|
|
|
|
 HelloReturn to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to NH Outlook. |
| Intro Bass Return to index of stories... |
It's April 15th, the day millions of Americans file their taxes. It's on this day that the President and members of Congress are promoting a budget plan that will cut tax payments well into the next ten years. But are the tax cuts a good idea? How are we funding the war? What impact will it have on the economy? Joining me now to talk about some of these questions and more is Representative Charles Bass a republican from the second district. Congress is in recess now, so now's the time to touch base. Congressman Bass, thank you for being here. Congressman you were in Concord today to endorse presidents economic stimulus package.With you Congressman Jeb Bradley Senator Sununu and Governor Benson along with you some small NH businessmen how see this benefiting small business. |
| Charles Bass Return to index of stories... |
Ally-.Congress is in recess now so its time for us to touch base with the Congressmen. Thanks for being here so much. Bass: Glad to be here Ally. Ally: Congressmen you were in Concord today to endorse the President's economic stimulus package, with you we had Congressmen Jeb Bradely, Senator Sununu and Governor Benson along with some small New Hampshire businessmen. How does the president's stimulus package benefit small businesses. Bass: First of all I like three numbers. The President's proposal, 740 billion dollars worth of tax relief over 10 years. The house passed version of the budget 550 billion dollars over 10 years, the Senate passed version 350 billion dollars over the next 10 years. So, were talking about three very different approaches. Where will we end up? Somewhere in between 350 billion and 550 billion is my guess. That will necessitate some very significant changes to the President's proposal. The largest part of his proposal is an elimination of double taxation of dividends…. Ally: So is that still in the House plan and the Senate plan? Bass: Well it, neither are in the budget. They're, the budget is just in the framework. When you, when you actually pass the various provisions and put them into what is known as reconciliation that's when you see the details. The president's plan will not be in either the house or the senate budget because the numbers aren't large enough. So there will be something quite different with cat, with dividend taxation. I suspect that that we'll, we'll carry the acceleration of the, of the lowering of the tax rates for low income working Americans. Will probably carry the expensing provision increases for small businesses. And then we'll have something with dividends that won't be total elimination, because there simply isn't enough resource there to do it…. Ally: Ok Bass: ….So it will be, well the house will pass a 550 billion dollar tax cut. And the Senate will pass something around a 350. And we'll see, we'll just have to see what happens. It'll be, there will be some china broken between the two bodies. Ally: Is it any possibility that we won't see any kind of cut in dividend taxes at all by the time were done? Bass: It depends on what the House Ways and Means Committee does. Under the US Constitution tax policy originates only in the House. So the Ways and Means Committee will produce something, but its not going to look a whole lot like the President's proposal in the end. Now this morning in our press conference we talked about the President's proposal as a model for illustrating why its important to have a secure America and a strong economy at the same time. And why its important not to be focused only on one issue, which is winning the war in Iraq. Ally: Troy, let's Representative Bass talk about this tax cut. People that are opposed say we have the expense of the war with Iraq now. Bass: Sure Ally: We have reconstruction expenses that we will likely have to pay for. Bass: Right. Ally: Uh, we have a slow economy, this is not the time to do this. Bass: Well I would agree with the fist two points, but the slow economy is the reason why a tax cut is needed. We have a war to pay for, we have deficits that are climbing, and we have a slow economy. The pro, we have three choices. We can sit on our hands and fret for the next year and a half, which means probably nothing will happen and we will be where we are, where we are today in a year from now. Uh, we can work on the international front as were doing to create stability in energy prices, to create stability uh, in terms of terrorism and so forth to the greatest extent we can, to attract cash back into markets. And at the same time we can cut taxes which will promote business development, promote more investment, and I think |
| Charles Bass 2 Return to index of stories... |
Ally What is your reaction to the Concord coalition in the New York times? B: Well I think Senator Rudman had that right to disagree and I read the New York Times but I would like to point out the The Wall Street Journal had another Op Ed that rebutted basicall all those points. They are perfectly valid points in my business there is no perfect writer. I want to see the deficite reduced. Ally Well then who do I believe? Who do I listen to? B: Who do you think? Ally If I read the Concord Coalition, Warren Rudman, respected past senator of New Hampshire saying this is not the time to do this and you are telling me the Wall Street journal is refutting this. B: The point that economics is never exact. How many time have you heard them say on one hand its this and on the other hand its that? Senator Rudman and the Concord Coaltion have a position, it's a valid position. I don't have to agree with it I believe we need a strong and safe America, we've got to spend the money its necessary in order to combat terrorism. We also need to move as quickly as we can to restain spending get the deficite down. Our budget will balance in nine years. It's nothing to be proud of, but it's better than no balance at all. Thirdly, without an economy that turns around or is robust in the next year or so deficited will continue to climb more than they would have if we hadn't cut taxes. So it's a disagreement, there's nothing wrong with that. Ally Ok, with the cost of war which will run a few dollars to be sarcastic…how are we going to pay for that and if out deficites are getting worse are we going to shoulder it on the next generation? B: Well in the beginning you said the cost of Iraqi war was not carried in the numbers before and you are absolutely right. I'm going to guess the total bill for Iraq it going to be $125- $150 billion dollars. A year ago I said it couldn't possibly be true but including reconstruction and everything else it will be. The other issue is going to be how will stability in Iraq, stability in the middle east and some changes in other areas such as Palestine and Israel, how will that stabilize and reduce energy, which is one of the biggest cost facors in the economy in the US and offset in term of economic vitality which bring revenue in. How much will it offset the impact of this war? The answer is that it will do it somewhat but we don't know how much. The deficites are going to be large. I don't want to overemphasize this point but when Ronald Regan was president in the beginning when he first cut taxes in the early 80's. The entire budget that was about $475 billion dollars, which is 25% of what it is today. Our economy was about a quarter of the size it is today. We are talking about a 10 trillion dollar economy with a tax cut that will be about $50 billion. I think there is too much emphasis on tax cut size being the problem and the cause or the focus of the debate. There are lots of other issues that we need to look at intitlement reform, budgetary process reform in congress, other spending issues, prescription drug plan for seniors, fully funding, no child left behind. These all should be entered into this mix, but because there is a perception or criticizing taz relief makes for better political fader it tends to get over emphasized. I respect senator Rudman and the Concord Coalition they have a different position from mine, or the presidents, or from the leadership of the house of the senate. It makes for a good debate. At least their tax cuts aren't for the rich which is the great mantra. Ally Their concern is the deficite. B: And the concord coalition deserves a lot of credit for steering the congress ten years ago into understand how serious deficite were and I continue to feel that's important. Ally Let's talk about stability in the Middle East because you brought that into play and how that will effect energy costs in New England. We are hearing concerns over Syria over the fact that some of the leadership of Suddam Huissen may have fled to Syria, they may be harboring those folks there, yet the deputy, ambassador said that was absolutely not true that is was a campaign of misinformation. Is that where we are headed next? B: Syria isn't a very good player in the middle east and hasn't been for a long time. Hafaseid Lasad did to Lebanon what Huissein did to Kuwait 10 years ago and he got away with it. The Syrians aren't being helpful in any manner to develop a strategy for Palestine and Israel. There's probably good evidence that some Iraqi elites went across into Syria. I'm not worried about Iraqi elites, they are going to be found one way or another. They are not international or extranational terrorists, they need a beuracracy and a government and palaces and coaches to bring them around. They are not like Osama Bin Laden they are irrevalent. Suddam Heuissan if he's alive and all those other other people, are criminals on the run. Ally Does it matter if Sudam Huissan is dead or alive? B: I don't believe it does. It's just so different. Heiusan isn't going to be up in a cave somewhere. He needs a country. Osama Bin Laden has never had a country, he's been extranational his whole life. It's a different operation. Huissan is a criminal and he will be hunted down if he's alive. I don't happen to feel he is. The problem with Syria is that if there is evidence that some of Iraqi's weapons of mass destruction chemical and biological weapons have made it into Syria or if they are trying to take the mantle of Iraq and try to be the bully in the region, then we have a long term problem with them. There may be sanctions recommended by the Bush Administration against Syria and we are in a strong position right now to get support from the rest of the world and Syria will have its options. The leadership in Syrian may be more responsive and may recognize the consequences of trying to go against the world and try to diseminate weapons of mass destruction which create the same uncertainty that we are trying to stop by our efforts in Iraq. Ally How do you feel about the war and I don't know whether it has been confirmed or not yet the French embassy in Syria has helped some of the Iraqi elite obtain visas so that they can flee. B: Well I go back to my old point, I'm not going to get into the business of dealing with the issue of the French and the Germans and the Russians and their role of leading up to this whole campaign we are involved in. I will go back to the original point and that is that we know who the Iraqi generals were and we knew who the decidion makers were in the Huissan regime and they are going to be brought to justice. They are in fact criminals on the run, they might get visas into French, but is the French establishment going to protect them, pay for them, house them, support them. I doubt it. I think that France is going to be put in the position to really change its approach to Iraq. Starting with dealing head on with forgiving the debt that the old Iraqi regime owns them for all the arms they sold to Suddam's Huissan army to use against Americans. They will have an opportunity to forgive that debt. I hope they do. I'm going to sponsor a resolution in congress that calls on non coalition members to start by making a contribution to rebuilding this coutry by forgiving debt. And I don't think that generals or anyone in the Suddam Huissan's regime will be safe in France or anywhere else in the world at this point. They are criminals on the run. Ally What would be the result if we never found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? B: That's a hypathetical. I don't want to answer that because I don't want to say we will because it makes me sound like I want us to. But the evidence at this point is so clear. The discovery of all those chemical suits and anecdotes that we discovered in various locations. The fact is that Huissan has been under the microscope for years before the inspectors came in he had stashed that stuff in places that it would take years to find. That's not necessarily bad, I just asoon have the country stabilized have the new country formed and then have the weapons of mass destruction found by responsible people that aren't going to take them and diseminate them elsewhere. If everything was just laying on the countryside we wouldn't be able to control it. So I'm not worried in either way about finding or not finding weapons of mass destruction and I don't want to say council patients because it sounds like I am hoping that they are going to find them and I'm not but they will be found. |
| Charles Bass 3 Return to index of stories... |
Ally If we can talk about the US policy and how we are viewed in the world as how we've changed how we're dealing with other countries. For the first time we actually went into Iraq and did what we did. Now with mummblings about Syria, there was one French newspaper who said we were drunk on military power. How do we assure people who aren't American or might see us that was that that isn't the case? B: There is no question about the fact that American has a new and much more aggressive posture concerning countries that want to subsidize or support international terrorism. I don't find that to be bad at all, I think that's good. I think the bulk of the world agrees with us. The countries that basically have never wanted the US to be a preaminant on the world. France has been fighting the US diplomatically for 60 years now, ever since the end of WWII. You have to take it with a little grain of salt. The fact is that the US has never been attacked as it was September 11, 2001. And it calls for a new docterine and a new strategy for us because if we live for the indefinate future in the shadow of international terrorism, our country will never be as strong or prosperous or as free it has been in the past 230 years of its existance. I don't want to serve in congress in a time when the US essentially capitulated to dark international forces that want nothing but a dark, bloody planet. I won't live as a policy maker in that enviroment. I will support the presidents effort to combat that and its going to make some nations that who have never been overtly supportive of the US, frankly it may be jealousy, because they want to be the ones making the decisions. But we will protect our national security and our economic security because without it we aren't the United States of America. Ally Let's move to a little bit about education and No Child Left Behind. The NH House voted overwhelmingly to say we are not in favor of supporting any unfunded federal mandates. There were also many voted taken in several town meetings around NH and the message was clear that we don't have to comply with unfuded federal mandates. Is No Child Left Behind going to cost NH money? B: First thing that is important to remember is that although the numbers are climbing only about 6% of total funding for education comes from the federal government. So any mandates that we are talking about relate to that portion of the funding whether you qualify for it or not. The biggest elementary and secondary program beginning to be appraoched by special ed funding is the title one funding for low income children in America. The fundamental issue is that federal government has spend $160 billion dollars over the last 20 years in title one programs and test scores in those areas have gone down over that period of time. That's not how I define, nor do Republicans or Democrats define success in funding in education for low income areas of the country. The question is what do we do about it? Well, first of all the Congress has committed itself to increase funding like programs like title one and early development. But at the same time they say if we are going to give you more money we expect improvement. The questions is during the course of trying to get to that higher expectation do we aquire accountability? The answer is we have to or else we don't know if it's getting any better or not. That involves testing. The question is whether the federal government should pay every dime in every aspect of it. That's negotiable. Ally So we might end up paying something. B: We may end up paying something, but it's not an unfunded mandate. We are increasing funding for the underlying programs, federal dollars that weren't there before but we are expecting the school districts to demonstrate to us that they are actually spending the money and getting the result. I'm working for NH's mothers and fathers who have young children like mine in the school system and want to see the best posible education. Democrats and Republicans now agree that money isn't everything in public education, there has to be good teaching there has to be good out of school counselling and the parents have to be involved. You need those kind of standards to find out where we are. Ally We're almost out of time, but quicky, are we going to thank you some day when we don't get telemarketing calls? If we put our names on a no call list. B: Well as you know the agency is promigating rules and I support those rules. Ally Well Representative Charles Bass we want to thank you for joining us on NH Outlook. |
| Web Pointer Return to index of stories... |
For more information on our program, streaming video, links to our guests and interviews and to tell us what's on your mind in our discussion forum, visit our website at nhptv.org. |
| Tomorrow Return to index of stories... |
On the next New Hampshire Outlook - They call it "Democracy 101". Leaders from the Republic of Tajikistan visit New Hampshire for a crash course in how America works. Join us tonight at 10:00. |
| Goodnight Return to index of stories... |
That's it for this edition of our program. For all of us here at New Hampshire Public Television, I'm Ally McNair. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| founders Return to index of stories... |
Thanks to our founding sponsors who have provided major funding for the production of New Hampshire Outlook: New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Public Service of New Hampshire Stratford Foundation |
| WEB PROMO Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. They call it "Democracy 101". Leaders from the Republic of Tajikistan visit New Hampshire for a crash course in how America works. Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Public Television. |
| key: National Politics / Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/15/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 26:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, it's April 15th, the day millions of Americans file their taxes. It's on this day that the President and members of Congress are promoting a budget plan that will cut tax payments well into the next ten years. But are the tax cuts a good idea? How are we funding the war? What impact will it have on the economy? Joining Ally to talk about some of these questions and more is Representative Charles Bass a republican from the second district. Congress is in recess now, so now's the time to touch base. Topics of discussion include the economy, the war in Iraq, and funding federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. Charles Bass\R - Congressional District 2 |
| key: State Politics / Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/15/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 26:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, it's April 15th, the day millions of Americans file their taxes. It's on this day that the President and members of Congress are promoting a budget plan that will cut tax payments well into the next ten years. But are the tax cuts a good idea? How are we funding the war? What impact will it have on the economy? Joining Ally to talk about some of these questions and more is Representative Charles Bass a republican from the second district. Congress is in recess now, so now's the time to touch base. Topics of discussion include the economy, the war in Iraq, and funding federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. Charles Bass\R - Congressional District 2 |
| key: War / Veterans Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/15/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 26:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, it's April 15th, the day millions of Americans file their taxes. It's on this day that the President and members of Congress are promoting a budget plan that will cut tax payments well into the next ten years. But are the tax cuts a good idea? How are we funding the war? What impact will it have on the economy? Joining Ally to talk about some of these questions and more is Representative Charles Bass a republican from the second district. Congress is in recess now, so now's the time to touch base. Topics of discussion include the economy, the war in Iraq, and funding federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. Charles Bass\R - Congressional District 2 |
| key: Economy / Business Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 4/15/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 26:46 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, it's April 15th, the day millions of Americans file their taxes. It's on this day that the President and members of Congress are promoting a budget plan that will cut tax payments well into the next ten years. But are the tax cuts a good idea? How are we funding the war? What impact will it have on the economy? Joining Ally to talk about some of these questions and more is Representative Charles Bass a republican from the second district. Congress is in recess now, so now's the time to touch base. Topics of discussion include the economy, the war in Iraq, and funding federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Rep. Charles Bass\R - Congressional District 2 |
| Tonight 10:00 Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. Join us tonight at 10:00 only on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| Bass et al vo Return to index of stories... |
It's tax day, April 15 and Congresssman Bass, you, along with Congressman Jeb Bradley, Senator John E Sununu and Governor Benson were at the statehouse today to endorse the presidents economic stimulus plan. Some small business owners were there to express support for the president's plan.How would it benefit small businesses? |