It's high time the Republican sacred cows get placed on the sacrificial altar they are building in these debt reduction talks. Their relentless drumbeat for "shared sacrifice" in deficit reduction masks the soothing song they're singing to their benefactors in big oil, job off-shoring multi-nationals and our wealthiest 2%.
Yes, I know money talks and these wealthy interests have paid their protection money. That is their voice and they use it craftily. It's a voice that's been amplified with the advent of the Citizens United decision.
But we are only silenced if we choose to be. We do still have a voice and we need to use it loudly, repeatedly and deafeningly to drown out those drums.
I came across this YouTube Video this morning on Crooks and Liars which was originally posted by Think Progress. In this video, Charlie Dent (R-PA) is left simply flummoxed by one of his constituents speaking simple truths at a town hall meeting.
My best stab at a transcription:
Starting at :34
Constituent 1: It will help with revenues if you ask wealthy people to help the economy, it’s going to help. If you just say 3%...
Dent: Well, well, it won’t create jobs
Constituent 1: Sure it will.
Constituent 2: How did cutting taxes under Bush save money?
Muddled cross talk
Constituent 1: This is insanity. Ask everybody for a shared sacrifice. We’re willing to give our share. We just want to, want to see you guys, the Republican Congress say. But tax subsidies for the oil comapnies are off the table, but tax cuts (I’m fairly certain he meant increases) for the wealthy are off the table. If you want to saddle us with some skin in the game, put some of their skin in the game. Come on man!
Crowd applause
Dent: inaudible
Constituent 1: I am, Iv’e been saying to you...
Crowd noise
Dent: Let me clear up one thing. OK, when you say tax the weathy, ok ok. Well in the 1960’s we imposed the alternative minimum tax right? What was that designed for...to go after the 150 very wealthy families in America. Every year, since I’ve been in Congress, we have to pass the alternative minimum tax to make sure that millions of Americans, who are middle class don’t get subjected to the alternative minimum tax. Every year.
Constituent 1: So fix it!
Muddled cross talk
Constitutuent 1: Look, we’re just saying, we’re just saying 3%, 3% that they gave in 2001. Ask those wealthy people who have been doing great, who are doing better than anyone else. Just ask them to give their fair share. That’s all the middle class people are saying. Don’t saddle us with the whole thing.
Dent: Inaudible
Constituent 3: If the middle man, make so much and pays so much and the rich man makes so much and pays so much it would balance out.
Dent: Let me just ask you. What should the income tax rate be? Since you want to raise the income tax.
Constituent 1: I think it’s fair to say, put the welathy tax breaks back to where they were before 2001. That would be fair.
Dent: Which, which...
Constituent 1: It’s not a big deal.
Dent: Which breaks are you referring to? Seriously, you’re talking tax breaks...
Constituent 1: Well it went from 39% to 35%.
Dent: Well that’s a...well you just want to raise the rates straight up.
Constituent 1: On the wealthiest people. We have a fiscal problem.
Dent: Confined to small business in many cases.
Crowd: Audible grumbles and laughter
Constituent 1: But we’re not talking...Look Charlie, you know that all these things you guys are protecting, your sacred cows, the (?), oil companies’ subsidies. Everybody understands that. Take them off...just stop. You don’t need them. The tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, they’re doing great. They don’t need them. You just can’t come here to us and say, we’re gonna take your Medicare away from you because we don’t think it’s working for you.
Dent: Well now, come on.
Constituent 1: No. That’s the deal. You’re saddling us. That’s why your boys are walking out of that room. They say these are off the table. Put them back on the table. Tell Mr. Cantor to put them on the table.
Dent: Well, let’s be very candid here. You support the health care law that will account for $500 million over 10 years out of Medicare.
Constituent 1: Let me address that. That was based on Medicare Advantage which was a subsidy to the insurance companies.
Dent: Hospital payments...(inaudible)
Constituent 1: It was a shift, if was a subsidy to the insurance companies to have people go to private insurance versus Medicare proper. That’s the (inaudible). Face the facts.
Dent: Inaudible...26,999 Medicare eligible people who live in this district are on Medicare Advantage.
Inaudible crosstalk
Constituent 1: It was a spif. It was a spif. Their benefits didn’t decrease
All I can say is, well done sir to the constituent who spoke at this meeting. These cows have only been deemed sacred by the Republican party and they’re asking the people to go hungry while protecting that which they deem sacred. I say it’s time to let them know loud and clear that there's nothing sacred about those particular cows. They don’t need Republican protection. We’re not asking that they be slaughtered, rather simply to have some of their abundant feed brought to the altar. They may squeal like pigs but they won’t go hungry. If it’s not done though, the people will be hungry indeed.
So I do hope everyone is enjoying a bit of fun with their families and friends on this 4th of July. Tomorrow, pick up the phone, send an email or write a letter to your representatives to let them know, as loud as you can, that sacrificing the well being of their constituents in order to protect the feed of some very fat cows is what should be off the table. Have them tell Mr. Cantor to bring his sacred cows to this altar of deficit reduction they've created.
DisNoir36 provided a comprehensive list of contacts in a diary a couple of days ago. My thanks to him for that great resource.
So as you wrap up your 4th of July festivities, I ask you to use your voice to speak your truth to power. That was and is the most sacred thing we have.