#03 / 2003 Peace Tour: Rob the Poor & Pay the Rich

ROB THE POOR AND PAY THE RICH
#03

  
If I’m in Texas, I don’t need to tell you to read Molly Ivins' columns to learn what political and economic issues mean at the ground level. The truth is right in front of you.  


With the Bush tax cut, the Citizens for Peace and Justice report 80% of the households making less than $73,000 (is that you?) a year will get less than 10% of the new tax breaks. The wealthiest 1% of taxpayers, those who make over $356,000 a year will get 50% of the benefits of eliminating the tax on dividends and close to 50% of the money from the tax cuts. That means the wealthy 1% gets almost 50% of the benefits. Democracy in action?  


Now, Molly says the Bush economic strategy goes like this: If the rich have more money, they will invest more money, allowing companies to expand and hire more workers. And that will end the recession.   I say, guess what, that means you get to work even harder. How many jobs do you have now?  


But Molly says the Bush plan is no guarantee that the rich will invest just because they have more money. The major money strategy of the rich is to stash their money in offshore bank accounts and pay no taxes at all. And remember, it was Leona Helmsly who said, "Taxes are for little people.”  


Bush is calling for war in three arenas. He calls for war with Iraq, North Korea is threatening the US with nuclear missiles, and we still have a war on the people at home called the War on Drugs. Only now that call that the War Against Terrorism. 


Don’t be propagandized into war. I want to die getting a good deal. I don't want to be hoodwinked, bamboozled. I have to buy a new pair of tennis shoes just so I can run faster, jump through the hoops higher.  I cannot keep up with the wars, the threats, the taxes, the laws, the leaks, the requirements, the urine tests, the interest, the loans, this country is killing me...