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Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.Merkel faces attacks over cost of election pledges
May 31, 2013 @ 5:41 am
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's opposition is attacking proposals by Chancellor Angela Merkel that would result in increased spending, arguing that they counter her government's pledges of solid financial management.
Polls give Merkel's conservative bloc a strong lead ahead of Germany's Sept. 22 election, although a parliamentary majority for her current center-right coalition is far from certain.
This week Merkel set out proposals that appeared aimed at wooing centrist voters. They included increasing tax breaks for couples with children, which could cost billions. She also proposed capping increases in rents, an idea the opposition has pushed.
Juergen Trittin, a leader of the opposition Greens, on Friday accused Merkel of electioneering and jeopardizing her government's aim of a balanced budget.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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