Rebuttal of Sen John Cornyn's op-ed, "Why I'm Voting Against The Budget"

This morning, I received an email from Senator John Cornyn. So, being a good political activist, I read the message.

He's decided to vote against the budget and I consider that position both irrevocable and implacable. Therefore, the 48 calls to action my various mailing groups have sent out to appeal to my elected official---who never listens to me ("me" as in "the opinion that I and others of my ilk share") or does what I ask because, well, let's face it, we'll never see eye to eye and I don't have deep pockets to make him dance to my tune---are totally wasted on me. Or on Cornyn.

I knew the GOP was going to oppose the budget, and it's not based on Principle, as they'd have you believe, or on an over-reaction as fools like Cantor suggest (mind-boggling, absolutely mind-boggling---can he read numbers?), and I knew they'd rally the troops. I expected they'd trot out the same old "taxes too much and spends too much" tripe.

Thankfully, you can always depend on the GOP to come through with the same old same old.

I'm sure plenty of citizens will fall for this line, without too much critical thinking.

That's why I am spending my time to rebut the general opposition, and its points, as presented by Senator John Cornyn. My comments will be bolded.

The following op-ed ran in today’s edition of the Austin American-Statesman, which can be accessed here.

This week, I will vote against the massive $3.6 trillion budget proposed by President Barrack Obama and Democrats in Congress, and Texans deserve to understand why.

In point of fact, President Obama presented his budget. Let's be clear about that. Let's not make this the Big Fat Democratic Budget. Because that's not accurate. In fact, like an Amy Winehouse chorus of no no no, key Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate took a meat cleaver to President Obama's budget, hacking out $608 billion of changes.

I believe this budget taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much.

Yes, it does spend and borrow too much. But that horse has already left the barn, and BIPARTISAN agreement opened that barn door with the first TARP. The change in taxation is actually on the super wealthy, the GOP's favorite. It's bringing proportion to the taxation structure, instead of continuing to treat the middle class like the red-headed stepchild. No family earning under $250,000 will see any tax increase.

Additionally, and more importantly, let's not forget that President Obama inherited a $1 trillion deficit from the GOP's wonderboy, GW Bush.

If the GOP didn't want to spend too much and end up in a financial bind, maybe they should have protested, oh, a while back, when Bush was in office handing out money like candy on Halloween...to big spenders, not the people, aka the backbone of America.

This protest smells partisan, and comes too little too late.

This budget will delay economic recovery in Texas and across the nation, and it will reduce opportunities for all of us. 

*cough* bullshit *cough*

The point of the budget is economic recovery and relief in areas that currently devastate families financially, such as healthcare costs. It plans to stimulate through energy initiatives and education, and to decrease the deficit.

I'm stymied that Senator Cornyn apparently did not have an actual copy of the budget to read. Senator, you can find a copy right here.

This budget will reduce opportunities for people looking for jobs. Nearly three-quarters of all new private sector jobs are created by small businesses. In Texas, we understand that small businesses are the employment engines of our economy, and so we have put in place policies that encourage entrepreneurs to invest in our state and create more opportunities. As ABC News reported last week, only three of the top 39 job markets in the nation gained jobs last year. All three are in Texas, and one of them is Austin. 

After hurling out the unsubstantiated point (note deliberate nonuse of word 'fact' there) that the budget reduces opportunities, he lays alongside that the unrelated fact that 3/4 of all new jobs come from small business. This is SOP by GOP: string two unrelated points together and repeat often enough until they are linked irrevocably in people's minds, as facts.

Don't fall for it.

The President uses 26 pages to explain how this budget will jumpstart the economy. This includes continuing measures such as the $800 “Making Work Pay” Tax Cut and the childcare tax credit. It also creates jobs.

UPDATE: S. Con. Res. 13--the version of the bill Cornyn is voting on---does not include "Making Work Pay" due to one of the aforementioned cuts of the budget.

To quote an expert: "The 'Making Work Pay' might get put in the conference version, and really that is the important draft since it is the one that both houses will ultimately vote on and will ultimately set the 302(a) and 302(b) allocations that trickle down into the authorizing and appropriations committees (and its 13 subcommittees) and are used to set the funding levels for real, live programs -- everything from S-CHIP to NBCCEDP to naval subs to Head Start to school lunch and breakfast.

. . .the Making Work Pay is gone but the child tax credit remains, as does a bunch of other good stuff like deficit neutral reserve funds for VAWA programs, HIV prevention abroad, afterschool programs, etc."

Thanks a ton, Melissa, for the alert, clarification, and information!!

Senator Cornyn might like to read (re-read?) this section, "Creating Jobs And Investing in Long-term Economic Growth," on page two of the budget.

The budget also provides for science funding and clean energy funding, two of the biggest fields in Texas. Very very good for this state. I'm sure T Boone Pickens would agree.

I have worked to bring successful Texas policies to Washington, especially our policy of keeping taxes low. 

Okay let's be clear: the cost of those "low" taxes in Texas (and as a small business owner? let me tell you the republican plan is not so hot.) includes the highest cost for utilities and insurance in the United States, among other issues including nearly the worst in the US for education and healthcare. Texas Republican policies? Not that successful. Unless you like the Sheriff of Nottingham approach.

UPDATE: Today's mail included the notification from my insurance company that our homeowner's policy will end in May, and the new one will include the 12% rate hike the Republicans approved. OUCH! That hurts my budget bone...a lot.

Once again this year I offered an amendment to make it harder for Congress to increase taxes in future budgets. Had this amendment been adopted last year, 60 votes in the Senate would be required today to increase taxes on America's families and small businesses. 

Okay let's be clear again: he means for the RICH. Not "America's families." *cough* Sheriff of Nottingham *cough*

Congress chose not to make it harder to raise taxes, and so this year Obama proposed raising net taxes by $1.4 trillion over the next decade. Much of this burden will fall on our state's most successful small businesses. He has proposed raising the top two tax brackets to a nominal rate of 36 and 39.6 percent, and by limiting deductions for state and local taxes and other expenses, the effective marginal tax rates on thousands of our small businesses will be over 40 percent.

Small businesses make a big contribution to our economy, and charitable organizations do the same for our society as a whole. More than 150 years ago, Alexis de Tocqueville marveled at the spirit of volunteerism in our country, and how quick we were to form "public associations" for the common good. Today, faith-based and community-based organizations heal the sick, feed the hungry and serve the most vulnerable among us. 

Oh John John John, you are going to MAKE me take you down on the mat on this one, aren't you.

Okay: LIAR

You are either (a) lying or (b) mistaken and for the life of me I don't know which is worse.

Here we go: BusinessWeek (yes, BUSINESSWEEK) said:

"The $250,000 Small Business Tax Question

New data released by the bipartisan Tax Policy Center show that most small business owners won't be taxed at higher rates under Obama's proposed budget"

and I do quote. I left this large on purpose. It's a big point, and a big GOP lie.

Charitable donations are down, way down, and declining. You cannot exclusively rely on faith-based (many of which carry help with strings attached) and community-based chartiable groups to solve all the need problems.

Charitable organizations depend on the generosity of donors to serve our communities, and for decades we have encouraged this generosity by making charitable donations deductible. But Obama wants to limit this deduction for charitable contributions, which could cost charities nationwide anywhere from $4 billion to $9 billion. 

You can see the potential impact right here in Austin. The Austin Pregnancy Resource Center is a 501c(3) organization that provides counseling and services to women who are pregnant or who may think they are pregnant. Some of their clients are students. Some are homeless. Some are victims of domestic violence and other abuse.

The center provides these confidential services at no cost to women in need. It relies completely on donations from individuals and businesses to fund its programs. Thanks to the generosity of the Austin community, the center now has two full-time employees, one part-time employee and about 60 volunteers.

The recession has made it harder for the center to raise money — even as the demand for its services increases. In just one day this month, the center received nearly 20 calls from women who could not afford to buy diapers. In the words of Executive Director Lori DeVillez, "There are many times where a bag of diapers or a can of formula truly means the difference between 'Do I eat today, or provide for my baby?' "

The center works to ensure that its clients don't have to face such a terrible choice. DeVillez estimates that up to 10 of the center's largest donors would see their taxes go up under the president's plan. She would like to see policies that would expand her pool of potential donors — rather than dry it up.

I believe that charitable organizations like the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, as well as thousands of successful small businesses across our state, help make Texas a better place. They deserve our support. They do not deserve to suffer the impact of higher taxes. I will continue to bring the experience of successful Texas policies to our nation's capital, and help more people contribute to the common good.

John? You might want to sit for this...I'm going to give you this point.

It's a moving story, and I myself am skeptical about President Obama's cut of the donation tax cut, despite his defense of it.

The Austin Pregnancy Resource Center sounds good, really, I admire places that provide these services. It even appears to support all choices available for women dealing with unplanned pregnancy. (Yes, I was immediately suspicious of it because it struck me VERY ODD INDEED that a Republican conservative anti-choice Senator would mention a pregnancy resource center, so I called and asked, and checked the Web site. I suspect they try to steer clients into other choices, rather than abortion, but I can't really argue against that, either.) I think it's fantastic you gave it a shout-out.

But.

It's not germane to the issue. You end with an emotional appeal.

The implication here is that supporting Obama's budget will hurt innocent babies. You want a poster of a sad looking puppy to go with that? Supersized?

Get real.

The budget needs work. It's getting work done on it nip/tuck style, bi-partisan-ly (call Webster's).

Voting against it sets us all back. I can only hope you are in the minority.

I'll let "America's families" and the "sweet little baby" groups endorsements make my final point for me:

From the AFL-CIO:

Dear Julie,

Write a Letter Today Tell your senators and representative in Congress to support the 2010 budget.

Congress is about to vote on a budget resolution for fiscal year 2010. This budget delivers on the principles laid out by President Obama and includes:

• A down payment on national health care reform.
• Investments in increasing green jobs and addressing climate change.
• More funding for education.
• Other crucial programs for working families.

We support President Obama's plan, and we need your help to make sure Congress passes it without any anti-working family amendments, including tax cuts for the wealthy.

Click here to write your senators and representative right now and tell them to support the budget resolution.

This budget makes critical investments in our future, while improving the lives of America's workers, our communities and ultimately our nation. It is a comprehensive budget that grapples with many of the greatest challenges we face.

Unlike the budgets of the previous administration, President Obama's budget doesn't hide behind fancy accounting tricks to sugarcoat the costs of programs. More importantly, instead of giving costly handouts in the form of tax cuts for the super-rich, it helps those who actually need it by doing things like extending the middle class tax cuts that expire in 2010 and continuing the expansion of the child tax credit to more working families.

We have much work to do to get our nation back on track, and it starts with a responsible budget that invests in the future, strengthens the middle class and restores fiscal discipline. And let's be clear—the money spent in this budget is not a luxury, but rather a necessary investment in our future.

Click here to write your senators and representative right now and tell them to support the budget resolution.

Thanks for your time and support,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

P.S. It'll take just a few minutes. Take a moment to write your senators and representative and ask them to support the budget.

From the Children's Defense Fund:

Tell Congress to Pass the Budget Resolution Last week was the first round of votes on the budget. The Members of the House and Senate Budget Committees each passed their own budget resolutions. Thanks to activists like you, who made calls and sent emails to your Members of Congress who serve on these committees, both budget resolutions support America's children and families, and help restore our country's economic stability. This week, the entire Congress is voting on the budget resolutions, which means that all of your Members of Congress and not just the one or two who serve on the Budget Committee, need to hear from you this week! This budget helps rebuild our economy and focuses on families. It commits to providing health care for all, lifting families out of poverty and helping children start school ready to learn and succeed. These are the goals that you have been fighting for—we must build on the momentum from last week’s victory. Send an email to your Senators and Representative today and ensure that this budget resolution benefits children, families, and our nation’s future. Remember, the opposition, including the insurance companies, corporations, multi-millionaires and others, don't want their tax loopholes closed to pay for these national priorities, and they are spending a lot of money lobbying against it. That's why we need you to help us organize in support of the budget! America's children, our future and our country's prosperity are depending on you and your Member of Congress. CDF President Marian Wright Edelman Attends White House Health Care Summit Earlier this month, CDF President Marian Wright Edelman had the honor of serving as a panelist at President Obama's Health Care Summit at the White House.  As one of the few representatives from a child advocacy organization, she had the privilege of speaking for our nation's children and discussing with other panelists the importance of ensuring health coverage for every child this year. Visit our website to view video clips, share your thoughts on this event and read what others have said. New Report: Low-Income Families Losing Billions in Tax Benefits As the 2008 tax filing deadline is fast approaching, and millions of families are struggling in the economic recession, CDF has released a report that finds low-income families lose billions of dollars each year to predatory commercial tax preparers and highlights the importance of tax credits for working families. This report found that in tax year 2006, low-income families lost $3.1 billion of their Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits to high-interest, short-term loans, tax preparation fees and other financial products issued by commercial tax preparers. Visit our website to download the report and find out how much your city, county or state has lost to predatory commercial tax preparers. Now For Sale in Web Store: Marian Wright Edelman's Latest Book  Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman's new book, The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation, is a call to action for all Americans to address the urgent needs of our country's youths. The book is a series of letters to a variety of audiences—educators, faith leaders, youth, mothers, elected officials and concerned citizens nationwide—that reflects on the social and economic progress as well as the setbacks since Dr. King's death 40 years ago. Mrs. Edelman challenges each audience to step up and take action at this pivotal moment to ensure a level playing field for the next generation. Purchase your copy today in our online store.   National/California Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Summit a Huge Success! Last month CDF and several co-conveners hosted a two-day National/California Cradle to Prison Pipeline Summit in Sacramento, California. Nearly 500 attendees shared promising approaches and developed community action plans to stop the funneling of thousands of children down a pipeline to prison. The highlight of the event was the 150 youths who led and participated in the deliberations of the first day to help define their own involvement in efforts to dismantle the pipeline. During interactive sessions, they shared challenges and discussed their personal experiences in the pipeline and the interventions that changed their lives. Their report and recommendations were presented to the entire summit. View a photo slideshow from the summit and stay tuned for video clips of interviews and sessions on our web site. We must mount a concerted national effort to dismantle the pipeline to prison by eliminating its root causes through implementation of promising approaches articulated at the summit. Find out ways you and your community can step up and take action (.pdf) and learn more about children in the pipeline in your state. The policies and systems that fuel the pipeline to prison are strong, but together so are we! Learn more about CDF's Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign. Now Online: The New Economic Recovery Law: Resources to Help Children and the Economy The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helps alleviate the stress on families and communities by investing in improvements for a range of needed services and supports and offering states funds to offset deep cuts. The improvements made in the Recovery Act will not benefit anyone, however, unless they are implemented in a way that effectively helps children, families, and communities. The Children's Defense Fund has gathered useful materials from federal agencies, congressional sources, and advocacy and other organizations that can help you become familiar with the Recovery Act funding and program activities available in states and communities. The New Economic Recovery Law: Resources for Helping Children and the Economy provides links to these materials. This guide will be updated frequently to provide the latest and most helpful resources. Tell Congress to Pass the Budget Resolution CDF President Marian Wright Edelman Attends White House Summit New Report: Low-Income Families Losing Billions in Tax Benefits Now For Sale in Web Store: Marian Wright Edelman Latest Book  National/CA Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Summit a Huge Success New Resources to Help Children and the Economy

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