Two Income Trap--Dems should focus on keeping family costs down

There was a book out not long ago "The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers & Fathers Are Going Broke" by Elizabeth Warren and her daughter Amy Tyagi (see review at http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2004/11/10_400.html ) and it seems to me that the Democratic congressional caucus should FOCUS LIKE A LASERBEAM on the core thesis of that book.

""So we looked at the data for two-income families today earning an average income. What we found was that, while those families certainly make more money than a one-income family did a generation ago, by the time they pay for the basics -- an average home, a health insurance policy, a second car to get Mom to work, child care, and taxes -- that family actually has less money left over at the end of the month to show for it. We tend to assume with two incomes you're doubly secure. But if you count on every penny of both of those incomes, which most families today do, then you're in big trouble if either income goes away. And obviously, if you have two people in the workforce, you have double the chance that someone will get laid off, or double the chance that someone could get too sick to work. When that happens, two-income families really get into trouble, and that's how a lot of families quickly go bankrupt.""

Dems in congress should promote a counter agenda to the Repubs. It should be healthcare, education, middleclass tax relief, and housing assistance. Fight on these issues and you'll have both conservatives and progressives behind you 100% !

those fine "American" industries will continue to be loath to reduce prices and outsource jobs. Let's rein industry in as well.

that corporate taxes need to be raised..."Warren Buffett Urges Higher Corporate Taxes "
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0306-01.htm

""Corporate income taxes in fiscal 2003 accounted for 7.4% of all federal tax receipts, down from a post-war peak of 32% in 1952. With one exception (1983), last year’s percentage is the lowest recorded since data was first published in 1934. Even so, tax breaks for corporations (and their investors, particularly large ones) were a major part of the Administration’s 2002 and 2003 initiatives. If class warfare is being waged in America, my class is clearly winning.""

And globalizing corporations are dropping US workers healthcare and pension benefits in order to 'compete' with cheap foreign labor market corporations (themselves) ! See "Benefits Trap" Businessweek July 2004.

that I had with my brother earlier today. My brother was a Republican until 2002, as a result he still has a lot of Republican friends. He called me today and said, "you know what lost the election? Taxes." He said the friends he went to lunch with all said they voted for Bush because they were afraid Kerry would raise taxes. He said it was their answer to everything.

War in Iraq: Kerry would raise taxes to pay for it. Bush has "cut" taxes.

Gay Marriage: Don't really care about it, but Kerry might raise taxes to help pay for more judges to hear about gay divorces.

National Security: Kerry would raise taxes to pay for it. Bush is doing and cutting taxes.

Environment: Kerry would raise taxes to pay for environmental projects. Bush may not be doing the best job, but he cuts taxes.

He said, it was their rationale for everything and they could go on and on and on about everything was about taxes because most of them are in marriages where both spouses work and they are trying to build up some cushion in the event one of them gets laid off.

Middle class tax relief is part of what Clinton-Gore in office back in 92.

he'll convert to progressive in an NY minute. Both parties have cowtowed to the wealthiest 1 and 1/2% of taxpayers and globalizing corporations, who 'offshore' all their taxable income by creating loopholes. Joe Sixpack is left with the damage ! The book is sooooo good, it shows we've already got a de facto flat tax of about 20% on all taxpayers (except the very rich). Another good on on concentration of wealth in the US is Kevin Phillips' "Wealth and Democracy".

Ask your bro who is making up the difference in taxes cut from the wealthiest and the corporations ! It's the middle class and lower class. And yes the wealthiest pay more federal taxes, but don't when you add up ALL taxes federal state local !

and he talked to his old Republican buddies and they actually think that Democrats are evil and will raise taxes.

At least he knows how I used to feel when talked to him back in the 90's. He bought everything the GOP propaganda machine put out. Now he carries a copy of "Outfoxed" with him and delights showing it to his friends. It has shaken a couple of them.

but you can't get blood from us turnips ! Dems and Repubs in congress will have to go after the wealthiest and the corporations to make up for the losses in consumer demand, which is what keeps this carnival ride going around ($11 trillion US GDP with 2/3rds of that 'consumption', $33 trillion World GDP, with jobs being outsourced and no equivalent replacement of the US consumptions...)

World's basically driving a car and letting the oil run out of the engine ! Pretty soon it burns up.

Oh, and globalizing corps, if they can't just offshore the jobs, they'll bring the foreign workers to them ! See

"Nation's immigrants account for bulk of labor force growth since 2000--Native-born workers eclipsed by great wave of immigration"
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-01/nu-nia010804.php