Posted on 07/30/2004 6:26:12 PM PDT by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - A top economic advisor to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said the public won't hear Kerry's financial plans until after he's elected - if he's elected.
In the Aug. 2 cover story of "Business Week," former Clinton administration treasury secretary Robert Rubin said, "I don't think you can make proposals to try to dig out of this hole until you've gotten elected ... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."
The conservative group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) stated that Kerry is trying to avoid revealing his plan to increase taxes on the middle-class because it would create a campaign liability if he did.
In a release, the group stated that Kerry's plan to roll back President Bush's tax cuts for the top earners "will yield him only $40 to $60 billion per year, far below the more than $200 billion of new spending commitments he has promised to special interests who feed off of American taxpayers."
"In other words," ATR stated, "if Kerry is elected, middle-class tax increases are coming."
Dan Clifton, chief economist for ATR, said the Kerry strategy relies on deception. "The idea is just say, 'Only the rich are going to get taxed,' [and] run out the clock on the campaign. Once they get in, they'll develop a crisis and say 'we've got to raise taxes on everybody.'"
If, as a presidential candidate, "you have something up your sleeve, you should let us know," Clifton said. Rubin's comments, furthermore, "made it very clear that they (the Kerry campaign) have something up their sleeve."
According to Clifton, Kerry's plan could include raising the gasoline tax which the Democrat has proposed in the past, raising the tax rates on the top one, two or three tax brackets, raising the capital gains tax and more.
"There are a number of things that they can do once they get in," Clifton said. "They're just not giving an indication to any of us what they're doing."
Clifton said Kerry's campaign promise not to raise taxes on the middle-class echoes the promises former president Bill Clinton made in his first Democratic National Convention speech as a presidential hopeful in 1992..
Clinton promised that "the wealthy" would be asked to pay their "fair share" and the taxes on middle-class families would not increase, but "Clinton and Kerry imposed the largest tax increase on middle class families," ATR stated.
The group pointed out that Kerry voted in favor of Clinton's tax increases while he served in the U.S. Senate.
Repeated calls to the Kerry campaign office seeking comment for this article were not answered.
"I guess I'd like to know where your info came from. My understanding was that they owned stock, not actual factories. I'd be interested to know if these factories are Heinz factories or some other kind."
So if they own stock in companies that are American OWNED that deliberately send buisness overseas, doesn't that make them just as guilty of approving such measures? In other words, by owning even a 2% share of these companies they are condoning the loss of American Jobs to foreign companies. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me. But what do you expect from a demonrat.
BTTT
No Kidding? Whoada thunkit!
Or........
He does, but it would then be a 'Mondale Moment'; "Of Course I'm Going To Raise Your Taxes".
IMHO I believe he darn well knows what he wants and/or will do. But then he'd go down in flames and it'd be a Dubya landslide.
I believe Kerry will offer tax cuts for the middle class but it will be after President Bush's tax relief expires then Kerry will offer a lesser tax reduction."Rider on other's success".
Hmmm, that sounds familiar ---- why??? Wait, I think I have it!
Mary Beth Cahill said the exact same thing during the RAT primaries. "Yes he has a plan but we aren't going to tell you what it is because then you could use it against him." (pretty close quote)
BTW, do you notice how Kerry has "a plan" for everything but refuses to say what those grand plans are.
Yep, that'll get votes --- NOT!
yeah THAT's a good plan......
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
next he will propose to pass reparations for all blacks and badabing- he will be elected
next he will propose to pass reparations for all blacks and badabing- he will be elected
How about this one?
CONGRESSMAN ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA
American Samoa
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.
NEWS RELEASE
March 27, 2001
FALEOMAVAEGA SUPPORTS 20% TAX INCREASE ON TUNA PURCHASED FROM
FOREIGN SEINERS IN AMERICAN SAMOA
Congressman Eni Faleomavaega recently testified in support of a
20% import duty on the purchase price for each ton of light tuna
off-loaded in the U.S. Territory of American Samoa which entered
the harbor aboard or was initially caught by a purse seiner
vessel which is not registered in the United States.
Appearing before the House Ways and Means Committee in the U.S.
Territory of American Samoa, Congressman Faleomavaega stated
that he was not interested in arguing the legalities of the
canneries’ tax exemptions.
"This is an issue that holds serious economic implications for
our territory, and as such, deserves much broader attention and
careful examination," Congressman Faleomavaega said. "For the
record, I would like to note that H.J. Heinz purchased Star-Kist
Samoa in 1963. Since 1973, Heinz has moved from a $700 million
operation to a $15 billion corporate enterprise."
The Congressman also noted that since 1963, Heinz has
consistently enjoyed special tax exemptions and territorial
benefits.
"One of these benefits is exemption from the Nicholson Act. The
Nicholson Act prohibits foreign vessels from landing or
delivering fish on U.S. ports. American Samoa is exempted from
this restriction because of its territorial status, and as such,
foreign ships can land their catch directly on the cannery docks
in American Samoa," the Congressman explained. "This allows the
canneries to purchase 30% of its light meat tuna from foreign
purse seiners."
"Another major exemption is that under the Headnote 3 (a)
program, canned tuna processed in the territory can be exported
duty-free to the U.S., if the processing meets the criterion of
not more than 50 percent foreign component value. Canned tuna
regardless of origin meets the requirements of this exemption.
Needless to say, H.J. Heinz has benefited to the tune of
millions," Congressman Faleomavaega said.
Congressman Faleomavaega also noted that for 38 years H.J. Heinz
has consistently paid Samoan fish cleaners well below the U.S.
minimum wage standard. Samoan workers earn $3.20 per hour. Heinz
pays its Puerto Rican fish cleaners $6.00 to $7.00 per hour.
"While Samoan workers are earning $3.20 per hour, the H.J. Heinz
Company continues to increase its bottom line," Congressman
Faleomavaega said. "The company recently announced that its
annual sales exceeded $9.4 billion. Star Kist, a subsidiary
company of Heinz Corporation, continues to maintain its status as
the number one brand canned tuna company in the U.S. In fact,
Star Kist sales of tuna were approximately $1 billion for FY
2000."
In FY 1999, Star Kist Samoa and Chicken of the Sea/Samoa Packing
exported a total of more than $446.5 million worth of canned tuna
from American Samoa to the U.S. Since 1975, the canneries have
exported nearly $6 billion worth of tuna from American Samoa.
"Both canneries continue to enjoy tax exempt status," Congressman
Faleomavaega said. A Heinz company spokesman noted that "a tax
exemption certificate incentifies a company to invest capital and
protect that investment from unknown future costs."
In his testimony Congressman Faleomavaega asked, "Isn’t $6
billion worth of canned tuna exported from American Samoa in the
U.S. a sufficient incentive for our corporate partners? Must
Heinz Corporation continue to protect its investments and
increase its profits at the expense of our local economy?"
The Congressman invited members of the House Ways and Means
Committee to visit the villages of Amanave, Vatia, Tula, Aunu’u
and Onenoa. "Visit these villages at about two or three in the
morning and see our Samoan women dressed in their white uniforms
waiting to catch their one-hour long bus ride to the canneries.
Then visit the canneries and again observe these same women
cleaning fish and standing for some eight hours each day. After
twenty years of service these women are rewarded for their
efforts with a pension check of about $40.00 per month,
compliments of Heinz/Star-Kist or Samoa Packing/Chicken of the
Sea," Congressman Faleomavaega said.
"I also want to remind the members of this Committee that three
years ago Heinz/Star-Kist was fined $250,000 by the U.S.
Department of Labor for systematically paying Samoan workers
lower salaries than non-Samoans doing similar work. In 1995, the
Company was cited by the Occupational, Safety and Health
Administration, another division of the U.S. Department of Labor,
for 42 willful violations, 35 serious violations and 12 repeated
violations of U.S. labor laws relative to providing safe, working
conditions for the cannery workers," Congressman Faleomavaega
said. "As a result of these violations Heinz/Star-Kist was fined
and agreed to pay $1.8 million in penalties."
"The point here is that there needs to be a basic and fundamental
shift now on ASG towards Heinz/Star-Kist and Thai Union/Samoa
Packing. For some forty years now, the terms and conditions of
these tax exemptions and incentives have been so one-sided in
favor of these corporations that now even the existence of our
own U.S. purse seining industry is seriously at risk."
"It is for this very reason why we are here today," Congressman
Faleomavaega said. "Make no mistake about this one fundamental
truth – without the fish caught by our purse seiners, these
canneries cannot operate at their current rate of production.
This given, why is it that our purse seiners are given lower
preference for off-loading than foreign vessels right here in our
own port? Why is it that foreign vessels are paid special bonuses
by our canneries if there are delays in off-loading, but our own
purse seiners get nothing? Why is it that our purse seiners are
often paid as much as $50.00 per ton less than the prevailing
prices paid by Bangkok processors?
"I believe one of the major reasons that prompted Governor Tauese
and his administration to sponsor this legislation was because
these foreign vessels and mother ships are not contributing one
penny into our economy," Congressman Faleomavaega said.
Congressman Faleomavaega also predicted that the canneries will
leave American Samoa in another 7 to 10 years, if not sooner.
"Looking at the situation globally, countries like Mexico, Peru,
Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, as part of the Andrean Agreement,
are all pushing for duty free imports of canned tuna to the
United States similar to the Caribbean Basin Initiative. The
countries of Japan, Costa Rica, and Italy can now export yellow
fin tuna to the United States. You can be sure that Star Kist and
Chicken of the Sea care going to find ways to maximize their
profits in other locations, and leaving American Samoa to do it
will be a reality."
"Whether it is through this legislation or by way of negotiation,
I honestly believe it is time for our elected leaders to demand a
more equitable and fair level playing field from our corporate
partners," Congressman Faleomavaega said. "If passage of this
bill is the only way to get the attention of Heinz Corporation
and Thai Union, then let’s pass the bill.
SOURCE: Pacific Islands Report
Well **I** have a secret plan for world peace but I can't reveal it either!
That's what you call 'talking out of the wrong end'!!!
Anybody who owns a significant number of shares CAN GET a very strong voice in the management decisions if they wish to.
It is disingenuous to say "the Heinz family has nothing to do with management decisions." That may be accurate as they have chosen to act, but they could also have chosen to behave differently.
I agree that it is not necessary to bring this up to defeat Kerry, but it is not inaccurate to support the facts.
.
But, but, but, the breck girl said on FNS this morning that 98% of us watching wouldn't suffer higher taxes!
Did he . . . lie?
-"will yield him only $40 to $60 billion per year, far below the more than $200 billion of new spending commitments he has promised to special interests who feed off of American taxpayers."-
Will yield HIM???? Argh!!!!
Of course the media will let the Dims get away with this.
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