To be clear, 'shared sacrifice' is painful to one group, not painful to another.

Paying $20,000 more in taxes on a $300,000 income will make little difference to those in the top 2%. That money will not be missed much....will not represent a lifestyle change, will not result in higher risk of disease or death, will not mean lack of education, will not mean their kid can't do sports or orchestra in high school or have a picnic in a state park. I'm not sure how you call it a sacrifice.

However, to many of those NOT in the top 2%, a lack of adequate primary health care, not getting a student loan to attend college, not getting a timely mammogram, not getting a decent school lunch, not being able to afford medications, not having a safety net in old age, etc IS A SIGNIFICANT SACRIFICE.

And the sacrifices by the bottom income earners are not only more damaging and impactful individually, they are experienced by significantly more people.

The issue, once again, is framed away from progressive thinking. How did it get to be that the dem position is that it's a good deal if the top 2% contribute money they don't really need...and that's balanced by cutting services and programs that a lot of people REALLY need? That's now the left's position? The RW position is deregulation, tax cuts, cut government 'entitlement' spending....all supply side trickle down bills of goods that have been discredited especially in a recession. And dems seem to be 'battling' for a mix of those things PLUS a minor request that the top 2% and some corporations have tax increases. Not a major tax increase to rates such as existed before 1980...a minor, pain-free tax increase.

Where is the argument that in a recession and in an aging nation where corporate profits are record-breaking that we need to INCREASE programs and services?? Shouldn't that be the left's position? The 'shared sacrifice' idea may turn out better than it looks when details are announced...but right not it looks like we're all fighting over whether we adopt RW positions or extreme RW positions...NEITHER of which will help with the deficit or with job creation.

giving a coin vs. thoe rich who gave handfuls of coins; Jesus said that she was more generous than the rich, from which it can be inferred that the measure of sacrifice is what you have left after you have paid your taxes. I'm sure all those conservative Christians would get it right away.

or they would have already gotten it.

are old testament christians. If any of them ever acted the slightest bit like the christ character, I would be shocked to death.