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WASHINGTON, D.C. - In July, the President's Advisory Panel on Tax Reform is expected to issue its report on how the tax code should be changed. Progressive tax policy experts issued a report in the June issue of The American Prospect on how progressives can counter what is expected to be a regressive tax plan that raises revenues on the backs of the middle class with one that is progressive and fair, yet simple.
Moving Ideas provides links to the Prospect report as well as links to lots of other great resources from progressive tax policy experts. The Moving Ideas report, "Revenue, the Smarter Way," provides progressives with a fight plan for taking control of the tax policy debate.
John Podesta and John Irons of the Center for American Progress issued the rallying cry in their introductory piece, "Today the stakes are far too high to allow our opponents to capitalize on tax policy any longer. For Democrats, the time to speak out for progressive tax reform is now. If they fail to, Americans will be paying the price for President Bush's ineptitude for generations to come."
The report discusses the policy shift under the current administration toward tax relief for the rich and taxing wages at a higher rate than wealth. The progressive tax plan laid out in the report involves restoring fairness to the tax plan and ensuring that the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share so that low- and middle-income workers aren't left footing the bill.
One example for reform that wouldn't involve raising taxes at all would be improving enforcement of the current tax code. Closing tax loopholes and collecting unpaid taxes to the tune of $350 billion would be one way of making sure everyone pays their fair share, Max Sawicky of the Economic Policy Institute says. Chuck Collins of United for a Fair Economy proposes reforming the estate tax to protect small businesses and farms, but to keep the tax intact for billionaires.
Robert McIntyre of Citizens for Tax Justice issues a warning about the misleading language used by the President's Tax Advisory Panel and lays out what to expect from their July report. Robert Borosage of Campaign for America's Future and the pollster Celinda Lake detail how progressives can counter the messages from the panel and other forces for regressive taxes and how progressives can take control of the debate.
"Revenue, the Smarter Way" is available at http://www.movingideas.org/content/en/report_content/prog_taxes.htm.
Experts and public relations contacts available to speak to the press are located in Moving Ideas' Progressive Policy Experts Database at http://www.movingideas.org/content/en/for_the_press.htm.
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