Top Ten Reasons John Kerry Is Wrong For Connecticut

George W. Bush ^ | May 20, 2004

[RWR8189]

"The President's pro-growth policies helped create more than 625,000 jobs nationwide over the past two months, but John Kerry's plan for higher taxes and $1.9 trillion in new government spending would derail Connecticut's economic progress."

-Kevin Madden, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman

1. $1.9 TRILLION IN NEW GOVERNMENT SPENDING
An Updated Analysis Of Senator John Kerry’s Campaign Promises Shows They Would Cost At Least $977 Billion Over 5 Years And $1.9 Trillion Over 10 Years. This is new government spending on top of the President’s budget. The costs are only for 44 out of Kerry’s 85 campaign promises. There were not enough details to determine the cost of Kerry’s remaining proposals.

2. HIGHER GAS TAXES
Kerry Supported A Half-Dollar Per-Gallon Increase In Gas Tax. “Kerry said [the Concord Coalition’s scorecard] method did not accurately reflect individual lawmakers’ efforts to cut the deficit. ‘It doesn’t reflect my $43 billion package of cuts or my support for a 50-cent increase in the gas tax,’ Kerry said.” (Jill Zuckman, “Deficit-Watch Group Gives High Marks To 7 N.E. Lawmakers,” The Boston Globe, 3/1/94)

3. VOTING AGAINST BUSH TAX CUTS
Kerry Voted Against President Bush’s Historic Middle Class Tax Cuts In 2001 And 2003. The tax cuts Kerry opposed have directly benefited Connecticut: 1.4 million taxpayers in Connecticut have seen their income tax bills reduced. Over 325,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs in Connecticut have additional tax savings to invest in new equipment, expand facilities and hire additional workers. More than 455,000 married couples in Connecticut are benefiting from marriage penalty relief. 320,000 families in Connecticut have benefited from the increase in the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000.

4. VOTING FOR HIGHER TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Kerry Voted For Higher Taxes On Social Security Benefits At Least Eight Times. He voted twice for Clinton’s tax hike on Social Security benefits, voted three times to keep the tax hike in the Clinton plan, and voted three times against repealing Clinton’s 1993 Increase.

5. VOTING AGAINST CONNECTICUT'S DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Kerry Opposed Weapons Systems That Provide Jobs In Connecticut. Kerry voted against funding the Blackhawk helicopter at least four times, in 1990, 1995 and 1996. The Blackhawk helicopter is built by Connecticut-based Sikorsky. (Sikorsky Website, http://www.sikorsky.com, Accessed 3/1/04; Robert Burns, “Army Wants To Use Billions From Canceled Helo Project To Make Helos Safer,” The Associated Press, 2/24/04; Guy Norris, “Ripe For A Revamp,” Flight International, 11/18/03; Paul Lewis, “Blackhawk Reborn,” Flight International, 8/19/03; “Derco To Expand Under Sikorsky,” The Business Journal, 4/19/02) Sikorsky Employs 3,200 total workers at three Connecticut facilities. (John Machacek, “Battle For Helicopter Contract Tests Lobbying Skills Of Congress, Companies,” Gannett News Service, 2/16/04) Kerry voted against funding the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter at least two times in 1990. The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter is manufactured by Connecticut-based Sikorsky. (Sikorsky Website, http://www.sikorsky.com, Accessed 3/1/04; Robert Burns, “Army Wants To Use Billions From Canceled Helo Project To Make Helos Safer,” The Associated Press, 2/24/04; Guy Norris, “Ripe For A Revamp,” Flight International, 11/18/03; Paul Lewis, “Blackhawk Reborn,” Flight International, 8/19/03; “Derco To Expand Under Sikorsky,” The Business Journal, 4/19/02) Kerry voted against funding the F-22 at least five times, in 1995 and 1996. Pratt & Whitney’s F119-PW-100 engines power the F-22 Raptor and are assembled in Middletown, Connecticut. (Pratt & Whitney, “Pratt & Whitney Delivers 100th F119 Engine For U.S. Air Force F/A-22 Fleet,” Press Release, 11/21/03; Federation Of American Scientists Military Analysis Network Website, “F-22 Raptor,” http://www.fas.org/man, Accessed 3/4/04)

6. WEAK ON INTELLIGENCE
Not Long After The First World Trade Center Bombing, Kerry Proposed $7.5 Billion In Across The Board Intelligence Cuts. In 1994, Kerry proposed rescinding $1 billion in FY1994 Intelligence budget and freezing the budget at that level through at least FY1998, which would cut $5 billion from Intelligence funding during that period. Kerry’s proposal was defeated by a vote of 20 to 75, with even Sen. Ted Kennedy voting against the measure. Then in 1995, Kerry proposed a bill to, “[r]educe the Intelligence budget by $300 million in each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.” This bill had no co-sponsors and never reached the Senate floor for a vote. (Sen. Dennis DeConcini [D-AZ], Congressional Record, 2/10/94, p. S1360; S. 1290, Introduced 9/29/95) In 1995, Kerry voted to slash FBI funding by $80 million.

7. AGAINST PUNITIVE DAMAGE RELIEF FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Kerry Voted At Least Five Times Against Capping Punitive Damages For Small Businesses. Small businesses are critical to the Connecticut economy. Over 97 percent of Connecticut businesses are small businesses. (“2003 State Small Business Profile: Connecticut,” Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy Website, www.sba.gov/advo, Accessed 5/4/04) In 2000, small businesses employed over half of Connecticut’s workforce. (“2003 State Small Business Profile: Connecticut,” Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy Website, www.sba.gov/advo, Accessed 5/4/04) Between 1999 and 2000, all of the new jobs in Connecticut were added by small businesses. (“2003 State Small Business Profile: Connecticut,” Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy Website, www.sba.gov/advo, Accessed 5/4/04)

8. PROTECTIONISM BAD FOR CONNECTICUT JOBS
Kerry's Protectionism Could Cause Foreign Companies To Flee Connecticut. Kerry says he will review all trade agreements. "I’m going to go back and have a 120-day review of all of our trade agreements. And we’re going to re-adjust those trade agreements that aren’t working, that need to be." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Town Hall Meeting, Vinton, IA, 1/13/04) 123,900 Connecticut workers are employed by U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies. U.S. subsidiaries support 36,200 manufacturing jobs in Connecticut. ("Survey of Current Business," Commerce Department, 8/03)

9. NOT VOTING ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Kerry Missed 36 Of 38 Votes On Medicare Reform And Prescription Drug Benefit, Including Final Passage Of Bill. Kerry has said “I’ve dropped many things during the race to go back for important votes that's my responsibility and that’s what I’m doing.” (Sen. Kerry, “Today,” NBC, 3/2/04) But when it came to prescription drugs for seniors, it must not have been “important” enough. Kerry was one of only two Senators to miss the final vote. (Sam Hananel, “Kerry, Lieberman Skip Final Medicare Vote To Return To Campaign Trail,” The Associated Press, 11/25/03)

10. VOTING AGAINST TROOP FUNDING
Kerry Voted Against The $87 Billion Iraq Supplemental. These funds provided body armor and other force protection measures such as armored Humvees and electronic jammers, as well as health care for reservists, support for families and meals for injured soldiers. Senator Lieberman said that Kerry played politics with the support of the troops. "‘If everyone had voted the way John Kerry did, the money would not have been there to support our troops,' said Lieberman (D-Conn.). 'I didn’t duck it. I didn’t play politics. I voted to support our troops.'" (Andrew Miga and David R. Guarino, “Iraq Viewpoint Dominates Dem Detroit Debate,” Boston Herald, 10/27/03)

[seastay]

too bad they can't list them all, guess the server isn't big enough

[RaceBannon]

Connecticut Bump

[LurkedLongEnough]

He better check Connecticut town ordinances before showing up like this:

[nutmeg]

Thanks for the ping!