Let’s End the 47% Nonpayer Nonsense

[There Is No Spoon]

Mitt Romney may have killed his campaign by saying that President Barack Obama's base is the 47 percent of Americans who are freeloading, non-income-tax-paying losers. With any luck, he also killed the stupid Republican talking point about "nonpayers."

By Josh Barro
September 19, 2012 5:17 PM EDT

...

So, when Republicans complain about "nonpayers," they're only talking about one-quarter of the whole tax system. Worse, it's a quarter of the tax system that is hugely unrepresentative of our tax system as a whole. Why would you look at only one piece of the tax code to figure out who is a "maker" and who is a "taker"?

...

Contrary to the Wall Street Journal's insinuations, most people who don't pay federal income tax are not "lucky duckies." The Tax Policy Center has a useful chart explaining why people don't pay income tax. In about half of cases, it's because their incomes are simply too low -- a family of four gets a standard deduction and personal exemptions totaling $26,400, so if they make less than that, they pay no taxes.

...

These are policies we adopted for good and considered reasons. The Earned Income Tax Credit, expanded by both parties since its introduction in 1975, is designed to boost poor people's incomes while encouraging them to work. The Child Tax Credit was designed to knock certain low- to middle-income families off the income tax rolls in recognition of the fact that their child-rearing expenses reduce their ability to pay.

...

The "nonpayer" talking point gets at a "problem" with our tax code that doesn't exist. Now that Romney has hurt himself so badly by using it, I hope it will finally go away.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09...sense.html

[jaxx]

It is nonsense, but I don't see Willard stopping the crusade against the 47% before Nov. 6th. He's running for president, for pete's sake.

[azmouse]

It's the up side to the nonsense Willard spewed. Now the truth about who pays taxes and why is being discussed. I wish I had some hope it would get through the thick skulls of those on the right.