(Original Post)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
By TERIE NORELLI and SYLVIA LARSEN
In his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama showcased his concrete ideas to move America forward. His focus was squarely on creating jobs, strengthening the middle class and building an economy to last.
He discussed his blueprint for a fair economy, where if you work hard and play by the rules, you can succeed. He emphasized manufacturing jobs, college affordability and key investments in education – all pragmatic ideas in a make-or-break moment for the middle class.
New Hampshire voters are characterized by their pragmatism and their independence. In New Hampshire, there are more voters who are not registered with a particular political party (“undeclared”) than are registered with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
This is why New Hampshire has been and will remain a key swing state. That is also why the president’s common-sense policies resonated here in 2008 and will again in 2012.
The policies proposed by the president are neither Democratic ideas nor Republican ideas. In fact, a recent University of New Hampshire/Boston Globe poll found a majority of New Hampshire Republicans (53 percent) support making our tax system fairer by asking the wealthiest few to pay their fair share.
According to the same poll, 78 percent of New Hampshire Republicans oppose raising taxes on middle-class Americans, and 72 percent of Republicans oppose cutting spending on Medicare.
The president’s policies speak not to a party or ideology, but to Granite Staters who believe in the fundamental American values of fairness and equality, where a thriving middle class will drive our economy forward.
Other polls earlier this year found a majority of New Hampshire Republicans to be pro-choice, and 67 percent of Republicans to support some type of legal recognition for same-sex couples, highlighting a New Hampshire majority undivided on social issues.
The contrast between the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday and what the Republicans in Concord, Washington and on the campaign trail are offering is stark. On issue after issue – from social issues to tax policy – these Republicans have stampeded to the right, putting them at odds with the majority of New Hampshire voters and even voters of their own party.
Republicans vying for the presidential nomination continue to promote fiscally irresponsible tax plans without regard for the middle class, while the president has championed a tax savings of $1,000 for middle-class families.
According to the Center for Tax Policy, under Mitt Romney’s proposal to eliminate taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends, a typical middle-class family making between $40,000 and $50,000 would see an average tax savings of only $54 per year. More than 70 percent would see no benefit at all.
The nonpartisan Citizens for Tax Justice published the conclusions of a study last month that shows if Romney implemented his tax proposal, he, a millionaire 200 times over, would personally enjoy a 40 percent tax cut from an already low rate.
In Washington, our congressional Republicans are equally out of touch. All voted to end Medicare as we know it. Additionally, just last week, Rep. Frank Guinta made it known he would be happy if the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had “zero employees.”
This agency’s purpose is to protect consumers and advocate for Main Street, while reining in Wall Street abuses – a job the congressman apparently believes is inconsequential.
In Concord, if you can believe it, the Republicans are even further from the electorate. While Obama and Democrats are focused on jobs, some of the bills that came up in the Legislature last week would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians, mandate all future bills passed reference and derive authority from the Magna Carta of 1215, roll back protections for survivors of domestic violence and make deep cuts to Medicare.
In his State of the Union address, the president outlined his vision for an American future, based on pragmatic policies that will support our economic recovery and grow our middle class.
It is the only plan that matches up with the ideology of New Hampshire’s electorate, and it is the only plan that will move us forward as a state and as a nation.