SEEdebate Middle School

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Do you already know how you would vote in the US 2012 presidential election if you could vote?

Yes, I would always vote for my political party of choice.

Yes, because the current President would be my choice no matter what.

20%

No. I'm not tied to any political party and there's plenty of time for actions on issues to change my mind.

40%

No. It depends on the Republican candidate chosen.

40%

Other (comment below)

Total votes: 5

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Campaign Issue: Economy (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

Submitted by newscaster on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 19:28.

OBAMA

Barack Obama wants to roll back President Bush’s tax cuts for households that earn more than $250,000 a year. He claims that under Bush’s tax plan, individuals who make more than $1 million a year get a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than cuts received by middle-income Americans.

Under Obama’s tax plan, working families will see their income taxes cut an additional $1,000. He has also promised to eliminate income taxes for senior citizens who earn less than $50,000 a year.

Despite rising gas prices, Obama was against giving American drivers a summertime gas tax holiday. He predicted that oil companies would simply raise their own prices to make up for the tax cut. He also warned that a tax break would take away money that the federal Highway Trust Fund needs to repair the nation’s roadways.

MCCAIN

John McCain hopes to stimulate the economy by keeping President Bush’s tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 in place. Under Bush’s plan, all Americans received a tax break. Bush’s tax cuts were designed to boost consumer spending, fuel economic growth, and create new jobs.

McCain also says that he will cut the federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. By lowering taxes for American employers, McCain hopes to keep companies from taking their business overseas, where the cost of labor is considerably less than in the United States.

With gasoline prices climbing above the $4 mark this summer, McCain was in favor of giving American drivers a summertime gas tax holiday. The idea, however, died in Congress.

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Vocabulary:

taxes (income tax): Money that workers have to pay to the government. Income tax is based on a person's earnings.

economy: A system relating to money in a country. The parts are all related: The amount of money people have affects how much they can spend, how much they spend affects how much the businesses make, how much the businesses make affects how many people they can hire and how much they can pay people etc...

eliminate: to get rid of something

stimulate: to increase activity, to excite

consumer spending: the money that people (consumers) spend

corporate tax: taxes on corporations, a percentage of profits paid to the government

QUESTIONS

Do you think that everyone should pay the same taxes and benefit from the same tax cuts?

Should senior citizens who make less than $50,000 a year pay taxes?

By lowering taxes for corporations, McCain hopes to create and keep more jobs for average Americans. Do you agree with this?

Should lower and middle class Americans be expected to pay the same taxes as wealthy Americans?

Is a summer gas tax holiday (a day when Americans do not have to pay tax on gasoline) a good idea? What effect do you think this would have?

Which candidate do you agree with most on this issue?
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Source:

Scholastic News