Insanity! Let's Do It!

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on The Bush Tax Cuts for Millionaires, November 12, 2010

It is absolutely insane that in these tough economic times some people want to continue George W. Bush's tax give aways to millionaires. Working families are losing their jobs, their benefits and their homes. They are the ones who need help.

We need to focus on creating jobs by giving tax breaks only to middle class families and investing in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and green technologies. Millionaires and Wall Street already had their party, which tanked our economy and left Main Street stuck paying the bill.

Speaker Pelosi is exactly right that there should not be a so-called compromise on this issue. Working families will fight by her side to prevent another give away to millionaires. The election is over and now it's time for politicians to show courage and stand and fight on these issues for working families. Let the millionaires fend for themselves for a change.

We need to expose the rank hypocrisy of those calling for these millionaire tax cuts -- which would add hundreds of billions to the deficit. These are the same elected officials who say we can't afford to maintain benefits for the jobless -- and should cut Social Security and Medicare for working families and seniors in the name of so-called deficit reduction.

But does it matter what is obviously true? Does it matter what is obviously right? Republicans are barking and spinning in the dark, gathering up the soiled stained dollars unto themselves to spend amid the smoking ruins, and America is swaying inanely to a new zombie beat. Why refudiate the stupid? Come, come, let us bring on the festival of self-annihilation!