John Kerry And The Middle Class!
Invariably in ever speech, John Kerry tells his audience that the taxes on the middle class are too high. If he and John Edward's are elected it will be their priority to lower taxes, especially for the Middle Class. Is this the cry of a fiscal conservative or is he just pandering to a crowd, which ABC News defines as too stupid, too ignorant, or too benighted to know the legislative history of John Kerry?
The National Journal, the non-ideological, authoritative weekly magazine that covers Washington politics and policy, issued its congressional vote ratings for 2003, in February 2004. Not surprisingly, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry was on the far-left fringe on the National Journal's liberal-conservative continuum. On a scale that ranges from 0 to 100, Mr. Kerry compiled a composite liberal score for 2003 of 96.5, the highest in the Senate. It was the fourth time in his 20-year Senate career that Mr. Kerry compiled a composite voting record that was unsurpassed in its liberalism by any of the other 99 members of the Senate.
And, where was John Kerry’s heart felt concern for the Middle Class during the past 20 years. Surprise - surprise he has voted against most if not all attempts to lower taxes during his 20 years in the Senate, while voting for all efforts to raise taxes even against Social Security on our most vulnerable Senior Citizens. He voted against the tax reductions in 2001 and 2003, which were designed to spur the economy out of the recession left by the previous Democratic administration. Married couples can thank John Kerry for voting a total of 22 times not, and I repeat not, to reduce the marriage penalty, which is one of the most insidious taxes fostered on American families. He has voted 18 times against expanding the child tax credit! I guess he didn't feel that affected middle class families.
John Kerry vows weekly to help the most vulnerable in our society the senior citizen who is living on Social Security. Yet he has voted 8 times for higher taxes on Social Security benefits.
Then he rails against the increase in oil prices and the price middle class citizens have to pay at the pump. Yet he fails to mention that he voted against the Administrations Energy Plan that would have been a start toward more energy independence. He failed to mention that he proposed a 50-cent tax on gasoline to encourage conservation. He also fails to mention that the Kerry’s have 5 mansions, a private luxury jet plane, a private yacht, and a stable of SUV’s that consume more than their fair share of the nations’ energy.
Also he claims that George W. Bush is only interested in lowering taxes for those making more than $200,000. However under President Bush’s 2004 plan 109 million taxpayers will see their taxes decline by an average of $1,544, a family of four earning $40,000 will receive tax relief of $1,933, nearly 5 million individuals and families will see their income tax liabilities completely wiped out, 42 million families with children will get an average tax cut of $2,067, 13 million elderly individuals will see an average tax cut of $1,795, 25 million small business owners will save an average of $2,853, and, low-income families will benefit from provisions making the child credit refundable.
Is John Kerry being honest with the Middle Class or is he only an opportunist pandering for their vote? Can the most liberal member of the US Senate, who has voted 350 times to raise taxes suddenly become a conservative and lower them?
Michael Ashbury
Michael Ashbury, a noted researcher and author, is the author of ''Who is the REAL John Kerry?'' (Booksurge.com 2004). |
