Talking Points 2-3-09
We had a great day yesterday! Thanks for all who participated. There
are some of you that are flat burning up the phone/fax lines. Please
know that your voices are being heard.
1) THE PLAN IS COST INEFFECTIVE. If we divided the cost of the
stimulus plan equally among every family in the United States, it
would cost each one $10,520. That is approximately what each family
would spend on food, clothing, and health care for a whole year.
(Source: Heritage Foundation -
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/01/27/stimulus-101-the-pelosi-reid-obama-debt-plan/)
2) REPUBLICANS HAVE A BETTER IDEA. Senator Jim DeMint has an
alternative plan that could create almost two million total jobs this
year and next and almost 18 million jobs in the next ten years. It is
called The American Option and, if enacted, it would:
- make the temporary tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent;
- lower the top nominal personal income tax rate to 25 percent and
simplify the tax code the Barack Obama's appointees seem to have
trouble following by. There would be three, and only three, tax rates:
10, 15, and 25 percent;
- reduce the second-highest corporate income tax rate in the world
from 35 percent to 25;
- repeal the alternative minimum tax once and for all;
- hold the capital gains and dividends taxes at 15 percent;
- kill the Death Tax for estates under $5 million, and cut the tax
rate to 15 percent for those above;
- extend the $1,000-per-child tax credit;
- repeal the marriage tax penalty
- limit itemized deductions to home mortgage interest and charitable
contributions.
It takes no more money from your pocket. In fact, it puts money in
your pocket, not just once, but every single year. It does not reward
political donors and government bureaucrats and buy votes for greedy
politicians. It gives control back to mom and pop business owners,
employers, employees, newlywed couples, bereaved families, and
families just like yours and mine.
(Source: Senator Jim DeMint -
http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=232d4b37-9a12-2dbc-c240-d2784b5d3f42&Month=1&Year=2009)
(Thanks to @jimmiebjr for his research)
3) FILIBUSTER. Please start asking your senators about what they
think about the filibuster option. When senate Republicans start to
"compromise" or "reach across the aisle" it always means that
conservatives are the only ones giving anything up. This bill is a bad
bill. There is no way it can be made better. It must be scrapped and
re-done from its foundations. The only way to do that is to filibuster
it to death. We are NOT asking for their commitment to a filibuster,
but do want to take their temperature and see what they think.
Thanks for your continued hard work.
Wendy Herman
(@txskirt on twitter)
