Do you want a raise? Republicans have given themselves one again and again through the tax code.

The average executive at the top 200 companies made an average of almost $11,000,000 last year. That is a 23% increase while the average worker had between a 0% and .5% increase! [1]

It seems Republicans read the memo upside down because they think the problem is executives aren’t making enough money.

Numbers like this make it clear why the Republican economic plan is wrong for America. A budget is a tangible expression of your prio rities. While Republicans want to reward those who make millions of dollars every year, Democrats want to protect America’s hard-working middle class and seniors.

That is why even though the economy is beginning to float once again, only the wealthy have seats in the boat.

Success should be rewarded, but not subsidized by the poor. It is now time to ask millionaires and billionaires to forego some of their tax breaks that we can no longer afford.

Democrats are standing up to the nonsense. In Congress and the White House, Democrats are defending Social Security and Medicare in the debt-ceiling discussions because we know the debt is not from our seniors, but from the Bush tax cuts and unfunded wars. 

Republicans would make you think that the debt is our biggest problem. I say our biggest problem is the Republican delusion, that people who make over $1,000,000 EVERY YEAR are being punished by paying what they paid in the ‘90s.

We already had a budget debate. My message to Republicans: You cannot hold our middle class and seniors hostage every time we face a crisis. Under President Bush, the debt ceiling was raised seven times. Your hypocrisy has gone too far.

Let’s stand up to the out of control greed! Please call Senator Mitch McConnell (502) 582-6304 or Senator Rand Paul (502) 584-5341. Ask them to stop thinking about their big donors and start thinking of us!

Thank you for standing strong and helping guide this nation through rough waters.

Sincerely,

Aaron Yarmuth

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[1] Prandya, Joshi. “We Knew They Got Raises. But This?” The New York Times. 02 July 2011.