The 'Buffet Rule' Is a Hypocritical Political Ploy

About Jonathan Collegio:

Jonathan Collegio is the communications director for American Crossroads.

America's unemployment rate has been over 8 percent for the last three years. The federal government has run trillion dollar plus deficits those last three years as well. And polls consistently show that Americans are most concerned with those two issues: creating jobs and getting the budget deficit under control.

Yet this week, President Obama made a major policy proposal based not on creating jobs or cutting the deficit. The president instead proposed a "Buffett rule" policy which is not a serious policy initiative designed to solve an actual problem, but is the worst type of political ploy.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the economy.]

What does the president's proposal do? The Associated Press said it best—that President Obama was "picking an election-year fight with congressional Republicans." With more the economy in the doldrums for three years, 13 million Americans out of work and the country on an unsustainable path of deficits and debt, the president is most concerned about picking a fight with Republicans.

But America needs a president who can solve problems, not pick fights and create more Washington drama.

Proving the policy was really just a ploy, the premise behind Obama's proposal has been thoroughly debunked. According to an AP analysis of Obama's proposal, households making over $1 million pay on average 29.1 percent of their income in federal taxes, while those making between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay on average 15 percent. Wealthier Americans are already paying a higher percentage of their incomes in taxes, and contribute disproportionately to federal revenues. The problem Obama is talking about is not a real issue.

[Read what the Buffett Rule Gets Wrong.]

Secondly, Obama's proposal does nothing to help solve the real problems America faces with our debt crisis. Estimates suggest it would only raise $4.7 billion dollars per year, less than 0.4 percent of 2011's deficit. Not only is it a nonissue, but fixing the non-issue doesn't raise any real money for the government.

Worst: We found out on Friday that the President himself pays a lower percentage in federal taxes than his own secretary.

In the end, this isn't a proposal to solve the jobs crisis or pay off the debt. This is an election year political ploy designed by Obama to pick a fight. And Americans aren't buying it.

Not only is Obama's proposal a crass political ploy, but it's a hypocritical one at that. Rarely does a presidential proposal fail as quickly, or as dramatically, as Mr. Obama's so called Buffett rule.

Tags:taxes, deficit and national debt, Warren Buffett, federal taxes

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GOP: Obama, Romney Contrast Will Grow Sharper

Home > News > Ken Walsh's Washington > GOP: Obama, Romney Contrast Will Grow Sharper

April 16, 2012 Print

The presidential race will be volatile for the next few months as President Obama and Republican front-runner Mitt Romney rise and fall in the polls, but over time the contrast between the two men and their policies will benefit Romney, Republican strategists predict.

Party officials say that the GOP presidential primaries have kept the country from focusing fully on President Obama and his failures, especially when it comes to the economy. Instead, the intra-party debate has emphasized the Republican candidates' attacks on each other.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the Republican party.]

"There's a big difference between a one-on-one race and a one-on-six race," says Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer, referring to the number of major GOP contenders who were once in the competition for the party's presidential nomination. Spicer argues that the contrasts will grow sharper and will work to the GOP's advantage once the Republicans settle on their nominee.

There are only three serious candidates left in the Republican presidential contest—Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

Romney is so far ahead in nominating delegates, in states won, and in fund-raising that he is considered the presumptive GOP standard-bearer.

Tags:Obama administration, Barack Obama, politics, republican party

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4 Tips for Helping Your Teen Land a Summer Job

By April, many high school students are already longing for summer. Prom and final tests are mile markers along the homestretch of the school year, and they're also cues for teens to start searching for summer jobs.

Before the recession, many employers were begging for workers, says Rick Parker, senior vice president of marketing for Snagajob.com, a job-hunting website with a focus on hourly positions. "But it's a different ball game today," Parker notes, and teens often compete with older, more experienced applicants for the same jobs. Parents can help teens get a leg up on their competition by applying to summer jobs now using these tips from Parker.

1. Take the job search seriously: Many teens may not realize the amount of time and effort that goes into applying for jobs, Parker says.

"Teach your kids that job No. 1 is the job search itself," he says. For example, teens may think applying to five jobs is sufficient, Parker notes, but they should apply to 10 or even 20 positions.

2. Be flexible: In a bleak economy, teens can't afford to be picky when applying to jobs. Parker says many teens limit their job search to about a 10-mile radius, but if they can, he says they should also consider positions farther from home.

And while working in evenings and on weekends isn't always ideal for teens' social lives, the ability to do so is very important to hiring managers, Parker says.

[Read why teens should learn about personal finance.]

3. Network: "Lots of people want to help," Parker acknowledges, so "Parents should encourage their kids to let friends, family, and neighbors know that they're looking for a job. You never know where that connection is going to come from."

4. Coach your teens: "Make a list of where to apply, and take them through mock interviews, proofread job applications until they get the hang of it, [and] have them practice their elevator speech," Parker suggests.

Practice is particularly important for teens applying for their first jobs, Parker notes, and those teens should mention past experiences such as babysitting and volunteering on their applications.

Parents should also remind their teens to be happy and agreeable when talking with a potential employer. At many summer jobs, teens are representing the company, perhaps by working at a retail store behind the cash register, Parker says.

In those positions, teens become the "face of the company," he adds, "So it's extremely important to employers that the job applicant has a positive attitude."

See how your school stacks up in our rankings of Best High Schools. Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.

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Carjacked Tyke Knocks on Door at 2 a.m.

By STEVEN K. PAULSON Associated Press

A 3-year-old is back with his parents after he knocked on a stranger's door in the middle of the night following the hijacking of his father's car at a Colorado Springs, Colo., convenience store with him in the back seat.

"Help me, I'm cold," the toddler told Traci Gilbert, who answered the door.

She said she heard her doorbell ring about 2:15 a.m. Sunday and got up to check. Gilbert looked through the peephole and didn't see anyone, so she opened her door. Outside, she found the 3-year-old covered in snow and sleet, wearing nighttime diapers and a thin jacket.

"He wasn't crying. He never shed a single tear the whole time. That boy is a hero to me," Gilbert said.

Gilbert said Monday she is still amazed that the toddler made it up 14 slick steps to her front door on the second floor of a duplex, carrying a plastic bag that held a container of soy milk, a Sippy cup, two diapers, wipes and pajama bottoms.

She believes the car thief picked her home because it was near the store where the car was stolen. The temperature was in the 30s and the weather was alternating between sleet and snow.

"He didn't even wait until the child was safe inside," Gilbert said, her voice shaking with anger.

The father, Anthony Pettiford, said Monday he was headed home from a family gathering when he stopped to buy some gum. He was chatting with friends next to his car when someone jumped in the driver's seat and took off. Pettiford chased the car down the street while his friends chased the vehicle for about 10 blocks before losing it. The friends said the car thief must have turned back to drop the boy off three blocks from the store, then left the child to fend for himself.

Pettiford said he believes his son, whose name has not been released, was trying to return to the convenience store to find him when he showed up on the woman's doorstep.

"He knew what to do. He's a champ," Pettiford said.

Gilbert, a 53-year-old nurse at Memorial Hospital, said at first she was afraid that the boy's father had put him out in the cold because of a domestic argument or he had run away from home, but when she asked, the boy told her his parents were "happy."

Gilbert's adult son took the boy in his car to find his father. Gilbert's son waved down an officer searching for the boy and he was reunited with his father.

Barbara Miller, spokeswoman for the Colorado Springs Police Department, said Monday it is unlikely Pettiford will face charges because he was standing next to his vehicle when the child was abducted. The suspect and the car, a white 1995 Chrysler New Yorker, are still missing.

———

Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com

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