Official 2008 Democratic Party Platform

[iamthebandfanman]

"Just as America cannot afford to continue to run up
huge deficits, so too can we not afford to short-change investments. The key is to make
the tough choices, in particular enforcing pay-as- you-go budgeting rules. We will honor
these rules by our plan to end the Iraq war responsibly, eliminate waste in existing government
programs, generate revenue by charging polluters for the greenhouse gases they are releasing,
and put an end to the reckless, special interest driven corporate loopholes and tax cuts for the
wealthy that have been the centerpiece of the Bush Administration’s economic policy. We will
not raise taxes on people making less than $250,000, and we will eliminate federal income taxes
for seniors making less than $50,000. We recognize that Social Security is not in crisis and we
should do everything we can to strengthen this vital program, including asking those making over
$250,000 to pay a bit more. The real long- run fiscal challenge is rooted in the rising spending on
health care, but we cannot address this in a way that puts our most vulnerable families in
jeopardy. Instead, we must strengthen our public programs by bringing down the cost of health
care and reducing waste while making strategic investments that emphasize quality, efficiency, and prevention. In the name of our children, we reject the proposals of those who want to continue George Bush’s disastrous economic policies. "