Boehner, Portman slam Obama for raising taxes on small business

(CBS News) Two prominent Republicans -- House Speaker John Boehner and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman -- slammed President Obama for raising taxes on small businesses and employing class warfare tactics when he called on Congress Monday to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for households earning more than $250,000 a year.

"Why we would want to tax the people that we expect to create jobs in this country makes no economic sense," Boehner said. "The president can't run on his record because his policies, his economy policies have failed and have made things worse. And as a result, he's turned to the politics of envy and division. That's what this is about, nothing but pure politics."

He said the House will vote to extend all of the current tax rates at the end of the month. Republicans, including likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, maintain that most small business owners pay the lion's share of taxes in the form of income taxes, making Obama's plan a de facto tax hike.

The two Republicans spoke in back-to-back speeches to the Associated Builders and Contractors legislative conference in Washington Tuesday morning. Both Boehner and Portman touted their credentials as former small business owners.

"How many of you pay your taxes as individuals?" Portman asked the crowd, and the vast majority of audience, numbering several hundred people, raised their hands. "Look around you. This is how America works," he said. "The American people gave (Obama) the ball. At a time when, he was inheriting a tough economy, let's be honest. But in my view he fumbled the ball. It's time to give the ball to somebody else who has a game plan, who's got a strategy to be able to turn things around, who understands, because he has the experience and a record and the public policy positions to do it."

Portman, who is thought to be on Romney's short list of vice presidential picks, called for a complete overhaul of the tax code, which he said is "now nine times longer than the Bible, and not nearly as interesting."

Boehner also mocked the media for questioning the House Republicans' decision to hold a vote to repeal the Obama-backed health care law of 2010, an effort headed for failure in the Democratically-controlled Senate.

"It really boils down to one simple word: Resolve," Boehner said. "You know we are resolved to get rid of a law that will ruin the best health care delivery system the world has ever seen, it will bankrupt our country, and it will make it impossible to grow our economy. That's why we're doing it."

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

Hey Boner, if you don't tax people that create jobs, then who are you going to tax? The people that get the jobs? The people that destroy the jobs? When I hire a person for $50K per year, it's because I can turn around and bill their time for $100K-$150K per year, pay my overhead, and the leftover is my profit. The idea of an income tax is to fund the activities of the government by taxing profits. It's considered a fair form of taxation, especially when done progressively. You're perhaps the biggest idiot ever to have a place in government!

[Maria0420]

Another baseless accusation that has no link to reality. If Mr. Boehner had ever bothered to read a book and elevate himself from his elementary school knowledge base, he would know better that to lie so shamelessly. According to better minds than his, the tax plan would help over 90% of small businesses.
Illiteracy is our real enemy.

[hollywoodjason]

I read a post from Robert Reich who explained this succinctly.

"To hear the media report it, President Obama is proposing a tax increase on wealthy Americans. That's misleading at best. He's proposing that everyone receive a continuation of the Bush tax cuts on the first $250,000 of their incomes. Any dollars they earn in excess of $250,000 will be taxed at the old Clinton-era rates.

Get it? Everyone is treated exactly the same. Everyone gets a one-year extension of the Bush tax cut on the first $250,000 of income. No "class warfare."

"Regressives also want Americans to think the President's proposal would hurt "tens of thousands of job-creating businesses," as the Journal puts it.

More baloney.

A small business owner earning $251,000 would pay the Bush rate on the first $250,000 and the old Clinton rate on just $1,000.

Congress's Joint Tax Committee estimates that in 2013 about 940,000 taxpayers would have enough business income to break through the $250,000 ceiling - and, again, they'd pay additional taxes only on dollars earned above $250,000.

All told, fewer than 3 percent of small business owners would even reach the $250,000 threshold."

To read it all, follow this link.

http://robertreich.org/

ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century.

[wellis5591]

If it were only so simple. It is not one thing that will turn this around, it is the compounding of multiple initiatives undertaken in the Obama term that is driving down incentives to restore the economy and jobs. Maintaining current tax rates is one facet, reduction of regulation is another, increasing competitiveness in Healthcare is yet another, as examples of actions that would restore confidence in the institutions of Government and empower people to make their own choices. There is no magic bullet, single talking points like taxes, healthcare or vilification of the success of others will not turn the ship. It will take a crew to reverse the uncertainty and inability for business organizations to plan for the future induced by actions of this administration over that past 3.5 years. Increasing tax rates on anyone does little to assure a pondering economy that things are turning for the better.

[jackdawson4all]

"Boehner said. "You know we are resolved to get rid of a law that will ruin the best health care delivery system the world has ever seen, it will bankrupt our country, and it will make it impossible to grow our economy. That's why we're doing it."

This makes it evident, they have NO clue what they are talking about.

We have one of the worst health care delivery systems in the world.

And the policies being put in place by ACA are helping to make sure our country doesn't go bankrupt due to the unsustainable care delivery model currently in place.

Yet, I suppose if everyone had the cadillac health care plan that all those in the government have, we would all be content with the status quo. I bet if all of these senators/reps with government backed health care plans were on the avg American's health care plan, the ACA would be almost a unanimous vote into law.

[Eugene2012]

Those GOPee'rs in Congress really knew how to run up the Federal debt on the taxpayer's credit card, now they refuse to take prudent measures to repay the debt!

[spacengin]

Based on economic history and deficit reduction, its the right thing to do.

[petere11]

Let's just go back to the Clinton tax rates and be done with all this BS. These Two prominent Republicans have no understanding of economics. It's middle class spending that creats jobs, not tax rates.

[liberalmike]

The republiCON'S are Koch whoes!

[liberalmike]

Yea give the tax brekas to the wealthy they will create jobs....the trickle down republiCON economics always works................NOT!

[liberalmike]

breaks*