Tax Increases: Thank the GOP

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

If they can't get tax breaks for America's wealthiest families, Republicans in Congress are prepared to raise taxes on millions of America's middle-class families.

By shackling a tax cut on multimillion-dollar estates to renewing a host of middle-class tax breaks, Republican leadership is making it explicitly clear just whom they count among their more important constituents.

Among the real-people tax relief provisions that expired more than nine months ago are federal tax deductions for student tuition, allowing educators to write off some of the money they spend out of their own pockets on classroom supplies and deductions for state and local sales taxes. The loss of the sales tax deduction alone would cost Washington taxpayers $500 million in their 2006 returns.

Earlier, Republicans tied the sales tax deduction to both the estate tax cut and a phony minimum wage increase that would have been devastating for anyone depending on income from tips.

Senate Democrats repeatedly have tried to pass the middle-class tax breaks as separate bills but the Republican leadership refused.

Lawmakers slide into recess the end of this week so they can hit the campaign trail for the November elections. If the middle-class tax relief provisions aren't reinstated by then, get ready to pay more federal taxes than you did last year.

If middle-class voters will be forced to pay more on April 15, maybe they should make Republicans pay the price on Nov. 7.

Soundoff (Read 84 comments)
Tell us what's on your mind.


Who deserves a tax break more -- beneficiaries of multimillion-dollar inheritances, or middle-class taxpayers?
11.0% Heirs.	73.2% Middle-class taxpayers.
14.2% Neither.	1.6% Don't know or care.
Total Votes: 555