Hello --

When President Obama asked you to tell us what the middle-class tax cuts meant for your families, we knew you'd speak up. But I don't think any of us were prepared for this.

The stories started pouring in immediately. Within a couple hours, we received messages from tens of thousands of people. Folks from every state in the country took time to write in. You nearly took over Twitter, where the hashtag #My2K trended all day.

And people are starting to pay attention. News outlets are writing stories about how everyday Americans are engaged in this debate. Decision makers are coming to the sudden realization that they can't ignore the perspective of the middle class when it comes to cutting taxes.

You're changing an entire policy conversation. And we have to keep it up.

Tell us what $2,000 means to middle-class families.

There's no denying the power of your voices.

We heard from a woman in Alabama who explained that $2,000 was a crucial part of her family budget -- the choice between two house payments, three car payments, or medical prescriptions for a year.

We heard from a farmer in Michigan, just starting his business, who wants to use $2,000 to invest in two greenhouses so he can extend his growing season.

We heard from a dad in Indiana who did the math and realized that $2,000 will buy groceries for his family for 23.5 weeks.

We heard from graduate students working to pay down student loans and parents trying to help put their kids through school.

And these folks are not alone. Unless Congress acts, 114 million middle-class American families are staring down a tax increase starting January 1.

So we need you to join them. We're doing everything to draw attention to the stories you share with us. We're sharing them on Facebook and Twitter. We're putting them on the front page of the White House website.

Will you speak out today?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/my2k 

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Senior Advisor
White House