The Dilemma

By

Jeffrey Taylor

(Congress In Session)

House

Now that we have a democratic majority, let's help the poor people. Let's boost the Federal minimum wage by $2.10 an hour to $7.25 an hour over two years.

Senate

We agree. Let's boost the Federal minimum wage. But, we need to give tax relief to small business to offset the additional wages that they are going to pay when they hire all of these poor people.

CBO

Guys (and women). You're both wrong. Unemployment is going up. No one is going to hire anybody.

House

We need to show the world we are behind the poor people. They need are help.

Senate

We want to help the poor people but we also have to show support for small business, who also votes us. They cannot afford to pay additional wages like Wal-Mart who is corrupt. They are honest and hardworking, many of them who used to be poor. We cannot pass tax policy which can make them poor again.

House

You guys (and women) in the senate are stupid. The constitution does not allow the Senate to introduce tax bills. We have to introduce tax legislation. You guys (and women) do not have the power.

Senate

Watch us, clowns. We are going to agree to your minimum wage increase but we are also going to write in new tax laws to help small business by giving them shorter tax lives on their retail depreciable property and extened Sec. 179 first year write-offs. Plus, we are going to write in new tax laws to punish evil corporations who hire illegal immigrants (many who we understand are poor democrats), cap allowable tax-deferred income at $1 million (poor democrats who are now rich democrats but may become republicans), and close loopholes on tax-avoidance schemes by companies that set up foreign tax shelters (rich republicans without hearts).

House

That makes no sense. You are holding poor democrats hostage to your demands to help rich democrats and punish rich republicans (note : there are no poor republicans).

Senate

Tough noogie. We get paid regardless of what we do.

CBO

House, you need to go back and reintroduce a new tax bill to reconcile with the Senate.

House

But, that's going to lose precious time. What are the poor democrats going to do in the meantime?

All

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