The following is Sam Rasoul's response to Bob Goodlatte's article, "A budget that won't cut it for America," published in The New Dominion on April 3rd. [Lowell's note: Rasoul has announced that he is running for Congress against Goodlatte in the 6th District.]
My fellow citizens, it is time for certain representatives to stop misleading our nation. Mr. Goodlatte?s words are starkly negated by what has happened to our nation of the past six years.We know the facts. Over the past six-years we have seen record federal deficits and an administration that has no sense of fiscal responsibility. The numbers speak for themselves; since 2001, the nation saw a $5.6 trillion ten-year surplus turned into the largest federal deficits in history adding trillions to our national debt.
Mr. Goodlatte speaks of large tax increases in the new budget, but three respected not-partisan voices say otherwise:
-"Thus, to be clear, the budget resolution does not call for or require a tax increase" - Concord Coalition, March 28, 2007
-"The House plan does not include a tax increase" - Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March 28, 2007
-"The budget would not raise taxes" - The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, March 28, 2007This administration and supporters such as Bob Goodlatte have favored tax cuts for the rich with the vast majority of tax benefits going to those who earn over $200,000 per year. This is not helping the families of the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia.
We must demand more from our representative in Western Virginia. If Bob Goodlatte truly believes that the spending increase of $24 billion next year will have an effect on taxation of our middle class, then PLEASE ask him to help close the ?tax gap? where an estimated $400 billion per year is lost in offshore tax shelters.
Mr. Goodlatte, you will no longer fool us that easy.
[Lowell's note: Good for Sam Rasoul. It's about damn time that somebody took on Bob "So Bad He's" Goodlatte.]
Personally, I'm good with spending money on American agriculture, and you should be too - since Ag is the core of Virginia's economy. But in the meantime, I would appreciate your attention to the debt we owe China, my shrinking paycheck, and the jobs that your glorious `world trade agreements' have cost us. Get that right, and I'll cover the taxes, no problemo.
Thanks!
If you are interested in finding out more about Sam's campaign. He will be formally annnoucing his candidacy on April 14th at 12pm at the Pickle Room in the Colket Center at Roanoke College.
Love to see you there.