What Do We Give Up For the 99ers?

[Yeggo]

I haven't posted here in a while, mostly because well... I agree with the Tax Cut deal the President struck, and I had a pretty good idea how that news would be taken by most of the DU community.

But I don't think it's perfect. Like a lot of you, I'd love to get some help for the 99ers in there. But the question is - what are we willing to give up to get that. Personally, I'd be willing to drop the estate tax from 35% to 25% in order to extend the 99ers by another 13 months. I'm wondering how much appetite there is for that possible deal among the liberals here.

http://conversation101.squarespace.com/taxes/2010/12/11/99-going-on-zero-can-a-deal-be-struck-on-continuing-benefits.html

[msongs]

1. 1 yr of unemployment versus eternal tax reduction of muli millionaires. good trade off? nt

[Yeggo]

13. Technically not eternal

We'll go through this same argument in two years.

[Faygo Kid]

2. The 99ers are screwed. Unemployment insurance is a goner by 2012.

So is Social Security. The fix is in.

[mmonk]

3. A government that gave a damn about its people wouldn't

even look at it as something to drop.

[stray cat]

7. or people who cared about their neighbors?

[mmonk]

11. If those people are in government and make the decisions

to consider it a give away intead of a basic function of government to promote the general welfare of its people.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. At first, I was going to say "Bush and Cheney" or "50% of the defense budget" but then I

realized you were asking about what was realistic (in the horse-trading sense).

Cutting estate tax on estates greater than $1,000,000 from 35 to 25% seems like a perfectly reasonable concession to make to secure extended assistance for the 99ers.

Is this an option on the table among any of the responsible Repukes (if such even still exist)? I follow the issue closely but not at the policy wonk level.

[Yeggo]

14. Sadly, no.

There doesn't seem to be any willingness among Republicans to extend help to the 99ers. Which, I assume, is why it wasn't part of the deal in the first place.

[MH1]

5. Increased funding for INS, and restrictions on work visas

plus a plan to transition '99ers' into the jobs that supposedly the big corps 'can't find' Americans to fill.

The wrong wingers would certainly like part 1 of that at least. (But the funding *should* go to bust corporations for improper use of H1Bs and other visa programs.)

[stray cat]

8. China is number one in education for science math etc; we are 17 on our best topic

You need to create jobs and hire those who can't find work in the US.

[MH1]

19. We need to train the people already here, for the jobs already here

and stop hiring from other countries.

[Donnachaidh]

6. How about a 25% clawback of ALL raises given for the past 5 years to Congress and Senate?

Certainly THAT would cover the 99ers without handing MORE tax cuts to those who don't need it. And it would send a real message to the representatives who have done nothing to deserve those raises.

Let's see Obama run a presser offering to lower the Presidential salary by 25%. He's asking the poorest to make a sacrifice -- will he?

[Starry Messenger]

9. Um, tax the rich, extend that $$ to the 99ers...

Seems simple, what am I missing?

[Yeggo]

15. The part where that passes the Senate. nt

[Starry Messenger]

16. That's where Presidential arm twisting comes in.

Not the part where the President goes and sells the whole store upfront. Find out what the hold-outs want in their states and start negotiating. That's how that works, lol.

[Yeggo]

21. OK, but...

In this case, the "holdouts" want him to lose at all costs.

[Karmadillo]

10. Hope?

nt

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

12. STET tax anyone?

Couldn't be a better time than now to get Wall Street to start their reparations. Can't believe this isn't on the table, unless I've missed something.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x387923

[TheKentuckian]

17. I thought only Reich Wingers were actively trying to defund the government.

Do you really think this is a free ride and there is no real cost to real Americans on the other side of these "horse trades"?

Democrats have become just as irresponsible and even more desperately hand to mouth than the Republicans.

[Yeggo]

18. Some pretty good suggestions, actually.

Especially like the 25% pay cut and the estate tax drop. Will look into STET. Not up on that one.

[FirstLight]

20. WAR

duh!