Comments on: Obama Got the Memo Too

By: Jason Mittell

Jason Mittell — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:50:54 +0000

Matt – how does lowering the cap gains tax rate and top tiers of retirement income help “lower-income middle-class” voters? It seems that these disproportionately help higher-income voters, as people with low incomes are not investing in the stock market at this moment (and nobody’s getting any capital gains right now – the key question is how to deal with capital losses!), and the retirement plan simply treats everyone as lower-income people are treated now.

McCain claims this is aimed at working/middle-class, but that seems just like a rhetorical package for his standard regressive taxation plans. Do you see something else there?

By: Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:14:24 +0000

I find fascinating the level of concern among politicians and pundits for the deficit related aspects of any proposal to help the middle class, rebuild our infrastructure, and the like. Too bad the same level of concern is not evidenced when there is a proposal on the table to slow our withdrawal from Iraq, accelerate the sending of troops to Afghanistan, etc.

By: Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:02:17 +0000

What neither plan does is address the fundamental issue that needs to be addressed. We have become a consumption rather than a saving society. We are not adding much to our capital base.

A plan to become a net energy exporter, both in technology and raw energy would be a plan to refocus our economy to make something that the world wanted and needed.

I live in a small town on Green Bay- a Great Lakes seaport of sorts. We are the reception and trans- shipment point for hundreds of the gigantic windmills that Pickens is touting. Every day several dozen convoys of cars and trucks take these enormous components- MADE IN EUROPE- to the midwest and beyond.

WHY DO WE NEED TO IMPORT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF HIGH TECH ENERGY CONSERVATION EQUIPMENT? WHY AREN’T WE DESIGNING, BUILDING AND EXPORTING THESE KINDS OF THINGS IN EXCHANGE FOR MIDEAST OIL- WHILE WE WEAN OURSELVES FROM IT?

Why aren’t our candidates telling the truth that we need structural change, that by doing that we can fundamentally alter the economy and its trajectory for the better?

Obama does not need to do so, McCain does and the people already know this. So why can’t “Old Straight talk” say what we already know and need to hear from a leader? It mystifies me.