N o ve m b e r 16. 2011 ^ortlanb (Obstruer Page 19 Trickle Down Tax Cuts: A Broken Record Congress should invest in our future by L ew P rince I'm one of those “job creators” mem bers o f C ongress profess to admire so m uch. T hirty-tw o years ago, my partner and I started a small business with $300 worth of old records and a booth at the local farmers mar ket. W e’re now the biggest in dependent music store in St. Louis and employ 22 people. Our annual revenue is around $2 million. W e’re a classic Ameri can success story. Our incomes are typical for small business owners, which means w e’re not in the top tax brackets. W e’ve always been at or below the 25 percent tax bracket. So w e’re trying to fig ure out how a new Congres sional tax proposal is supposed to help small businesses like ours create jobs. to 25 percent benefits America’s George W. Bush had the worst grandkids lies in better educa The proposal would cut top small business owners. Most job creation record since 1939. tion, 21 st Century infrastructure, individual and corporate tax rates small business owners wouldn’t What trickled down were eco universal broadband and renew from 35 percent to 25 percent. It see a penny of tax cuts under nomic meltdown, foreclosures, able energy. How do the advo would reward U.S. multinational this proposal. unemployment, budget cuts and cates of more tax cuts for the corporations that have gamed Anyone who thinks lowering business closures. affluent expect to compete with the system with a 5,25 percent my tax rate would affect hiring W hen C ongress proposes emerging economic superpow tax rate on U.S. profits they knows diddlysquat about run stimulating the economy with ers if we don’t invest in our have disguised as “foreign” earn ning a business. I hire more more tax cuts for those who are nation’s future? Where do they ings. All this will be great for workers if 1 think I’ll do more far ahead of the rest of us, they expect money for that invest gigantic multinational corpora business. The costs of finding, do nothing to help my customers ment to come from, if not from tions, Wall Street and the fat hiring and paying new employ or my b u sin ess. W hen the those who have profited most cats who attend those $1,000-a- ees are b u sin e ss ex p en ses. wealthy get more tax cuts, it from the investment our parents plate and up political fundraisers. They’re deducted up-front from transfers the burden of paying and grandparents made to build It will be great for the corporate taxable income. Any business for government services to busi the nation they handed us? lobbyists gaming our political paying taxes on these expenses nesses like mine, and to my cus Trickle-down economics has system every day. needs to fire their accountant. tomers, already living paycheck been a miserable failure. It de It w on’t help small business, The biggest challenge facing to paycheck. livered economic ruin for many, and it w on’t help America. my business isn’t the taxes we If members of Congress want and riches for a few. It hasn’t This proposal would give mas pay. It’s the decline in customer to help small business, they should brought shared prosperity, but sive new tax cuts to A m erica’s demand and the continued hol choose policies that actually cre driven us farther apart. It in largest corporations and wealthi lowing out of our middle class, ate jobs. St. Louis, like many cit creased the economic and politi est families and comes as we o u r in fra s tru c tu re and o u r ies, laid off teachers, first respond cal power of Wall Street and Big learn from a Congressional Bud economy. It breaks my heart ers and construction workers - Business over Main Street and get Office report that after-tax when my customers sell record the people who spend money lo small business. inflation-adjusted incomes for the collections built over a lifetime, cally, and who we need for a Trickle-down economics is a richest one percent of Ameri to pay their rent, heating bills or healthy economy. The last thing broken record. It’s time to let it go. cans skyrocketed 275 percent medical expenses. we need is more cutbacks to pay Lew Prince is managing between 1979 and 2007. W e’ve tried trickle-down tax for more tax cuts at the top. partner o f Vintage Vinyl, an Tax-cut advocates want us to cuts to create jobs. H ow ’d that Job creation today and a independent music store in St. believe that cutting the top rate work out? Tax-Cutter-in-Chief, brighter future for our kids and Louis. Saga Not Over Yet in Jackson’s Death What should doctor’s sentence be? by B J udge G reg M athis Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary man slaughter in the death of super star entertainer Michael Jack- son. With the verdict, the jury brought some level o f closure to an event that stunned the world. But the saga is not over yet. M urray's sentencing hearing begins Nov. 29. He could re ceive anything from probation to up to four years in prison for his actions. M any factors will go into Murray's sentencing. The prosecution will point out his refusal to r - ’T f l take responsibility for his role in Jackson's death, and the emotional impact the crime has had on Michael's family in an attempt to se c u re a lo n g e r se n te n c e . Murray's defense team will point to the absence of a criminal his tory and may argue that the doc tor was pressured by Jackson to provide the deadly treatments. Though it may be unthinkable, it is possible that Murray may not see any prison time. California District Attorney Steve Cooley said that it would be difficult to appropriately sen onstrating that it recognizes the ter or comment on the official tence because of overcrowding long term effect Murray's be Ju d g eG reg M ath is F acebook in California's prisons. Even if havior will have on Jackson's page. Murray does get jail time, a new parents, siblings and, most im Judge Mathis is a longtime California sentencing law that portantly, his children. advocate fo r equal justice. His seeks to reduce overcrowding in What should Murray's sen life story o f a street youth who prisons will ultimately affect the tence be? Share your responses rose from ja il to judge has time he serves. with @judgegregmathis on Twit provided hope to millions. If sentenced to prison, Murray would most likely serve his time 503-288-0033 in county jail. That same over Atm: Subscriptions, The crowding could also result in I ™°° for 6 months ’ SI 10.00 for 1 year Portland Observer, PO Box M urray being sen ten ced to $200.00 for 2 yeare (please inc lude check nith form) 3137, Portland OR 97208. house arrest. N ame : ___________ As a doctor, Murray knew that what he was doing was I T elephone : unethical and was not in the best I A ddress : _ interest of the patient. By hand ______ ing down the stiffest sentence I possible, the judge would be dem I or em ail subscriptions@portlandobserver.com ¡S ub seri be j I i The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. 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