Ten years seems like a lifetime ago in politics. After an election fraught with controversy, George W. Bush was several months into his presidency. As far as the budget was concerned, we were doing alright. Things could have been better -- but we were on the right path to invest a surplus in our future, to rebuild our infrastructure, and to pay off our debt.
But then exactly 10 years ago today -- on June 7, 2001 --President Bush signed massive tax cuts into law, cuts that continue to starve our government of revenue while overwhelmingly rewarding those who least need it: millionaires and billionaires. On this unfortunate anniversary, Americans are coming together and asking Congress to choose a new path.
Call toll free today and tell your representatives to stop cutting vital services and to start making millionaires and polluting corporations pay their fair share! Click here for the phone number and a sample script.
After President Bush signed the Orwellian-named Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, the gap between the wealthy and the rest in America widened to breadths not seen since our country was teetering toward the Great Depression.1To make things worse, the Bush administration put two wars on the credit card and gave even larger handouts to polluting industries like Big Oil.
Now, Republicans are saying that we can’t afford to fund critical environmental and social programs, and are playing games of brinksmanship with the debt ceiling -- threatening to push the country into a deeper economic hole.
But we're not fooled. Despite railing about a budget crisis, senators recently blocked a vote to end handouts to the five biggest oil companies, putting polluter profits ahead of the public welfare.
Call your member of Congress and tell him or her that it’s time to end handouts to Big Oil and other polluters and to make millionaires and multinational corporations pay their fair share. Click here for the phone number and a sample script.
It’s been debunked: lower tax rates for the wealthy do not result in economic growth or so-called "trickle down" benefits. From 2001 to 2007, income levels for the wealthiest 400 taxpayers more than doubled while median incomes in America actually fell 4 percent. In other words, as corporate CEOs built larger ocean-front mansions, more and more families struggled to put enough food on the table.
There is a better way. According to Think Progress, a week’s worth of the Bush tax cuts could fund the program that feeds poor women and children for an entire year.2 If everyone pays a fair share of taxes, imagine all the ways we could make our country stronger.
We have seen what tax loopholes, corporate handouts and less regulation do to the economy -- and to our environment. Call your representatives in Congress and tell them to defend government funding for vital programs -- and to make millionaires and polluting industries pay their fair share.
Your action will help us make this national call-in day a success. Thanks for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Becca Connors
Friends of the Earth
1. Emily Kaiser, "How American Income Inequality Hit Levels Not Seen Since The Depression
." Reuters.
2. Pat Garofalo, "House GOP Cuts To Nutrition Assistance Equal To One Week
." Think Progress.
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