Responding to Erick Erickson's 'We Are The 53%"

[meegbear]

So professional kvetcher Erick Erickson has a new project up called "We are the 53%" that purports to speak on behalf of the 53 percent of Americans who pay federal income tax. As per usual with these sorts of things, Erickson fails to note that while many Americans pay no federal income tax, they do pay payroll taxes, state income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes... well you get the idea. But for professional propagandists such as Erickson, only federal income taxes count as Real Taxes because... well, who the hell knows at this point? Payroll taxes pay for Social Security and Medicare, which are two of the biggest items in the budget, while federal income taxes pay for the military, which you'd think Erickson would be happy to fund.

But anyway! As is his wont, Erickson has posted his own comical self-pity pic bemoaning the fact that he "works" three "jobs" (presumably as an Internet gasbag at RedState, as a radio gasbag on his talk radio show and a TV gasbag on CNN) and is thus one of the Randian Supermen who is supporting all the unwashed losers protesting Wall Street.

This type of weapons-grade st00pid demands a response, of course. And as someone who does in fact pay federal income taxes I've decided to make myself the de facto spokesperson for the 53 percent Who Hate the .000000001 percent that is Erick Erickson.



http://crooksandliars.com/brad-reed/my-response-erick-erickson

[myrna minx]

1. Excellent. K&R

:rofl:

[ck4829]

2. I want to be a 53%er

Too bad I'm told I can't be hired for a job because I'm not currently employed.

[xchrom]

3. that is some awesome snark smaqdown. nt

[peace frog]

10. Indeed, well done!

[Arctic Dave]

LOL!

Right on!

We should take up a collection so we can have a huge sign made of that.

[Erose999]

4. I made a photoshop/caption thread yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2098712

[Enrique]

5. check out Erickson's bio

he's never had a real job.

[truebrit71]

6. That is simply brilliant!

:rofl:

[EC]

7. My response would be..

I'm part of the 99% and I'm not whining, I'm just not rolling over and taking it, like you.

[PETRUS]

8. Nice nt

[FarLeftFist]

9. Apparently Erick is the one living beyond his means.

[pschoeb]

11. Yeah I'm part of the 53% who make a living income

Wait that sounds like it supports OWS

ok let's try "tax the 47 percenters income", oh wait that sounds too much like "tax the 47% who are broke, poor or barely above poverty and have children under 17" that really only helps OWS.

I mean 15% of household are below the federal poverty line, should we tax them? If not then that leaves 32 percent who are above the low federal poverty line, but are not making living wages, and some might be actually in poverty because they live in regions with higher costs than the aggregate federal poverty line. Many of these 32% are people who make above the federal poverty rate, but have enough children under 17 whose tax credit wipes out the income tax they owe from their very small incomes.

So "Get rid of the Child tax credit" doesn't work as a slogan either

Neither does "The slightly above poor should be limited to a number children that doesn't allow them to wipe out their income taxes"

[tk2kewl]

12. Rock on....

:headbang:

[meegbear]

13. Kick

[MisterP]

14. love the Jim Varney hat vs. the CRT-caused pastiness on the Randroid

[Laelth]

15. Erickson is a tool. Ignore him. n/t

-Laelth