Billionaire Warren Buffett may not seem to have much in common with angry laborers at town hall meetings or armies of California nurses protesting in the streets.
But these days, the executive celebrity in his boardroom and working folks on the front lines have found a common mantra as the economy continues to sputter and the 2012 election approaches: "Tax the rich."
They are joining Democratic politicians, such as U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, who pounded the issue of making "millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share" nearly a dozen times at a recent event in Oakland.
The calls have become louder as President Obama plans to unveil his jobs plan next Thursday in a highly anticipated speech that they hope will provide a counterpoint to conservative grassroots GOP groups pressing lawmakers to slash government programs to stimulate the economy - without raising taxes.
Also driving the debate is the looming work of the bipartisan 12-member congressional "super committee" on deficit reduction set to begin its work this month in Washington.
'Stop Coddling the Rich'
At the same time, the liberal activist group MoveOn.org has launched a "Stop Coddling the Rich" campaign to underscore what it says is a growing disparity between American income classes at a time of growing economic uncertainty.
Today, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, and the powerful National Nurses United union will take the message one step further with one of their trademark protests - this time opening a symbolic "soup kitchen."
The nationwide protests are expected to involve about 10,000 participants in street-theater events in more than four dozen cities and other locations around the country.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/31/MNOB1KTSHP.DTL#ixzz1WkBEOxbB
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