Crankyshank
<font color=CC0066>love the happy bunny<br> <fon
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2002
- Messages
- 10,399
A Plan To Strengthen The Middle Class
In America, anyone who works hard, lives responsibly, and does right by their family and their country - anyone who does the best with what they've got - should be rewarded with the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families. That principle is what has made the American middle class the greatest engine of economic strength the world has ever known - and it's the heart of John Kerry and John Edwards' vision for a stronger America.
Today, American families - pinched by sagging wages and rising costs - are feeling the middle class squeeze. Today, the cost of raising a middle-class child until age 18 in America exceeds $200,000 - and that doesn't include the cost of college. Families with children are especially hard hit by rising costs in everything from health insurance premiums, college tuition, and energy use. At the same time, median family income has dropped by nearly $1,500 since 2000.
John Kerry and John Edwards will work to expand and strengthen America's middle class like never before. They will (1) cut middle class taxes, (2) cuts costs in everything from health care to education to gas, (3) close the pay gap between men and women, (4) raise the minimum wage, and (5) help all Americans balance the competing demands of work and family.
Cut Middle-Class Taxes to Raise Middle-Class Incomes
John Kerry Will Cut Taxes for 98 Percent of American Families and 99 Percent of Businesses. In addition, he will:
Propose At Least $250 Billion In Tax Cuts For Health Care, Child Care, and Education - Without Increasing the Deficit By One Dime. As president, John Kerry will close corporate tax loopholes and use some of the money gained from repealing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans - families making over $200,000 a year - to pay for tax credits without increasing the deficit by one dime. The Kerry-Edwards tax cuts include:
A tax credit on up to $4,000 of college tuition
A tax credit to help small businesses and vulnerable workers pay for health care and buy into John Kerry's new Congressional Health Plan.
Unable to afford college. This would help me
A tax credit on $5,000 of child care expenses
Create a New Jobs Tax Credit. Research has demonstrated that new jobs tax credits increase employment. The Kerry-Edwards New Jobs Tax Credit will cover an employer's share of payroll taxes for net new jobs created in manufacturing, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small businesses. The credit will be available in 2005 and 2006. For example: a medium-sized manufacturing company employs 1,000 workers. If this company hires an additional 100 employees at $40,000 each - bringing the total number of employees to 1,100 - it would receive a tax cut of 3,060 per worker, or $306,000 total. This would roughly offset the additional cost of health care premiums, which have risen about $2,700 under President Bush.
DH&I plan on having kids and utilizing child care. Something that would help me
Cut Costs for Middle-Class Families
John Kerry and John Edwards will:
Cut Health Care Premiums By Up To $1,000. Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, employers will benefit from offering their employees quality care with choices. By helping out with certain high-cost cases, the Kerry-Edwards plan will cut premiums by up to $1,000 per year for America's families.
All ready have low insurance thanks to working in education, but I know this would help a lot of other people
Lower Energy Prices. By investing in new energy sources and technologies, John Kerry and John Edwards will help America move toward energy independence while lowering costs, spurring job growth, and protecting our environment.
Very important to me. I would like to see a marketable energy alternative.
Cut Tuition Costs. Average tuition and fees at public four-year colleges increased by 35 percent over the last four years. Because of tuition increases, an estimated 220,000 young people could not afford to enroll in four-year public universities last year. As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax Credit on $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offer $10 billion in fiscal relief to states that restrain tuition growth. And he will launch a new National Service Plan that will allow young people to pay for college by serving their country.
Again this would help me as I would like to finish school but can't afford it.
Affordable Housing. John Kerry has a long history of working to make housing more affordable and increase homeownership for all Americans. As president, he will continue to fight for affordable housing. Read John Kerry's Housing Record
I live in an area where housing prices are through the roof. Mortgage rates could be lower and it doesn't matter if the housing prices are rising.
Ensure Equal Pay for Men and Women
On average, women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that we must make equal pay for equal work a reality, not a slogan. They will ensure greater transparency and fairness by improving enforcement and disclosure about companies' payment practices.
This again would help me.
Raise the Minimum Wage
Today, the minimum wage is currently worth only 33 percent of average American wages - its lowest level since 1949. John Kerry and John Edwards understand that today's eroded wage no longer meet the needs of American families. As president, John Kerry will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.00 by 2007. That will give 7 million Americans a raise, and help millions of families pay for basic needs like education, food and health care. With this increase, parents working full-time will not have to raise their children in poverty.
wouldn't affect me directly, but I know a lot of people struggling to make ends meet earning minimum wage since they lost their jobs in the tech bust and are having problems finding another one.
In America, anyone who works hard, lives responsibly, and does right by their family and their country - anyone who does the best with what they've got - should be rewarded with the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families. That principle is what has made the American middle class the greatest engine of economic strength the world has ever known - and it's the heart of John Kerry and John Edwards' vision for a stronger America.
Today, American families - pinched by sagging wages and rising costs - are feeling the middle class squeeze. Today, the cost of raising a middle-class child until age 18 in America exceeds $200,000 - and that doesn't include the cost of college. Families with children are especially hard hit by rising costs in everything from health insurance premiums, college tuition, and energy use. At the same time, median family income has dropped by nearly $1,500 since 2000.
John Kerry and John Edwards will work to expand and strengthen America's middle class like never before. They will (1) cut middle class taxes, (2) cuts costs in everything from health care to education to gas, (3) close the pay gap between men and women, (4) raise the minimum wage, and (5) help all Americans balance the competing demands of work and family.
Cut Middle-Class Taxes to Raise Middle-Class Incomes
John Kerry Will Cut Taxes for 98 Percent of American Families and 99 Percent of Businesses. In addition, he will:
Propose At Least $250 Billion In Tax Cuts For Health Care, Child Care, and Education - Without Increasing the Deficit By One Dime. As president, John Kerry will close corporate tax loopholes and use some of the money gained from repealing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans - families making over $200,000 a year - to pay for tax credits without increasing the deficit by one dime. The Kerry-Edwards tax cuts include:
A tax credit on up to $4,000 of college tuition
A tax credit to help small businesses and vulnerable workers pay for health care and buy into John Kerry's new Congressional Health Plan.
Unable to afford college. This would help me
A tax credit on $5,000 of child care expenses
Create a New Jobs Tax Credit. Research has demonstrated that new jobs tax credits increase employment. The Kerry-Edwards New Jobs Tax Credit will cover an employer's share of payroll taxes for net new jobs created in manufacturing, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small businesses. The credit will be available in 2005 and 2006. For example: a medium-sized manufacturing company employs 1,000 workers. If this company hires an additional 100 employees at $40,000 each - bringing the total number of employees to 1,100 - it would receive a tax cut of 3,060 per worker, or $306,000 total. This would roughly offset the additional cost of health care premiums, which have risen about $2,700 under President Bush.
DH&I plan on having kids and utilizing child care. Something that would help me
Cut Costs for Middle-Class Families
John Kerry and John Edwards will:
Cut Health Care Premiums By Up To $1,000. Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, employers will benefit from offering their employees quality care with choices. By helping out with certain high-cost cases, the Kerry-Edwards plan will cut premiums by up to $1,000 per year for America's families.
All ready have low insurance thanks to working in education, but I know this would help a lot of other people
Lower Energy Prices. By investing in new energy sources and technologies, John Kerry and John Edwards will help America move toward energy independence while lowering costs, spurring job growth, and protecting our environment.
Very important to me. I would like to see a marketable energy alternative.
Cut Tuition Costs. Average tuition and fees at public four-year colleges increased by 35 percent over the last four years. Because of tuition increases, an estimated 220,000 young people could not afford to enroll in four-year public universities last year. As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax Credit on $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offer $10 billion in fiscal relief to states that restrain tuition growth. And he will launch a new National Service Plan that will allow young people to pay for college by serving their country.
Again this would help me as I would like to finish school but can't afford it.
Affordable Housing. John Kerry has a long history of working to make housing more affordable and increase homeownership for all Americans. As president, he will continue to fight for affordable housing. Read John Kerry's Housing Record
I live in an area where housing prices are through the roof. Mortgage rates could be lower and it doesn't matter if the housing prices are rising.
Ensure Equal Pay for Men and Women
On average, women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that we must make equal pay for equal work a reality, not a slogan. They will ensure greater transparency and fairness by improving enforcement and disclosure about companies' payment practices.
This again would help me.
Raise the Minimum Wage
Today, the minimum wage is currently worth only 33 percent of average American wages - its lowest level since 1949. John Kerry and John Edwards understand that today's eroded wage no longer meet the needs of American families. As president, John Kerry will increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.00 by 2007. That will give 7 million Americans a raise, and help millions of families pay for basic needs like education, food and health care. With this increase, parents working full-time will not have to raise their children in poverty.
wouldn't affect me directly, but I know a lot of people struggling to make ends meet earning minimum wage since they lost their jobs in the tech bust and are having problems finding another one.
