CAMPAIGN PLANOctober 2012

TIME IS RIGHT

1. Bush tax cuts expire at end of 2012: worth $1 trillion over 10 years from richest 2%

2. Budget “sequestration” in January 2013: begins $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts to domestic and defense programs

3. Debt ceiling needs to be raised in early 2013 forcing demand for more revenues/reduced spending

4. Tax fairness resonates strongly with the public

5. 2012 election provides opportunity to begin reframing debate

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NEAR-TERM CAMPAIGN GOALS

1. Create “tax fairness” narrative and messaging that counters dominant frame that tax increases kill jobs

2. End Bush tax cuts for top 2% (household income above $250,000)

3. Achieve corporate tax reforms that raise significant revenues

4. Build campaign infrastructure around country to win in Congress

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TACTICS

Coalition: Establish a campaign of major national and state organizations to develop and execute a plan.

Field: Establish projects in target states to conduct robust public education and advocacy campaigns.

Communications: Refine messages and develop a strategic communications capacity; develop pro-active and rapid response earned media program.

Advocacy: Conduct a strong federal advocacy program in D.C. and target states.

Research: Coordinate research and policy work among national groups and make it useful to the field.

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ATF COALITION

• 220 national and state organizations and growing

• Labor: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, NEA, SEIU, UAW and more

• Think Tanks: Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, Center for American

Progress, Citizens for Tax Justice, Economic Policy Institute

• Field Groups/Netroots: MoveOn.org, USAction, Working America

• Women’s Groups: NOW, National Women’s Law Center, AAUW

• Human Needs Groups: Coalition on Human Needs, The Arc, Children’s

Defense Fund

• Civil Rights Groups: Leadership Conference on Civil and Human

Rights, National Council of La Raza

• Small Business Groups

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CAMPAIGN STRUCTURESteering Committee: 30+

Organizations Representing

Advocacy

Communications

Education

Faith

Health

Human Needs

Labor

National Organizing & Online Networks

Small Business

Think Tanks

National Co-Chairs

AFSCME

Center for American Progress

National People’s Action

Executive Committee

Working Committees (Chairs)Communications Committee

(CAP & Media Matters)

Field Committee(Working America)

Legislative Committee(AFSCME & CBPP)

Research & Policy Committee(National Women’s Law Center) 6

BUSH TAX CUTS

• Obama position: End tax cuts for top 2% (households making more than $250,000 a year threshold)

• Worth $1 trillion over 10 years – Nearly the amount of budget sequestration (defense and domestic) – 25% of $4 trillion “grand bargain” deficit-reduction goal

• Ending Bush tax cuts on richest 2% means:– Return to higher income tax rates at top end: from 35% to 39.6%– Higher capital gains tax (rising from 15% to 20%) and higher tax

on dividends (rising from 15% to ordinary income tax rate)– Higher estate tax. At a minimum the 2009 level that:

• Exempted $7 million not $10 million estates; taxed at 45%, not 35%• Affects 3 out of 1,000 people

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BUSH TAX CUTS MESSAGE• Core message: End the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2%. It’s time

for the wealthiest Americans and big corporations to pay their fair share

of taxes.

• Connect: Our tax system is rigged in favor of the wealthy and big

corporations and isn’t working for most Americans.

• Values: We applaud financial success, but when the rich get special tax

breaks they don’t need and the country can’t afford the middle class has

to make up the difference.

• Illustrate: The Bush tax cuts give a $160,000 tax break on average to

someone who makes $1 million a year.

• Bottom Line: Politicians stacking the deck in favor of their wealthy

campaign contributors and sticking the rest of us with the tab is not right.

It’s time the wealthy played by the same rules and paid their fair share.8

FIELD STRATEGY• Need 51 votes and maybe 60 (filibuster)

• Tier 1 States:

– Swing senators who need to vote our way

– Financial support to state groups to build state campaigns in

Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine,

Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina; Virginia, W. Virginia

• Tier 2 States:

– Senators we need to be champions

– Big population states where we need activism and media coverage

– Financial support to state groups to build state campaigns in

Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New

York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington

• Tier 3 States: Less of a priority9

FIELD TARGETS

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

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FIELD STRATEGY• 8 Field Networks in the Campaign: Alliance for a

Just Society, Leadership Center for the Common

Good, National People’s Action, PICO National

Network, State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, USAction,

United for a Fair Economy, Working America

• Major unions with a strong field presence:

AFL-CIO, AFGE, AFSCME, NEA, SEIU

• Small business constituency engagement

• Faith groups constituency engagement

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COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY• Develop tested message materials • Educate stakeholders on the core message:

– Brief/train coalition partners, lawmakers, talking heads, opinion writers and bloggers

– Identify and train spokespeople in campaign, among national and state partners and key constituencies

• Provide earned media support to state campaigns:– Coordinated earned-media events and materials– Editorial board and columnist outreach– Draft op-eds and LTEs and place them

• Robust new media presence:– Website and online actions passed through to organizations– Bloggers and social media

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TIMELINE

October• Build state campaigns

November• Nov. 8-13: Send members of Congress to

Washington with a clear message to end Bush tax cuts for richest 2%

• Obama may propose “grand bargain” proposal

December• Major vote in Congress on a budget deal framework possible to avoid

sequestration and expiring Bush tax cuts

January-March• Major legislative action on budget and Bush tax cuts possible• Debt ceiling needs to be increased in Feb.-March

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CONTACT US• Campaign Manager: Frank Clemente

fclemente@americansfortaxfairness.org

• Field Director: Shelli Craver scraver@americansfortaxfairness.org

• Communications Director: Sean Crowley scrowley@americansfortaxfairness.org

• Bill Gordon, Digital Director, 202-822-7961 bgordon@americansfortaxfairness.org

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www.americansfortaxfairness.org

@4taxfairness

Americans4TaxFairness