The America Romney Scorns
September 18, 2012 1:37 pm ET
In a jaw-dropping video reported by Mother Jones, Mitt Romney is overheard telling his millionaire donors what he really believes: half of America is not worth his time. We must put a face on the Americans he has so disdainfully written off.
CORE MESSAGE
Mr. Romney, America is one of the hardest-working nations on earth.
Which Americans are you calling irresponsible?
The military, the elderly, students, and working parents.
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ATTACKS AND RESPONSES
MITT ROMNEY: "Half of Americans don’t pay taxes."
RESPONSE:
- When it comes to paying federal income taxes, who is Mitt Romney accusing of being irresponsible freeloaders? Our military serving in war zones, retired seniors, working parents, students, and disabled kids.
- Before he judges other people about paying federal income taxes, Mitt Romney should come clean about the tax returns he's hiding from voters.
- Actually, just about everyone pays taxes. Even people who don't make enough money to pay taxes on their income still pay payroll taxes, property taxes, and sales tax on everyday things.
- But Mitt Romney apparently thinks that if you’re struggling, you’re not struggling enough. Aside from his own tax returns, what other plans to raise our taxes is he hiding?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Most of the states with the lowest percentage of people who don't file income tax returns -- because they don't make enough income to do so -- are solidly Republican states.
- Over 60% of families who don't owe federal income taxes are working -- they're just not making enough income to have to pay more. But they do pay payroll taxes and all sorts of other taxes.
- Of the nearly half, or 44%, of those American families that end up not paying federal income taxes due to tax benefits, it's because they're getting tax benefits for the elderly.
- In the last two years, Mitt Romney paid an average tax rate of 14% on the money he's made off of the wealth he already has -- meaning that means he pays a lower tax rate than a typical family making a middle-class income.
- Congressman Ryan has proposed a plan that would've let Mitt Romney pay less than 1% in income taxes.
- Many millionaires and billionaires -- approximately 55,000 -- are paying lower taxes than millions of middle-class Americans. In fact, in 2009, 1,500 millionaires managed to pay no federal income taxes on their millions.
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Posted in - Taxes - Economy - 2012 Elections
