Dec 5, 2011
Flake: Cutting taxes for middle class a 'gimmick'
Jeff Flake actually said cutting taxes for 2.9 million Arizonans and 110,000 businesses in the state is a "gimmick." This from the man who spent much of his career pushing extremist academic exercises (see: "Cut, Cap and Balance") in Congress.
Doesn't that scream out of touch?
If Jeff Flake had his way, middle class Arizonans would pay $1,500 more in taxes than under the Democratic plan. Flake has a hard time articulating why he wants to raise taxes for so many Arizonans, other than to say he wants to "address entitlement reform." But as we've noted, what Flake means by that is drastically cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
BACKGROUND:
Flake Opposes Payroll Tax Holiday. Even some Republican critics of the payroll tax holiday concede there will be pressure on GOP leaders next year to extend the cut. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a fiscal hawk who also opposed the payroll tax holiday, noted that the "Republican orthodoxy" is to support tax cuts across the board. "If you raise a tax, no matter how temporary the cut, it's a tax hike," Flake said, explaining the thinking of some conservatives. Yet in the case of the payroll tax, he added, extending the cut will cause more harm than good. "You're draining the trust fund, you're hastening the insolvency of Social Security," Flake said. "It's a bad deal." [The Hill, 12/26/10]
Flake Voted Against Tax Cut Extension Bill That Included a Temporary Payroll Tax Cut. On December 17, 2010, Flake voted against the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. In addition to extending certain provisions of the Bush tax cuts, the bill included a temporary employee payroll tax cut for the 2011 calendar year. [HR 4853, Vote #647, 12/17/10; PL 111-312, 12/17/10; Washington Post, 12/16/10]
Flake: Payroll Tax Cut Will Hasten Insolvency of Social Security. In a release, Flake said, "I also worry that without commensurate cuts in benefits, the payroll tax cut in this bill will simply hasten the insolvency of Social Security or add billions of dollars to the national debt.” [Flake Release, 12/16/10]
Flake Voted Against Payroll Tax Break To Spur Hiring. In March of 2010, Flake voted against “a bill last week that seeks to spur job creation by offering payroll tax relief to companies that hire new workers. The tax break was the centerpiece of a $17.6 billion bill that also would extend federal highway construction funding for a year and continue an infrastructure bonds program and certain expense deductions for small business.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/7/2010; Vote 90, 3/04/10]
Flake Voted Against Recovery Act, Which Included $280 Billion In Tax Cuts, Including Payroll Tax Credits. In February 2009, Flake voted against “a $787 billion bill combining a broad range of tax breaks and fresh federal spending to create jobs and respond to the nation’s economic crisis. … The House voted 246-183 for the bill, with no Republicans voting for it… While they were scaled back in the final measure, payroll tax credits, the centerpiece of the bill, will be offered to working Americans in 2009 and 2010: $400 for individuals making up to $75,000, and $800 for couples earning up to $150,000.” [Las Vegas Review- Journal, 2/15/2009; Vote #70, 3/31/09]
