Tax Fairness Pledge 2010 Media Digest

Tax day has come and gone and the recession continues to weigh heavily on the shoulders of our economy. With the Responsible Wealth Tax Fairness Pledge, we set out to remind US taxpayers that the Bush tax cuts, which predominantly benefited the wealthiest Americans, are still with us today. And, with the federal deficit and budget cuts as a constant worry, we're spreading the message that these unfair and unnecessary tax cuts must come to an end.

The story of the Tax Fairness Pledge, including interviews with several Pledge signers, has shown up in national and regional media, including newspapers, blogs, radio, and even television. Take a look below for a sampling of some of that coverage, and be sure to check back for updates.

Listen to the April 6, 2010 Tax Fairness Pledge Press Teleconference (mp3)

April 15, 2010

Responsible Wealth members, Marnie Thompson (Greensboro, NC) and Judy Pigott (Seattle, WA), join ABC News' John Berman via Skype™ to share why they, as wealthy individuals, believe we should end tax breaks for the wealthy once and for all.

Watch the video below or on ABCNews.com

April 14, 2010

Free from the ambush by a disagreeable panel on Fox Business' Varney & Co., Mike Lapham makes another visit to Fox News, this time for a chat with Shepard Smith, host of Studio B. Mike discusses the failure of "trickle-down" tax policies and states Responsible Wealth's case for ending tax breaks for the wealthy.

Watch the video on Fox News.

April 14, 2010

RW members Marnie Thompson and Jeffrey Hollender tell NPR reporter Yuki Noguchi why they support rolling back Bush tax cuts on the wealthy. " 'I'm proud to pay my taxes; it's a hallmark of democracy,' says Thompson." In response to arguments against allowing the cuts to expire, Hollender says, "These arguments are really about keeping money in the pockets of people who already have too much money."

You can listen to the piece, which appeared on Morning Edition or read the full story at NPR.org

April 12, 2010

Responsible Wealth Director, Mike Lapham, continues the Tax Fairness Pledge media blitz with a less-than-welcoming group on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Even in the face of a triple team offensive from the Fox team, Mike holds strong and delivers the message to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

Watch the video on Fox Business.

April 12, 2010

Tax Fairness Pledge signers are a powerful voice of opposition, and reason, to the "tea-sipping fiscal hawks ... circling Capitol Hill squawking about the deficit amid a chorus of angry voices screaming for an extension of Bush-era tax cuts." The message: let the cuts die. Cape Cod Times writer Sean Gonsalves summarizes UFE and RW's argument in support of restoring top tax rates on the wealthy.

Read the full article on CommonDreams.org.

April 12, 2010

Responsible Wealth member and Tax Fairness Pledge signer Eric Schoenberg explains why he supports letting the Bush tax cuts expire in this piece by columnist Harvy Lipman of the Bergen Record. Schoenberg states, "My fundamental argument is that what's in my best long-term self-interest is that we have a well-functioning society,".

Read the full article on NorthJersey.com.

April 11, 2010

There are a lot of misconceptions about what, exactly, has caused such a huge budget deficit in the US over the past few years. And while no one factor is completely responsible for our current fiscal position, the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy have certainly done their part. A recent blog post on Harikari.com does a nice job of putting some of the misinformation to rest.

Read the full post on Harikari.com.

April 10, 2010

Fair tax policy has been a part of UFE and RW's work for years. And our members have been an important voice in pushing for fairer taxation. In a recent article by Kristi Heim in The Seattle Times, members Judy Pigott and Arul Menezes share their thoughts on why the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy should be allowed to expire in 2010.

Read the full article from The Seattle Times.

April 9, 2010

Job creation is often an excuse for continuing tax cuts for the wealthy. But, as Responsible Wealth director Mike Lapham notes in Al Lewis' piece on MarketWatch.com, "these tax cuts were supposed to free up vast amounts of capital and to spur investment and create trickle-down economic growth. As United for a Fair Economy and others have documented, tax cuts do not create jobs. [...] Instead of economic growth, the tax cuts have added an additional $2.5 trillion to our mounting national debt now headed for $13 trillion."

Read the full article on MarketWatch.com.

April 9, 2010

Karen Datko points out the contradiction of anti-tax supporters demanding lower taxes, while telling government, 'Don't touch my (Social Security, Medicare, farm subsidies, or whatever their favorite government program is).' To keep these and other important public services, we'll need to let the wealth shift back by restoring top tax rates on the highest income earners.

Read the full blog post on MSN's MoneyCentral.

April 9, 2010

Max Linsky is right when he writes, "Change starts with changing assumptions." And that's what our Tax Fairness Pledge is all about - changing assumptions that have long allowed US tax policies to shift in favor of the wealthy.

Read the full blog post on TakePart.com.

April 8, 2010

As Shelly Banjo puts it in her recent blog post from the Wall Street Journal, "not all wealthy Americans try to pay as little in taxes as possible." Signers of our Tax Fairness Pledge view restoring top tax rates on the wealthy as an answer to closing our country's budget deficit while maintaining important public services.

Read the full article on Wall Street Journal Blogs.

April 8, 2010

Some folks seem perturbed by the message our Tax Fairness Pledge signers are sending when it comes to tax fairness. And to those who donate a portion of their tax cuts to tax fairness organizing efforts, opponents ask "why don't you just donate to the federal government?" This article from TheEconomist.com does a great job of explaining why that's not the answer...

Read more and see the full article from TheEconomist.com.

April 8, 2010

Responsible Wealth Director Mike Lapham goes toe-to-toe with conservative CATO Institute's Dan Mitchell on The Kudlow Report on CNBC, and holds his ground, even with opposition from Larry Kudlow, himself!

Watch the video from CNBC.com below.

April 7, 2010

On the Daily Kos, the Electablog writer shares UFE's fair tax sentiment, but writes it with a twist - of humor and satire - that is right on the money. "Let's face it: the Teapublicans are manning the ramparts to fight for the tax breaks of their bosses. They've been so brainwashed into thinking that all taxes are bad that they don't even realize they aren't fighting for their own self-interest, they're fighting for their boss's self-interest."

Read more on DailyKos.com.

April 7, 2010

No matter how you feel about the expiring Bush tax cuts, it's hard to deny the power of the message our Tax Fairness Pledge signers are sending. Ending tax breaks for upper-income earners in the US will put a sizable dent in the national deficit, something 60% of Americans have said they support. And with a majority like that on President Obama's side, we agree with Dana Milbank that the odds of the cuts expiring at the end of 2010 are in our favor.

Read the full article from The Washington Post.

April 7, 2010

Fighting opposition to rolling back Bush-era tax giveaways will not be easy. But, the Obama Administration is notalone in supporting the end of the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy. As Richard Wolf highlights in his article in USAToday,"A March poll by Quinnipiac University [...] found60% of Americans support raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000, if the money is used to reduce the deficit."

Read the full article on USAToday.com.

April 7, 2010

Responsible Wealth member, Eric Schoenberg, takes the hotseat, once again, opposite Neil Cavuto on Fox News. Eric argues that, given the "fiscal train wreck" we're headed toward, a fairer tax system would raise taxes on the wealthy.

Watch the video on Fox News.

April 7, 2010

On his MSNBC show, Dylan Ratigan asks Mike Lapham to define a fair tax policy for America. According to Tax Fairness Pledge signers, fair tax policy is grounded in having those who can most afford it, pay their fair share.

Watch the video from MSNBC.com below.

April 7, 2010

"The wealthy are at it again, lobbying for tax changes. But not like you might expect." Don't Mess With Taxes blogger Kay Bell is right - the message UFE's Tax Fairness Pledge signers are sending is unexpected, but it shouldn't be. UFE and RW have been opposed to the Bush tax cuts since they were first enacted in 2001.

Read the full blog post by Kay Bell.

April 6, 2010

Jay Fitzgerald writes a brief profile of Responsible Wealth's campaign to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in the Boston Herald. Mike Lapham mentions the importance of 2010 for this issue, as those Bush tax cuts are set to expire at year-end.

Read more and see the full article from The Boston Herald.

April 4, 2010

Jay Heflin discusses the Responsible Wealth Tax Fairness Pledge in The Hill. He raises the failure of trickle-down economic theory and still-sky-high unemployment as reason to believe that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy may be allowed to expire, but notes that Congress still has political sorting to do.

Read more and check out the full blog post from The Hill.

March 30, 2010

The Nation editor, Katrina vanden Heuvel, blogs about the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush tax cuts, and encourages readers to support Responsible Wealth's efforts to end tax breaks for the wealthy by taking the Tax Fairness Pledge.

Read the full blog from The Editor's Cut in The Nation.