[Vision2020] Fwd: Congress Chooses Millionaires Over Children

[Tom Trail]

>Visionaries:  Some interesting observations about the impact of congressional

tax legislation.

Tom Trail

>
>
>To unsubscribe from receiving these e-mails, 
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>here.
>
>5/17/06
>
>Dear Tom,
>
>Last week, the U.S. Congress treated America's 
>children to the not-so-good, the bad, and the 
>ugly.
>
>The Not-So-Good: The House is still considering 
>a bad budget for children and families. But 
>House leaders still don't have the votes to pass 
>it, which is thanks to your efforts in telling 
>Congress that no budget should leave children 
>and families behind.
>
>The Bad: The Senate and House passed their 
>negotiated tax break package of $70 billion in 
>giveaways to the wealthy.
>
>The Ugly: House leaders are expected to take up 
>their anti-kid budget again this week. So call 
>your U.S. Representative toll-free at 
>1-800-459-1887 and tell them not to cut programs 
>that help children and families!
>
>Congressional Tax Legislation Update
>Last week, the Senate and House passed the 
>Senate-House negotiated tax break package. The 
>$70 billion in tax giveaways, including a 
>two-year extension of tax breaks for capital 
>gains and dividends overwhelmingly benefit the 
>wealthy. Adding insult to injury, these tax cuts 
>are being paid for by cuts in programs that help 
>children and increased borrowing on the "federal 
>credit card", hitting America's children twice.
>
>The Senate passed the tax breaks by 54-44. To 
>see how your Senators voted, 
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=2&url=http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00118>click 
>here.
>
>The House passed the tax by a vote of 244-185. 
>To see how your member voted, 
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=3&url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll135.xml>click 
>here.
>
>
>Congress Leaves
>No Millionaire Behind!
>
>Analysts estimate that millionaires would 
>receive $43,000/year, while average Americans 
>would only get $20/year. Nearly half (45 
>percent) of the benefits of extending the 
>capital gains and dividend tax cuts will go to 
>households with annual incomes over $1 million.
>
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=4&url=http://www.cbpp.org/5-9-06tax-fact.htm>Fact 
>Sheet of Tax Breaks
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=5&url=http://www.cbpp.org/5-11-06tax.pdf>Report 
>of Tax Breaks
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=6&url=http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/StateByStateTaxCutAnalysisMay06.pdf>State-by-State 
>Analysis of Tax Breaks
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>Congressional Federal Budget Update
>Last Thursday, House leaders were forced to 
>cancel the scheduled vote on the budget because 
>House moderates held firm against further cuts 
>to health care and education programs. This is 
>the second time House leaders have had to pull 
>the budget from the floor because they lacked 
>the votes. However, House leaders have promised 
>to bring the budget resolution to the floor 
>again for a vote this week.  (For an analysis of 
>the House budget, 
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=124715217&url_num=7&url=http://www.cbpp.org/3-29-06bud.htm>click 
>here.)
>
>What You Can Do to Help:
>Call your Representative toll-free at 1-800-459-1887 and tell them:
>
>When 8.2 million children don’t have health 
>insurance, cutting Medicaid is wrong.
>When millions of children are abused/or 
>neglected, cutting child protection is wrong.
>When millions of children don’t have access to 
>early childhood programs, cutting child care is 
>wrong.
>Cutting programs that help children and families 
>in order to pay for more tax breaks for the 
>wealthy is morally indefensible. 
>We'll keep you posted on how federal budget and 
>policy developments are impacting children and 
>families, and what you can do to help.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Michael Petit
>President, Every Child Matters
>
>


-- 
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Dr. Tom Trail
International Trails
1375 Mt. View Rd.
Moscow, Id. 83843
Tel:  (208) 882-6077
Fax:  (208) 882-0896
e mail ttrail at moscow.com
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