This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
During the recent campaign, pundits criticized President Barack Obama for not laying out an agenda for his second term. One thing Obama clearly ran on was fair taxes — that millionaires like Gov. Mitt Romney and billionaire Warren Buffett should at least pay the same percentage in income taxes that their secretaries do.
Since having the rich pay a little more was a point Obama made many times, on that one point, the president has a clear mandate. Voters rejected Romney's plan to give the rich "job creators" a tax cut and went with the guy who wanted a return to the Clinton-era tax rates for the rich, a time when the rich thrived.
Having run on that issue, Obama should stand pat in his negotiations with the House of Representatives. People like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan lost the debate, and they can't now claim that the people are behind them.
This issue was clear in the campaign. Elections matter. The people voted.
Senate Finance Committee ranking minority member Sen. Orrin Hatch should also listen to the voters. Represent the people, for once.
David Barber
Salt Lake City