Mesa County group pleas to Rep. Tipton about fiscal cliff

While the White House and Congress struggle to avert the fiscal cliff, some Mesa County residents are worried for the middle class.  They’re asking their state representative to put the middle class over millionaires. 

"If we're all not doing well, eventually we all fail," small business owner Kathy Harris said.

As the deadline approaches for automatic tax hikes and spending cuts, some locals worry for a population already struggling.

"If you want to get the economy going again, it’s vital that the tax breaks stay with the middle class,” local resident Troy Douglas said.  

Like their signs suggest, this group of middle class workers doesn't want Washington to let its financial burden fall on those living paycheck to paycheck.

Doug Van Etten, the groups spokesman, says, "We're very concerned that there are a lot of different ways, some obvious and some not so obvious here in Mesa County, that the fiscal cliff may adversely affect us."

So they marched into republican Representative Scott Tipton's Grand Junction office, encouraging him to find a compromise.

"We’re here today to express our concern about the negotiations on the so called fiscal cliff," Van Etten said.

The congressman wasn't in his office, but the message is one shared by millions across the country and the White House.

We contacted Representative Tipton's office to hear his plan for the fiscal cliff.

He believes responsible spending combined with keeping tax rates low for families is the best solution.

"I am hopeful that Republicans and Democrats will come together to pass a bipartisan solution to the fiscal cliff that includes legitimate spending cuts at its core, avoids sequestration, and initiates comprehensive tax reform while preventing one of the largest tax increases on Americans in history from going into effect.

"With double-digit unemployment still affecting much of the nation, including many areas in Colorado, growing the economy must be a central goal of any solution. I believe a solution that would allow businesses and families the flexibility to succeed by keeping tax rates low and providing economic certainty through responsible spending and tax reforms would help jumpstart economic growth and create jobs, while responsibly addressing the $16.3 trillion national debt."--Rep. Scott Tipton