Republicans scored a victory Nov. 5 by winning control of the U.S. Senate and gaining seats in the House. Many believe this amounts to a mandate for the Republican Congress and Bush administration to achieve their agenda of lower taxes, smaller government, a strong national defense and more individual freedom.
It did not take long for Democratic critics to use the old tactics of class warfare. This becomes less effective with time, and figures recently released by the Internal Revenue Service make this more difficult to prove.
Veteran journalist Bill Moyers wrote an article soon after Election Day warning the public of the upcoming atrocities the newly elected Congress will do with Bush’s help. He claims Republicans will, among other things, use their taxing power to transfer wealth from working people to the rich. This is an outright lie.
The problem is because of the Democrats’ definition of rich. Who exactly do they consider rich? Who is paying all the taxes? The IRS recently released statistics from 2000 showing who carries the tax burden in our country. The top 50 percent pay 96.1 percent of all taxes. This group earns $26,000 and up. This leaves the bottom 50 percent of wage earners only paying 3.9 percent.
The figures for the top 50 percent of wage earners break down like this: The top 1 percent, who earn 20.81 percent of all income covered under the income tax, are paying 37.42 percent of the federal tax bite. This means the top 1 percent pay more than 10 times that of the lower 50 percent. Top 5 percent pay 56.47 percent of all income taxes; Top 10 percent pay 67.33 percent of all income taxes. The top 25 percent pay out 84 percent of all taxes, and their yearly income begins at approximately $50,000.
How can anyone say the rich aren’t paying their fair share? Half of America’s wage earners shoulder the tax burden. Any tax cuts would benefit those who actually pay taxes. Critics of Bush’s tax plan must show how an across-the-board tax cut only is filling the pockets of “evil wealthy capitalists” who abuse our system to make money.
These so-called rich people aren’t billionaires or millionaires — they are thousandaires. The top 50 percent of wage earners (who share 96 percent of the tax burden) are those who file individually or jointly with an income of at least $26,000. Can you possibly validate claims that these people are the wealthy? It is sad 50 percent of our wage earners earn less than $26,000 a year, but how do you give a tax cut to those who aren’t paying taxes? Tax cuts benefit them because they create opportunities.
Most liberal Democrats would rather not give tax cuts. They prefer handouts that create a class of people dependent on government. This removes the people’s will and motivation to better their lives. Why work when I can go pick up a check to live on without moving from the couch? The socialist system has failed time and again; why should we try it here?
Democrats slowly are coming around to letting the people keep the money they earn. This week Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu proposed a tax cut and is using it as a campaign theme. Only time will tell if she has had a true change of heart, seeing as she has supported tax increases in the past and supported Democratic leaders who have done everything to stall Bush’s tax cuts.
Next time you hear Democrats say Bush is trying to give a “tax cut for the rich” understand who they are calling rich. This “tax cut for the rich” benefits all, especially those individuals and families earning $26,000 who should not have to give much of their hard-earned money to the government.
Don’t fall for the old argument of class warfare and realize our tax system unfairly taxes those who better themselves. Those paying the most taxes are those who provide the jobs and keep our economic system going. If they receive a tax cut, it will make its way through the economic ladder and benefit all, without creating a dependent class of people.