Romney Rejects Ronald Reagan [View all]

[kpete]

Included in the 47% who don't pay federal income taxes (but of course, most of whom do pay federal payroll taxes, not to mention sales taxes, which virtually 100% of people pay) are large numbers of American workers who benefit from the Earned Income Tax Credit (for a fuller discussion breaking down the myths surrounding the "47%" statistic, check this out from PoliticsUSA). http://www.politicususa.com/half-americans-taxes.html

The EITC provides a tax credit to people who work but earn an income below a certain level. Most of the money paid out under the EITC, by law, goes to workers with dependent children. The EITC can provide enough of a tax credit such that the working person has no net federal tax income obligation and can even receive a tax refund. In other words, a decent number of the "47%" Mitt Romney is talking about are working people benefiting from the EITC.

So, are these folks "victims" who refuse to break free of government dependence and take responsibility for their own lives? Is that what being on the EITC means? Let's ask our good friend and reasonably influential conservative Ronald Reagan, who called the Earned Income Tax Credit:

"the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress."

Crikey!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/18/1133223/-Romney-Rejects-Ronald-Reagan