April 14, 2005
WHY NOT REAL CHECKS? (via Jason Johnson):
Tax the Rich (WCAX-TV, April 11, 2005)
"We're saying we're willing to pay taxes if the Vermont Governor and the legislature called for it," John Berkowitz of Putney tells reporters in Montpelier.At least ten people at a Statehouse press conference claim to make at least $150,000 last year.
They are demanding that Vermont's elected leaders hike their state income taxes and those of all other wealthy Vermonters.
They used a big check to show their willingness to pay more.
They claim the tax hikes on the rich can be used to reduce the state's projected $80 million Medicaid deficit and other social and environmental problems.
"We're willing to solve the budget crisis and avoid painful budget cuts," says Berkowitz.
There are 300,000 taxpayers in Vermont. 7,800 of them make $150,000 a year or more. That group earns about 20-percent of the total income in Vermont and right now pays about 35-percent of the personal income taxes -- for a total of $145-million.
Elizabeth Skarie -- wife of Jerry, of Ben and Jerry's ice cream founder-- was one of the people saying she could pay more.
"Jerry and I believe that people with higher incomes have a responsibility to pay more taxes when basic and essential services are threatened. Wealthy Vermonters can afford to pay higher taxes," says Skarie.
There's no reason they couldn't just cut checks to the state if they really want to pay more. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 14, 2005 7:57 PM
Why doesn't Vermont just do us a favor and exercise its right to secede?
Posted by: bart at April 14, 2005 10:31 PMWould they change their tune if rates were rolled back to the pre-Reagan days?
It sure would help the budget, now wouldn't it?
Posted by: jim hamlen at April 14, 2005 10:39 PMI love these sanctimonious hypocrites who claim to want to do good, but can only do so when everyone else is forced to do good also. As you point out, someone who really wanted to demonstrate their civic virtues would at least cut the check first, then campaign to get everyone to follow. So why exactly don't they do that, and why won't these so-called reporters and journalists who write these stories ever ask that question of them?
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 15, 2005 12:05 AMIf they could bring a big check as a prop, couldn't they have made it a real one and given it to the government office whose "essential services" they fear losing?
Posted by: AC at April 16, 2005 12:16 PM