Transcript: Democratic Response to President's Radio Address
Saturday, April 26, 2003
The following is a complete transcript of the Democratic response to the President's radio address, Saturday, April 26, 2003.
TUBBS JONES: Good morning. This is Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio.
For the last two weeks, President Bush and his advisors have traveled the country, including a visit to my home state, trying to sell their massive tax cut to the American people. They are wrapping it in fancy paper and calling it a "stimulus package" or an "economic plan."
But the American people aren't buying it. In fact, many members of the president's own party disagree with this reckless proposal. They can dress up this tax cut any way they want and it's still just that: a tax cut for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans that does nothing to create jobs and will only sink our nation further into debt.
A tax cut of this size, directed to the privileged few, will not help our struggling economy, no matter what it is called.
I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. Since 2001, Ohio alone has lost 167,800 jobs, which is more than 3 percent of its total workforce. In the city of Cleveland, 53,900 jobs have been lost since the president was sworn into office, which is 4.7 percent of its workforce.
Over the last few weeks, I have spoken with many members of the Cleveland business community, and most agree on one thing: This tax cut is useless as a tool to help their struggling businesses.
For example, local businesses tell me that they are much more likely to invest in new jobs and new technology if they're allowed to write off more of those investments on their taxes. And workers in the health-care field feel they're best helped by increased provider reimbursements, not a dividend tax reduction.
What's more, the Republican budget will mean cuts in local services of all kinds. It means fewer qualified teachers in our public schools. It means fewer police to keep our neighborhoods safe. It means fewer firefighters and EMTs to respond to our emergencies. And it means fewer hospitals dedicated to caring for the veterans who have put their lives on the line to protect ours.
We can, and we must, do better than that.
Democrats are all for cutting taxes. The difference is that we believe in cutting taxes responsibly so that those cuts can serve as fuel to get our economic engines turning again. We believe responsible tax cuts take into account the future as well as the present and do not increase deficits, raise interest rates or risk jobs.
That's why Democrats have proposed cutting taxes by $85 billion. And our tax cuts would go to those who really deserve it: hardworking Americans who are most likely to put the extra money back into our economy, and small businesses which need incentives to invest.
Our tax cut is part of a real stimulus package, a $135 billion plan to put Americans back to work by investing in the things that are most important to them: homeland security, education, health care and transportation.
The difference between these two plans is clear. It is simply a question of priorities.
This is Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones from the great state of Ohio. Thank you for listening.
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