I feel like we have been here before.
President Obama and the democrats state that we can't afford to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, but that the middle class tax cuts should be extended. The Republicans dig in their heels and refuse to consider raising any taxes (and they count allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire as tax increases) and they hold the extension of the middle class tax cut hostage in order to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
And then the democrats, because they feel that they have no choice but to extend the Bush tax cuts on the rich, agree to the extension in order to continue the middle class tax cut.
I fear that this will happen again.
But this time, I am asking our democratic elected officials to say "NO". Under no circumstances should they extend the Bush tax cuts even if it means giving up the middle class tax cut.
If the Bush tax cuts are extended for the wealthy, there will be a huge price to pay in this country. It will increase the deficit which will result in cuts to the social safety net both now and in the future. And we simply cannot afford that.
So I am asking our elected officials. Please do not continue the middle class tax cut if it means that you will cut one dollar from social security. Or if it means that you will require seniors to pay more for Medicare. Or if it means that you will cut veterans benefits. Or food stamps. Etc. . . .
When you negotiate, you are only successful if you are prepared to walk away. If you can't (and the other side is prepared to walk away), you will need to basically give them most of what they ask for. And because democrats have been so protective of the middle class, they have not felt that they could walk away.
So this time lets give them permission to walk away.
I am willing to sacrifice. I know that if my taxes go up, things will be harder. But it is a sacrifice that I am willing to make in order to improve the long term fiscal condition of this nation and to preserve the social safety net.
It seems that in this country, the American people are never told that it may be necessary for them to sacrifice for the good of the country. But maybe we should start now. I am willing to sacrifice my middle class tax cut if it means ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and preserving the social safety net.
So please if the republicans are not willing to play ball and let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy expire while extending the middle class tax cut, please let all the tax cuts expire.
Because if the democrats cave into the republicans again this time, the cost to this country will be too great and will be born by those who can least afford it--the seniors, the disabled, and the poor. And that is not something that we as middle class patriotic Americans should accept.