PBS高端访谈:如何缩小经济差距

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF:Back in the U.S., the release of the president's budget today touched off a fresh round of debate in Washington about spending priorities.

　　Mr. Obama called on lawmakers to support investments that would help create jobs. But Republicans said the plan spends too much and would hurt the economy.

　　In boxes and on dollies, the 2015 fiscal¹ year budget blueprint² arrived at the Capitol this morning, while President Obama was describing it as balanced and responsible in a visit to a Washington, D.C., elementary school.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: It's a road map for creating jobs, with good wages and expanding opportunity for all Americans.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: The nearly $4 trillion plan also serves as a kind of platform for Democrats³ in November's congressional elections. It includes new spending for expanded preschool education, job training and public works. And it expands the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-wage workers, while separately adding more than $1 trillion in higher taxes over the next decade.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:This budget gives millions more workers the opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit, and it pays for it by closing loopholes like the ones that let wealthy individuals classify themselves as a small business to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:Mr. Obama withdrew last year's offer to slow down increases in Social Security benefits. But the White House says the plan abides⁴ by spending limits in last December's budget compromise.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:And at a time when our deficit⁵'s been cut in half, it allows us to meet our obligations to future generations without leaving them a mountain of debt.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: The 2015 deficit would decline to $560 billion, but Republicans today said the red ink, spending hikes and tax increases mean the plan is dead on arrival.

　　Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

　　N. MITCH MCCONNELL, R-Ky.,Minority Leader:SE Rather than put together a constructive⁷ blueprint the two parties could use as a jumping-off point to get our economy moving and our fiscal house in order, the president has once again opted⁸ for the political stunt⁹ for a budget that's more about firing up the base in an election year than about solving the nation's biggest and most persistent¹⁰ long-term challenges.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:Congressman Paul Ryan, the House budget chair, likewise called the Obama plan a disappointment.

　　In a statement, he said: “It would demand that families pay more so Washington can spend more. It would hollow out our defense¹¹ capabilities¹². And it would do nothing to preserve or strengthen our entitlements.”

　　Ryan offered an extensive critique yesterday of federal anti-poverty efforts. He's expected to release a Republican budget proposal in the coming weeks.

　　Some of the more notable pieces of the president's proposal, and expected to show up in the Republican alternative, are the different approaches to poverty, inequality and social mobility¹³.

　　We contrast those perspectives ourselves. James Capretta is a senior fellow at the Ethics¹⁴ and Public Policy Center. He served as associate director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. And Robert Greenstein, he is the founder¹⁵ and director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

　　Welcome to you both.

　　JAMES CAPRETTA, Ethics and Public Policy Center: Thank you.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: So, Bob Greenstein, let me start with you.

　　The president said in his State of the Union address that he wanted Congress to reverse the tides of income equality, which he said have deepened in this country. Does he do so in that budget, and, if so, how?

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:He does do it to some degree. There's limits to what government can do there, but he makes, I think, a pretty solid effort.

　　What he does is, he raises money both by cutting some lower-priority spending and raising some revenues, particularly through a series of measures to curb¹⁶ loopholes that are used particularly by very high-income people to avoid paying taxes the rest of us pay.

　　He uses some of that money for deficit reduction, but he uses some of it for a series of investments. Some should help opportunity broadly, improvements in infrastructure¹⁷, education, training, and scientific research. But some is targeted on encouraging opportunity from people low on the income spectrum¹⁸ through such things as an expanded wage supplement, Earned Income Credit, for very low-wage workers and significant investments in preschool education and early high-quality education for children from low-income families who otherwise start school already way behind their peers.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Jim Capretta, how do you see what the president is doing here or not doing here, in your view, to close this gap?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA:Well, first of all, I think the budget is really aimed at a political statement. I don't think it's really aimed at creating a legislative¹⁹ change. I don't think there is any chance that many of these proposals will be enacted²⁰.

　　It's really aimed at — at creating a political argument that the Democrats can carry into the November election. Frankly²¹, the White House has all but admitted that's really what their aim is with this kind of budget.

　　But, back to the issue of inequality, I think there is a real misunderstanding about how inequality came about and whether or not it really affects people on the low end. First of all, inequality has really happened because we have a global economy, and if someone finds a new idea or a new research effort or something that's very innovative²², you can do very, very well in this country if you're a part of that.

　　Does that come at the expense of people at the low end? No. There's been many, many economic studies that have shown that just because somebody at the high end is doing better, that doesn't come on the expense of the low end. So the president's proposals really mis — a prescription²³ for the wrong problem.

　　Secondly²⁴, even if it was the right problem, the amount of money we're talking about that he's redistributing from people on the high end to the low end is very, very minor⁶, given the size of our economy and really what the issue is. So I don't think it is going to have much of an effect whatsoever²⁵, either because it won't have any chance of passage and it's really aimed at the wrong problem.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: I want you to respond to that, Bob Greenstein, but I also want to get to what the two of you think the two parties might be able to come together on, if anything, this year.

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN:Well, let me respond to Jim's point this is just a political statement because it isn't going to pass this year.

　　Paul Ryan's budget isn't going to pass this year either. Nothing much is going to pass this year. That doesn't mean that the Obama budget or the Ryan budget, which I don't agree with much in it, but it doesn't mean that eitherbudget is nothing but a political statement and should be ignored.

　　Both budgets set forth²⁶ a framework and a vision for a year-long debate, because significant decisions are coming starting in 2015, I think.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:OK. Then let's talk about where you see — what do you see in here, Jim Capretta, where you see the two parties could work together?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA:Well, there's one possibility. I don't know how much of a chance, but around the Earned Income Tax Credit, there's more bipartisan support for that kind of an approach to wage supplements than it is for just redistributing through taxing and spending.

　　Earned Income Tax Credit is a program that Bob knows well that provides additional support directly through the federal tax system to people that are actually working, have a job, and it boosts their income directly to the proportion of earned wages. It's the kind of thing that could be built on.

　　It's better than doing, frankly, a minimum wage increase, certainly of the size the president has pushed.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:Which is what the president has called on.

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN: I think we need to do both the minimum wage increase and the Earned Income Credit.

　　You can't do the whole thing through the Earned Income Credit. It puts too much strain on government finances. You can't do the whole thing through the minimum wage. That puts too much strain on employers.

　　But I think Jim is right that there is a potential here, for even another reason. The president is proposing to increase the Earned Income Credit for workers not living with minor children. We already have a sizable Earned Income Credit for families with kids.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Right.

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN:When you look at these young workers or middle-aged²⁷ workers who are single individuals, if they're paid low wages, they're the one group whom the federal government today literally²⁸ taxes into poverty or deeper into poverty. That should be something that both parties can say, that's not a good idea. And both parties want to encourage these people to work more, and the Earned Income Credit does that.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:So, Jim Capretta, you see Republicans moving in the president's direction, having more interest in doing something like this?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA:Well, I wouldn't say that.

　　I think, in the area of Earned Income Tax Credit, which was your prior question, where there is possibility for some agreement, that might be some overlap²⁹. But, in general, I think the Republican approach would be very, very different. I think they are going to look at the range of programs that are aimed at helping³⁰ the poor and say, look, a lot of these programs have been created without any relationship or understanding of how they interact with the others.

　　You create large disincentives to work when you stack them all together. Lots of studies have shown that when you pay someone an income-tested benefit and then withdraw it when their earnings³² rise, in a sense, you have provided a disincentive for people to move up the wage ladder.

　　So you stack all these things together, and some people are losing 80 percent or more of their additional earnings when they get a better-paying job. I think Republicans are going to look very hard at that and trying to get the work incentives³¹ right.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:But just to bore in for a second here in our remaining minute on the Earned Income Tax Credit, what's the point at which you see the two sides coming together?

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN:There's two possibilities.

　　You could do improvements, expansion of the Earned Income Credit as part of bipartisan tax reform, or you could do it as part of the package, a compromise package with the minimum wage. I'm not sure I see either of those happening in 2014, but I think there's a potential in a subsequent year.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:What do you see?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA:I very much agree with…

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: What's the point of connection?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA: I agree with Bob on that. I don't think much will happen in 2014. But…

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:Even on this?

　　JAMES CAPRETTA: Even on this. It's just too contentious³³. There's too much that — both sides are going to want to take this to the election in November. After November, there is the possibility, even around a low-income agenda, that there might be some modest agreements.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:All right. Well, we are going to leave it there. We thank you both, Jim Capretta, Robert Greenstein.

　　JAMES CAPRETTA:Thank you.

　　ROBERT GREENSTEIN:Thank you.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 abides   

容忍( abide的第三人称单数 )； 等候； 逗留； 停留

参考例句：

• He abides by his friends. 他忠于朋友。
• He always abides by the law. 他素来守法。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

8 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

9 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

10 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

14 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

15 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

16 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

17 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

18 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

19 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

20 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

21 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

22 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

23 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

24 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

25 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

26 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

27 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

28 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

29 overlap   

v.重叠，与…交叠；n.重叠

参考例句：

• The overlap between the jacket and the trousers is not good.夹克和裤子重叠的部分不好看。
• Tiles overlap each other.屋瓦相互叠盖。

30 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

31 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

32 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

33 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。