ividual ▁income ▁tax ▁rate ▁prov isions ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁law , ▁for ▁instance , ▁created ▁larger ▁marg inal ▁tax ▁rate ▁decre ases ▁for ▁people ▁ear ning ▁less ▁than ▁US $ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁ear ners . ▁ ▁His ▁oppon ents ▁contest ▁job ▁prediction ▁claims , ▁primarily ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁increase ▁in ▁job ▁creation ▁predicted ▁by ▁Bush ' s ▁plan ▁failed ▁to ▁material ize . ▁They ▁instead ▁al lege ▁that ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁tax ▁cut s ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁favor ▁the ▁wealth y ▁and ▁special ▁interests , ▁as ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁benefit ▁from ▁the ▁tax ▁cut , ▁in ▁absolute ▁terms , ▁went ▁to ▁ear ners ▁in ▁the ▁higher ▁tax ▁brackets . ▁Bush ' s ▁oppon ents ▁addition ally ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁tax ▁cut s ▁are ▁a ▁major ▁reason ▁Bush ▁revers ed ▁a ▁national ▁sur plus ▁into ▁a ▁histor ically ▁large ▁def ic it . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁to ▁Bush ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁profess ors ▁of ▁business ▁and ▁econom ics ▁at ▁U . S . ▁business ▁schools ▁as cribed ▁this ▁" f is cal ▁revers al " ▁to ▁Bush ' s ▁" policy ▁of ▁slash ing ▁tax es ▁- ▁primarily ▁for ▁those ▁at ▁the ▁upper ▁reaches ▁of ▁the ▁income ▁distribution ." ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁these ▁cut s ▁had ▁reduced ▁federal ▁tax ▁reven ues , ▁as ▁a ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁G ross ▁Dom estic ▁Product , ▁to