Payroll Tax Cut

House Speaker John Boehner Needs To Show Some “Cajones”!

Ronald 1 Comment

Speaker of the House John Boehner is now faced with a revolt against the Senate passed two month extension of the middle class payroll tax cut, the continuation of unemployment compensation for those on it, and the delay in cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

The vote in the Senate was 89-10, but now Tea Party House Republicans are refusing to support the extension, which is far from ideal, as there should have been an agreement to extend these provisions for an entire year.

But at this late date of the calendar year, if no action is taken, then these provisions will expire, and Senate Democrats have made it clear there will be no return to Washington DC by the adjourned Senate. If taxes go up for the middle class; unemployment benefits are ended; and Medicare doctors lose some of their payments, there will be hell to pay!

It is time, after a year of conflict and confrontation that is the worst in Congressional history, that Speaker Boehner show some “cajones”, and make it clear that the Tea Party radicals are not going to hold the nation hostage for the umpteenth time! The 112th Congress MUST get its act together, and not a moment to waste!

Boehner has to show he has the capability of former Speakers such as Sam Rayburn, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, and even Newt Gingrich, to get things done!

Boehner needs to impose discipline and make these radicals know who is the boss, even at the sacrifice of his Speakership in the next Congress!

He will need to work with traditional conservative Republicans and Democrats to get the country’s business accomplished this next year, as we cannot tolerate another year of such confrontational government!

Refusal to do so will convince voters to give up the experiment in divided government, and the Republicans will be the losers!

It is time for everyone of common decency and humanity to declare “war” on the Tea Party, come hell or high water, and put the nation’s needs in the forefront!

American Unemployment At Two And A Half Year Low: The Tide Is Finally Turning, But Could Be Reversed By Republican Obstructionism In Congress!

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Finally, real progress is being made on unemployment, with the rate last month dropping to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009, when everything was collapsing economically, due to the Bush administration disaster financially, just as Barack Obama took over the Presidency!

There is a long way to go, and no one is saying a miracle will occur in the next eleven months, but what can be detrimental would be for Congress to refuse to keep the payroll tax cut, which put $1000 into the pockets of the average taxpayer, and a continuation of the unemployment compensation benefit to the long term unemployed, who are rapidly become homeless, as well as jobless, in the worst economy in 75 years!

But those two actions required before the end of the year seem to be moving toward failure, due to obstructionism by the Republicans in Congress, who seem ready to see taxes go UP for the middle and working classes, while refusing to raise one cent in the taxes on the top two percent! And the long term unemployed are being depicted as lazy and shiftless, a total disgrace to depict them as such!

So the Republicans could be working toward trying to undermine the economic recovery, because after all, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made it clear that the major goal of the GOP was the defeat of a second term for President Barack Obama.

The American people, and particularly those in economic distress, are being abandoned, being thrown into the sea without a life preserver, with any conscience by the Republican Party, which only concerns itself with the wealthy and the corporations and unbridled capitalism!

The bright spot in all this is the belief that the Republican stand will harm them in the Congressional Elections Of 2012! But meanwhile, there will be millions of victims, as a result!

Here We Go Again: Republicans Want Tax Increase For Middle Class And Don’t Care About Unemployed Millions!

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The Republican Party, which wants constant tax cuts for the top two percent and for corporations, is making clear its unwillingness to support a continuation of the payroll tax cut of 2 percent on Social Security to help middle class families, by continuing an average $1000 tax cut over the payroll year, which will expire at the end of the year.

At the same time, the fact that we have more long term unemployed than we have ever had since the 1930s does not phase the party, which is against an extension of unemployment compensation for those who have been out of work for more than 99 weeks, feeling that the lack of jobs is not the issue, but the “lazy” attitude of workers who would rather collect a check than go to work!

What an outrage to call for tax increases at a difficult time, and to have no concern if the unemployed are homeless, starving, and have no medical care!

We are seeing the Republican Party going back to the concept of the 19th century Social Darwinists–basically having no concern for the unfortunate, including millions of children, about 25 percent of all children, taking the view that poverty and deprivation is a character flaw in those people, and basically, let them starve, as that would help, somehow, to produce a better society!

Shame on the GOP, and the voters in 2012 will richly reward them for such hardhearted attitudes by throwing them out of office!