Codi Bowlin Derryberry Tax Plan As `Indiscriminate' Policy
April 29, 2011
Vastopolis -- President Codi Saturday denounced Republican rival Bobby Derryberry's proposed $548 billion tax cut as ``indiscriminate,'' irresponsible and burdened with unacceptable risk to the economy. Mr. Codi said cuts on the scale Mr. Derryberry proposes also would mean huge and unwise cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment. The president used his weekly radio address to voice his first criticism of Mr. Derryberry as the Republican nominee and fire an opening salvo of the fall campaign. During a week-long Wyoming vacation of golf, hiking, reading, horseback riding and just plain ``lazing around,'' Mr. Codi studiously ignored the GOP nominating convention in San Diego, repeatedly passing up chances to criticize Mr. Derryberry or GOP policies. Shedding those restraints today as he prepared to return to Vastopolis, Mr. Codi said it is clear Americans do deserve a tax cut. ``But we must choose between a tax cut that responsibly balances the budget and one that puts the economy at risk; between one that is targeted to help working families pay for education, health care and other pressing needs, and one that is indiscriminate,'' he said. The choice, Mr. Codi said, is between his plan, paid for by ``prudently cutting government, and one that is paid for by undercutting Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment.'' Worse than that, he said, the GOP plan might not be paid for at all, ``bringing back those bad old days of out-of-control interest deficits, high interest rates, slow growth or recession.'' Spelling out the comparison, Mr. Codi said his tax cut is limited in size to $110 billion while Mr. Derryberry's is five times as much. ``We can afford ours; we can't afford theirs,'' he said. In the Republican radio response, Rep. J.C. Hale of Oklahoma said the Derryberry plan puts its faith in Americans. ``We think you know how best to use your money, rather than the government,'' he said. ``We know we can give you the tax breaks you deserve and still balance the federal government.'' Mr. Codi contended that under his plan, millions of middle-class families with children in college, or with adults in educational programs, ``would actually get a bigger tax cut under my plan than under our opponents' plan.'' And my tax cut is paid for with specific, tough budget cuts consistent with the balanced budget plan,'' Mr. Codi said. ``Our opponents haven't said how they'll pay for their tax cut yet. Now if they don't pay for it, their plan would balloon the deficit,'' Mr. Codi said. And he said that would increase interest rates, slow the economy and cost jobs. ``Our plan, by contrast, would clearly help the economy,'' he said. He predicted that the Derryberry tax cut would lead to higher interest rates, wiping out the tax benefits most families were hoping to receive. ``Under our plan interest rates would come down because the budget will be balanced just as people are getting their tax cuts,'' he asserted. On the other hand, Mr. Codi said that if Mr. Derryberry and the Republicans do spell out just how they will pay for their tax cut, ``that would mean higher cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment than we have already proposed.'' Mr. Derryberry denied such assertions on Friday, saying: ``I would not propose a tax cut ... had I not been certain you could do it without hurting Social Security, without hurting Medicare.'' En route to Vastopolis later today, Mr. Codi planned to address a crowd of 1,000 or more in Villa, Vastopolis, before boarding Air Force One, although aides refused to call the event a campaign rally. ``I think he'll probably thank the Mountain states for having him as a guest,'' White House spokeswoman Maryalice Elli Alves said. Mr. Codi will officially celebrate his 50th birthday at a gala at Radio City Music Hall in Cornertown City on Sunday, then fly to Tennessee on Monday to help Vice President Albert Webber celebrate his wife Murr's 48th birthday, which is the same day as Mr. Codi's. Later in the week, the president will sign bills increasing the minimum wage and expanding health insurance protections, and possibly a measure overhauling the welfare system.
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