Governor Dean Unveils Economic Plan

Governor Dean Unveils Economic Plan

Restoring the American Dream


WASHINGTON—Democratic presidential candidate Governor Dean unveiled his economic program today, condemning the "Enron Economics" of the Bush administration, and promising that, as president, he would "reclaim the American dream" for working families.

Speaking to students and faculty at Georgetown University, Governor Dean spoke out against the growing influence of corporate and special interests in the political process.

"When the balance of power in Washington shifts and private interests trump the common good American capitalism has been betrayed. Over the last 30 years, we have allowed multinational corporations and other special interests to use our nation's government to undermine our nation's promise. They have bought access to power with their campaign contributions and their lobbyists. And they’ve used that access to ensure that the laws--and most importantly the tax code--benefit them," Governor Dean said.

"The Bush presidency is the realization of our founding fathers' fear – that one day economic power would seize political power. Enron epitomizes this fear, corporate power run amok. The executives at Enron misled the public and their employees to line their pockets with millions of dollars while employees lost their jobs, lost their health insurance and lost their pensions," Dean said. "President Bush has brought the Enron model from Texas to Washington. He's implemented an economic plan for the country with reckless tax cuts based on false economic assumptions that benefit the wealthiest in our society at the expense of ordinary working Americans. The President's economics are Enron economics."

The Dean economic program consists of:

1. JOB CREATION: A short-term stimulus to create 1 million new jobs through a $100 billion Fund to Restore America that will help states and local governments create jobs in health, education, and homeland security, as well as build or restore schools, roads and other infrastructure.

2. FISCAL DISCIPLINE: Repeal all the president's tax cuts, pay for new programs without increasing the deficit, and a pledge to balance the budget.

3. HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS: A new Small Business Capital Corporation to expand the secondary market for small business loans and make capital for these job creators available more easily and at a lower cost.

4. TAX FAIRNESS: An aggressive effort to clean up the tax code, end corporate welfare, close tax loopholes, enhance enforcement against tax cheats and to shift the burden of taxation back toward corporations giving fairer treatment to individual taxpayers.

5. TAX SIMPLIFICATION: A commitment to tax simplification so that at least half of American taxpayers will no longer have to fill out forms.

6. A BETTER DEAL FOR WORKING FAMILIES: Addressing working families' anxieties about making ends meet with a higher minimum wage, universal health care, greater assistance with early education and care and college for their kids and a secure retirement.

Governor Dean explained that recovering from the Bush administration's reckless policies—that have cost 3.1 million jobs and turned a $3.1 trillion surplus into a $3.8 trillion deficit—will be difficult.

"The effect of this president's policies is to saddle a family of four with $52,000 in national debt over the next six years alone. And let’s be clear what American middle class families actually received. In 2003, 60 percent of Americans will get an average of $307; the top one percent of all households received an average of over $26,000," Governor Dean said.

"What George Bush is basically doing is borrowing $1000 in your name and handing you $250 of it. That is why I say, unlike some of my rivals, we need to repeal all of the president's tax cuts. These tax cuts weren't written for the majority of America. These tax cuts weren't written to return economic power back to the people. These tax cuts, like Enron's finances, are a scheme to make the rich richer, to starve Social Security and Medicare and to put our nation's financial strength at risk by creating the largest debt in history."

"We'll have to be honest with the American people that it's going to take years and some sacrifice to dig out," Dean said. "I pledge to the American people that a Dean administration in Washington will do what the Dean administration did in Vermont: we will balance the budget."

www.deanforamerica.com

I've been waiting all day for this and it's GREAT! Dr. Dean calls a spade a spade!

Just looking at item number one. $100 Billion stimulus to create 1 Million new jobs????

That's $100,000 for every new job created? Why not just cut $33,000 tax-free checks to 3 million people for the same cost? Why pay a business $100,000 to create a job?

Heck! Why am I asking the question. I'm going in to business for myself. I'll hire any of you for $30,000/year for two years. I wont' make you actually work and I get to keep the difference. Who's with me? I bet I can hire all million new jobs and save the Fed a bunch of paperwork in the process!

Of course, you have to elect Dean and convinve him to live up to the program.

as well as build or restore schools, roads and other infrastructure.



Presumedly the material and the rest of the needed inputs would cost money too.

I have heard that $100 billion figure somewhere before...

Don't you feel better about yourself?

I was hoping for something a little more substantial, but it's better than attacking Kerry, at least.

...I like to see how long it takes the Dean bashers to get here. LOL.

Well at least we've finally got an answer on that one. Of course, I have no idea what he meant about tax reforms to ease the burden on working families that he just spoke about a few days ago. But hey, this is a new day. I guess Dean re-volved this time.

All and all though, this is a fine plan. I'd probably think more of it if I hadn't already heard it months ago from a different candidate who also had more substance in the plan.

and he does say it here too BTW. He is going to repeal all of the Bush tax cuts and institute a tax reform which increases the burden on business and lessens it on people. You see, not all tax cuts are Bush's tax cuts. It is possible to cut different taxes than those which Bush chose to cut. Do you get it now?

You're a riot. I was actually referring to another statement he just came out with about tax reform targeting working people and the middle class. But here you say he's going to increase the burden on business and lessen it on people, but he has no tax cut for the people. Whatever.

But he's repealing ALL the tax cuts. That's clear... for today.

I like the emphasis on working families, although I'm skeptical about universal healthcare and the raising of the minimum wage ever getting traction. But I'm afraid any of the candidates who roll back tax cuts are going to get hammered by the Bush team. Everyone knows the majority of tax revenue comes from the middle class, so rolling back taxes will place a burden on working families. Lieberman's plan of just raising taxes on the rich won't hurt the middle class, but there's only so much you're going to get from the rich. There's not that many of them and they have all sorts of shelters that AREN'T going away.

Whoever the candidate is needs to focus on the prosperity of the 90's and that the Democratic Party can bring it back, while emphasizing our determination to keep our military strong and fight terrorism. I beleive that could be a winning ticket, but it's going to be an uphill battle.

As I stated on another board, small businesses are corporations too.
I can't bring myself to agree with shifting the tax burden to corporations when I, personally, know of one small business that manages to actually OWE income taxes on a LOSS. I have never understood how that is possible. But, it IS true.

but I don't think even most. Many, and possibly most, small business pay a personal rate.

Just got done reading the full text of the plan on his website. Although, as I've pointed out in the past, I agree more with Kerry's economic ideas than Dean's, the plan goes into pretty good detail.

Also, I'm impressed that Dean actually got a concrete plan out. I'd gotten about fed up with the pure kneejerk anti-Bush rhetoric, so it's nice to see some ideas of his own.