Alcee Hastings: “I hear you, but what you ignore is the fact that when President Bush took office we had a surplus in this Nation and now…”

“I hear you, but what you ignore is the fact that when President Bush took office we had a surplus in this Nation and now we have deficits. I mean, we cannot keep swiping the Chinese, Japanese, Saudi Arabian card to pay for the war. You cannot have guns and butter, and I think we have proved that more times than one in this Nation. Insofar as your argument about the wealthiest paying more taxes, let me just give you today's Washington Post and the analysis that they put forward and just use as a ``for example'' someone making $40,000 to $50,000. Their average tax savings under this particular measure will be $46. That amounts to just a little bit more than a tank of gas if you ain't driving an SUV, but someone who makes $500,000 to $1 million gets $41,000. The persons, Jane Lunch Bucket and Joe Lunch Bucket, who are in the category of $20,000 to $30,000 get $9. They cannot even buy 3 gallons of gasoline. The Palm Beach Post front page reads today, ``Farm Workers Still Waiting on FEMA Aid,'' and I know that all too well from the calls in my office every day. So maybe some of my constituents in Bell Glade and Pahokee and Clewiston and South Bay and Canal Point might like to see a slice of this $70 billion kickback we are giving to the most well off in this country.…”