Democrats, here are eight principles to guide you in the coming showdown
over the fiscal cliff:
1) Hold your ground. The 1% must pay more money - it is only fair.
Ask Warren Buffet and Ken Langone.
2) No deal is better than a bad deal. Let the Bush tax cut expire for the rich.
3) Make Republicans vote on extending the tax cuts for the middle class only.
4) Demand higher tax rates on wealthy, not just limits on deductions.
5) Don't cut the safety nets. Don't sacrifice Medicare or Social Security or
other programs for the poor. Americans depend on these safety nets.
6) Don't cut investments in our future productivity. Education, basic R&D,
and infrastructure aren't non-essential - they are investments in America.
7) Cut spending on military and corporate welfare. The military now exceeds the
military spending of the next 13 largest military spenders in the world.
8) PUT JOBS FIRST. Don't cut the budget deficit as long as unemployment
remains high. Otherwise you will cause the economy to contract, making the
deficit even larger in proportion. That's the austerity trap in Europe has
fallen into. We need to create American prosperity.
Sheila McKinney
