This is kind of an odd diary entry, as I don't have much to say, but rather, a question.
Elsewhere, I'm trying to rebuke the oft-repeated "raising 900 billion in taxes" claim against Kerry. The problem is, getting down to brass tacks, I'm having problems accounting for where exactly that money is coming from.
Nearly all estimates of Kerry's health care plan put it at about 900 billion over ten years, including, as far as I'm aware, Kerry's own estimates. Now, he's largely going to pay for that, he says rhetorically, by rolling back the tax cuts for the richest 1% (or whatever). Meaning, for everybody making over 200k a year, right? Hunting around, I have most estimates for the revenue that would come from that as being anywhere from 250-800 billion dollars, with most independent estimates being on the low end of that (meaning it would be a real stretch to claim 800 billion from it, it sounds more like 350ish to me, though if you could help me nail that down to, that would be helpful).
So, that leaves the rest. He's given reference in speeches to things like closing the tax loopholes on outsourcing companies and stuff like that, but I can't find any hard numbers on any of that. What I do know is that he has ruled out deficit spending, and has screamed bloody murder when it's suggested that he'll have to pay for it with new taxes. I've heard a lot of "that's a lie!" in regards to the raising taxes claim, but not much in the way of actual numbers that plainly and easily make up the 900 billion.
So, Kossacks, help me with the talking points on this, in terms of number-crunching, so I can go back and make the case more effectively. Where is the 900 billion dollars over ten years coming from? Links and, as I said, hard numbers, would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance for the help.
