Why Taxing The 47 Percent Would Put Millions Into Poverty

[DonViejo]

Mitt Romney and (apparently) Tim Kaine aren’t the only politicians who have a problem with poor and middle class people paying no income tax.

In April, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor worried “[O]ver 45 percent of the people in this country don’t pay income taxes at all, and we have to question whether that’s fair.”

“Part of the problem is today, only 53% pay any federal income tax at all; 47% pay nothing,” said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) last July, ahead of her presidential primary candidacy. “We need to broaden the base so that everybody pays something, even if it’s a dollar.”

Just a buck. Sounds like simple idea — maybe even an admirable project for the national community, right? In reality the suggestion has some stunning implications.

“It’s a policy that’s effectively designed to put people into poverty,” says Chuck Marr, director of tax policy at the nonpartisan but liberal leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

more:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/why-the-gops-plan-for-the-47-percent-risks-putting-millions-into-poverty.php?ref=fpa

[Deacon Blue]

1. Who Built That

To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (1923-2007)