Dean Trapped...How can he shift his campaign to address ....

[deminflorida]

economic issues, when he will be attacked for implementing what will be perceived as a tax hike for the middle class of America?

Dean's record also lends itself to questioning concerning Taxes in Vermont.....

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/dean/articles/2003/12/07/deans_tax_claims_bring_skepticism/

Vermont has the nation's 12th-highest tax burden as a percentage of personal income, according to the Tax Foundation. The state's tax rate could become a major issue in the primary in neighboring New Hampshire, which ranks 49th. Vermonters will pay 10.1 percent of their personal income in state and local taxes, compared with 6.6 percent in New Hampshire, the foundation says in a study.

I Agree with Ads Currently Running....

Democrats should start thinking about these issues and thinking about them now.

[GainesT1958]

1. It definitely needs to be "hashed out" now...

Before the issue is "hashed out" later...:eyes:

After all, I really WANT Florida to be a "battleground state" next year!

B-)

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Services cost money, and deficits are bad.

Sorry, despite what the Bushistas are sayin, there is no free lunch.

Too keep taxes low, you must either cut services or incur deficits.

BTW, a rollback of the Bush tax plan will result in higher taxes primarily for the very weathly, who received the substantial cuts in the first place.

[bearfartinthewoods]

9. so why not roll back the cuts for the wealthy and leave the middleclass

alone?

[Don Claybrook]

10. Because there was no middle-class tax cut in the first place

Would you rather live like you did under Bill Clinton or under Bush2? Personally, I'd rather pay more in taxes and have some services available, like maybe universal health care.

Go check the thread called The Welfare State (somewhere in GD) and read the lengthy linked journal and see what you think of it. It contains some really good material.

[Bandit]

12. I think it would be difficult to cherry pick out of Bush*'s tax policy

Repeal it all and then implement an honest tax program that will address the issues of middle America. Tax the wealthy and then they won't have so damn much. America helped to make them wealthy and they should pay their fair share to keep America sound.

[Don Claybrook]

3. I believe you could personally get Clark a 2% bump in the polls

If you'd spend half as much energy supporting Clark as you did attacking Howard Dean.

Try to say something original and/or positive just once.

[mikehiggins]

4. Dean always had economic positions worth considering.

He emphasised the war because that was his strong suit, especially during a primary like this one. However, there is nothing wrong with his domestic agenda with the exception of the tax thing and that is only a "sound bite" problem.

Clearly, Bush's "tax cut" is bullsh*t for everyone except the most well-to-do, and what little benefits might acrue to the regular guy are more than gobbled up by the local tax increases made necessary by the loss of federal funding, and the increase of unfunded mandates like NCLB.

What Dean should do is appropriate the old Libertarian slogan, TANSTAAFL, There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. People understand that. If you tell them that all Bush did was shift the tax burden from the federal to the local level, and that in many cases that results in a net LOSS to the average taxpayer, the message will sink in. You have to be on the attack to do that, though, and that's one thing the Governor isn't afraid to do.

When the newsguy says "your opponents claim you want to raise taxes on the middle class. How do you reply to that?"

Dean should reply "tanstaafl" <taan-sta-ful>

newsguy "whaaaa?"

Dean "Tanstaafl. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." and go on from there.

Of course, as I've said many times in many places, I beleive that Clark is the only one who has a real chance to take Bush down but that is no reason not to lend a hand to help whoever might be the eventual candidate DURING the general election.

[Don Claybrook]

8. And that's how it's done. Thank you

Thanks for your classy statement of support for Howard Dean. As you can see, I'm a Dean supporter, but I would and I have gone to the mat for Wes Clark and for John Kerry.

They're all 3 good people. They're also too conservative for my personal tastes, but I don't pretend that my exact platform will win a presidential election anytime in the next 100 years either. One of them will win, and at that time I'll do what I can to start pulling them to the left. But one of them has to win in the general election in order for me to be able to do that.

Anyway, thanks for the good example of how opposition within the same party should be handled.

[gasperc]

5. Dean needs to protect cuts on income <$150k or so

these were where much of Gore's cuts were set at, suts would have happened regardless of who became president.
As a party, we should be unified on the message that Bush cuts were loppsided to the wealthy and it is that section of the changes that must be rolled back.

[OneTwentyoNine]

6. If 10.1 is what it takes for a balanced budget...

That is high but I guess thats what it takes for a balanced budget unlike the way Bush runs this country on his unlimited Chase Manhattan card.

I'm sure the rate could drop in Vermont very easily. Just start cutting costs. Ok,who wants to go first?? Just what I thought,no one...

David

[papau]

7. NH is no services - high real estate tax - If you are unlucky and kid

needs help - you move out of state.

If you need help, check with parents.

[Demobrat]

11. Dean will come out with his own tax plan,

never fear. It will benefit the middle classes and he will explain it to them clearly in plenty of time for the general.