THE 1% SOLUTION
Congressman Peter Roskam, (6th District, IL) is one of America's hardest working and dynamic Congressmen. He is everywhere.
In four short years, he has risen to Chief Deputy Whip of the majority House Republican leadership. When House Majority Leader Eric Cantor steps to the microphone to announce that Republicans will not allow a House vote on President Obama's jobs bill, there is Congressman Roskam standing close by. Tune on cable news and you might catch the Congressman talking about how governmental regulation is causing economic "uncertainty". Pick up your ringing telephone and there is Peter himself asking you to join in his telephone town hall meeting to discuss onerous taxes on the "job creators". Check the roll of proposed legislation and Roskam's contribution is his "Tax Hike Prevention & Business Certainty Act", which would permanently set the Capital Gains and Dividend Tax Rates at the current 15%.
Scratch the surface of all this racing around and rhetoric and you discover that most of Roskam's time is devoted to the interests and agenda of the wealthiest 1% of Americans.
And just what does this tiny but enormously wealthy and powerful group stand to lose if the Congressman fails to fulfill their agenda?
The top 1% own 40% of America's wealth, up from 33% a quarter century ago
The top 1% take home 24% of national income, nearly tripling their 9% share since 1976
The top 1% own half of America's stocks, bonds and mutual funds
The top 1% are taking in more of the nation's income and their overall share is greater than at any time since just before the Great Depression
The lure of a lifetime job serving the upper 1%, with their gargantuan wealth, power, prestige has become a common temptation to anyone given the privilege of serving in Congress. Regardless of what plays out in the other 434 Congressional districts, the 700,000 residents of the Illinois 6th deserve better that a Congressman spending nearly 100% of his time working on the 1% solution.
In four short years, he has risen to Chief Deputy Whip of the majority House Republican leadership. When House Majority Leader Eric Cantor steps to the microphone to announce that Republicans will not allow a House vote on President Obama's jobs bill, there is Congressman Roskam standing close by. Tune on cable news and you might catch the Congressman talking about how governmental regulation is causing economic "uncertainty". Pick up your ringing telephone and there is Peter himself asking you to join in his telephone town hall meeting to discuss onerous taxes on the "job creators". Check the roll of proposed legislation and Roskam's contribution is his "Tax Hike Prevention & Business Certainty Act", which would permanently set the Capital Gains and Dividend Tax Rates at the current 15%.
Scratch the surface of all this racing around and rhetoric and you discover that most of Roskam's time is devoted to the interests and agenda of the wealthiest 1% of Americans.
And just what does this tiny but enormously wealthy and powerful group stand to lose if the Congressman fails to fulfill their agenda?
The top 1% own 40% of America's wealth, up from 33% a quarter century ago
The top 1% take home 24% of national income, nearly tripling their 9% share since 1976
The top 1% own half of America's stocks, bonds and mutual funds
The top 1% are taking in more of the nation's income and their overall share is greater than at any time since just before the Great Depression
The lure of a lifetime job serving the upper 1%, with their gargantuan wealth, power, prestige has become a common temptation to anyone given the privilege of serving in Congress. Regardless of what plays out in the other 434 Congressional districts, the 700,000 residents of the Illinois 6th deserve better that a Congressman spending nearly 100% of his time working on the 1% solution.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 3:32 PM
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