By Matt Strauser
What happened?
On September 17th, an investigative news source released a “secret video” of Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney speaking to a small group of wealthy supporters on May 17th. Uproar ensued in response to Romney’s comment that 47% of Americans do not pay income tax, are dependent upon government to care for them, and believe that they are entitled to healthcare, food and housing. He explained: “[M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
Watch for yourself here: http://goo.gl/YN32k
Again, how much of the population has Romney written off?
And why should we care about this, as more than just a “gaffe”?
Simply put, it is inexcusable for a presidential candidate to write off almost half of the American population because they do not pay income tax. In addition, Romney’s statement is highly misleading and reflects his disdain for “government handouts” for the middle and working class.
So, who actually makes up the “47%”?
Surprised? Here’s some more information…
61% (of the 47%) pay payroll tax: So, they actually DO pay taxes. Not only payroll, but Social Security, Medicare, state, local, property and sales tax. They don’t pay income tax because of the standard deduction, the Earned Income Tax Credit and child tax credits. Due to their lower level of income, they have no taxable income left after those deductions.
22% are elderly: Why don’t they pay taxes? They are retired and have been paying tax for all of their lives. They do not pay payroll tax or income tax—because of Social Security deductions, the standard deduction and tax credits for the elderly.
15% are nonelderly with an income less than $20,000: Presumably, Mitt Romney believes these people have an attitude of entitlement and “refuse to take personal responsibility for their life.” Many of us students fall into this category. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who are out of work do, too.
What should we take away from this?
Mitt Romney’s hidden camera moment reveals one of two things: either he holds condescending views about students, veterans, the poor, and elderly, or he just doesn’t understand the way the American tax system works for the middle and working class. Does he believe that financiers are better than autoworkers just because they pay income tax? We’re all in this together; our presidential candidates should know that.
Don’t forget: the wealthy take advantage of government benefits as well—benefits that come in the form of tax loopholes. They use tax breaks, like the lower tax rate for investment income, which low wage earners won’t be able to use as long as their wages continue decreasing.
To overcome the challenges currently facing our nation, people of all political stripes need to realize that all Americans want the same thing at the most basic level—a stronger, better America. Governor Romney’s comments do nothing to move us forward.