. At a time of massive budget deficits, Democratic Senators Max Baucus and Blanche Lincoln are negotiating with Republicans to eliminate the federal estate tax–a levy that falls almost exclusively on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.
Toward the Majority
. Connecticut’s Democratic state legislators recently forced their Republican governor to restore the state’s estate tax as a way to increase funds for crucial healthcare and education programs. In Washington State, the Democratic governor and legislators also restored the tax, meaning two states have restored their estate taxes in order to fund critical middle-class programs.
David SirotaDavid Sirota is a journalist, nationally syndicated weekly newspaper columnist, and radio host. His weekly column is based at The Denver Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Portland Oregonian, and The Seattle Times and now appears in newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 1.6 million readers. He has contributed to The New York Times Magazine and The Nation and hosts an award-winning daily talk show on Denver's Clear Channel affiliate, KKZN-AM760. He is a senior editor at In These Times magazine and a Huffington Post contributor and appears periodically on CNN, The Colbert Report, PBS, and NPR. He received a degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He lives in Denver with his wife, Emily, son Isaac, and his dog, Monty.