Democrats propose taxes to fund veterans' benefits

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - House Democrats are proposing a tax surcharge on millionaires to pay for a big increase in education benefits for veterans of the war in Iraq, lawmakers said Tuesday.

The plan, if accepted by rank-and-file Democrats, would clear the way for a vote Thursday on a long-stalled war funding bill that would pay for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next spring.

Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats blocked a vote last week over Democratic leaders' attempts to add an additional $51.8 billion over the next decade for veterans education to the $183.8 billion war funding tab. They insisted on finding a way to pay for the new benefit without simply adding to the deficit.

"What we're talking about is a one-half percent income tax surcharge on incomes above $1 million," said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., a leader of the Blue Dog group. "So someone who earns $2 million a year would pay $5,000. ... They're not going to miss it."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_go_co/congress_iraq_funding;_ylt=AgzHYtKF0u2wEpNr0Bmy9gE8KbIF

[alstephenson]

1. Taxes?!? What a concept! (eom)

[midnight]

2. That"s a mighty fine idea.

[saigon68]

3. The Chimp will veto this

And Draft Dodging Cowards like Joementum Limpmann will uphold the Chimp's Veto.

Because that little coward is too busy promoting his buddy McFail for president.

Pelosi and Reid should shut off funding this Crusade.

Its over boys----- in the next month at least 50 young men and women will die for lies in Iraq-Nam

Their blood is on the door of the War Criminals Chimpanzee, Cheney, Limpmann and the rest of the NEOCONS.

</DISGUST>

[Fridays Child]

4. Wouldn't it be nice if someone devised a formula by which corporations were proportionally taxed...

...based on their war profits with those revenues going directly to veteran benefits? After all, aren't the soldiers really working (and dying and becoming disabled) for the benefit of some corporations?

[mcollier]

5. Great Idea

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Funny how the fucking war doesn't need any funding source at all.

It is all 'off budget'.

[Telly Savalas]

7. Blue dogs have no problems boosting the defecit by $183 billion

to continue the war for a few more months, but worry about finding sources of funding for veteran's benefits over the next decade?