Rand Paul takes aim at Republicans, Democrats New WORLD News 9/4/2015
By: WORLD NEWS VIDEO
Original post:
Rand Paul takes aim at Republicans, Democrats New WORLD News 9/4/2015 - Video
Why Obama, Democrats are hypocrites, liars and frauds: ROOT For America
The religious freedom act in Indiana has been the biggest news in America for a week now. This is all a joke, a distraction from what #39;s really being done to America by Obama and his Marxist...
By: personalliberty
Original post:
Why Obama, Democrats are hypocrites, liars and frauds: ROOT For America - Video
Tax plan will help middle class, Democrats say
As Gov. Paul LePage shares his proposed state budget, Democrats have unveiled their own tax plan in Augusta Thursday. They said their ideas will help middle-class Mainers. Subscribe to WMTW...
By: WMTW-TV
See more here:
Tax plan will help middle class, Democrats say - Video
AUGUSTA, Maine Efforts to transform Maine's tax code have failed time and again. But with tax overhaul proposals from both parties now on the table, 2015 could be the year that Democrats and Republicans finally agree to at least some significant changes, which would have a big impact on residents' wallets.
"I think this is a tremendous opportunity," said Dick Woodbury, an economist and former independent senator who spearheaded a 2013 tax overhaul effort that failed. "To have the governor taking a strong role in proposing an initial plan and Democrats as a party advance a plan that is also quite comprehensive seems to me like a great setting for really accomplishing something significant."
Republican Gov. Paul LePage's tax plan, which is part of his more than $6 billion budget proposal, and the one released Thursday by Democratic lawmakers differ in many ways. But there is one key area on which both the governor and Democrats agree: The sales tax base should be expanded shifting more of the burden onto out-of-state visitors to help pay for tax relief for Maine residents.
"Now we've got both major parties debating not whether to give tax cuts but to who and how large the tax cuts should be," said Lance Dutson, a Republican political strategist.
That's giving hope to those who have long advocated for such changes that they may finally come to fruition. But big obstacles remain and major differences need to be worked out before the two sides can craft a final budget by June 30 to prevent a government shutdown.
LePage and many Republican lawmakers want to aggressively cut the individual and corporate income tax and eliminate the estate tax to make Maine more attractive to businesses and wealthy retirees.
Democrats agree with LePage that the sales tax base should be expanded to include things like amusement parks, which supporters say will collect more revenue from tourists. They also agree that the income tax should be lowered, but not for the highest earners and not for corporations. They want the focus to be on reducing the property tax burden and cutting income taxes for low- and middle-income residents.
Dutson said he believes that Democrats will have a hard time "wrestling the microphone away from the right side of the aisle" and gaining traction for their policies because they waited nearly three months to unveil a competing tax plan. In the meantime, LePage has been aggressively promoting his proposal at forums across the state.
Democrats plan to hold similar town hall meetings and say residents will see that their plan is clearly a better deal for working-class families when they understand the details of their proposal.
"The choice is very clear to us because we think that it is the right thing to do and we believe that it is the right approach to growing our economy," Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves said Thursday.
Read the original post:
LePage and Democrats agree: Maine tax system needs overhaul
By Emma Dumain Posted at 3:50 a.m. on April 10
The White House wants House members like Israel to get behind the Iran nuclear deal. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
House Democrats on the fence about the White Houses proposed nuclear deal with Iran will be asked next week to close ranks and get behind the president.
With the House and Senate getting back to work on April 13 after a two-week recess, most of the legislative action is set to be in the Senate, where the Foreign Relations Committee will begin marking up its bill giving Congress power to override President Barack Obamas emerging deal to disarm Iran.
But Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, has made it clear that, short of the White Housedramatically changing course, he would support the House acting on similar legislation, perhaps even taking up the Senates product (assuming it passes).
It means a large number of House Democrats will, sooner ratherthan later, have to decide to whom they owe the most loyalty: their president, who opposes congressional action he says will undermine administration-level negotiations and diplomacy; or Israel, an important ally that could be inherentlythreatened by an Iran with nuclearcapabilities.
Obama administration officials are set to begin acharm offensive tour next week, aimed at talking Republicans down from seeking to override the emerging dealand convincing wavering Democratsto get on their side.
On April 13 at 5 p.m., Secretary of State John Kerry, Energy Secretary Ernest J. Moniz and Treasury Secretary Jacob J.Lew, among others, will be on Capitol Hill to provide House lawmakers in both parties aclassified briefing on the so-called P5+1 agreement, which would facilitate the nuclear disarmament of Iran over a 15-year period and must be signed off on by the end of June.
At House Democrats regularly scheduled Tuesday caucus meeting, Kerry and Monizare slatedto make a repeat appearance.
Some House Democrats have already started drawing lines in the sand, with senior lawmakers positionslikely to influence some undecideds.
See more here:
House Democrats Forced to Choose Sides in Iran Debate