MORNING NEWS: Group Urges Reed to Support Tax Increase for Top Income Earners

Activists gathered at U.S. Rep. Tom Reed’s Corning district office Monday afternoon to press for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. (Photo by James Post / Corning Leader. Source: www.the-leader.com)

CORNING – With three weeks left until the fiscal cliff, Local activists were busy Monday in front of Congressman Tom Reeds’ office in Corning, urging him to support a tax increase on the top two percent of income earners. The activists say that it would be in Reed’s interest to support the tax increase because the vast majority of his constituents are not two-percenters and would be held harmless to a tax increase on the wealthiest of Americans.

During a media conference call on Monday, Reed said that obviously, he bases every decision he makes first and foremost on how it would impact his constituents. To that end, he says he recognizes that if the country is to increase revenue, it should first go to the group of Americans who can most afford a tax hike, and that is the top two-percent.

However, the congressman also says that it is important his constituents have all the facts, and that includes knowing that simply raising taxes on the top two percent won’t fully close the budget gap in 2013 or in future years, and the country needs to considering spending cuts as well.