Sanders, Rendell Take On Budget Cutting Hypocrisy

Run time: 08:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6DsZ5QAbxU   Posted on YouTube: March 07, 2011 By YouTube Member: SenatorSanders Views on YouTube: 83   Posted on DU: March 08, 2011 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 736

 
"It would be morally wrong for the United States to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable people in our society while asking nothing from the wealthiest," Sen. Bernie Sanders said. That's why he proposed a surtax on millionaires and eliminating tax breaks for Big Oil. He talked about the proposal in an interview Monday with radio host Ed Schultz.

A 5.4 percent surtax on adjusted gross incomes over $1 million would raise as much as $50 billion a year. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published last week showed overwhelming support for that concept.

Ending tax breaks for oil and gas companies could raise another $3.5 billion a year.

Senate leadership already agreed to cut spending by $41 billion. The president last week signed into law a short-term continuing resolution that cut an additional $4 billion. Senate negotiators have offered additional $6.5 billion in cuts. That's more than half of the $100 billion House Republicans have called for in terms of deficit reduction. The rest, Sanders said, must come from additional revenue.

"In the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, America's middle class and working families have already paid a very heavy price in terms of lost jobs, lost homes, lost wages, and lost opportunity," Sanders said. "The time has come to ask the wealthiest in our society and the most profitable corporations in America to help our nation address its deficit crisis," he concluded.

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=CC6563D9-58DD-4509-8A9D-DE0029911F60


http://sanders.senate.gov/

One of the few Senators not afraid to be blunt, speak it how it is.

strategy is to make cuts that will result in massive job losses in hopes that voters will hold President Obama and the Democrats responsible. They could be right. But there appears to have been an awakening..........of sorts. I mean, these cuts will result in direct job losses. This can't be denied.