The Green National Committee is considering a series of proposed amendments this month that would revise several sections of the Green Party of the United States’ national platform dealing with taxation and government fees.
The Green Party Platform Committee introduced the proposals on Monday, each of which is sponsored by the Arizona Green Party and the national party’s Banking and Monetary Reform Committee. The five separate proposals would amend the Fair Taxation section of the party’s Economic Justice and Sustainability platform in different ways, including one that would add a new position on ending public tolls and access fees.
The first proposal would revise the introductory language to the Fair Taxation section, more explicitly calling for the tax burden to shift from working class individuals toward wealthy individuals and corporations. It would also amend the language to state that taxes could be “eliminated,” rather than merely cut, for most people if corporations and wealthy Americans paid what the party considers their fair share.
The proposed language further links additional tax cuts, the provision of “needed benefits,” and a reduction in the national debt to lower military spending. It would also add language in defense of progressive taxation, arguing that it benefits businesses by leaving more consumers with money to spend.
A second proposal would change who the party says should be exempt from federal and state income taxes. The current platform calls for exemptions for individuals earning less than $25,000 a year and families earning less than $50,000, with both amounts adjusted for inflation. The amended language would instead tie those exemptions to income levels, making it the Green Party position to exempt individuals earning below median income and families earning less than twice median income.
The Platform Committee said the proposal is intended to reduce the tax burden on working people and make necessities of life easier to obtain. The amendment would also state that taxes “should never become an obstacle to an individual’s obtaining all of the necessities of life.”
Another prospective amendment would update the party’s position on taxes used to fund Social Security and Medicare. The current platform calls for applying those taxes to investment income and all levels of income rather than only the first $106,800 earned. The proposed amendment would remove the outdated dollar figure and state more directly that such taxes should apply to investment income and all income without an income limit.
The national committee is also considering a smaller wording change that would expand the party’s call for tax cuts from just wage workers to both wage and salaried workers. In the proposal, the Platform Committee said the revision is meant to include teachers and other salaried professionals who are struggling economically.
A fifth amendment, and the only one focused on government fees and tolls rather than taxes, would call for abolishing entry fees at government owned parks, museums, and monuments. It would also make it the party’s position to oppose tolls on public roads and related travel infrastructure like tunnels and bridges.
The five items will remain before the national committee for discussion through October 11, with voting scheduled to begin the following day. The Green National Committee will have through October 18 to vote, with each proposal requiring a two-thirds majority among those casting either a yes or no vote.
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