Published in the Concord Monitor on September 18, 2012.
Kuster, Bass talk tax plans
U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass and his 2nd Congressional District challenger, Annie Kuster, like to remind people that their differences are philosophical, not personal. Those differences were in full view yesterday at the Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester - on everything from Saturday mail delivery to the Affordable Care Act.
First up: whether the candidates would repeal the George W. Bush-era tax cuts, which would raise the tax on income more than $250,000 from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. Their scheduled expiration at the end of the year are considered part of the so-called “fiscal cliff” that many fear will once again slow the economy.
Kuster, a Hopkinton Democrat, said everyone should pay their fair share and that people in New Hampshire with an income more than $250,000 have a “comfortable” lifestyle. She supports the repeal of the cuts.
“What I would do is go back to the Clinton-era tax rates,” Kuster said. “We had a big boom in the economy at that point. We created 23 million jobs, and so I think most Americans would be comfortable returning to that tax rate.”