been talk of "shifting the tax burden" for decades.

[salin]

6. For a while I have been paying great attention to the language used

in soundbite form to frame/sell issues. Thus while the discussion of 'shifting the tax burden' has been out there among the more politically astute... there has not been an effective counter to the panacea effect/sell of "tax cuts" (as bush's cure-all.) Seeing the term in its short cut form (which assumes, like a stereotype, that others know what it refers to, so it is used as a 'shortcut' mentally to convey that meaning) - is interesting. Says that the concept is now more universally understood, hence the shortcut is useful.

We will continue to be hit at local through federal elections with the "tax cut" as a panacea. Now there might be an effective counter frame... in terms of the 'long-term costs of Tax Shift'. Could be good for our side.

[Fixated]

7. We don't always lose the language wars

Thinking about the biggest one: abortion as "choice." I'm not saying it's not the best term, but the right doesn't like it.

[sandnsea]

8. Al Sharpton

I think I heard him use that in one of the first debates and I've heard a few other candidates pick it up as well. Shifting the tax burden to the working class, shifting the taxes to state and local. Shifting the taxes to our children and grandchildren I hadn't heard, but that's good too.

[salin]

9. maybe he who is put the word in broader play...

Seriously. I have never heard the term used outside of democratic circles, and have never heard it used so casually (as in... 'we all know what it means') from folks from both political parties. Being in a 'red state' - but having lived in several blue states/regions... it really made my ears pick up. It was applied to a very different situation. When terms become common enough to be transfered to other situations (in this case Indiana property taxes)... it is a sign of going mainstream. If this is due to Al... good on him!

[w4rma]

10. Governor Dean on on Bush's tax shifts

Governor Dean Unveils Economic Plan
…
4. TAX FAIRNESS: An aggressive effort to clean up the tax code, end corporate welfare, close tax loopholes, enhance enforcement against tax cheats and to shift the burden of taxation back toward corporations giving fairer treatment to individual taxpayers.
…
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9899&news_iv_ctrl=1426

Dean for America: Repeal the Bush Tax Cuts and Reform the Tax Code

Financed by federal deficits and by shifting the burdens to states and localities, the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts benefited the wealthiest Americans while doing little or nothing for the middle class. In fact, the Bush tax policies furthered the administration’s goal of shifting the federal tax burden from income derived from invested wealth to the shoulders of working Americans. For many Americans, increases in state and local taxes, cuts in services, and falling incomes outweighed any modest decrease in their federal tax rate. The tax cuts are part of the long- term Republican agenda to starve the federal government of the resources it needs to meet our commitments to public education, Social Security and Medicare.
…
The Dean economic program will strive for greater tax fairness for middle class working families. Closing corporate tax loopholes will help shift some of the burden off the shoulders of individuals. Ending unfair tax preferences will raise additional revenue to reduce the deficit and help set the federal budget on the road to balance.
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_economy_taxreform

Reclaiming the American Dream
…
And they are an effort to shift the tax base in this country from wealth to labor. Under the President’s program, working people’s wages make up a higher and higher portion of total tax revenue while all the income you don’t have to earn — estates, dividends and capital gains — is exempted further from taxation.
…
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_speech_economy_reclaimingtheamericandream

[sandnsea]

13. July 2003

Here's a Slate article entitled the Buzzwords of Al Sharpton where he is given the credit for 'tax shift.'

http://slate.msn.com/id/2085265/

Howard Dean didn't invent Meetup, he didn't invent grassroots campaigning and he didn't event every word that comes into daily usage, including tax shift.

[DemBones DemBones]

15. Dean also didn't use the specific term "tax shift"

in the quotes cited above. Lots of "shift" and "shifting," and it's all concerned with shifting tax burdens, but never does he say the magic Sharpton-introduced phrase "tax shift."

Dean's also not the first politician to take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves when giving a campaign speech, or the first doctor to go into politics. Matter of fact, I'm watching a show about Dr. Ralph Stanley on LINK and they just showed a bumper sticker advocating Stanley for president. :7 (OK, maybe it's not a serious campaign, but it was shown at an appropriate moment!)

[jpgray]

11. I think we lose the battle for framing the issue for other reasons

We just can't compete in media capital.

[salin]

12. I disagree.

We haven't been as aware or as savvy in the art of framing issues. A very interesting conversation appears in the formation of the new liberal think tank (Podesta) starting in Washington, approached by a Berkeley professor who has spent a career on the issue to ask who/where in this new think tank... is met with a clear, blank answer... no thought had been given to this ... the response... is... well You... (eg the Berkeley professor and his small academic outfit).

While sometimes there is success in framing issues - it generally comes from an interest group focusing on the issue that may or may not get picked up. On the otherside - since the days of Newt (mideighties on) there has been a very conscience effort to do this - and to figure out how to play the media to repeat the frame.

Yes, right now we have a distinct media disadvantage, but the game is far from over. The level of organizing on the left - seems to be unprecendented. But we are years behind the right. I believe more attention and coordination to framing the issues would help these new efforts (and all of our efforts) tremendously.

[jpgray]

14. Take Sharpton--an endless fountain of incredible issue-framing skill

And yet none of the soundbites--like "tax-shift", which, I believe, originated with him--stick. Based on your description, it has spread fairly well, but if you say "death tax", you get nods of recognition, you say "tax shift", and people go "huh?" There's where the media disparity comes into play, in my opinion. And Al's got a million: take his jab at Clarence Thomas--"my color but not my kind". These characterizations are simple and brilliant (Sharpton as a candidate is lacking), but we just don't have the machinery to get them going. I don't pretend to know if it is a lack of internal organization, or if it is simple lack of influence in the media, but the messages, even when we HAVE some that are brilliant, just aren't getting out there. They aren't penetrating. If you tell me that the GOP has superior minds working on the whole when compared to the Democrats, I will have to disagree. Maybe they are more united, and/or maybe they are better entrenched media-wise, that is my personal guess.

[DemBones DemBones]

16. We need Sharpton in charge of memes and slogans,

it seems. He's very good, very sharp, with a talent for words. African-American preachers in general seem to be very good with words, in a way that few Caucasian preachers are. (Admittedly, I base my opinion on rather limited experience with black preachers and more extensive experience with white preachers.) It's poetry vs. prose.

[jpgray]

23. If I were a candidate, I would happy to borrow some of Sharpton's words nt

[DeepModem Mom]

17. Add "tax shift" to "conservative media" --

suggested by a poster a few days ago.

[Cronus Protagonist]

18. Yeah! And corporate "tax breaks" = "corporate welfare"

I like "corporate welfare"... Great phrase. I stand in awe and I don't know who coined it.

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[DeepModem Mom]

20. Very good -- DNC should be using these terms in ads...

BEFORE the election. Wish we could use language to open peoples' eyes to the truth --

[Cronus Protagonist]

19. Oh yeah, "cheap-labor conservatives"

Another gem coined by http://www.conceptualguerilla.com/

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[salin]

21. kick

:kick:

[Padraig18]

22. Try 'wealth transfer'.

That's one that the Repugs use in Illinois.