Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is taking a gamble, coming out in favor of higher taxes to pay for what he considers important national goals as part of his campaign theme of shared sacrifice.
He argues that higher taxes for some are needed to pay for universal health care. He hasn’t ruled out raising gasoline taxes to address energy savings and global warming. And his main goal, eradicating poverty and the "two Americas," will require a tax increase from Americans, he says.
Edwards acknowledges the political risks of higher taxes. But "I actually believe this is what America needs."
Will voters like the candor, and seriousness, and are they ready to sacrifice for something? Or will it come off as repackaged old-style liberalism?
Meanwhile, executives from Wal-Mart, AT&T and Intel Corp. joined with labor leaders Wednesday in calling for universal health coverage for all Americans by 2012. The executives made one of the more compelling arguments for a universal system: Businesses have trouble competing internationally when they have to recover health care costs in their bottom lines and their foreign competitors don’t.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Follow us
