Sanders Details Tax Plan, Declines Secrecy Offer

Just got to love Bernie Sanders - even if you dislike his politics, you have to admire his style.

From Common Dreams:

www.commondreams.org...

The leaders of the tax-writing committee solicited suggestions as part of a push to simplify the tax code. They also pledged to keep senators’ suggestions secret for 50 years at the National Archives. Sanders said he has nothing to hide. “Given the fact that my suggestions represent the interests of the middle class of this country and not powerful corporate special interests, I have no problem with making them public.” To read Sanders’ letters, click here and here and here or go to his Senate website here.

Or see the article at Common Dreams.


This is not a post about what Senator Sanders is proposing though I (personally) think his ideas are very sound. It about the fact that the "suggestions" submitted by Senators will be private for 50 Years.

Is this how a representative democracy is meant to work. How can we, the electorate, determine who to vote for if members comments, writing,etc are kept secret? Hey - in the office, floating ideas, I understand. But any thing effecting the Law of the Land needs to be on the public record from day one.

For transparency to be real it must go both ways. What we have now is a Corporate Controlled one way mirror security state and Senator Sanders in his classy way makes the point with this release.

Now, you can tell me he's a commie and I'll tell you, you don't know anything about socialists or communists or libertals and the like and all will be right with the world.

The man has class and you don't see that often any longer.

Hiding their actions, while representing us, for 50 years?

Yeah. Just another brick in the wall for me.

While I would admire 'ol Bernie's courage, I would also say he is just barking at the wind.

His 'proposals' are too vague and don't seem to offer any studies of the pros and cons.

Each of his 5 points needs to be fully analyzed.

Perhaps the cons outweigh the pros like most tax laws.

It's all based on tax shifting.

The extra $1.8 trillion over 10 years is only a wild speculation, and isn't enough to justify the wild spending.

How would he account for any tax revenue declines in other areas ?

He is 'safe' for now.


But I know we all would LOVE to see some of those 'sealed' proposals

I think 'they' are all very afraid of political consequences.

The 50 year seal is evidence of deep paranoia.

Too many average people are on to the gags.

Originally posted by xuenchen
While I would admire 'ol Bernie's courage, I would also say he is just barking at the wind.

His 'proposals' are too vague and don't seem to offer any studies of the pros and cons.

Each of his 5 points needs to be fully analyzed.

Perhaps the cons outweigh the pros like most tax laws.

It's all based on tax shifting.

The extra $1.8 trillion over 10 years is only a wild speculation, and isn't enough to justify the wild spending.

How would he account for any tax revenue declines in other areas ?

He is 'safe' for now.


But I know we all would LOVE to see some of those 'sealed' proposals

I think 'they' are all very afraid of political consequences.

The 50 year seal is evidence of deep paranoia.

Too many average people are on to the gags.

Thank you for responding. Senator Sanders proposals were presented in summary as appropriate to a short dispatch.

Regarding 'Tax Shifting'. I agree but would call it 'Tax Shifting Back to When the US had a healthy middle class", just as a counterpoint.

Cutting jobs, hours, wages, etc, etc have dropped the tax revenues dramatically over the last thiry years. That was effectively a 'tax shift' from government into the coffers of BIG BUSINESS.

BIG BUSINESS has externalized expenses as well as appropriated WE THE PEOPLE's income individually and collectively.

reply to post by FyreByrd


In all fairness...anyone legislators proposing closing loop-holes...thier campaign financing would disappear overnight.

Maybe anonymity is not a bad thing.

reply to post by Indigo5


Secret proposals
Secret courts
Secret law interpretation
Backroom negotiations

..while nsa gathers broadrange in telligence on all civilian communications. ..

Anonyminity and secrets for those dictating law is ALWAYS BAD and even moreso when noone else is afforded the same!

..not a big fan of bernie but I applaud him in this matter

reply to post by SlasherOfVeils


Yah...Good for Bernie. I respect the man. And, if I am not wrong, he doesn't have to run again?

Just saying...anyone closing tax loop-holes for the wealthy will get voted out of office, thier campaign finance will dissappear, and the TP, Grover Norquist crowd will stomp them into the gorund and replace them with someone who will never close a loop-hole.

You can scream about transparency without actually thinking it through, but IMO, in these circumstances, it might be in the Americans favor to keep it confidential in the short term. Otherwise the tax code will NEVER be reformed...actually I am not optimistic it will be either way. Too much money has a death grip on congress.