Perry pushes for higher taxes (on lower- and middle-income Americans)

[ProSense]

Perry pushes for higher taxes

By Steve Benen

When Texas Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his Republican presidential campaign yesterday, his speech buried the needle on the Cliche-O-Meter, offering up one generic, predictable GOP theme after another. There was, however, one line in particular that stood out as interesting.

“We’re dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don’t even pay any income tax. And you know the liberals out there are saying that we need to pay more.”

<...>

This is an increasingly popular argument in right-wing circles — Michele Bachmann, one of Perry’s presidential rivals, has pushed the same line — thought it’s entirely counter-intuitive. The argument isn’t even subtle: far-right Republicans are annoyed that most Americans don’t make enough money to be eligible to pay income taxes, so they believe it’s important to get more of these lower- and middle-income Americans paying more to the government.

In case anyone’s forgotten, the relevant details matters here: millions of Americans may be exempt from income taxes, but they still pay sales taxes, state taxes, local taxes, Social Security taxes, Medicare/Medicaid taxes, and in many instances, property taxes.

It’s not as if these folks are getting away with something — the existing tax structure leaves them out of the income tax system because they don’t make enough money to qualify.

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No new taxes...on the rich!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. Rick Perry can kiss my ass.

[sakabatou]

2. Perry: (crying) Leave the rich people alone!

[ProSense]

6. Pretty much! n/t

[OHdem10]

3. This has been the Republican Talking Point for a year now.

When the Republcians and some Democrats say
we must broaden the tax base, there is
only one place to go---down the scal

It is part of Austerity (Deficit Reducation).

This is not new with Perry. It is the Republican
Plan.

I have posted about this for some time now.e.

[ProSense]

5. Um

"When the Republcians and some Democrats say
we must broaden the tax base, there is
only one place to go---down the scal"

Which Democrats are advocating increasing taxes on low- and middle-income Americans as "part of Austerity (Deficit Reducation)"?

[OHdem10]

9. Listen to our President. This week, in an effort to be with the

Republicans, he made the direct --Broaden the base
and lower rates quote.

Lower rates is corporate rates. If you are going
to have people pay taxes who never paid before,
is that lowering rates or increasing rates.

The whole purpose of this is to lower taxes for Corporations.

[ProSense]

11. Again

"Which Democrats are advocating increasing taxes on low- and middle-income Americans as 'part of Austerity (Deficit Reducation)'?"

What does this mean: "Republicans, he made the direct --Broaden the base
and lower rates quote."

And what does broaden the base of corporations paying taxes have to do with raising taxes on low- and middle-income Americans?

[CrispyQ]

10. The stupidity is stunning. Or maybe it's just pure heartlessness.

If they want to broaden the tax base, they should bring back good paying jobs. That would broaden the tax base. Instead, they'll tax the poor & destitute, like vultures picking the last flesh off bones.

[LonePirate]

4. Hey Perry, eliminating all of the Bush tax cuts make a small dent in your "problem"

[indepat]

7. Do those assholes tell us what the average income of that one-half is and what percent of the

national wealth that one-half holds? Reichous effin' assholes. :patriot:

[elleng]

8. Of course they don't; its up to us to provide that little factoid.

:shrug: