http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-politics-kerry.htmlDemocrat Kerry Unveils Jobs, Economic Plan By REUTERS
Filed at 6:26 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender John Kerry outlined a proposal on Thursday to aid the struggling economy, promising to restore jobs, trim the deficit and provide middle-class tax relief.The Massachusetts senator, one of nine Democrats seeking the right to challenge President Bush in 2004, said Bush's only cure for the ailing economy was "special interest tax giveaways" that were unaffordable and unfair."We're not just in a temporary downturn. America is in a fight for our economic future,'' Kerry said in a speech in Durham, New Hampshire, the state with the nation's first primary contest next January. The text was made available in Washington.<snip>
Kerry proposed a relief fund for states facing record budget deficits.His plan would eliminate Bush's tax cuts for anyone earning more than $200,000 a year and use the savings to spend $25 billion a year for two years to ease the fiscal crisis for states.He also proposed a tax credit on the first $4,000 of tuition each year of college, to help ease the burden of college costs, and a tax credit to reward companies that create a set level of jobs by refunding payroll taxes of new employees for two years.<snip>
His economic plan, which incorporates elements of earlier proposals in areas like health care and energy, includes a series of steps to crack down on corporate crime and enforce trade laws.<snip>