October 3rd, 2007
08:45 AM ET
15 years ago
Democrats propose war surtax
Would you pay additional taxes to fund the Iraq war? Watch Dana Bash's report.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - "If you don't like the cost, then shut down the war," is how Rep. David Obey, D-Wisconsin, justified his proposal to impose a surtax in order to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq. CNN's Dana Bash has the story from Capitol Hill.
Another tax – from a democrat??
What next? A Hollywood Producer endorsing Hillary Clinton??
Sounds good to me.., as long as we also get rebate checks when the Iraqi democracy pays off their war debt like England. But that's not the way Obey is thinking now is he..
The Democrats know this has no chance in Hades of passing. This is just another lame attempt to undermine the war effort and give Al Qaeda one for the win column.
It's really simple. Congress has control of the purse. If the Democrats in charge are REALLY serious about ending the war just cut the funding and quit the whining.
Taxes the middle class and the so called poor. Good Idea Democrats.
If the Democrats would have just said no to further funding this unnecessary war when they had the opportunity... there would be no need for stunt politics. I am through with both parties.
That is a good idea. That will make people on the street to stop the war in no time. Democratic leaders have no guts to pursue this.
Now you see what I mean everybody. We have to have younger people in office. When you start getting old...your mind isn't as sharp as it once was. Sad...but...True
I have always said, 'if Bush is serious about the war on terrorism, then he needs to ask Americans to sacrifice'. This is a good idea.
For those remaining people who still believe in Bush's war, they should be happy to pay for their share of it. This is way that they can contribute. Somehow I do not think they will agree. These are the same folks who believe in sacrifice but only if someone else is doing it.
Before any new taxes, we should look for all the missing money that has been sent to Iraq along with the missing weapons. Somebody is going to have to pay for this war. This country is so far in debt now. We are owned by the Chinese.
This is a great idea. I have always said that if the war on terrorism and the Iraq war are so important, then where is the shared sacrifice (such as existed in WW2). After 9/11 Bush asked everyone to go shopping and this was the most of a sacrifice that was asked for. Oh yes, and the tax cuts for the wealthy. Now that was some sacrifice.
For those remaining people who still believe in Bush's war, they should be happy to pay for their share of it. This is way that they can contribute. Somehow I do not think they will agree. These are the same folks who believe in sacrifice but only if someone else is doing it.
Again, if combatting terrorism is so important what are you willing to sacrifice in support of the cause? I do not support the war, never did, but I think it is time to pay for it. Instead we are passing the debt on to our children.
Now if only they follow the same plan for future spending:
1. Would you pay additional taxes to Fund Hillary's plan to give every newborn $5,000?
2. Would you pay additional taxes to give everyone "free" health care?
If you asked the American taxpayer if they would be willing to pay for SPECIFIC spending proposals, most ideas would be shot down in a hurry. I like the idea!
James, do you and your Republican ilk think that this war is paying for itself? You might have a reason to complain about them spending on measures that benefit social welfare, but this is just them having the fiscal responsibility that your party is used to so proudly proclaim that it had.
For all the complaining about the Clinton-Hsu connection and how the Chinese are trying to buy their way into the White House through them, I'd expect Republicans to be more for paying the bill for this war ourselves than indebting ourselves to China like we have been.
Our NATIONAL DEBT is less than our yearly GDP and our BUDGET DEFICIT has been less than inflation for 2 yrs now.
Can you say that about your finances?
The Democrats know this has no chance in Hades of passing. This is just another lame attempt to undermine the war effort and give Al Qaeda one for the win column.
It's really simple. Congress has control of the purse. If the Democrats in charge are REALLY serious about ending the war just cut the funding and quit the whining.
Posted By Dan (Columbia, MD) : October 3, 2007 2:34 pm
You have to be a liberal posing as a conservative in order to show "how dumb conservatives are" in an effort to sway anyone on the borderline.
If not, please explain how calling for Americans to fund our own war is going to "undermine the war effort and give Al Qaeda one for the win column?"
An excellent idea that I fully support.
If the right wing war hawks think the war is worth fight then they should be willing to pay for it and not pass the cost to their children. After all, the children will have to pay for their health care.
It is criminal and cowardly to prosecute a war that you are not willing to pay for. The right wing wants to fight the war on a credit card using mercenaries at $1,000 per day. There idea of how to wage a war is to put a "we support the troops" bumper sticker on their car and feel smug.
If we are truly in a global war then we should have a draft and taxes to pay for it.
What Price Patriotism?
Although I have heard all the candidates speak of ending the war, time frames for bringing our troops home and the billions of dollars this war is costing, but I have yet to hear any of them address the proper and adequate funding for the care of our loved ones in the military who have fallen in this terrible war.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid to the survivors and the victim's families of the 9/11 tragedy, where their possible deaths or injury were basically unforeseen. What financial reparation then should be paid to the almost 4,000 dead and over 60,000* wounded and maimed young American men and women in the military, and to their families, who accepted their fate as a real possibility and yet still chose to serve their country?
*There are 16 wounded for every fatality, according to one study based on government data. The ratio was fewer than 3-to-1 for Korea and Vietnam.
No thank you, my government is already getting big chunk of my money. They're using it to make those planes that cannot fly in the rain...
*There are 16 wounded for every fatality, according to one study based on government data. The ratio was fewer than 3-to-1 for Korea and Vietnam. -Ken
That in fact, is a WONDERFUL statistic that reflects the attention we pay to our troops battlefield medical care. Otherwise we would have lost a lot of those casualties. This is also highlighted by the fact that there were 54,000 and 58,000 KIA in Korea and Vietnam.., respectively. 5 yrs with less than 4000 KIA is historically low for the creation of a new democracy..
These people are immature, irresponsible, has-beens. Campaign now for their ouster next election.
I haven't been so angry in a very long time. I'm a liberal democrat who really doesn't mind paying her taxes, but I was opposed to this war from the beginning. And now the congress wants to increase my taxes to pay for it instead of standing firm and refusing to send Bush legislation to fund it. I've voted democrat my entire life, but I'm beginning to think independent may be the way to go...
Connie, Sarah you girls are on point!
Congress raised the Debt ceiling to
10 Trillon or we can't pay our bills!
Let one of my less wealthy Americans run into the same problem and see what happens to them. The credit card companies try to raise our debt as well
and if you are not educated enough with money you are punished. The Federal Government isn't they keep borrowing and borrowing for someone else to pay! The is not American!
Maria from Houston, you are such a tall tale teller. You've said before that you are a good Republican. Stop putting doubts in peoples minds.
Dan (Columbia, MD
what do you know about al qaeda??? have you read about them? do you know where they originate from? or do you see them as just the "bad guys". you believe what you are told i assume... al Qeada is like the empire in star wars right???? we are not fighting much of al queda in iraq. they might be training there operatives for combat experience over there but we are figthing iraqi's. i wish we could get out of that country it is a stupid war. and unfortunately the only way for americans to take notice of anything besides themselves is for something to DIRECTLY affect them for example during 9/11 we lost 3000 people. it is an aweful thing. but saddam hussain killed 100,000 kurds in the 80's and we didnt attack for 30 years over some riduculous idea that this non-wealthy country had something to do with 9/11 and they had WMDs. well now we should raise people taxes so it does affect more then just the people that are dying over there. maybe more people would care if it affected their income.....actually i know it would
Would the peop;e how lost a son, father, husband, mother or brother ot sister there be excempt from this tax? Or, o you really want an arm and a leg?
This is madness!
This is Pam. So sorry this one really got my blood boiling. I know, use spell check!
It is just the outrage this brings out in me.