Fiscal Cliff Shenanigans
There's a lot of chatter coming out of DC and the media about the upcoming fiscal cliff. President Obama and John Boehner are talking one day and then the next acting like children claiming the other stole their bicycle.
From what most pundits are saying, one could assume that we're headed for financial armageddon if our elected officials don't take bold action before Jan. 1.
Whatever you do, do not believe what they are saying.
In our opinion, the fiscal cliff is a manufactured crisis and a scare tactic to make us think we need to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and a whole host of other vital public programs to avert a crisis. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our friends at Maine People's Alliance have a wonderful photo to help illustrate what's at stake with the fiscal cliff. Here it is:
The current "deals" on the table are no where near worth taking. House Speaker Boehner's proposal makes permanent the Bush era tax cuts on income up to $1 million. President Obama's counter-offer extends the Bush era tax cuts on income up to $400,000, AND contains the chained consumer price index (CPI).
To be clear, the chained CPI is a benefit cut that affects every single American. And it doesn't just reduce cost of living adjustments to Social Security - it will affect government pensions, veterans' benefits and over time would push more people into higher tax brackets. Annual adjustments to the poverty level would also be smaller, reducing the number of people eligible for Medicaid, Head Start, food stamps, school lunches and home heating assistance.
Don't be fooled into thinking we need to rush a deal. We recommend heeding the advice of Senator Harkin when he says "no deal is better than a bad deal." And right now, there are only bad deals coming out of Washington. We can, and must, do better. And the Senate is where we will draw a line in the sand. Call Senators Harkin and Grassley and tell them all you want for Christmas is a fair deal or no deal at all!
What you can do:
Contact Senators Grassley and Harkin and tell them that we want a fair deal or no deal as a response to the upcoming "fiscal cliff". Call (855) 521-4799 and simply follow the instructions to be connected.
Write a letter to the editor explaining the importance of Social Security and Medicare and how our elected officials need to end the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2% - not cut vital programs that benefit millions of everyday people.
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