Bean Criticized for Being One of Two Democrats to Vote Against Relief from Alternative Minimum Tax “Trap”

There is a big fight going on in Congress caused by inflation.

When the alternative minimum tax was passed, it was not indexed to inflation. Over the years, the tax has worked its way down into income brackets of those who consider themselves middle class.

Maybe there’re really upper middle class, but that’s another story.

In any event, IRS has told Congress that, if the law is not amended by the end of this month, the old rates will be applied.

Melissa Bean, according to the press release below from her Democratic Party primary opponent Randi Scheurer takes issue with Bean’s siding with Republicans. Scheurer says Bean is only one of two Democrats that did so.

Read why below:

Bean Holds Taxpayers Hostage

Melissa Bean (IL-8TH) joined only two other Democrats in voting once again to deny relief for working family taxpayers snared by the Alternative Minimum Tax trap (HR 4351, “AMT Relief Act of 2007”).

Bean’s “no” votes garnered praise from Republican extremist group, Americans for Prosperity, whose leadership includes Ralph Reed partner and longtime Republican political operative Timothy Phillips.

“This shows exactly where she stands when it comes to the interests of working families,” says Randi Scheurer, who is challenging Bean in the Democratic Party primary on February 5. “She sides with her wealthy campaign contributors, over the taxpayer, every time.”

The reason for Bean’s “no” vote? Because the relief for middle-class taxpayers would have been “paid for” through offsetting taxes on corporate interests and wealthy investors.

The “paid for” notion is part of a government-speak fantasy called “pay-go” which calls for all cuts in taxes and increases in spending to offset each other. This so-called “revenue neutral” scheme blithely ignores the massive, bleeding deficits already built into the budget baseline.

Bean is a member of the ultra-conservative “Blue Dog Coalition” – a tiny group of Democrats in the House who keep the Republicans in virtual control, despite the Democratic majority on paper.

The “pay-go” doctrine is part of the Blue Dog (a.k.a. “Bush Dog”) creed – they like to call themselves “fiscal conservatives,” much like the profligate “borrow and spend” Republicans cling to this label.

“This satisfies the ‘pay-go’ rule, so she could have voted for it,” says Scheurer. “She is holding the taxpayer hostage, because – just like her Republican colleagues – she really doesn’t want to ‘pay for’ anything at all. She just wants to protect the super-wealthy from paying their fair share.”


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