If you are going to call the 47% lazy and shiftless, or as Bob puts it, “Living off the largess of government,” you really should know your subject matter.
But I guess it is much easier just to pander to the crowd and stir up dislike and animosity, after all, if you have a common enemy, they will vote for you. Never mind that half the people in the room are likely part of that 47% he was talking about.
Bob is mad that 47% of people don’t pay income tax. Let’s just start with some tax policy center data published in the Washington Post. The basic fact is that 28% of those who don’t pay income tax do pay payroll taxes, but they earn to little money they don’t reach the required level to pay income taxes.
They aren’t living off the “Largess” of government, they are fighting to feed their families working jobs that have seen stagnant wages while the richest keep getting richer.
Who is the enemy? It’s not the 47% – its people like Bob Beuprez who don’t think the rich have enough yet. If he really wanted to help fix the issue he would support higher minimum wages and support reversing how the tax code is structured. Why does an hourly worker pay 28% and up on his wages but a banker making millions pays 15% and likely less (just look at Mitt Romney fudging his own books to get to his tax burden to 13%).
So Bob, which are you – Clueless or Careless? Or do you really not care about the facts so long as you get elected?
