Kerry out-refunds Bush

[Mavdog]

Guess Kerry didn't like the label the Bush campaign was painting of a tax raising candidate...so he now proposes to give MORE tax refunds to the middle class than GWBush does. Will Bush one up him?
From a Kerry news release:
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Read John Kerry's Remarks

After meeting with workers at Hill Mechanical Group in Chicago, John Kerry spoke to the AFL-CIO Executive Council Meeting via satellite about his plans to return tax fairness to the middle-class and working families.

George Bush has provided major tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and broken his promises to provide real relief to America’s middle class and working families. John Kerry will instead focus on helping middle class Americans who are paying more for health care, gas, and higher state and local taxes.

“I intend to return tax fairness to America,” said Kerry. “With George Bush’s tax cuts, the top one percent of taxpayers have received almost forty percent of the breaks. Meanwhile middle class working people have seen their share of the tax burden go up, not down.”

“If you add up the true costs of this President’s economic policies, you get a Bush Tax of higher property taxes, higher fees, higher health care costs – at the same time middle class incomes are going down. In 32 states, state and local property taxes have gone up. This Bush Tax can take $3500 or more from the pockets of America’s middle class. And they can’t afford that price.”

“Our middle class tax cut will help working people afford college and pay for health care and make ends meet. If this President wants to make this election about taxes after he’s cut billions for billionaires and squeezed middle class families, we’re ready for that fight.”

As President, John Kerry will repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and use that money to invest in health care and education. Kerry’s plan is targeted to middle class and working families who are working hard to cover the mortgage, pay rising health care costs, child care and tuition, or just trying to get ahead.

Kerry will protect tax cuts for the middle class, such as the child tax credit, the reduced marriage penalty and the new tax bracket that helps people save $350 on their first level of income. In fact, John Kerry wants to give more tax breaks to the middle class including new tax credits to pay for health care and college tuition. He has also proposed a $50 billion State Education and Tax Relief Fund that is designed to help states provide tax relief for state, local and property taxes for working families. These tax cuts are part of his plan to restore the economy and cut the budget deficit in half in four years.

“George Bush is running on the same-old Republican tactics of fear – and they’re already getting tired,” continued Kerry. “But we have something better than attacks, we have the facts. And here they are: under George Bush’s policies, middle class families are paying more. America’s middle class can’t afford a tax increase. That’s why we’re going to give the middle class a tax cut.”

“I am going to ask America’s wealthiest people – those making over $200,000 a year – to pay the same fair share they paid under Bill Clinton. Back then the rich got richer – but everyone else did too. By rolling back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, we can start to restore fiscal responsibility and invest in education and health care for our people. We also need to shut the loopholes that force American workers to subsidize sending jobs overseas!”

Kerry met with workers at the Hill Mechanical Group in Chicago prior to delivering his remarks to the AFL-CIO Executive Council Meeting. Established in 1936, Hill Mechanical Group is a contracting mechanical engineering organization specializing in heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, process piping, industrial ventilation, precision fabrication and plumbing systems. With approximately 650 employees, Hill Mechanical Group is the largest trade contractor of any type in Illinois.

Yesterday, John Kerry received the endorsements of Illinois leaders Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, Senator Dick Durbin and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Kerry held events with Blagojevich and Daley highlighting his plans to ensure that seniors have access to affordable safe prescriptions and to get America’s economy back on track.
WHO IS 'TAXING' THE AMERICAN FAMILY?

The Middle Class Squeeze under George Bush

George W. Bush likes to talk about tax cuts. But the truth is since George W. Bush took office, families have been taxed far more than ever before –they are paying higher college tuition higher health care costs, and higher prices for gasoline – and they are receiving lower incomes. They are also paying more in state, local, and property taxes.

· Income Decrease: $1,462. Under President Clinton, family income increased $7,202 from 1992 to 2000. Under President Bush family income has declined $1,462 from 2000 to 2002. [Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

· Tuition Increase: $1,032. Nationally, four-year public college tuition and fees increased by an average of $1,032 since Bush took office, a 28 percent increase, the highest three-year increase on record. [Source: The College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2003-04 compared to 2000-01]

· Health Increase: $793. Health care costs have increased by an average of $793 since Bush took office, a stunning 49 percent increase. [Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Employer Health Benefits Survey 2000 and 2003, www.kff.org]

· Gas Increase: $245. The average U.S. household has seen an increase of $245 annually in gasoline prices and an average household with children has seen an increase of $289 in gasoline prices since Bush came into office. [Source: Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration]

· State and Local Tax Increases. Since the beginning of the Bush administration 32 states have been forced to raise taxes and fees by a total of $16.2 billion. At the local level, county and city governments have been raising taxes as well. In 2002, property tax collections were rising more than 10 percent. [Source: Blueprint Magazine, “Bush’s Tax Shakedown,” June 30, 2003]

BUSH TAX: AT LEAST $3,532

[FishForLunch]

I welcome anybody cutting Taxes, I just hope that Kerry would not change his mind like he usually does if he becomes the president.