McCain says over 40% of Americans do not pay taxes. Says tax cuts are welfare.

[thoughtcrime1984]

He wants giveaways to corporations, but wants to characterize cuts for the working poor as "welfare". Fuck you, John McCain. Fuck you.

[anonymous171]

1. This will be the Obama campaign's counter attack.

[samrock]

11. What an out right LIE......

They mean INCOME tax.. All pay PAYROLL taxes (FICA .. Social Security Taxes) .. no why to avoid them.. BUT those are both thrown into the federal treasurey and treated the same.. Remember in 2000 .. Al Gores famous lock box?? He wanted to make sure money paid into SS WAS treated differently.. BUT it is not.. John McCain is saying the poor and lower middle class who work hard and pay just payroll taxes desereve no break.. He is saying they are on welfare!! What an insult!! Obama and other democrats need to JUMP on this point and hang McCain with it..

[K Gardner]

17. McCain's Mouth Attacks Poor and Middle Class: the Gift that Keeps on Giving

[soccermomforobama]

2. I love how he leaves out that under his tax plan

that number will jump to 62% of Americans who have zero tax liability.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/23631.html

[pot luck]

3. He just gave the Obama campaign an opening with this attack.

It just makes McCain appear more out of touch.

[LynnTheDem]

4. "tax cuts are welfare" but he wants to "make Bush's tax cuts permanent"...

John McCain; confused idiot.

[crazylikafox]

5. I would like to know what that number was if they included Social Security taxes

The SS tax is very regressive, and unfortunately, it just goes into the general revenue instead of the "lock box" like President Gore wanted to do.

[theoldman]

6. A lot of people do not pay any taxes.

I know several small business owners and they do not pay any tax at all. There are so many loop holes in the tax laws that a lot of millionaires do not pay any taxes. Don't kid yourself that big corporations pay 35% in taxes. That is not true either.

[thoughtcrime1984]

8. Cindy McCain apparently pays an effective tax rate of 3.75%.

That's fair though, eh McCain? EH?? That would make sense about 40% not paying taxes, most being the wealthy. It's a sick fucking world, and the poorest ones are sitting behind that clown clapping, like the stupid little sheep that they are. Yay, take our money and give it to the rich! Robin-Hood in reverse, that McCain.

[sandnsea]

10. Ack. Everybody pays FICA.

Self-employed people pay 15% of their income. What you gain in tax deductions, you lose in FICA. Everybody who works pays taxes.

[Heather MC]

18. Tax laws are written for the benefit of Business owners not employees

I love tax deductions.
sometimes I mystrey shop so I can claim a business and the write offs are more than I make
Legal write offs, travel, if I eat on the assignment, my phone line, my internet connect, the paper is spend on my reports, anything I spend on my "business" is a deduction
except clothes

[dkofos]

7. Clueless on tax cuts too. Does he know anything??

He does know how to crash a plane, and a campaign!!

[Skidmore]

9. Let's give it back to them....Bush Wall Street Socialism = McCain economic policies

Nothing like a billionaire welfare queen.

[DesertFlower]

12. bullshit. even my first job

when i made $48.00 a week i paid taxes.

[kennetha]

13. 40% pay no INCOME taxes

What Obama really proposes for those folks is not a cut in their income taxes, but basically an earned income tax credit kind of thing.

This was actually one of Clintons major achievements and helped reduce poverty.

It is very much a redistributive mechanism, though.

[thoughtcrime1984]

16. That would help reduce strain on social programs, no? Do you believe Obama is in the right?

I personally believe that those who use the US' business structure to become wealthy SHOULD be paying a higher proportion of taxes. Certainly not enough to put undue strain on them, but an amount that should allow more of the working poor to put more money back into the economy. Enough of tax breaks for the wealthy, that will never let the wealth trickle down. McCain's ideas on taxes are absurd, and just like W's.

[kennetha]

19. The earned income tax credit implemented under Cinton

was a great policy achievement and helped reduce poverty in the US even as Clinton ended "Welfare as we knew it."

[kestrel91316]

14. I have one VERY P/T employee (5 hrs a week) who PAYS TAXES.

And yes, that's her only income. She pays FICA and Med and SDI which are deducted from her paycheck, but I don't have to withhold any federal or state income tax. But she indeed PAYS TAXES.

McCain is an ignoramus.

[kennetha]

15. But Obama isn't proposing to cut or raise FICA, MED SDI

Is he?

[donco6]

20. Is it not troubling that 40% don't make enough to pay taxes?

I'm concerned about that, personally.