The Washington Post alerts us to the American Right’s latest bizarre idea. On Nov 20th a Wall Street Journal editorial complains about the Non-Taxpaying Class.
Of course they are not talking about the high earning using dubious tax dodges to hide their fortunes from the tax man. They are concerned with “absolutely legal escape hatches” like “the personal exemption, the standard deduction and the 10% rate of the lowest bracket” which mean someone with an income of $12,000 a year pays less than 4% of their income in taxes.
So they want to raise taxes on those on $12,000 a year?! Then follows a paragraph that just about made my eyes pop out of my head:
“Who are these lucky duckies? They are the beneficiaries of tax policies that have expanded the personal exemption and standard deduction and targeted certain voter groups by introducing a welter of tax credits for things like child care and education. ”
Earning $12,000 is lucky? Heaven forbid that the government should help mothers go out to work if they choose to or should encourage people to educate themselves…
Oh, and earlier on they talked about the top 5% of American earners and described them as not “Richie Rich” – “folks with adjusted gross incomes of $128,336 and higher being responsible for 56% of the tax take.” My heart bleeds for them…
It’s incredible, isn’t it?!?!? I think that attitude’s taking over in the UK too!!! Perhaps some of these ‘poor’, over-taxed folks should try to make some of those ‘greedy’, $12,000 p/a-earning sods pay more by giving up some of THEIR fortunes!
Comment by Stuart — 30 November 2002 @ 9:21 pm