Kerry on AMT

[globalvillage]

Family tax needs fixing: Mid-income households taking a pounding
By John F. Kerry
Monday, April 17, 2006

This time of year, millions of middle-class families are feeling the pinch of the family tax as they fill out their taxes.

Teachers, police officers, nurses and hard-working families with household incomes in the middle-income tax brackets will be forced to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax penalty, sometimes thousands of dollars.

Families who hoped to use a tax refund or money saved the hard way during the year for college tuition, a down payment or health-care costs will end up in the red because of the Alternative Minimum Tax which would be far more appropriately named the family tax.

But watching Congress and this White House drag their feet on a family tax fix, you would think there is nothing wrong with middle-class families taking a pounding on their taxes in an economy that already squeezes their budgets when they pay bills or fill up the car at the pump.

http://news.bostonherald.com/opinion/view.bg?articleid=135438

Did anyone else see this covered on MSNBC? It was followed by some vague, inane comments by the admin on how they are 'working on it', but MSNBC did quote this piece from the Senator today.

[MH1]

1. Damn, he's keeping busy.

Didn't anyone teach him the word "vacation" when he was growing up?

Just kidding...always glad to see my Senator in print.

[_dynamicdems]

2. He does take vacations but he does stuff like...

riding a motorcycle and sleeping in a pickup truck or visiting with the local officials.

Gives new meaning to the term "workaholic."

[TayTay]

3. The Family Tax, wow that is good.

Oh, snap. That is very good phrasing. The Dems should pick that up nationally and use it this fall. Excellent phrase. It succinctly says what the tax unfairly does, tax families. Love this. Nice work.

[globalvillage]

6. MSNBC covered it pretty well.

They quoted JK a couple times and put up a pic, and asked the admin spokesperson (? I was working)to comment. Aparently tax reform is 'hard work', but they're 'on it'. I only caught it once. Guess they're not covering it in prime time.

[ProSense]

4. Writing an article on AMT,

a letter to John Snow and preparing for a major speech---the Senator deserves a vacation (I hope he and THK are squeezing in some R&R), and no one can complain that it isn't earned.

[karynnj]

5. Really good timing

We paid a small AMT this year - NJ is one of the other states that get hit with this. (We have very high property taxes.)

[TayTay]

7. We did too!

I wouldn't mind if the money was going to health care or education or to securing the borders or something worthwhile. But Bush and his cronies are using it to buy more bombs for Iraq and Iran. That burns my ass.