Richard Trumka Statement on Tax Cut Deal

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/12/07/richard-trumka-statement-on-tax-cut-deal/

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka today issued the following statement on the tax cut deal reached between President Obama and congressional Republicans:

Two years ago, working Americans had high hopes that we would ultimately emerge from the deep, punishing financial debacle with a sharp focus on a fundamentally stronger, fairer and more balanced economy. Today, that vision has dimmed.

The tax cut deal rewards Republican obstructionism by giving the wealthy the tax breaks they demanded. It throws away precious resources needed for investments in jobs and our economy on upper income tax cuts that will do very little to propel economic growth—setting up excuses for the deficit hypocrites to argue for even more cuts to programs serving working families. It lards the tax cuts for the top 2 percent with an indefensible cut in the estate tax – giving yet another bonus to the super-rich. Taken together, this package locks in the growing income inequality that has plagued our country for at least another two years – and quite possibly much longer.

It is unconscionable that the price of support for struggling middle class families and workers who have been unable to find jobs for months and months and months is yet more giveaways for our country’s wealthiest families. Millions of jobless workers have lived in fear for months while Senate Republicans had the gall to use their hardships as political leverage for the benefit of the rich.

The gains for the middle class and jobless workers in the deal come at too high a price.

The issue we face today is not the lack of power or opportunity. The question we have to answer is this: How do we use our power to escape caving in to Wall Street and moneyed interests? And how do we create the millions of jobs we need now and move toward a future of broadly shared prosperity?

eom

I have no idea is such a job would interest him or if he would run. But it would be nice to have someone in there who is an advocate for workers and citizens' rights.

thanks Steve for posting this.

when the private sector won't.

I would love to see something like this.

Of course the corpse media would throw tantrum after tantrum, their hysteria might even wake up a few more citizens!

and I think he's intelligent. But he is fighting for neoliberal policies and I don't agree that economic ideology is what is best for our country.

I wish he'd been more honest about it in the election campaign, I thought he'd be more of a centrist which wouldn't have been great but would be a huge improvement from Bush. But that's water under the bridge, time to move on and find someone who'll be more progressive. And not just for President either, Congress needs shaking up as well.

Maybe all the coalitions that came together for Obama can come together again for someone who isn't DLC or a "New" Dem. I am pretty sure the corpse media won't allow it but perhaps we'll be smart enough to work around them this time.

Just not for Democratic principles. I don't see him as weak nor do I think he caves. I believe he wants to do exactly what he is doing and that takes big balls!

I wish he was.

...funded seeing Obama's base loves him more the RayGuns

He probably understands the illegal immigration issue better than most--I loved what he had to say about it. I'd love to see him take a run at it (although I doubt he'd go far, unfortunately).

instead of the wealthy.

Hmmm - now the question is, how can we put this idea in his mind?