COLUMN: Oh, The Sweet Song Of Party Discord

It’s a great day for conservatives! I’ll tell you why. Now this is something you won’t see every day, but on Thursday, July 16, 2009, 22 freshman Democratic members of the House of Representatives signed a letter opposing their leadership’s proposal to raise taxes to finance the health care makeover.  They actually agreed that this tax would hurt the small businesses of America. Keep in mind that the majority of this column will be coming from the pens of Democrats.

“Small Businesses are the backbone of the American economy,” they exclaimed (which is true). “Especially in a recession, we need to make sure not to kill the goose that will lay the golden eggs of our recovery.” Despite the report given by the Ways and Means Committee, which states that the proposed surcharge tax will only impact 4.1 percent of small businesses, these 22 gentlemen (and women) were a bit skeptical of the numbers they saw. What? A report was generated that isn’t entirely accurate? Well, what else is new? Either way, these 22 Dems wouldn’t stand for it.

Many have argued that the new tax wouldn’t affect the little business owners but only affect the super-rich.  According to their letter:

“75 percent [of small businesses] are S-Corporations where the business income is passed through to the businesses owner’s individual tax return, increasing the chances that it will be impacted by the proposed surcharge.” [italics mine]

But the fun doesn’t stop there. These 22 brave souls continued to mention how the surcharge tax will hurt future investing as well. They said:

“This proposed surcharge will also have a direct negative impact on manufacturers, another industry essential for our recovery. As manufacturers are capital intensive businesses, their taxable income is often higher (nearly 70 percent of manufacturers that pay at the individual rate have an average taxable income of $570,000). Manufacturing machinery can cost over $1 million and many owners have to save for years to expand and buy new equipment. Yet those profits saved each year would be hit by this proposed surcharge, which could lead to reduced investment.”

Keep in mind that these are Democrats writing all of this. Despite the fact that the money that these manufacturers are saving up amounts to an average of $570,000 per individual, the “22” aren’t willing to take from the life savings of many of the potential investors in America. Talk about taking a moral stand.

The truth is that there are some unsung heroes on Capitol Hill that are, despite party affiliations, taking a conservative stand for the small businesses of America. Every so often, it’s nice to have a reminder that party lines aren’t completely rigid and that our civic leaders are capable and willing to stick up for what they feel is right.

In closing, the “22” comrades proposed that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House “seek creative ways to reduce the overall need for revenue generation, and to propose a more equitable way of distributing the burden of any remaining needs to ensure that health care reform is a success for small business, our economy, and the millions of uninsured who stand to benefit.” Hearing statements like these (especially by liberal Democrats) is enough to bring a man to his feet in applause. Bravo!

Although the choir is small, who knew Democrats could sing such sweet music?

Jess Jones is a conservative political columnist for Rhombus and occasional lover of House Democrats.