Progressive tax

UFE's partners in estate tax advocacy, Robert Rubin and Julian Robertson, urge Wall Street Journal readers to demand that Congress brings back the estate tax.

Abigail Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist and friend of UFE, shares the story of how government and taxation made her family's good fortune possible in USA Today.

As year-end approaches, the debate over the expiring Bush tax cuts is getting messy and harder to tolerate. Part of the reason is that there are more than just the usual suspects trying to advance clearly terrible proposals.

Sarabeth Guthberg at 1115.org had me squinting at her blistering critique of claims made by political advisor/economist Mark Zandi. (He had it coming.) As a key advisor to House Speaker Pelosi, Zandi is trying to rally support for permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts benefiting the "middle class," and a one-year-but-not-really extension of the tax breaks for those earning more than $250,000 per year (roughly the top 2%). He says it's necessary because the recovery is still too fragile, and that even the richest Americans "may be sensitive." (And, we wouldn't wanna make anyone cry, right?)

Experts from different sides of the board, including Paul Krugman and Alan Greenspan, have sounded off, saying the Republican proposal to permanently extend all of the Bush tax cuts is a bad idea. The tab for such a move would run up to around $3.7 trillion over 10 years. Read more >>

Responsible Wealth Director Mike Lapham talks taxes, wealth and philanthropy with Robin Young on NPR's "Here & Now."

Jim Amaral, owner of Maine's Borealis Breads, slams conservatives' misappropriation of small businesspeople as poster puppets against the estate tax. He tells us why they're dead wrong.

Working as an intern at United for a Fair Economy (UFE) has helped me realize that taxes, economic policy and government play vital roles in improving our communities. UFE warns against and strives to dilute concentrated wealth and power. They work on a national scale to promote progressive economic policies that can enable all levels of government to invest in the common good, and support a grassroots economic justice movement that can bring those policies to fruition.

When we zoom in to see what's happening at the local level, in too many areas we're finding that community development remains stagnant, including in our own, Boston. Here, local decision-makers continue to place the interests of monied special interests above the needs of most residents – especially those in underdeveloped neighborhoods. Here's a snapshot of what we've been dealing with...  Read more >>

Heiress, filmmaker and philanthropist, Abigail Disney–also a UFE Estate Tax Teleconference speaker–lambastes NY Gov. David Paterson's new tax law that places limits on charitable deductions for high earners.

Capitalists, workers converge in support of the estate tax. UFE's Lee Farris defends working class families as paying their fair share, demands that wealthy do the same.

An Iowan small businessperson and estate tax proponent provides historical context and passionate narrative in defense of the tax on inherited wealth.

Ten places where you might be nickeled or dimed by your state government. Plus, TFOC Director Karen Kraut blasts away at cowardly politicians who allow it to happen.