ATLANTA -- One day after a former Democratic president flew to Georgia to raise money for his campaign, Senate hopeful Mike Thurmond took one step away today from President Barack Obama in declining to embrace the bulk of the president's latest stimulus proposal.
Democratic candidates across the country have distanced themselves from Obama now that a majority of Americans disapprove of the job he's doing.
Thurmond, a vice chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, told reporters Thursday that Bill Clinton's appearance that evening at a pair of fundraising receptions was based more on their long-term acquaintance than on ties to the national Democrats. He added that he believes voters are tired of politicians reacting to proposals for partisan reasons.
So the next day, he flexed his own independence by parting ways with Obama who is traveling the country selling a plan to pump $50 billion into roads, rail and runways as well an infrastructure bank that state and local governments could draw from. The president also advocates a package of tax breaks for small businesses, paid for by boosting taxes on individuals earning more than $250,000 yearly.
"I support the R&D component," Thurmond said in an interview today with Morris News.
Thurmond, the outgoing state labor commissioner, said he favors helping small-business owners because he believes doing so will have the most immediate economic impact at a time when economists warn the country could suffer from high unemployment for the next two years.
Thurmond, though, was cool to the idea of trying attempting more stimulus through road building.
"What we learned from the first stimulus package is that infrastructure takes time," he said.
Thurmond is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson who has long made it known he's no fan of either of Obama's stimulus plans. Raising taxes by allowing 10-year-old Bush tax cuts on upper-income individuals would be a mistake, according to the senator.
“It is unconscionable that the President would seek to raise taxes on any Americans during a recession," he said.
Also on the November ballot with Isakson and Thurmond is Libertarian nominee Chuck Donovan.
Chuck Donovan is a great guy. Former Marine fighter pilot, not flies for Delta. A real common sense candidate that will reduce the power of the federal government and strive for taxpayer protection.
Voting for the same people gets the same results, so ask yourself if your happy where this govenment is heading, and vote accordingly.
Most small companies in this country are sub chapter s corporations.
As a sub chapter s corporation all the income of a business gets reported as though it was the company owners regular income.
When they talk about raising taxes on anyone making more than $250,000 what they are actually proposing is to raise taxes on many of the small companies in this country.
When you raise taxes on these companies you are eroding their ability to reinvest in their business and provide increases in wages and benefits for their employees.
Many of these companies are already struggling due to the bad economy and this so called tax increase on the rich will only lead to more layoffs and less spending on products and services provided by
other companies.
Most of the politicians that are proposing or supporting this so called increase on the rich know dam good and well that they are targeting
these businesses.
Most of them have never had their hands dirty or have never had to meet a payroll.
If you are employed in the private sector please consider carefully who you vote for this November.
Any increase in taxes on the business you work for can not possibly be good for you.
Taxd2death, you are incorrect. The INCOME of a business in an S-corp doesnt flow to the owner's 1040, the NET INCOME- as in profit- does.
There's a huge difference.
If you have a business, and turn a profit of $250,000, yes, you should pay taxes. Because let me tell you, I pay taxes-plenty of them- and I don't earn $250,000 per year. I don't earn anywhere CLOSE to that.
I don't consider any small business that turns a profit of $250,000 "struggling".
And rich people don't have sub-S corps, S-corps weren't designed for the rich and are not advantageous to them.
Anybody that has an S-corp and that has net income of over $250,000 flowing onto their 1040 needs a new CPA, and QUICKLY.
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