Shared Sacrifice

This is what shared sacrifice is supposed to look like?  Between the subsidies, tax rebates, income tax, The corporations, Oil companies, Wall Street Bankers, and the very, very wealthy, just keep getting wealthy, while the middle class is disappearing into the poverty zone.  If the Republicans keep getting their way, we the People will be nothing.  The only good point is that somewhere they(the upper wealthy) will have to give revenues if they are to thrive and survive, because the rest of the Americans, will be scrounging for food and what work we can get. Because we will not be able to pay taxes, buy stuff or live in homes, maybe tents, under bridges, in abandoned buildings, why because nobody will be around to take care of the buildings. People People People the Republicans DO NOT CARE FOR US (THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE POOR) the sooner we die off the better for them.
All public things will be private for the wealthy, schools, hospitals, doctors, lawyers.
Bits and pieces they are taking away everything that means everything to us.  Unions, schools, jobs, voting rights, transportation, health care that includes public hospitals, doctors, insurance, and a decent way to die with dignity.
 This is not SHARED SACRIFICE , this is America for the Wealthy, to hell with everybody else.  Yesterday, Monday, Senator Sanders spoke in the Senate and explained what I have tried to say here.  The AMERICA I grew up in does NOT EXIST anymore.
As for President Obama and the Democrats I have never been more disappointed, disillusioned, or more thoroughly disgusted in their bowing down and kissing the rumps of every Republican congressman or lady. They are falling all over themselves trying to make friends with the other side, and they are not listening to 81% of the American middle class and poor.  We understand the deficit and that certain cuts need to be made, but we are not going to take their so called shared sacrifice that does not include revenues raised by the wealthy, the oil companies, corporations.  It is time they put their wallets where their mouths are, they live high off the hog, and they get so much compensation that they do not need to work, not like the rest of us. Please Mr President, do not give in  to the Republicans, for Gods sake notice the people who elected you in 2008, because we can or not elect you again in 2012.  I do not use my Lord's name as a rule, but I and many Americans are fed up with the tip toeing through the tulips with people who do not care for us.  If you have a spine, if you care about the American People rich or poor, then put your fist down on the bargaining table and stand up for those who do not have the clout to take on the Republican party with their Tea Party loonies. I am begging, We need you now more than ever....


OIL COMPANIES

• · Valero Energy received a $157 million tax refund check from the IRS last year
• · In 2009 Exxon made $19 billion in profits, paid no federal income taxes and was given a $156 million rebate from the IRS.
• · ConocoPhillips made $16 billion in profits from '07-'09 and received $451 million in tax breaks.
• · The Republican budget protects $44 billion in unnecessary tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas companies.
• · Chevron received a $19 million refund from the IRS last year, even though it made $10 billion in profits in 2009. 

MIDDLE CLASS/JOBS/INCOME

• · The United States has the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country in the industrialized world.
• · Since 2000, 5.6 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in America
• · We have fewer factory jobs today than we did in March of 1941 about 8 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• · Over 50,000 manufacturing plants in America have been shut down over the past decade.
• · After adjusting for inflation, middle class families earned more income in 1998 than they do today
• · Nationally, middle class families have seen their income go down by more than $2,600 over the past decade.
• · 20 million more Americans live in poverty today than was the case in 1973.
• · Since 2000, nearly 12 million Americans have slipped out of the middle class and into poverty.
• · The official unemployment rate has been 8.8 percent or higher for over 2 years, the longest on record.
• · Nearly 16 percent of Americans are either unemployed or under-employed.
• · 42 million Americans are on Food Stamps.
• · The Republican budget would slash funding for roads, bridges, rail and airports by nearly 40% next year alone 

 THE WEALTHY

• Between 1980 and 2005, 80 percent of all new income created in this country went to the top 1 percent.
• Under the Bush administration, the 400 top earners saw their incomes double.
• The 400 top earners have had their effective federal tax rate cut almost in half over the past 15 years
• In 2007, the richest 400 Americans made an average of $345 million a year.
• During the Bush years, the wealthiest 400 Americans increased their wealth by $400 billion and are worth over $1.3 trillion
• The wealthiest 400 people in America now own more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans.
• In 2007, the wealthiest one percent took in 23.5 percent of all of the income earned in the US.
• In 2007, the top 1/10th of 1 percent took in 11 percent of total income The percentage of income going to the top 1 percent has nearly tripled since the 1970s

CORPORATION/BANKS

• In the past 5 years, Carnival Cruise Lines made over $11 billion in profits, but its federal income tax rate was only 1.1%.
• · Ford's federal income tax rate was just 2.3 percent in 2009 even though it made $3 billion in profits.
• 2010 corporate tax revenue was 27% smaller than 2000, even though corporate profits are up 60 percent over the last decade.
• Large corporations are sitting on a record-breaking $2 trillion in cash on hand.
• Large corporations are avoiding $100 billion in taxes every year by using offshore tax shelters.
• In 2005 1 of 4 large corporations paid no income taxes at all even though they collected $1.1 trillion in revenue.
• Hedge fund managers who made $1 billion last year now pay a lower effective tax rate than many teachers & nurses.
• In 2008, Goldman Sachs only paid 1.1 percent of its income in taxes even though it earned a profit of $2.3 billion.
• Bank of America received a $1.9 billion tax refund from the IRS last year even though it earned a profit of $4.4 billion.    

HEALTH CARE

• The Republican budget would prevent an estimated 34 million uninsured Americans from getting health insurance.
• 50 million Americans have no health insurance and 45000 Americans die every year b/c they don't have access to health care
• The Republican plan will end Medicare by providing an $8000 voucher for seniors to purchase a private health insurance plan
• Since 2000, over 12 million Americans have lost their health insurance.

 Sen. Jim DeMint to GOP: Saving your job is more important than preventing economic meltdown

 Debt/deficit reduction must be born by rich, oil companies, corporate communities too. They must pitch in to help fellow Americans.

The poor and middle classes have suffered. It is time for wealthy corporations to contribute as well.

Uploaded by SenatorSanders on Jun 24, 2011

I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor)

Shared Sacrifice Dear Mr. President, This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today - which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing.  In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth. Everyone understands that over the long-term we have got to reduce the deficit - a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars, and a prescription drug program written by the drug and ins ur ance com panies. It is absolutely imperative, however, that as we go forward with deficit reduction we completely reject the Republican approach that demands savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny. Mr. President, please listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who believe that deficit reduction must be about shared sacrifice. The wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations in this country must pay their fair share.  At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions.  A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending. Please do not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society.  Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billiona ires who have never had it so good.     Respectfully, Sen. Bernie Sanders Co-signers