美国共和党松动对富人增税的立场

The US Congress should agree to higher taxes on the wealthy to avoid the fiscal cliff, a top Republican economist has conceded in a sign of the rapidly shifting political climate in Washington before negotiations to avert the looming budget crisis.

一名美国共和党高层经济学家承认，美国国会应同意对富人增税，以免跌落“财政悬崖。这个迹象显示，在有关方面为避免迫在眉睫的预算危机而举行谈判前，华盛顿的政治气候正迅速改变。

Writing in the Financial Times, Glenn Hubbard, who advised Barack Obama’s rival Mitt Romney on his losing presidential bid, is the latest prominent conservative to suggest Republicans should change tack and accept the president’s structure for impending budget talks.

米特·罗姆尼（Mitt Romney，他在本次大选中最终不敌巴拉克·奥巴马(Barack Obama)）的竞选顾问格伦·哈伯德(Glenn Hubbard)在英国《金融时报》撰文称，共和党应该改变策略，接受奥巴马总统为即将举行的预算谈判提出的架构。哈伯德是最新一位提出这种观点的知名保守派人士。

“The first step is to raise average (not marginal) tax rates on upper-income taxpayers, he wrote. “Revenues should come first from these individuals.

“第一步是提高较高收入纳税人的平均（而非边际）税率。哈伯德写道，“财政收入首先应来自这一人群。

The growing debate among Republicans over how to generate more revenue highlights the change in the political mood since Mr Obama’s victory in last week’s election. The fiscal cliff is a $600bn mix of spending cuts and tax rises set to take effect at the start of next year that could plunge the US back into recession if Congress does not act to pre-empt them.

共和党内部关于如何增加财政收入的辩论愈演愈烈，这凸显出奥巴马上周成功获得连任之后的政治气氛变化。财政悬崖的规模为6000亿美元，包括一系列定于明年1月1日起生效的减支和增税。如果国会不采取行动防止美国跌落财政悬崖，美国经济有可能因此重新陷入衰退。

For most of last year, the Republican refrain was that deep cuts were needed to precede any deal on higher revenues. But against a backdrop of investor concern, the budgetary battle is being waged on terrain that is friendlier to Democrats.

去年大部分时间里，共和党一直鼓吹必须首先大规模削减支出，然后才能考虑达成任何增加税收的协议。但在投资者纷纷表示担忧的背景下，这场预算战役的形势如今已变得更有利于民主党。

Mr Hubbard said a deal could be achieved by eliminating tax loopholes and capping popular deductions – such as those for mortgage interest, charitable giving and employer-provided health plans – rather than allowing Bush-era tax rates for the rich to expire this year, as Democrats are demanding.

哈伯德表示，通过消除税收漏洞和为针对所有人的税收减免（比如抵押贷款利息、慈善捐款和雇主提供的医保计划所享受的税收减免）设立上限、而不是任由小布什(Bush)时代针对富人推出的优惠税率（如民主党要求的那样）今年到期终止，两党或许能够达成一项协议。

Formal talks are to begin between Mr Obama and congressional leaders on Friday, but informal discussions among advisers are under way. Mr Obama this week will also meet business leaders and labour union officials.

奥巴马和国会领导人的正式会谈将于本周五开始，但顾问们之间已开始展开一些非正式的讨论。奥巴马本周还将与商界领袖和工会官员会晤。