This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: July 7, 2008 - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was back in St. Louis on Monday after his chartered plane, flying from Chicago to Charlotte, had mechanical difficulties and made a precautionary landing at Lambert Field. He used time following the unscheduled landing to announce a proposed $50 billion economic stimulus package, tax cuts for most workers and families and the elimination of income taxes for senior citizens who earn less than $50,000.
Obama had planned to announce these plans at a school in Charlotte this morning but chose instead to release them here after the aircraft touched down in St. Louis at 9:51 a.m. today, according to The AP. It said the chartered MD-80 was leaving Chicago when the pilot reported "a little stiffness in the controls" and made a cautionary landing at Lambert.
Obama had been in St. Louis on Saturday to address an AME Church conference. That visit was his fourth to Missouri, and his second to St. Louis, in recent weeks.
In prepared remarks, Obama said the stimulus package was needed to jumpstart the economy, which has lost "438,000 jobs this year - six straight months of job loss. The housing crisis is deepening and energy and food prices are soaring."
He is also proposing tax cuts of $1,000 for 95 percent of American workers and families. He said the tax cut and elimination of income tax for senior citizens would amount to "more than three times as much middle class tax relief" proposed by GOP presidential candidate John McCain.
Obama also promised a tax credit of $4,000 to make college affordable and the elimination of capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-up companies "so that American can accumulate wealth and succeed."
Blunt attacks Obama's economic plans
Some of Obama's plans, particularly doing away with capital gains taxes for some, have been embraced by Republicans for years. But even as Obama was announcing his plans, Gov. Matt Blunt blasted the candidate's economic positions as doublespeak.
Blunt said that, as a U.S. senator, Obama had voted twice for budget resolutions to raise taxes by 3 percent for those earning as little as $32,000.
"While Barack Obama has campaigned on a pledge to not raise taxes for anyone but the rich, that's clearly not the case," Blunt said in a conference call with reporters this afternoon. "Obviously, I'm concerned about the policies of Obama in a host of areas, but certainly as it relates to our economy."
Obama was expected to depart from St. Louis later today in another aircraft.
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McCain and Obama talk about the economy | AFP
McCain says "Jobs first" and promises to balance the budget by the end of his first term. | Washington Post