Last night, the Miami Fox station WSVN profiled Marco and his campaign for U.S. Senate. Check out the video, in which Marco answers questions about why he’s running, what he believes in and how we can grow our economy:
Miami, FL – U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio today unveiled his second of five videos highlighting “12 Simple Ways To Cut Spending.” In this video, Rubio discusses his support for putting a “check-off” box on the federal tax form, which would allow taxpayers to designate 10 percent of their existing tax bill to pay down the national debt.
RUBIO: “The second idea that we had is allowing and empowering individual every day Americans and businesses to specifically go after the debt themselves through their own tax returns.
“What does that mean? It’s pretty simple. You put a check-off box at the top of everyone’s tax returns. If you check that box off, you can designate that up to 10 percent of your tax dollars – the money you’re paying that year in taxes – go directly to debt retirement.
“Two things would happen. Number one: that money you’re designating is now protected from spending. In essence, politicians in Washington are not going to be able to get a hold of that money and use it to grow government. It must be used to pay down debt.
“But the second thing it will do is send a very powerful and clear signal. Imagine what would happen if millions and millions of Americans checked that box off. I can guarantee you that congressmen and senators are going to check out how many people from their state checked that box.
“It allows every day Americans to make debt pay down a priority, something that you can’t normally do except for Election Day.
“So this is the second idea on how to get debt under control. We think it’s an innovative one. We hope you like it and support us and support that idea.
“We’ll be back with you tomorrow with the third installment of how to get spending under control in Washington, DC.”
BACKGROUND ON IDEA #8
Put A “Check-Off” Box On The Federal Tax Form Allowing Taxpayers To Designate 10 Percent Of Their Existing Tax Bill To Go Toward Paying Down The National Debt. In the Senate, Marco will support proposals that would allow individuals and businesses to check-off an amount, up to 10 percent of their existing tax bill, to be dedicated to retiring the national debt. Congress would have to match the amount contributed by taxpayers from taxes they already owe with spending cuts. If not, a Gramm-Rudman style across-the-board reduction would occur, exempting certain critical spending such as Social Security and defense. This would help Congress to prioritize spending.
READ MORE ON RUBIO’S “12 SIMPLE WAYS TO CUT SPENDING”
Marco Rubio
WFLA
August 4, 2010
Host: But you seem to be now gaining traction with the media again, and a lot of it’s centering around something that you have built a large part of your reputation on and that is ideas. You came out last week, I think it was Marco, with a 12-point plan on the economy. Give our listeners who might not have had a chance to see it a few highlights of it.
Rubio: “Well, it’s two separate 12-point plans. They work hand in hand. If you do one and you don’t do the other, you’re not solving your problem. Our problem is pretty simple: our economy’s not growing on the one hand, and on the other hand we have a debt we can’t afford to repay. And the big debate in America today is how do you grow your economy and at the same time repay the debt or get control of that debt? The Democrats are saying, first you’ve got to grow your economy by spending more government money, and then we’ll figure out what to do with the debt later. But I don’t think that works, and it hasn’t worked. All it’s done is grown the debt even more.
“So what we need to do is pro-growth tax strategies. In essence, it’s to get rid of all this uncertainty in the American marketplace so that the private sector will start creating jobs again, you know, manufacturing jobs for example, which is so critical for our future. Why aren’t they being created? Well, because the people that create them are afraid to invest in the American economy because the news like you just read this morning. The EPA is going to start regulating greenhouse gas emissions factory by factory. So, it’s basically a factory-by-factory cap-and-trade implemented by unelected bureaucrats at the EPA. That doesn’t encourage people to go out and open a business. So that’s the first part of it, not to mention the uncertainty about the tax rates. You know, the current tax rates that were established on ’01 and ’03, they’re going to expire in January. And unless they’re put back in place, everyone’s going to get a massive tax increase. Now these tax cuts, while they will generate economic growth, they don’t fully pay for themselves.
“So you must do the second part of our plan, and that is you’ve got to get control of government spending. And that’s why we call for a hiring freeze at the federal level, where basically for every two federal employees that leave, we only replace them with one. That’s why we call for a balanced budget amendment. That’s why we call for sunsetting every discretionary government spending program that’s not defense-related, so that every 10 years, these spending programs go away automatically, unless Congress reinstitutes them. These are the sorts of things we have to do, and we have to do them both. If you only do one and not the other, it won’t work.”
Miami, FL – U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio today launched a five-part video series highlighting the “12 Simple Ways To Cut Spending” that he announced last week. In this first video, Rubio discusses his support for banning earmarks. WATCH THE VIDEO
RUBIO: “Over the last few weeks, we’ve been traveling the state of Florida talking about our ideas about how to grow the economy and how to get our debt under control. These two ideas go hand in hand.
“On the one hand, pro-growth tax strategies will allow us to create more jobs in America. More jobs mean more prosperity. More prosperity means our government will actually take in more revenues at lower tax rates. But that would do us no good if government continues to grow because that additional revenue would just go towards growing government and nothing would happen with our debt.
“That’s why the second part of our plan is so important. And that’s getting government spending under control, so that not only can we lower the debt as a percentage of our overall economy, but we can ensure that government does not grow faster than the ability of our government to sustain it. …
“Today, I want to talk to you about banning earmarks. The practice of earmarks in Congress is really one that lends itself to a sort of corruption. It allows for all sorts of deal making, like what they did with ObamaCare to get it passed.
“But more insidious about it is the fact that these projects are funded without any public oversight, without the attention they deserve. In fact, powerful legislators are able to secure millions and millions for their home districts at the expense of the rest country. It’s wrong.
“A few months ago, Senator Jim DeMint endorsed my campaign. I was proud to have his endorsement. And at the time, one of the leading reasons why he lined up behind us, when few other people in Washington did, is because I was one of the only candidates in the country who was pledging not just not to accept earmarks but to actually vote to ban the practice.
“I stand by that position today. And luckily, more and more people running for the U.S. Senate across the country are adopting that position as well. If we ban the practice of earmarks, we can save the American taxpayer anywhere between $15-20 billion a year in pork barrel spending.
“So if you’ll vote for me and I get elected to the U.S. Senate, the next senator from Florida will be a ‘yes’ vote to banning all earmark spending in the United States Congress.”
READ MORE ON RUBIO’S “12 SIMPLE WAYS TO CUT SPENDING”
Marco Rubio
WFTL-AM 850
August 2, 2010
Rubio: “I think people need to understand, because this thing is being misrepresented by the leadership, the Democratic leadership in Congress, that these tax cuts are not new tax cuts, they are the existing tax code. They are what the tax code is right now. If we do not reinstitute them, then next year everybody’s taxes are going to go up all across the board. Now what they’re saying is, ‘Well, we’re only going to raise taxes on the rich.’ Well, their definition of ‘rich’ is pretty scary. It’s anybody who makes more than $200,000, but not just anybody, any business, any small business. You know, a large number of businesses in America are organized as S corporations, so they pay on their personal rate. So, if you have a business that makes more than $200,000—not salary, just revenue—for that business, your taxes across the board are going to go up next year. And you want to talk about a job destroying measure? That tax increase in the middle of a horrifying recession would destroy jobs and keep new ones from being created.”
Miami, FL – With Charlie Crist’s campaign now saying he supports the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, the governor has committed yet another flip-flop. First, when he was running as a Republican, his website stated clearly that “Charlie Crist supports making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent.” However, in an attempt to get Democrat votes, Crist removed that language. Now, his campaign tells the Sunshine State News that he does indeed support extending the tax cuts. Does anyone know what Crist truly believes?
“Floridians would like to be able to trust Charlie Crist on taxes, but his flip-flop-flip on the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts only serves as a reminder of his record of raising taxes on Floridians and supporting ObamaCare and cap-and-trade tax increases. Besides, the last time spokespeople gave Crist’s position on any issue they were unequivocally promising that he would remain a Republican. Marco Rubio is the only candidate in Florida who has outlined a pro-jobs agenda as a check and balance to the Obama-Reid-Pelosi policies that are harming our economy,” said Alex Burgos, Rubio for Senate spokesman.
This website purging is just the latest in an extensive list of flip-flops since Crist left the Republican Party. Crist has removed statements of support for offshore drilling, repealing ObamaCare and pro-life measures, among others. He has changed positions on remaining a Republican, returning campaign contributions, supporting the confirmations of Sotomayor and Kagan, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, gay adoption and Cuba. While the changes are a transparent attempt to curry favor with the Obama-Reid-Pelosi establishment, they also make it nearly impossible for anyone to know where Crist stands on a number of issues important to millions of Floridians.
Miami, FL – Charlie Crist is continuing his campaign to say and do anything to win an election by removing from his website all mention of supporting the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. As the debate rages in Washington over whether to make these cuts permanent to provide some economic certainty to taxpayers and small business owners to help create jobs, Crist is continuing to move closer and closer to the Democrat establishment in Washington, D.C., by erasing statements from his website such as “Charlie Crist supports making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent.”
This website purging is just the latest in an extensive list of flip-flops since Crist left the Republican Party. Crist has removed statements of support for offshore drilling, repealing ObamaCare and pro-life measures, among others. While the changes are a transparent attempt to curry favor with the Obama-Reid-Pelosi establishment, they also make it nearly impossible for anyone to know where Crist stands on a number of issues important to millions of Floridians.
“If Charlie Crist no longer supports making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, he should tell Floridians immediately,” said Rubio for Senate spokesman Alex Burgos. “Crist’s daily flip-flops are putting Floridians in the difficult position of trying to discern what his campaign is actually about. However, one thing in this race is clear, Marco Rubio is the only candidate who will act as a check-and-balance against the anti-jobs policies coming out of Washington and provide a clear, conservative alternative.”
See an excerpt of Crist’s old “Taxes” website page below:
“Charlie Crist supports making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent. If given the opportunity, Charlie Crist will vote to make permanent tax cuts within individual income brackets, a permanent tax cut on capital gains, a permanent end to the unfair death tax and the end of the unfair marriage tax penalty. Congress must act in an expeditious manner to make these tax cuts permanent. Failing to do so will result in millions of Americans with higher income taxes, increased tax on their investment and increased taxes on their business.”
“Though Crist Has The Cameras, Rubio’s Still Red-Hot”
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
July 14, 2010
A little after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Marco Rubio pushed open the door of the Habana Cafe in Gulfport. The waiting crowd burst into cheers.
The first thing Rubio did was work the room personally, often being grabbed, hugged and kissed like a beloved son.
Jo Hastings, the Habana’s owner and the event host, greeted him with a hug and exclaimed, “I canceled my liposuction for you!” Rubio laughed and said it was a first.
The crowd was about 60 when he got there and got to be about 80 at its largest, although people were coming and going. The minimum contribution to Rubio’s campaign for the U.S. Senate: $25.
Rubio’s campaign had just announced a stunning $4.5 million raised in the last quarter, yet there he was collecting $25 checks. Rubio said he was proud of it and that it can be harder to get $25 out of somebody than to get their vote.
Hastings introduced Rubio, 38, as a Republican “rock star.” He took a place about a third of the way up the open staircase leading to the restaurant’s second floor, so that people were both above him and below him.
He spoke for about 18 minutes, and he was very good. Electric, even. His main points:
(1) America is an exceptional nation, created and re-created by people who came here from around the world seeking freedom, a nation whose strength makes the world safer.
(2) Yet we are foolishly squandering our strength, even risking destruction, by an addiction to debt, to spending, and government that is strangling the American economy and entrepreneurship.
(3) We can neither cut the government enough, nor raise taxes enough, to fix it. The answer is to use the government to grow the economy, starting with tax cuts: making the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent, and eliminating the capital-gains and estate taxes.
Feel free to debate. I am just telling you what he said, and that it went over very well.
“It’s not an exaggeration,” Rubio warned, “to say that if we continue on the path we are on right now, soon, perhaps sooner than we expect, America could have a sovereign debt crisis triggered in our own nation…
“Forty cents of every dollar the federal government spends is borrowed from my children’s, and your children’s and grandchildren’s generation. No Americans before have ever done that — not at this perverse level, not at this sustained rate.”
A little later, he concluded: “If you like the direction this country is going, if you think it’s good to have people in Washington who will say or do anything to get elected… If you think it’s okay to continue borrowing from our children and their future, just so we don’t have to make tough choices today… If you believe any of these things, then you should not vote for me.”
Well.
As matters stand today, Rubio is still being edged in the polls by his principal rival, Gov. Charlie Crist, running as an independent, partly because Crist is in the oil-spill limelight. Crist is a rock star too, just of a different brand, his main assets being likability and a genial populism.
Rubio, in contrast, has a focused message that he delivers brilliantly in settings such as the one Tuesday in Gulfport. The test is translating it into all the superficialities of modern elections. If he could get all Floridians 80 at a time into the Habana Cafe, I suspect he would win.
Miami, FL – One year ago today, Charlie Crist broke his promise to the people of Florida by signing a budget that included “$2.2 billion in new fees and taxes.” In doing so, Crist violated a no-new-taxes pledge he made in 2006 and signed only weeks earlier in May 2009. This serves as just another example of why Floridians can’t trust Charlie Crist. But more importantly, this unhappy anniversary is a reminder that Floridians need someone they can trust to keep their word and go to Washington to stand up to the Federal government’s out-of-control spending.
“One-year ago, Charlie Crist betrayed the public’s trust by breaking his pledge not to increase taxes and instead forcing Floridians to foot the bill with higher taxes,” Rubio for Senate spokesman Alex Burgos said. “This unhappy anniversary for Floridians is a stark reminder that Marco Rubio is the only candidate we can trust to go to Washington, serve as a check and balance to the Obama-Crist-Meek agenda of out-of-control spending and offer a clear, conservative alternative.”
Background:
In 2009, Charlie Crist Broke His Pledge Against Raising Taxes By Signing A Budget That “Includes $2.2 Billion In New Fees And Taxes.” “Breaking a pledge against raising taxes, Gov. Charlie Crist signed Florida’s $66.5 billion budget into law Wednesday and barely used his veto pen. … Also, the budget includes $2.2 billion in new fees and taxes. … By not vetoing the new taxes, Crist violated a no-new-taxes pledge he made on the campaign trail in 2006. He also has signed an antitax pledge geared toward governors, written by the conservative Washington group Americans for Tax Reform. Earlier this month, the Republican governor signed a similar no-new-taxes pledge for federal candidates now that he’s running for the U.S. Senate.” (Marc Caputo, “Gov. Crist Signs $66.5 Billion Budget, Breaks Tax Pledge,” St. Petersburg Times, 5/28/09)
National Review Online
Reform Tax System, But Don’t Forget To Cut Spending
By Marco Rubio
Thursday, April 15, 2010
With President Obama visiting Florida today, taxpayers are reminded of who the buck stops with when it comes to the higher taxes and out-of-control spending that threaten America’s future. This Tax Day also offers us a unique opportunity to have an important conversation about taxes and spending in America.
It’s clear the purpose of America’s tax system depends on the eye of the beholder. Like many Americans, I believe it should be a simpler and fairer system that promotes robust economic growth, job creation, and is used to fund appropriate limited government functions.
Unfortunately, too many in Washington today see it as their slush fund for the dramatic explosion of government spending we’ve seen since President Obama took office. This is fundamentally unfair and burdensome to taxpayers and anti-competitive for businesses and entrepreneurs. These job creators face job-stifling uncertainty about how high President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will raise their taxes to fuel their growth of government.
Alarmingly, with their appetite for bigger government, the Obama-Pelosi-Reid team can’t even raise taxes fast enough to keep up with their spending, increasing our deficit and exploding our debt. It started with the stimulus and recently continued with the ObamaCare law. What costly big government mistake is next is anyone’s guess, but it threatens current and future generations of Americans with massive tax bills and diminished job prospects if we don’t get control of spending. Americans deserve better.
On the spending front, we need to start with a number of initiatives to cut spending that puts an ever-higher debt burden on the backs of our children and grandchildren. I believe we must freeze non-defense and non-veterans discretionary spending at pre-Obama levels, end the permanent lease on life that discretionary spending programs are given, ban earmarks, cut the number of government bureaucrats, give the president the line-item veto power, end the TARP program and end wasteful stimulus spending.
On the tax front, we should start by extending the pro-growth Bush tax cuts. However, our tax code is fundamentally flawed and should be simplified. I support the fair tax. But at a minimum, we need to have a flat tax code in America that you can fill out on the back of a postcard and mail in every year.
We must also target certain taxes that are anti-prosperity. For example, taxes on capital gains and dividends discourage people from investing money in the economy, discourage entrepreneurship and discourage job creation. In order to promote these very types of positive activities, we should abolish capital gains and dividends taxes.
We should also lower our corporate tax rate. The corporate tax rate today is one of the single greatest deterrents to investing in America, particularly in American manufacturing. There is no reason America’s corporate tax rate should be higher than Europe’s. At the very least, we should cut our 35 percent rate down to 25 percent.
Furthermore, the death tax is not only anti-competitive, it is immoral. The notion that your family somehow should lose the family business when you die is absolutely immoral, wrong and should be completely abolished.
Like every Tax Day, many Americans are struck with a sobering reminder of how fundamentally unfair and flawed our tax system is. This is the product of years of Washington deal-making to benefit special interests. But it also stems from the mentality that Washington needs to tax more of hard-working Americans’ money because politicians know best about how to spend it. The $800 billion stimulus alone proves how wrong Washington is and how much it costs us.
We need principled leaders in Washington who understand Americans are taxed enough already, that are higher taxes are a threat to existing jobs and new job creation, and that we need less government spending. As I’ve outlined, there is a conservative alternative based on proven ideas that seek to bring fiscal sanity back to our nation and, in doing, so will unleash a new generation of job creation and prosperity that our children and grandchildren deserve.
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